The Royal Threat

Chapter 7

Author's note: picture of Audrey above :)

"We missed you Natalia, we really do. Audrey will be so much excited to see you once again. How come you didn't send us a single letter for the past ten years, don't you miss us?"

Those words keep on playing in the mind of Natalia making her feel curious and guilty at the same time.

She doesn't know how to get rid of such words. Natalia doesn't know what she did wrong!

She knows that Ethan wouldn't say those words without feeling the pain. Natalia saw the pain in his eyes even if he was smiling. Natalia would want to see him happy because the picture that she is holding indicates they are best of friends.

Natalia doesn't even remember anything that he likes! But she is sure that Ethan knows a lot of things when it comes to her.

Natalia tries her best to recall the last name of Ethan, she searches for his last name in the information that is stored in her memory. Natalia clenches her fist for she can't remember it, no matter what!

The only thing that she knows is that he makes her feel that she is important to him.

Natalia lifts the picture that she has seen inside her room in the cruise ship when they were in Germany. She wants to know what happened to the three of them when they were younger, Natalia would want to know why there is no communication for ten years. Natalia puts down the picture and taps her fingers on top of the table, she thinks of someone who could help her. She grabs the picture and heads to the room of Andrea.

Natalia remembers how close Andrea is to Ethan and his family. Andrea acts like she knows the parents of Ethan for years. Andrea converses with the father of Ethan like he is her childhood friend. Natalia also remembers the first day that she arrived here in Moscow. Andrea asked Natalia if she could still remember the time when she went to the festival with Ethan.

Natalia swipes her thumb across the picture and she is sure that Andrea could give her a lot of information. Natalia would want to make up with the past.

She enters in Andrea's room. Natalia doesn't know if she's in the right room, it looks like a mini office. The room makes Natalia feel like she is going to talk to the CEO of a company. Good thing Natalia hears Andrea's voice.

"My love, you know that I can't see you again after a brief time. We need to wait for a bit longer." Andrea turns around and sees Natalia, her eyes suddenly widens. "I'll talk to you later, my love." Andrea says and puts down the phone.

"Who are you talking to? You said that you weren't dating anyone." Natalia asks which makes the heart of Andrea suddenly stops.

"It's just a friend of mine." She replies.

"Just a friend? You were talking to someone who you are referring to as your love." Natalia says.

"It's a misunderstanding. I use the term, my love, to anyone. My friend wants me to meet her now so that we could sell the stocks already but I told her to wait for a bit longer so that the prices of the stocks will go up."

Andrea clears her throat and lifts her head, "what brings you here?" Natalia shows her the picture which makes Andrea smile.

"That was taken ten years ago, based on my own calculation." She says.

"Do you know anything about this picture?" Natalia asks.

"I was the one who took the picture before you boarded the airplane. You said that you wouldn't want to leave them. They know what will make you enter inside the airplane, they bought you an ice cream."

"They didn't want to make you go but they know that you will be scolded if you won't go. You're so hesitant; you didn't care about being scolded that time! It's a good thing that you have them as your friends." Andrea adds.

"Best friends." Natalia corrects her.

Natalia hears herself like an old tape, she sounds good but she didn't feel the meaning of the words.

"Ah, that's right! You have been best friends for ten years already. I am pretty sure that either you or Audrey will fall in love with Ethan, I wonder who it is going to be." Andrea teases. Natalia gives her a sulky expression, "that's not why I came to talk to you." Natalia retorts.

"I want to know what happened in the past, why didn't I receive any letters from them?"

"How come they were expecting a letter from me?"

Andrea sits next to her and holds her hand, Andrea finds it difficult to say the words to Natalia. Andrea knows that Natalia couldn't ask anyone and that she deserves to know the truth.

"Do you know the reason?" Natalia asks in a soft tone.

"Please, tell me the truth." she adds.

Andrea exhales; she doesn't have any other choice. "Kristof." she says which makes Natalia stand up.

"What did my father do?" Natalia asks and tries to control her temper.

"He's the one responsible for all of this; he cut all of your connections with Ethan and Audrey. When you were still kids, Kristof noticed that you were starting to be like them. He didn't want you to be like an ordinary kid, he wanted you to be ahead of them." Natalia sees no logical reason for Kristof to do such thing.

"My gosh! What kind of thinking is that?" She protests.

"All this time I thought I don't have any friends, while in fact I have Ethan and Audrey waiting for me here! Father destroyed those ten years of my life!" Natalia shouts and goes out of the house with great rage.