The Royal Deal

Chapter 157

Amethyst suddenly opened her eyes and looked around her. This isn’t my home. I need to go back. My children!

“I n-need to go back…,” stammered Amethyst. Although awake, it seemed she hadn’t come to her sense because she was mumbling to herself. Alexcent looked at her with concern.

“I n-need to go b-back,” she mumbled to herself again.

“Ash,” he said, holding her. “It’s alright.”

“I need to go,” she said again.

“Where do you need to go, Ash?” he asked gently.

I need to go back and take care of them. I can’t neglect them. I am a mother.

Amethyst threw the covers aside and ran out of the room. She ran down the corridor and down the stairs. She reached the lobby of the mansion. Where is it? Where do I go? She hesitated before running out of the front door.

My children! I must quickly go back. I need to go…need to go!

Someone seemed to be shouting her name, but she only heard it distantly. She ran barefoot. The pebbles cut her sole, but she ignored it. She only had one need. She needed to go back to her children.

She kept stumbling and running. The neatly trimmed trees, the sculptures, the fountain were a blur. She ran and ran. Someone kept shouting her name from behind. Her tears streamed down her face, but she didn’t stop. A hand grasped her. She struggled. She had to go. She needed to go quickly otherwise she wouldn’t be able to move forward at all. She struggled against the hand that was holding her with all her strength, but the grip was like iron, unwilling to let go.

She kept hearing her name being called distantly. “Ash,” it said

“No…,” she mumbled.

“Ash! Listen to me,” said Alexcent.

“No! Let me go! I need to go,” she cried.

“Ash! Please!” he said, frantically, “Please wake up!”

She was exhausted after the struggle and dropped down to the ground. Somebody held her close as she cried in his arms. “Ash, it’s alright,” he said.

The name brought her back to her sense. I am Amethyst. Tears rolled down her cheeks and blurred her vision. She looked up at the person holding her close. “Alec?” she stammered.

“I am here,” he said gently. “I am here, Ash. It’s alright. Everything is alright. I think you had a nightmare.” He wiped her tears and stroked her back to calm her down.

Amethyst wrapped her arms around him and cried anew. After a long time, she calmed down. She had two thoughts warring in her mind. She needed to go back but she didn’t want to either.

“Alec,” she sobbed.

“Shh, it’s alright,” he said. He caressed her back, trying to soothe her. Calmed by his voice, she buried her face in his neck.

When she finally calmed down, she saw Pon, Lunia and Gen standing a little distance away. Everyone was looking at her with worry in their eyes. She felt bad for scaring them.

She pushed herself away from Alexcent’s arm. “I am so sorry,” she said to them, “I am alright now.”

Her white night dress was covered in mud. Her feet were bleeding with small cuts all over them. She felt embarrassed. “I am sorry,” she apologized.

Alexcent was too busy studying her face to reply. He looked immensely worried. She had to say something. She had to come up with some kind of explanation.

“It was just a dream, like you said,” she said to Alexcent, “A nightmare. I was scared…”

She wished it was just that, a nightmare, and nothing else. Alexcent lifted her up in his arms and carried her back to the mansion. “Call the doctor,” he said to Pon.

“Understood,” said Pon.

“I am alright!” said Amethyst.

“You are hurt,” said Alexcent.

“I am not hurt very badly to need a doctor at this hour!” she protested. She couldn’t trouble the doctor for something like this and that too, at this hour of the night.

“Pon, call the doctor,” said Alexcent again.

“Wait, Pon!” said Amethyst. She turned to Alexcent. “Alec, please! I just want to go to sleep quickly. Can we call the doctor tomorrow, instead?”

“Fine,” said Alexcent.

“Thank you.”

He turned to Lunia and Pon. “Fetch some hot water and towels,” he instructed. He then carried Amethyst to her bedroom.

***

“How is Madam?” asked Gen, who had been waiting in the study for Alexcent to arrive.

“She just fell asleep,” said Alexcent.

“That’s a relief,” said Gen.

“Gen,” called Alexcent.

“Yes, My Lord?”

“I want you to investigate the Lohikin family,” said Alexcent, “Especially the Count and any of the extended families. Anything and everything related to Amethyst.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Alexecnt was worried at what she had said. She had mumbled that she needed to go back but wore a terrified expression while saying it. What could be so terrifying about going back to… where she needed to?

“Look into violence or abuse in the family,” instructed Alexcent. “Investigate all other possibilities as well.”

“Understood,” said Gen.

To Alexcent, it looked like trauma from abuse. If not, why was she so terrified? Maybe she wanted to run away from someone.

After she had gotten married, she had never once gone back to Count Lohikin. If she had been abused constantly, she would feel the need to instinctively return to the perpetrator because she would feel like she had no other choice.

Alexcent looked furious. “My Lord?” said Gen, hesitantly. “Perhaps it’s because of the expiration date drawing near.”

“What?” asked Alexcent.

“The expiration date for the duration of your marriage contract.”

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