Ashton's POV

Riveria left my office after what felt like eternity. Immediately looked up from my papers and banged my fisted hand on the desk in frustration.

Why! Why did she have to be so damn... so frustrating. She couldn't just be like all the other princesses; submissive and listen when they are given instructions?

But you don't want just any princess. You want her.

Fuck these thoughts. What are you doing to me?

I stand up and pour myself some whiskey. I need to de-stress. I brush my hand through my brown locks. Flashes of our past together suddenly appeared bringing with them a splitting headache. I rubbed my temple trying to soothe the searing pain.

I rushed to the drawer of my obsidian desk and pulled out my pain meds. I shakily tilted the bottle and swallowed three pills. I placed the container on the desk and plopped on to the swivel chair.

My door suddenly opened but I didn't have the energy to move my bowed head and look at who was the uninvited guest was.

"Get out."

The someone in my office stomped around.

" How could you be mean to Riv? You know she is really nice.", she scolded.

Oh, it must be Hanna. She is the only person in this house with the courage to scold me.

The mention of the nickname I called her triggered me. The memories flashed. The sharp glass shards every where. Flashing lights and sirens of the ambulance. Beeping of the heart monitor. It all flashed so rapidly.

"Ashie! are you okay?", I heard a sweet child-like voice ask as she stopped reprimanding me and finally noticed my agony.

"I'm fi-" but before I could even finish my lie, a sharp pain shot through my head causing for me to jolt out of the chair and land on my knees. A groan escape my lips as I rubbed my temple with my cold calloused hands.

"Ashton", Hanna yelled out in shock and scurried around the desk to my side.

She hugged my head and whispered, "Ashton, you are shaking. What is going on?"

I could hear that she was on the brink of tears. My sister has never witnessed me this weak before.

"Please... Call Lilith.", I managed to rasp out.

She hurried out the door to find Lilith while shout out frantically.

I tried to stand while holding onto the desk for balance but I ended up losing my balance and hit my head on the corner of my desk.

The last thing I saw before blacking out was Hanna looking down at me with a worried expression. Her mouth was moving but I could not hear what she was saying.

...........

I slightly opened my eyes and peeked to see the outside world, away from my dark war zone of a mind. I was instantly greeted by a blindly bright white light instinctively causing me to shut my eyes. I blinked repeatedly in attempts to adjust my eyes to the harsh lighting in the room. I eventually found the strength to push myself to sit upright and lean on the massive headboard.

I took this moment to inspect my environment. I was in my room. I exhale a deep sigh. All of a sudden I heard a soft knock.

It is probably Hanna, I wonder how she is?

"Come in!", I attempted to shout but instead my voice sounded like I screamed at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro for ten hours, as it came out gravelly. Only then did I notice how dry my throat is and my desire for water at that point skyrocketed. 

The door  languidly opened slightly and someone poked their head not revealing the remainder of their body - Hanna. I tried to smile but it did not reach my eyes - it never does anymore.

"Hi Ashie? Are you okay.  You gave me quite a scare back there.", she said cutely. I love how Hanna always manages to lift my mood, even though not completely, just with her innocent presence and warm demeanor.

"I am okay. Come here and give your eldest brother a hug.", I said as I opened my arms. She immediately left the cover of the door she was hiding behind and ran towards me. She somewhat struggled to climbed up the bed which, caused me to chuckle lightly, until she finally made it into my arms where I squeezed the living daylights out of her. When I hug someone- which is not often- I consider it in a weird way gaining some sort of strength or energy from them.

I'm the midst of our comfortable hug Hanna unexpectedly pulled away," Oh I almost forgot. Lilith told me to tell you if you are awake that dinner is ready. She wanted to know if she should bring it up or will you come down? "

"Please tell her that I am coming down in a moment."

She nodded and wordlessly climbed down the bed and ran out of my bedchamber. I reluctantly hauled the the navy blue duvet from body. I dragged myself to my walk-in closet. I changed into my black sweater and matching sweatpants.

I walked calmly down the grand staircase. Yeah, it was pleasant while I was still young but now commuting up and down these stairs is now a chore. I got to the bottom and headed to the dinning room. The second I entered the room I was ambushed by a myriad of pleasant aromas. My mouth watered and my stomach growled in anticipation of the feast Lilith had cooked up. Have I ever  mentioned I love her cooking?

I joined my siblings at the table . Hanna sat there being seemingly preoccupied by her thumbs while Zacharias was waiting not so patiently, at least he was waiting. I allowed them to dig in. Silence engulfed the room the only thing that could be heard was the clinging of cutlery against the porcelain plates. 

"So it happened again?", Zach inquired about the today's incident. It has happened before, the episodes I mean.

"Yes.", I answered curtly not being distracted from the current task at hand- stuffing my stomach to the brim with Lilith's scrumptious delicacies.

He sighed," When is this condition of yours going to stop? It has been going on for years."

I knew he meant this with only the purest intentions but I couldn't help but feel like he is making it seem like I can control this condition that I am suffering from. I calmed my emotions.

"I do not know."

............

"What did Doctor Morgan say?", I asked Lilith frankly uninterested in her reply but awaited it nonetheless. 

She took a small sip of her tea and pushed her thin-framed spectacles further up her nose. "Well he said you had a mild concussion due to the the head injury you somehow managed to sustain which is why you have that white band-aid around your head."

What white band-aid ?

I raised my head to touch my temple and I felt a rough material, it must be the band-aid. How did I not notice it?

Lilith got up from her chair next to me and went around the kitchen island to one of the floating cabinets. She pulled out a box of pills. I sighed and discreetly rolled my eyes. The pills, they are prescribed by the doctor himself. There are a type of anti-depressants I honestly have no interest in knowing what type and what they do. All I know is that they help me sleep and forget (even just a little).

She placed them on the island in front me. She wordlessly went around the island again and took her cup of tea and saucer and washed in the massive sink. 

"Well, I will now retreat to my quarters. Would you like anything else your highness?"

"No, thank you Lilith. You may be dismissed.", I said and she responded by taking a slight bow and swiftly turned heading to her living quarters.

I sat there in the domestic kitchen of one the mansions owned by the Royal family of Vermillion just staring at the magnificent marble tabletop thinking about everything wrong that occurred in life.

Ashton, get your shit together man! Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You are about to become a king. How will you rule over whole kingdom if you fail so dismally to rule over your emotions?  

I got up and headed to my room. 

What's the date today? Oh, the 9th of December. By 23 April of 2024 my life would be completely different. Do I want it to? Yes, but not like this. 

I want her to fall in love with me... again.

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