(Kaylor) Forbidden Love And Wishful Thinking

Chapter Eight

My mother walks me inside, and I lose Karlie.
She has a firm, tight grip on my hand and when I try to get away she stops me.
"How dare you!"
"What? Mother-"
"You know that it was forbidden for you to set foot outside these walls and you did it anyway!" There are tears in her eyes, and her hands are trembling.
"Mother..." I try to say softly, but my frustration is clear.
"It isn't safe for you!"
"I can protect myself. And I wasn't alone, I was with Princess Karlie."
"It doesn't matter! You are not to leave these walls again!" My mother is obviously hurt and is trying to hide it.
"You cannot keep me prisoner here forever, mother! What is going to happen when Prince Alexander and I get married? I won't be yours anymore! I do not have to listen to anything you say and if I want to leave, then I can!"
"No you cannot! You seem to have forgotten your place here, Taylor. I am queen. You are nothing but a princess. I say-"
"If I am nothing but a princess, then why is my marriage so important to you? Why is my safety so important if I am just a princess? Remember, mother. One day you will be gone and I will be queen."
I seem to have caught my mother there, and she gives me a look that could kill.
"It is illegal to speak about the death of a queen!" Her words have such venom that they sting. However, they do not sting as much as when her hand connects with my face. "You are treading on thin ice, darling."
I have stumbled backwards, but she holds my wrist, preventing me from moving away.
My cheek burns, and I struggle not to cry. "You..." I struggle to even speak as it feels as if someone is ripping my mouth open. "You are just so negative and mean all the time, and do you know why that is?" I pause. "Because you can't let go! What happened to Austin... you just can't. You can't even say his name, mother. You pretend that he doesn't exist. That he was never here. That you didn't ever have a son. But you did. You had a son and I had a brother. And you did not even stop and think for one second, about how I was dealing with losing him. I didn't have anyone telling me that it was going to be okay. You left me with a nanny for weeks. You never came to see me. I was only Eleven, and I had to learn to cope with it myself. And I am coping with it better than you!" I have never seen my mother look so... distraught.
"Get out of my sight. I do not wish to see you until dinner." She lets go of my wrist and leaves, her hands brushing away tears.
I haven't said his name to anyone but Karlie since it happened.
For a few moments all I can do I stand there, leaning against the wall.
It isn't until two guards walk past that I begin to fall back to reality.
My mother has kept me caged behind these castle walls for too long and I am not going to be trapped any longer.
I slowly make my way back to my room, and when I walk past Karlie's room, I hear raised voices. There is a big part of me that says that I should leave. It is not my place to be here. But then I remember the bruises laced around her neck. I stand my ground, wiping the tears from my eyes.
"I didn't do anything!" I hear Karlie say quietly.
"You left. You know the consequences of doing something like that."
"I didn't want to wake you..."
"That's bullshit. Come here."
I hear silence, and then Karlie is crying and then there is a loud, harsh slap. I gasp, taking a few steps backwards.
"Stop!" Karlie says, and I cannot take it anymore.
I knock on the door, and immediately the room is silent.
"Shut up!" I hear Miles hiss and his footsteps make their way to the door.
He opens it, just a crack and gives me a smile.
"Princess Taylor! What can I do to help you?"
I give a small curtsey, before plastering on my own fake smile.
"My father has received some information and wishes you to go into town to address it, your Royal Highness." I lie.
"Oh, why, of course. I will head out now."
"One of my father's guards will meet you outside the children's school."
"Of course. Have a great day, Princess." He squeezes through the gap, insuring that I cannot see inside.
I then return back to my chambers, and write out three words on a piece of paper.
I then call over Selena and ask her to deliver it to Karlie's room.

A little over five minutes later, there is a quiet knock on my door. I dismiss my ladies and go over to open it.
Karlie is waiting outside, and I can tell that she is doing everything to keep herself together.
She had her arms folded across her chest, and I sigh.
I study her, looking for any sign of hurt that there may be on her.
"You didn't-"
"Yes, I did."
She is about to cry, and I take two steps towards her, taking her hand. She looks down and a tear makes its way down her cheek.