Kerttu's Elite - A Sequel

Jakob - Chapter 9

Jakob is dead. Jakob is dead. Jakob is dead.

“Oh my God,” Amberly cried quietly, eyes wet with moisture. “He seemed so nice.”

I gulped. The tears flowed from my vision, pouring out of my soul. In my mind, it filled the palace halls, the water coming up past my knees. It kept climbing. It kept going. I was drowning.

Jakob was dead. “This is all my fault, this all my fault,” I muttered repeatedly on my breath.

“Kerttu, don't-” Mom breached, placing her hands on my shoulders. I shoved her off, wiping my cheeks thickly.

“Sorry Mom but it is. He came here for me and now he's dead. This is my fault. I need to check on the other boys.”

“I need to give you the full briefing,” Lady Brice suggested weakly behind me but I kept walking. With my dress scooped in my hands, I went to Shaan's room first.

It was destroyed, rummaged. The dressers were torn, pieces of furniture lying about the floor. He had opened his windows and was currently conversing with his Butler. They were close to each other and Shaan gave him a firm pat on the back.

“Hey,” I said flatly, tapping on the wardrobe. Sadly a piece of it fell to the floor on my contact. “Sorry,” I exclaimed, trying to fix it.

“Your Highness,” his Butler declared, bowing. I had seen him around before.

“What's your name, Sir?” I asked.

“Matt, Your Highness,” he replied, a sad yet prideful glint in his eyes.

“I'm glad you're alive. I'm sorry for anyone you lost today. I'm...I apologise.”

“You have nothing to apologise for. Thank you for your rule.” The grown man sunk to his knees, cutting his height into thirds. His crisps suit remained unwrinkled as he left the room with a handkerchief pressed neatly unto his forearm.

His familiar musk encircled me as I collapsed into his arms.

“Are you okay?” I whimpered, the relentless flow of tears flowing down my face.

His voice was drier than usual. “Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just happy you're alive.”

“Jakob,” I murmured into his chest.

“I know.”

“It's so-”

“Crazy,” he finished, sighing. “He was just here. They all were.”

We hovered to his bed, legs side by side, him holding me up with his lean arms. I kept sobbing, him rubbing my hair up and down. His body was shaking against mine, both of us becoming a mess.

I moved so that his head was in my chest and allowed him to cry comfortably. His glistening eyes met mine occasionally.

“Man, I'm embarrassing,” he scolded himself, shaking his head. He forced himself to get out of my arms, laying onto the bed flat.

“We both are. That's what make us so great.” He chuckled deeply, the first time I had heard laughter all day. “You just made my day.”

“I always make your day,” he teased, smirking. “Except that one time. Sorry about-”

“Don't finish that sentence. That whole fight, everything seems so stupid. We all were stupid.”

The words felt so heavy, anchoring us to our spots.

“I have to check up on some other people. Thank you for being you.”

He opened his mouth but then stopped himself. “Yeah,” he chose to say, moving his tongue around in his mouth.

I left his room, slightly confused. What had he wanted to say? I would ask him about it on a less somber day. I moved to Adim's room next. He was locked and his Butler said I could talk to him tomorrow. He was very shaken which made sense. I scheduled for him to get flowers and chocolates tomorrow morning. Poor Adim.

Berry was presumingly with Amberly, Tyrion who was close with Jakob was very shaken. I tried my best to calm him but it didn't quite work. Lastly was Charlie.

His brown eyes as usual were peering straight into mine, into my soul. Something about him still made me uneasy. I didn't know why.

“Are you okay, Kerttu?” His large hands encircled my shoulders, protecting them. His three piece suit had the buttons open, oddly relaxed for his fashion taste.

“No. Are you?” I asked.

“Of course not. But we'll get through this. I know it.”

We moved to his desk, taking a seat. “How are you so optimistic?”

He gave me a light smile. “I have been through a lot in my day. Things always get better and you can always endure them. Now this game of checkers won't play itself.”

We played a vigorous game of checkers that he won.

“I suck at board games. But you saw me fence!” I defended, laughing.

He laughed along. “I'll let you win next time. Just to be safe.”

We walked to dinner together, arms intertwined. Staff walked taller as we traveled the halls together, someone almost smiled. I looked at him and I knew that it was him who had this effect. He was born to motivate. Because he lived it. He lived positivity, good energy, and charisma. He was a figure.

But was he a person?

Dad had arrived, Calix sitting in his lap the entire dinner. Mom had already sent condolences to all whose family members who had died and had personally invited Jakob's family to the palace for the memorial tomorrow. They were sitting with us. It was an eerily quiet dinner.

We stayed behind to talk with his family. There was seven of them. They all had his blonde hair and incredibly tall height. Their eyes were dark. What could I do to help these people? These people I had hurt?

I talked to his mother first. Her eyes looked hallow, dark circles acting as a shield from tears.

“I am so-”

She raised her hand. “Your Grace, please do not apologize. He was so happy here,” her eyes lit him up. “So happy. So thank you, Princess. For the last couple of weeks, he was happy. Thank you.”

She was the second person that day sinking into a deep bow that meant so much to me. The only bows in my life that had ever meant something. The tears returned and she comforted me in my hold.

“Thank you. Thank you,” I told her repeatedly. “Thank you for letting me meet your son. He was such a great spirit, so funny, fun, and positive. He was the best.”

“Thank you, dear. Thank you.”