Royal (A Selection Fan Fiction) (Book One in my Selection Series)

Chapter 7

A firm knock came at my door and I jerked from my almost peaceful state into full consciousness.

I rub my eyes and open the door. My mind tells me the whole time it couldn't be a kidnapper because what kidnapper knocks? I blink in surprise as I face the prince himself, still in his evening clothes minus the tie and jacket and messier hair than usual.

"I wasn't really expecting anybody." I say honestly and partially lean on the door. I was glad I hadn't worn the flimsy nightgown that was made for me to wear at night— well never mind that. My shorts and shirt -that had actually belonged to Jason in the past- looked pretty rough.

"I couldn't forget what you told me earlier." Alex says inviting himself confidently into my room.

"Come on in." I mutter and turn on one of the lamps by my bed. I crawl onto the bed.

Alex is quite for a minute but I'm not in the mood to be awake or even alive right now.

"Speak now or forever hold your peace." I tell him grabbing one of my pillows and hugging it to my body while resting my head on the top.

"I'm going to trespass." He says.

"You promised you wouldn't say anything else about it." I say making myself clear j didn't want to hear it.

"Please." He pleads with his face full of worry with his forehead showed creases. "I can't stop thinking about it."

"Fine." I say staring him straight in the eye as he sits on the bottom of my bed. "What do you want to know?" I almost end with a snarky comment but thjnk better if myself. This is for my family.

"Were you ever whipped?" He asks leaning forward on his hand that was planked closer to be and bending toward him.

"Alex, I was a Six living with Eight's. Henry and Tayloe- both were Eight's- their parents were Lewis and Oliver. When we didn't had a house we stayed with them. I didn't clean, I wasn't clean enough ever that someone would even want me in their house. We stole food because that's how we survived. We stole or lived off of other people's scraps.
"We were actually better off than some Six's and Sevens but without a house. Everything's okay though now. The first payment was enough to buy a little house for them and they're all good now. Paisley should be resting and Jason'll be watching her like a hawk. Dad might clean the neighbor's house too." I smile at the thought of them.

"You never answered my question." Alex pushes. Was this guy mental or something?

"After so many times of sneaking around you'll get cause soon enough." I pause. I wasn't afraid to say it. It was his parents who this happen and it was his kingdom who suffered. "First time when I was five."

"Five?" Alex asks.

"Scars are ugly to watch grow with you. They stretch like piece of taffy in one of those factories." I laugh. "Next I was twelve. That officer was horrible. Hit me a lot but I recovered."

I laughed like it was part of a movie or just to relive the tension.

"The last time was around a two and a half weeks before I came. Right after my mother died. My sister seemed so, distraught to watch her die like that." There was no way I could go into detail and no way I could think about it any longer. "I tried to get her some hard candy. Let's say it didn't turn out well."

I took in Alex's face. He seemed distraught too. He scooted closer to the top of the bed and I could almost touch him.

"The guard was closer to my age than the other guards." I laugh on the verge of tears trying to hide it. "It didn't make him hold back though. There were people he had to impress. Ranks he had to get to. He probably needed the money for his family anyway."

I pause and notice I was hugging the pillow tighter than before.

"I remember once." I breathed out. "Youngest guard id ever seen. He was told to whip this little boy. He refused. Killed him on the spot. Jason tried to shield me, didn't think I should watch that, but how do you shield someone from something they already saw?" It was a faint whisper by then.

"It isn't as bad in the north though. Less attacks too, so there's more there. Everybody seems happier, just like a perfect place for Paisley. She doesn't need to live like that anymore..." I drifted off and buried my head into the pillow.

"I watched a hanging once. My parents told me it'd be good for when I get older. You never forget watching things like that, Charlie. You can only hope to embrace all the moments better than that to cover the pain you feel." He sounded like a poet. Like he had been working on that simple piece of art for a decade because he knew he'd need it one day.

"Is it to early in our relationship for me to hug you?" He asks me totally sure of himself.

I don't have the words so I just lean to my right until I feel my head hit his arm.

"I can stay the night if you want." Alex whispers, holding one of my hands and wrapping his free arm around my waist.

I didn't say anything to that either, instead I let him decide for himself what he could take that as.

"Goodnight." He whispers after a moment.

"Night." I say. I didn't see the point in saying the good in front of night. Who knows what type of night they will have? Even if they wish it upon you, it isn't like it'll change anything.