Standing at the end of his bed was someone who wasn't supposed to be there. Patrick wanted to shout at him for being so stupid, but he couldn't for a variety of reasons. The biggest reason being he missed them.
His voice was raw so he couldn't exactly tell them this; however, the desperation in his eyes encouraged them to move closer.
"This better not be a fucking dream," Patrick heard them mutter, and almost hesitantly they reached out and gently touched Patrick's leg.
"You shouldn't be here," Patrick muttered, desperate to say something.
They shook there head. "I'd die a million times and risk my head a billion more in order to see you."
"You weren't this sentimental before."
"I haven't seen you in over a decade. God, I thought you were dead. We all did." They sighed. "I missed you."
"Missed you too, Pete."
Pete smiled down at him, having moved his hand to Patrick's scratched face. He gently ran a thumb over one of the bandages. "Are you healing okay?"
Patrick nodded. "She fixed me up well."
Pete's eyes widened a bit. "She? You mean?"
"Yeah. She's absolutely beautiful, Pete." Pete smiled at the adoration in Patrick's voice. "You should see her. She looks like you."
"I was hoping she'd look like you." Patrick blushed at that. "I'll find a way to see her. And I'll be back to see you. I promise."
"Don't die for me or her. Please. There'll be time later."
Pete stood up and sent Patrick a wicked smirk. "I won't. Don't you worry. Now, get some rest. I'll see you soon."
With a soft kiss to Patrick's lips Pete was gone.
Patrick watched as the door closed, and following Pete's advice, he let his eyes slip shut.
*
"So you're telling me it was your plan to have them abducted?" Milo shouted at his father. "You all had this sick plan and no one told us?"
"The less they knew the better," Dallon tried to reason.
"I'm sure Alan knew. Alex. Jack. Everyone except Tori."
"Milo—"
"No." Milo said, shaking his head. He too a step towards Dallon, a clear sign of a challenge.
At eighteen years old it was obvious the boy had been given his father's height, and like his father he was never one to intimidate people; unless it came to Astoria. They'd been together since birth, so it was only expected for him to be so protective of her. Everyone had seen him defend her at least once.
"Tori isn't one to sit by and do nothing. You and I—hell, all of us—know that she would do anything to protect us."
"What're you saying?"
"I'm saying your entire plan has gone to shit because no one bothered to be straight forward with us. No one thought that we could handle it."
"I'm sure they're fine," Dallon reasoned. "Alan and Alex wouldn't let her do anything rash."
Milo reached over and snatched the magazine Copeland was pretending to read right out of her hands. She scoffed in disgust, but turned her attention to the fight like most of the others in the room were doing. They watched as Milo riffled through the pages of the already worn down magazine—Vic had made a special run the night before in order to get Copeland the newest magazine he could—and tossed it onto the table.
"Yesterday evening, His Royal Highness Prince Joseph Armstrong has finally addressed the spreading rumor of an engagement. In an exclusive interview Prince Joseph was quoted saying, "Yes, we've been waiting for the best time to announce it, and with the guidance of my parents, my wonderful fiancée and I have decided to make an official announcement."
"An insider source can confirm that His Royal Highness will be wed to Lady Victoria Covington in the fall of this year, following a series of visits to the districts of the kingdom. The couple will be escorted by His Royal Majesty The King Billie Joe Armstrong, Her Royal Majesty The Queen Adrienne Armstrong, and their younger son His Royal Highness The Prince Jakob Armstrong."
"So," Oli muttered once Milo had finished reading the article out loud. "The royal prat's marrying. What's that got to do with Tori?"
"Since she found out Tori was actual royalty, Copeland always tried to upstage her, starting with when we were kids—you know, when we were old enough to actually play. It was always the same with her: she was the princess, and Tori and I were her subjects. I was always the suitor, Knight Maven Alston, fighting for Copeland's hand. Tori, known as Victoria Cove, was a peasant who made Copeland's dresses.
"She wouldn't have given her real name; she would've followed Alan and Alex's example of using something else. However, somehow Tori wound up engaged to the prince, and I don't think that was part of your plan."
"How are you sure it's her?" Austin asked. "It could just be a coincidence."
Milo flipped a page over.
Smiling up at them in their first royal portrait was Astoria and Prince Joseph. They looked absolutely stunning side by side, dressed in elegance and bathed in beautiful lights and jewels—the large engagement ring took up a majority of the focus. To anyone who didn't know any better they looked liked they were in love.
*
After one too many times of sneaking out of her room in an attempt to overhear anything, Astoria, and unfortunately Copeland, had been locked in their room each evening. She had become used to it, so when the locked clicked closed her first evening at the palace she hadn't really minded.
A few days later, she was anxious.
She wanted to see Patrick; she wanted to see Alan and Alex. If they wanted her cooperation. . . . No, they already had it. She couldn't bribe anything but false knowledge to get herself what she wanted.
The large ring on her hand felt like a weight, keeping her firmly planted in reality. She'd detested it since she'd been instructed to put in on, an hour before a dreaded photoshoot. "It's an announcement," Joseph had told her when she asked why the photos were necessary. "The people want to see you."
Faintly, she could hear footsteps heading down the hall. She expected them to pass her door and continued on their way, but they stopped at her door.
And the lock clicked open.
