A Princess For Christmas (Of The Dreams We Seek)

Twenty- Five

Callahan walked into the castle. And he was very much angry. All the way he was silent. Very silent. She didn't say anything either. Serafina was silent too for a change. They left Philip with the others so that he can make some temporary shelter for the night. Avni ran towards him even with her injured leg.

 He walked inside his room with her on toe. The room was shrouded in darkness. And she stood far away from him. "Avni leave now" His voice was cold, just like the first time she had heard him. "Callahan please cant we talk?" He didn't turn around to look at her.

 "No, and it is Prince Callahan. You are only a princess in name and today you had proven that very well" Avni felt like her heart being ripped away from her body. "How can you do this Avni? How can you even think it was alright to let my sister, who is sick, who cannot walk properly, who couldn't have saved herself if she had gotten into the situation she was today." Avni's voice trembled "I...I didn't know she was..."

 "Shut up Miss Avni, you know nothing about my family, you know nothing about my sister, it wouldn't have been your loss if something had happened to her" Avni's hand raised on her own accord and a sound echoed in that empty space. She had slapped him again. He pinned her hands to the walls.

 "Don't ever slap me again, you get me? you will never touch me again without my consent and I don't give you my consent for this" Her bottom lip tremble and tears threaten to spill from her eyes. But he didn't let go. All his rage and anger befallen upon her. 

"You were the one who had told Philip to take my sister to that place. If she wasn't there which was because of you, she wouldn't have been in mortal danger." He looked into her eyes and said "There is a reason why she isn't allowed outside the palace walls. And the rules are for her protection. I know you don't care about yourself because you are dying, today or tomorrow you will go away, but keep my sister out of this do you understand." 

Avni's heart broke, her soul shattered when he said those words.

"Leave me" She whispered not raising her voice. It was of no use; he will never understand. "Let me go Your Highness, I know you truly don't care whether I live or die, sometimes it feels like it would have been better if I haven't known you. If I haven't known the cold heart you possess. It would have been better if my fighting spirit have been lost because of my illness, not because of someone who had pretended to be my friend and broke me from within."

 His hand fell down on his side. Her words cut through the haze. He realised what he just said. He never wanted her dead. No, it was an awful thing to say. "Avni I..." She shook her head. And pushed him a little. He stumbled back, looking at her tear-stricken face. He moved forward in order to touch her. "No" She said in a firm voice, trying hard not to show her real self. Trying hard to maintain her hard exterior.

 "Avni you are hurt badly; we don't know if that is bruised or broken." Her face gave a sardonic smile "yes, you cannot determine whether it is just bruised or you have broken it beyond repair even when it is in front of you Your highness" And then she left holding her head high. But as she reached her room tiredness gripped her.

 She fell on to floor. She pulled her knees together burrowing her face in it and her body shook with tears. Since she had known about her illness, not once she had cried. Not once she had felt why it had to be her. Nothing held the power to broke her but he did. He achieved it. He finally brought her down to her knees. 

And there is nothing she can do about it. Maybe what Robert had said was true, they are Royals they do not care about the commoners. She sat there for how long she didn't know when a shrill cry of phone broke the silence of the room.

She picked up the phone without looking at the number. "Hello?" She asked in her trembling voice. "What happened Avni why are you crying?" And upon hearing that she cried harder. "Avni what happened? Did someone say something to you?" She didn't realize that the phone was in speaker and that someone was listening in.