Puppet to the Crown

Chapter 19

Emily, I am so sorry for how I treated you. I know some of things I’ve done in the past have been awful. I want you to know that I’m going to change. I love you Emily Sterling. We are meant to be together forever. -Tyrone

Well that was unexpected.

That night curled under the comfort of a silky comforter I slept. Although during the day my mind had been plagued with questions, for whatever reason my thought had vacated me allowing me to drift calmly into sleep. Considering I was having such a refreshing night of sleep it was rather shocking to wake up to my body being flung wildly into the air.

My eyes fluttered open taking in the scene around me. Rose petals that Tyrone had so nicely set up among my room were dancing about as a tiny figure bounded up and down on my bed. “Wake up Emily,” the figure told me.

Studying the girl that stood before me, I gasped. “You dyed your hair!”

The once gorgeous head of thick blond hair was now a strange royal looking blue. Hannah grinned at me in response, “Mother was so mad she practically tossed me out of the house. Father couldn’t stop laughing. Poor man is in for some hell.”

A giant smile graced my lips as I tackled her to the bed in a hug. “So much has happened while you were gone,” I told her.

“Evidently,” she muttered surveying the room, “I’m guessing Tyrone.”

“Naturally. He seems to believe that he has magically changed his cheating, asshole ways,” I grumbled.

My statement was met by uncontrollable laughter from Hannah. “That would be the day.”

Somehow my problems seemed to lessen in importance and impact as I laid next Hannah. We were best friends and everything was a little easier when you had someone you could tell everything to. I knew no matter what she would be on my side. It wasn’t like telling Tina who had to think about my well being. All Hannah had to think about were my feelings on the matters at hand.

“So what’s going on? You sounded stressed in the letter,” Hannah asked quietly while digging her head into one of the many pillows that cluttered my bed.

“Well okay so I snuck out of the castle a few weeks ago-” I started only to be cut off.

“You WHAT!”

“It’s a long story. Just let me finish,” and I explained it. I told her everything that had happened. I told her how I met Axel. I told her how I found out that everyone was after him, but I still wasn’t entirely sure why. I told her about Sharada. I told her about seeing my mother for the first and probably the last time in my entire life.

By the time I finished my tales, Hannah was shocked beyond belief. “You have to show me,” she told me grinning from ear to ear.

“What?”

“I want to go. I’ve never been in the city,” she whined allowing a small pout to play on her lips.

A small groan escaped my lips as I attempted to explain, “I can’t take you. I got the crap beat out of me and I can’t afford to risk that happening to you.” It seemed as though the conversation drifted into silence. Before I even understood what had occurred we had both allowed our minds to fall into a state of unconscious.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Kn- “What?” I hollered in my exhausted state. Being awoken by someone continually banging on your bedroom door was not nearly as pleasurable as one would think. Especially considering it was the second time I had abruptly been awoken.

Nathan wandered inside adorning an annoyed expression across his face. His lips were set in a strait line. His hair was in complete disarray. He wasn’t dressed, instead he was wearing a pair of dark green sweatpants and a look that screamed sad puppy. Seriously he looked like a puppy that had been left out during a thunder storm. “What’s wrong Nate?” I asked him sitting up strait in my bed suddenly alarmed.

Hannah hardly moved a muscle as she remained cocooned in my comforter enjoying sleep. A desperate sigh was released from his lips as plopped down on one of the couches that cluttered my room. “I’m in love,” he moaned.

My immediate response was burst into laughter at the thought. Nathan, in love? Hell no. He didn’t even know how to take a girl on a descent date. “I’m serious!” he growled while burying his face in his hands. Slowly I dragged myself out of bed and walked over to my brother. Sitting down beside him, I wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders.

“I’m sorry. Tell me about her,” I whispered.

Silently he raised his eyes and stared at me, before breaking down into a love struck rant, “She is amazing. She is beautiful. She is everything I could possibly have dreamed of in a girl. Her name is Harmony. She has this long blond hair that is almost white. I could run my fingers though it for hours. Her eyes are brightest brightest blue I have ever seen. They’re like the ocean. I could get lost in them forever. You know what else? I’ve never met someone so funny. When I’m with her we are laughing the entire time. Plus she’s nice. Emily she is my dream girl. I didn’t even know I had one, but this is it.” I’d never seen Nathan so serious about anything.

I had become so accustomed to my brother goofing off with his life, it had never occurred to me how serious he would become about a girl. I wasn’t even sure if it was possible.

“Well what’s the problem?” I asked. There had to be a reason my brother seems so distraught. There had to be a catch with this girl. If everything was perfect about her my dad would be throwing a party just to celebrate the fact that Nathan actually has potential of growing up one day.

“She’s a witch.”

That could be a problem.