The Royal Games

Chapter 22

Recap:

I don't know how long I sit there but that is how Dylan finds me. A sobbing mess in a broken bundle on the floor. "Rosie." His voice is soft and he bends down. "Come on darling." Gently wrapping an arm round my shoulder and placing a hand on my other arm, he lifts me to my feet and guides me away from my my room's door.

"It will be ok. You'll be ok."

The New Arrival

Dylan leads me to what I only assume is his room. Setting me down on his bed, he disappears before reappearing seconds later with a box of tissues. "Here, let's get you cleaned up. What happened?"

Dylan listens patiently as I tell him all about Matilda and Stefan. He already knows about her of course but still he listens patiently, never interrupting but always nodding in acknowledgement. By the end, I've used the whole box of his tissues and it's almost 1am. We're lying side by side, not touching, just taking comfort in each other's company.

"Thank you. I'm sorry Dylan, about all this." I blubber, gesturing to the soggy tissues all over his bed.

"Anytime. I hate to see you so upset." He frowns. It doesn't escape my notice he hasn't really contributed any words of advice, or with any kind of real meaning, in terms of my predicament but then what could he say? He knows as well as I do Stefan's destiny is to marry Matilda, secure the throne and become King of England. I hardly fit into that; it's a miracle of nature I'm even here. I don't belong here; this isn't my world, my destiny... I'm just a normal girl, who was in the right place at the right time and I let myself get caught up in a whirlwind romance that never should have been. So what could Dylan say? There is no truth he can offer that'll bring comfort to me, and so he says nothing. I can't believe I let myself believe Stefan and I could ever have a future together. This has all been surreal it's basically like a dream... Ofcourse it can't be reality. Instead, he pulls me in for a hug. "I know he cares deeply for you."

Dylan strokes my hair until eventually sleep takes over and I fall in a empty and dreamless sleep.

➰➰➰

The sound of voices catch my attention as consciousness returns.

"She cried herself to sleep." Dylan's voice is low, full of sympathy.

"Poor thing looks exhausted." It's Lexi's voice I hear replying. "She's taking it hard. Stefan's really messed with her." She sighs.

"Come on Lex, it's not like it's his fault." Sighs Dylan in defence.

"I know, but he could have stopped things getting this far. It was selfish to reel her back in at the ball."

"He's hurting too you know." I tune their conversation out and force myself back to sleep again, anything to take a break from the real world.

When I wake again, I see Lexi lying on the empty patch of bed next to me tapping away on her phone.

"Hey! Look who's up!" She beams at me putting her phone down. "You sleep like a rock, damn girl."

I merely grunt in response. "What time is it?"

"6pm."

"6?! I slept the whole day?"

"Here I've bought soon food for you."

"Thanks but I'm not hungry." I refuse the tray she's gesturing at and turn away, lying on my side and snuggling into Dylan's now tear stained pillow.

I don't even realise I'd fallen asleep until I wake up again. This time it's Dylan who's in the room. Lexi is nowhere to be seen, and Dylan sits in the chair by the bed reading a book. "You're awake! Bed hog." He grumbles, a smile on his face despite his statement.