The Bride

Chapter 16//: It's all my fault

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 16//: It's all my fault♕✿~♕✿~

Ahren's POV

Hours later after my talk with Alexis, I'm still a bit dazed by her words. They had really hit home. Not able to sit in my room anymore, I decide to take a break from my work to take a walk around the palace and to just think.

I soon come to a stop in front of a set of familiar double doors. My father's old office. And, I think with dread, now my office.

I hear some noises coming from the room, and frown. The only people who would be here would be Gregory or Juliet. But I could use either of their company to talk about what Alexis has said to me.

Pushing open the doors, I see the familiar white hair of Gregory. He jumps at the sound of the door opening, turning around. His eyes widen as he notices it's me, and he mutes the T.V. he was watching and covers it with his body. "Your Majesty? I didn't know you'd be here. I thought you were working," Gregory says with a nervous edge to his tone.

I frown at his strange behavior. Was something bad happening to make him so nervous? "Yeah, I was but I decided to take a small break," I say slowly, my eyes moving to the T.V. I try to glance at the T.V. screen behind Gregory but he strategically moves his body more so that I can't see. I narrow my eyes at him.

"Gregory, what are you trying to hide from me?" I ask while still trying to look behind his shoulder. I can see glimpses of some video being played on the screen, but Gregory blocks the screen from me every time before I can see anything more. At this point, I was getting annoyed by Gregory's antics.

"Seriously, what are you watching? Why aren't you letting me see?" I ask Gregory as this time, I try to physically move past him. He pushes me back forcefully, and I stare at him in shock as I regain my footing. He looks back at me with apologetic eyes.

I cross my arms across my chest. "As your superior, I demand you to let me see what is on the T.V.," I say to Gregory in an authoritative voice. I usually didn't use the "I'm your future king" card on people, but I was desperate and curious at this point.

Gregory looks conflicted as his eyes go back to the T.V. screen and then back to me. He shakes his head at me. "Trust me, Your Majesty, you won't want to see what's on the T.V. right now. Please, just believe me," he tells me gravely.

I stand still for a minute before my eyes go wide. "Gregory," I say incredulously. "Are you watching something...er...you know." My cheeks heat up as I wave my hands around, hoping he would understand what I was getting at. I didn't exactly want to say what I thought.

Gregory's brows furrow in confusion before his eyes widen with shock. "What? No! I am an honorable man, Your Majesty," he tells me. I narrow my eyes at his answer.

"Then why are you hiding the T.V. from me? This is just getting ridiculous," I say as I move forward and push Gregory away before he can do anything. My eyes take in what's on the screen, and I freeze up.

It's Madi. My hands go up to the screen, but I flinch back as a whip hits her hand. I can see her body shuddering as tears streak down her face. A nauseating feeling wells up in me as someone, a man, continues to whip her hands. A  lump forms in my throat as I take in her bloodied hands and ruined flesh. My chest tightens painfully as Madi continues to shudder with each hit she takes.