Chapter 6 A she

Ty’s pov

A cold sensation went down my spine as Tracy’s last words echoed in my ears.

“What would it be, brother? Would it be all hail King Ty, first of his name? Or would it be all hail Queen Tracy, first of her name, in all of High-garden’s history?”

I shook my head, knowing fully well I can't allow it to be the latter.

If there's anything I know would give Tracy great joy, it would be stealing what she knows is rightfully mine, and as the eldest, she knows it's my birthright to rule High-garden. But from the moment we became teenagers, she's been obsessed with being a queen so bad, and I know she's willing to do anything, I mean anything, to get what she wants.

But I can't let that happen, I thought. If only Father would just come clean about why he wants this scepter so bad, I sighed.

I got up from the table the minute the maids began to do their job and headed straight to the twins' room. They must feel hurt after what had just happened, and Teach certainly doesn't relate to them like I do.

I placed a light knock on their door and waited for a few minutes, hoping for a reply. But the only response I got was a silence loud enough it echoed down the hallway. 

“Jace, Justin. Come on, please open up, it's Ty,” I said with a loud voice.

After a few more minutes, the doorknob clicked, and the door swung open, revealing Jace and his tiny hands clenched to the door, sadness written all over his face.

“Hey man,” I called out softly with a smile.

Just then, Justin opened the door wide, his eyes all red and puffy from crying as he ran toward me, giving me a hug and letting out more tears.

And somehow this is how I differentiate them both: Justin is the weaker one, feels a lot more emotions than Jace does.

“Hey, hey, hey, come on now, Justin, what did we talk about tears?” I asked, crouching down to meet his gaze.

“Ty, does Dad hate us?” he blurted out firmly, catching me off guard and ignoring the question I asked.

I swallowed hard before responding, “What? No, Dad loves you both so much, why would you even think that?” I asked with furrowed brows, my eyes darting back and forth between the two siblings.

“Because whenever he talks about Mom’s death, I feel the hatred in him as he stares at us,” Jace retorted sternly.

For a minute, I didn't know what else to say. Because how was I supposed to convince two five-year-olds whose powers are to feel emotions and are quite getting to master it that what their father was feeling wasn't hatred but love in an odd way? I wondered.

“Come on, you two, let's go inside,” I managed to say, leading them both into their room.

“Come have a seat beside me,” I added, gesturing for them to sit on the couch, each by my side. Which they did gladly without any objection, staring at me eager to hear what I was about to say.

“Okay…. Uhm… how do I say this?” I began. “Now you both have to listen when I tell you this: long ago, before you two were born, there lived a very beautiful queen named Felicia. She was married to our father, Harold.

Father loved her so much to the point where he was ready to kill for her. And when she had her first children, who are Tracy and I, he adored her throughout the whole period.

Now you have to understand that they both met each other and fell in love right from when they were still kids, and that love grew into this beautiful family we have today.

“So,” I continued, “when Tracy and I were born, Mother didn't want any children; she thought two was okay for the family. But Father, he wanted more. He pleaded with her to please bear one more, which she agreed to, even though she was a bit reluctant. She loved the king so much that she only wanted to see him happy, so she took in for the second time.

But it turns out this time around they were also twins, which were you two growing inside her stomach. So during the course of her pregnancy, she was told that if she continued and finished the pregnancy journey, she could lose her life. But Mom loved you both already so much that she couldn't risk terminating the both of you despite the danger it would cause her.

So she kept this news from her husband and delivered her babies, losing her life in the process. Dad never knew that her life was the price she had to pay to make him happy.

The minute you both were born, Dad threw a very big party, inviting all of High Garden to attend. Little did he know that a few minutes after that celebration, his wife would be no more.

Dad was so pissed at everyone for almost a year, including himself. He blamed himself that it was his greed for more that was why the love of his life was no more, until he found Mom's letter addressing him and letting him know that she made her choice and that he should take good care of his children.

And from that day until today, there's never been a day Dad has stopped loving you both. You just have to understand that it's very hard to lose someone you've known all your life when you know there's a way to stop all of it from happening in the first place.

So Jace, that hatred you felt? It wasn't because of you and Justin. Father is angry at himself. And I think finding this scepter he's obsessed with would help reduce all the stress he's going through, and you both would get to know him for the amazing person he really is,” I said with a smile, making excuses for him for the umpteenth time.

But the minute I said those words, I too wasn't sure if we would ever get our father back. I just sat there, staring into thin air and stroking their hair, lost in my thoughts.

“Ty?” Jace’s voice cut through the silence.

“Hmm…” I mumbled softly, staring down at him.

“Promise me that you'd help find this scepter and save us from all these feelings, and also not miss our dragon ceremony,” he said, making me let out a light chuckle.

“I wouldn't miss your dragon becoming a ceremony for anything in the world, Jace, I'll be damned if I do,” I said, letting the smile slowly vanish from my face. “And as for the scepter, I'm going to find it. I promise, I'll make sure things go back to the way they used to be,” I added.

“Your Majesty,” a maid's voice cut through the conversation, followed by a knock on the door.

“What is it this time?” I shouted back at her.

“There's someone here to see you,” she replied.

“Someone here to see me?” I muttered.

Trying to remember if I'd had any visitor I may have forgotten about, but I couldn't place a pin on anyone. I checked the time, and it was already late, which was definitely odd.

Because anyone who knows me is aware that once it’s past 6 PM, I don’t receive any visitors, so who could this be? I wondered.

“Give me a sec,” I said softly, staring at the twins before I got up to open the door.

“Good evening, Prince Ty,” the maid greeted, heads bowed to the ground.

“What did they say their name was?” I asked with furrowed brows.

“She didn’t give me a name, Prince Ty, she just asked that I call you - that you knew her,” she replied.

“It is she, huh?” I was even more surprised, but the maid only replied with a light nod.

“Where’s this ‘she’?” I asked, making air quotes.

“She’s at the door; I didn’t let her in,” the maid replied.

“Oh, okay. Take me to her then,” I said, my voice firm and strong.

I walked with her down the hallway until we got to the entrance. I placed my hands on the doorknob, twisted it open, but what greeted me was a harsh stench followed by familiar silver hair on my face and a weight falling on my body.

“Help… help me, Ty…” she managed to speak amidst all the bruises and torture clearly written on her skin.

I looked closely and with widened eyes I said, “Allie?” I called out, wondering what must have happened in just a few hours. I left her somewhere I thought would be safe.