A Royal Love: Royal Problems

Chapter seventeen

-Lyla's POV-

As I finally reach the woods, I look for a tree to sleep in. "That tree looks good." I say as I look at a big tree with a lot of leaves so you don't see the branches. Suddenly a nut falls on my head. "Ow!" I say as I put my hand on the place it hit my head and look above me. "You again." I say as I look at the little animal I've seen earlier. "Looks like I'm not sleeping in this tree." I say which makes the animal climb the tree so I don't see him anymore.

"So little, but so annoying." I say as I turn around. As I turn around, I practically fall backwards as I see Alex standing now in front of me. "What are you doing!? Do you want me to get a heart attack!?" I say angrily at him as I step backwards so we're not standing too close. "I'm sorry, I was enjoying the view." He says as he smiles. "You're such a creep." I say as walk past him. "I wasn't staring at you, I was looking at your little fight with the squirrel." He says as he follows me. So that's what species that animal is, interesting.

"Of course you were. What are you doing here anyway?" I ask him as I keep walking and looking at the trees. "I came to apologise." He says which makes me stop walking and look at him. "Apologise?" I ask him. He stops walking too and looks at me. "Yes. I'm sorry if I freaked you out by telling that I care for you. I know that you have trust issues and I should have thought about that, but I was just so worried that something bad happened to you." He says as he looks in my eyes. "I can take care of myself." I answer him. "I know that, but I just don't want you to get hurt. People here see you as a threat, they want to hurt you. And don't say that it's not true, I've heard that you got shot." "I can heal myself." "Why can't you just accept me? I want to help you, understand you. Why aren't you letting me in?" He asks sounding desperate.

I look down for a moment but look him in the eyes afterwards. "You wouldn't understand." "That doesn't matter, you need to be able to talk about your problems before they take away the little light you have left in you." He says as he looks at me even more worried.

It's quiet for a couple of minutes until I break the silence. "Everyone I ever let close, only betrays me." I say to him which makes him hold my arms, probably thinking that I would run away again. "I'll never betray you." "That's what everyone says to me, but still I'm alone." "You're not alone, I'm here for you." "Can you leave, I want to sleep." I say as I look down. "Lyla..." He says to me as he lifts my chin up so I'm looking at him. "I won't leave you alone, I won't betray you, please believe me." "I can't." I say as I look back down.

It's quiet for a moment until he breaks the silence. "You're not the only one who isn't happy." He says which makes me look at him. "You can't be happy all the time but believe me, there are more people who are suffering. No matter what happened to you, you're not alone." He says to me but I don't respond, I just look at him.

He let's go of my arms and steps back so there's a distance between us again. "I'll go, but know that I'll always be ready to listen or just be there when you need me." He says before he turns around and start walking. I look at him for a moment thinking. He stops walking when I say something to him that I never thought I'd say: "You may stay."

__________

I open my eyes when sunshine shines on them. I'm really going to miss sleeping in the woods when I go back home. "Good morning, did you sleep well?" Alex says to me which makes me look at him. "I never sleep well." I answer and jump out of the tree. "You don't? Do you have nightmares?" He asks as he climbs out of the tree, trying not to fall. "Yes, I do." "What are they about?" He asks me. "Why does it matter, they're just bad dreams." "You dream for a reason. Come on tell me." He says as he's finally on the ground. "What do you have to lose?" He asks me as he walks towards me.