Bad Royals

12

"Panic attacks?" Archer's eyes widened, digesting Bella's words.

She swallowed her pride and threw all the negative possibilities that might occur after telling him, telling herself that there is nothing to hide and that this will prove if he was really trustworthy or not.

"Whenever I hear a plane crash or a bomb, I immediately get swallowed into panic attack mode." Bella felt odd explaining that out loud to someone. She never had to explain it to anyone and to think about it; she felt fragile and weak for not able to control herself like that due to hearing mere words. After all those years, she still can't control her body nor heart, not able to get over that tragic incident that took away her family even though she still had a family; a loving and supporting one as well yet she still couldn't get over what has been robbed from her.

"It's because... that incident?" Bella nodded at his question with a brave smile on hiding the nervousness and weird feeling she had due to telling him. Archer knew about her depressions after the incident. Everyone in the whole world knew it had been the main topic for a long while after the incident, but he never thought that it might lead to something larger, continuing with her till this day. Surprisingly, it was tearing him apart, seeing her suffer like that. Not to mention that he increased her suffering by asking her, inviting back all these horrible memories. "I am sorry."

"I don't want your pity." Bella really didn't care about others' opinions regarding herself; thus, she didn't need anyone's pity as well.

"I know, and I am not apologizing for that. I know how it feels when someone throws those empty apologies..." Archer paused. "I experienced it with my mother's death." He took a deep breath. "I am apologizing for asking you that and making you talk about it knowing how much it hurts thinking and uttering it out loud."

Bella looked at him for a while disbelievingly.

No one and she means it no one ever could understand like that, and no one could put what he just implied about her feelings like he just did. The most surprising part that he was sincere; she saw it in his eyes, those beautiful sparkling eyes that never left hers the whole time he talked as if proving her his point and that he isn't lying.

And she felt grateful. She felt grateful for him for understanding her and picking up fast without her offering any further explanations.

But there was that question that intrigued her. "What really happened to your mom?"

That really didn't surprise Archer at all, as Bella thought.

She didn't know why but deep down in his heart, he was willing to tell her today if he could, and he was going to now.

After she opened up to him, she exposed an important secret about her that probably not many know; he felt the need to tell her now than later.

"She had a heart problem, so her heart was weakening every day, and there was no cure until..." Archer paused, looking at the now black shimmering night sky."Until one day, her heart just stopped."

That really saddened Bella. She heard so many good things about that queen, and the look on Archer's face just broke her heart. She wasn't pitting him; she was sad for him for what he felt and that she can't stop the hurt that topic brought to him, but if she couldn't stop her agony, how could she possibly be able to stop his? It was foolish thinking, she thought.

After that, the food arrived, and they started eating, opening casual conversations, and getting to know each other.

Yes, they were moving on. They were throwing all the hurtful and sad things behind, letting their guard down—their overthinking and trust issues towards each other long gone as well. Just enjoying the rest of the night together as two new friends getting to know each other.

But what they didn't know that all of this would come to an end after they return to the palace, breaking every thin string they had now formed.

...

"Thanks for the tour; I really enjoyed my day." Bella thanked with gleeful sparkling eyes, facing Archer in the car that was now parked in front of the palace.

"No, thank you for accompanying me and making this day much better." That brought a smile onto Bella's face thinking that he might not be as bad as she thought.

And with that last thought, they got out of the car into the palace, going to their separate ways.

Archer to his room while Bella went to Dylan's room to spill the beans for him about what happened today.

He was her best friend, after all.

"Dyl, it's Bella." Bella knocked on his bedroom, eager to tell Dylan everything. But there was no answer. Bella waited for a while then knocked again."Dylan!" Still no answer. Well, that worried Bella now, but she thought maybe he was asleep? But then again Dylan is a light sleeper; he wakes up from the slightest noise. But she gave it a chance, thinking maybe he was in the bathroom, and she is just panicking over nothing. After she waited enough time and she couldn't bear the wait anymore, she held the doorknob, "Dyl, I am coming in. I hope you are decent." She waited a couple of seconds, holding on to that last hope and still no response. Then she barged in with her heart beating rapidly with worry. The room was pitch black; no lights were on, not even a dim light to make out anything in this dark room; she sensed something off. "Dylan?" She called out in a shaky voice, looking for the light switch as she fears the darkness. One of her many weaknesses that she is trying to overcome. And she found it pressing it, letting up the whole room. She scanned the room for any trace of Dylan until her eyes fell on...

Dylan!?

"Oh my god, Dylan!!" She screamed, running to his side. "what happened?"

Here he was, Dylan's lifeless body laying on the cold floor with blood surrounding him. Bella now was freaking out; she couldn't imagine what will happen if he also left her."Help!!" She was crying; she was terrified that she was too late. However, she noticed that he still had a weak pulse even though his face and hands were cold as ice." anyone Help!!!" She screamed with tears rolling down her cheeks, squeezing Dylan's cold hand." Hold on, Dyl, please stay strong."

"Yes, prince--" a servant came running into the room, stopping mid-sentence after he saw them.

"Call the ambulance, please, quick!" And he immediately ran doing as ordered, leaving Bella crying and cursing herself for handing the bag that held her phone and other stuff to a servant waiting at the door to collect her coat and bag from her placing it into her room.

Later on, the same servant came back, informing her that he called the ambulance and will shortly be here, and he also told the servants to spread the word to the royals.

With no time wasted, King Evans came panting with a pale face, and Tia followed King Steven.

"Oh my god!" Tia cried, covering her mouth.

"Dylan, son, no!" King Evans threw himself beside his son's cold body at the same moment ambulance sirens could be heard.

They wasted no time taking the prince's motionless body to the hospital while trying to keep his fragile pulse in place.

As they got out of the large gate, Archer and Ashley just came with Ashley asking what happened.

King Evans, Tia, and Bella took a car immediately after the ambulance with King steven and his children in another car behind him.

While they were in the car, one question kept bugging Bella's head.

Who did that to Dylan?