Kingdoms In Ruling <Jamilton>

Chapter Seventeen..."I'll See You To It"/

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Lauren POV

I couldn't tell him now. Hell, I couldn't tell him at all. I'd have to let Maria do it, but that might be worse. Fuck, I don't know.

Alexander had made it very clear that no one were to mention his past. He gave no names, no locations, no identitie. It was pure luck that I had befriended him just enough to where he could tell me what had happened. Oh, it was absolutely awful.

I'm not gonna go into it. I didn't like to think of it.

I sighed softly as my fingers tapped against the wooden desk in front of me, chin resting on my propped up arm. Maria, in new clothes and smelling fresh of strawberries, glanced around the room, almost nervous. She was good at hiding it, though.

"You need to talk with Alex." I mumbled, staring at her. She sighed, then, as if expecting that, looking down at her folded hands in her lap. Silence filled the air.

"He would be glad to see you, you know." I continued, sitting upright. "You made his life better."

"How?" The woman whispered, looking back up at me with glossy eyes. It was then, I realized, how much this situation truly affected her. "You don't know the full story."

I tilted my head, curious. I thought Alex told me everything.

"He doesn't know, either." Maria continued, seeing my questioning glance. "Nobody does. Nobody but King."

This intrigued me. "King? As in, King George?"

"The one and only," A sad smile graced her lovely features. "I had no choice."

"Whatever you did, it wasn't your fault." I spoke with sincerity, wondering what was so bad that had Maria's hands trembling. She gripped them tight to hide it, knuckles white.

A knock interrupted her next words. Her head snapped towards the door as it opened, revealing Jefferson. I stood up swiftly, smiling politely, yet I held no kind thoughts for the man.

"Am I interrupting something?" The southern king questioned, cocking his head, eyes flickering between the two of us.

"I was just leaving." Maria smiled kindly up at him, and he nodded, stepping from under the doorway into the room. Maria's hand graced his arm as she passed, whispering something to the man. Jefferson's brows creased just the slightest as the door fell shut, silence filling the air.

"How are you doin'?" Jefferson spoke politely, looking down at me. I wordlessly sat back down in response, Jefferson doing the same after a moment, looking unsure and oddly vulnerable.

"Relax, I don't bite." I half-joked at Jefferson's stiff posture, yet my tone went flat. He didn't respond.

"How's Alexander?" He mumbled after a moment, ducking his head, picking at his fingers. "I haven't gone to check on him after lunch."

"Why do you care?" My words were laced with a sudden rush of venom for the other man. Jefferson seemed taken aback, eyes filled with something unfamiliar. It was then, I realized later on, he was showing weakness.

"Please." He was quiet, unlike the other times I watched him speak with his friends, able to hear his distinct accent practically echo down the halls.

I spoke after a careful moment, studying him. His head was still down. "He's fine. His wounds were dressed by your friend. I didn't take him much for a doctor."

Jefferson gave a dry laugh, seeming to almost choke on his next words. "James? Yeah, uh," he coughed, "he's sick all the time,  n' he's very clumsy, so, of course he's gotta know the basics."