Royal shuffle: Vampire’s mate

ANDREA

I spent the better part of an hour explaining to Leo everything that transpired from the stabbing to the voices, to the fact that I saw nobody all the way from the hospital to Leo’s room. I also tried to tell him about the ‘person’ Leovanni saw and thought was me. I told him about Leovanni’s red eyes, and tried to explain to him that that wasn’t normal. I tried to tell him that there was a force present in the palace and it was out for blood.

From the way he was looking at me, he didn’t believe a word I said. He simply kissed me on the head, and asked me not to leave the room. Soon enough, a team of doctors had come to take me back to the hospital, and upon entering I could see that my door had new locks.

It’s been a few days, word had gotten round about what had happened, and that the heir to the joint throne was dead. Word had also gotten round that I was a prime suspect in the murder of my son. I was being treated differently. With less respect. With less dignity. I saw the dirty look, the poorly hidden disgust. I heard the gossips…they wanted me to hear the gossips. Everyone had concluded that I was crazy. No one would believe me. Not even my husband, and his attitude hurt me the most.

Why would he think I would kill my own child? After all that we have been through together?

I raised my head, and smiled when I saw Leo walk in through the door, with Leopold and Adela. That smile quickly vanished when Adela hid behind her uncle’s legs when she saw me, and began to cry. I felt my lips quiver and I bit down on it. Leo whispered to his brother to take her outside.

“Hi…”

He smiled lightly at me, “Hello…”

“You look like you haven’t had much sleep.”

“Yeah,” he drew the only seat closer to my bed and sat. “I’ve been planning his burial.”

Silence reigned after he said that. Both of us knew who the ‘his’ was. I felt like I had a lot to say and at the same time nothing to say at all.

“Leo…” I started.

“Hmm…”

“I promise you…I didn’t do it…” I said.

He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. He had dark circles and bags around his eyes, there was a lone vein on his forehead pulsing. He looked like he hadn’t had a good sleep in a few days.

“Andrea…”

“We’ve been through so much together. Why would I kill my own son?! Why won’t you believe me?! He jumped!!!” I screamed at him. Maybe if I screamed loud enough, he would hear me, and maybe understand me.

“Let’s not do this now,” he said, sitting up in his chair and resting his hands on his knees. “I’ve been in contact with someone-”

“Who?!” I asked skeptically.

“Someone. She might be able to help us. She will help you.”

It took me a moment to understand what he meant, and then it clicked. I couldn’t believe my ears.

“I’m not crazy, Leo.”

“I’m not saying you are-”

“So what is their person meant to do?!”

“Help-”

“We’ve been through so much together, Leo. The least you can do is not treat me like a fool. You, at the very least, can accord me that courtesy.”

Leo took a deep breath, “Whatever is happening to you isn’t normal, Andrea. You’ve been through so much, and maybe, just maybe we might have overlooked how much damage it caused you.”

“Wow…”

“I love you, Andrea. I have loved you from the moment I saw you. I want to help you.”

“Good. Then start by believing me,” I said, fresh tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Please, don’t cry…”

“You think this is easy for me? I’m seeing things…people are harming me, but my own lover wouldn’t even give it a thought. My own daughter is scared of me.”

“Sweetheart…”

“Everyone thinks…” my voice broke. “Everyone thinks I killed my son.”

“His burial is today,” he blurted out.

“What? What time?”

“In about thirty minutes,” he had a guilty look on his face.

“You weren’t going to tell me, were you? You were just going to go on and bury him like I don’t matter? Like I didn’t love him? Like he wasn’t my son?”

“Andrea…” he said.

I bit down on my lip hard, so hard that I felt my skin break and blood come through. At least he had the decency to look ashamed. He lowered his head and scratched his jaw. I took several deep breaths, and was about to raise my legs off the bed when I realized that I couldn’t. I moved the blanket away only to see that my right foot was chained to the bed. I looked at Leo and he looked away.

“You asked them to chain me up?”

“Andrea…it was for the best.”

“Call the doctor and have them unchain me. Now. I want to attend my son’s burial.”

“I can’t…”

“Yes, you can. And if at any point in your life you ever loved me, you would,” I responded firmly.

He looked defeated. I watched as he stood from the chair and walked to the door, my eyes burning a hole in his back. He returned with a guard in tow, and I didn’t miss the look the guard gave me; it was condescending look. It was insulting just how much I had been degraded. The guard left the room, and the doctor came in next. He carefully unhooked me from the machines and left as well. I sat for a while to get my bearings and then attempted to get off the bed. Leo offered his arm but it was with great pleasure that I ignored it.

I walked from the hospital back to the palace, ignoring the looks I got from the palace workers. I passed by Savannah, and she stopped to look at me. She must be feeling smug. I saw bags at the entrance, and looked back at Leo.

“She would be staying in the palace,” he said.

I rolled my eyes and kept on going. I made it to our room, and went straight into the bathroom. I haven’t had the luxury of a bath since the stabbing, and I sighed in pure bliss as I slid into the cold water. Leovanni loved baths too. That took away the pleasure of it. I quickly washed off, and got out of the shower. I stepped out of the bathroom, and Leo’s eyes settled on me. I felt his eyes rove up and down my body, and felt a little satisfaction at the fact that he still found my attractive.

I went into our closet, and donned the first black gown that I saw. I brushed out my wet hair, and put it in a single braid that came down to my waist. I wore a pair of flat, black shoes and stared at myself in the mirror. I looked like a ghost, like a shadow of myself. I almost didn’t recognize who I was staring at in the mirror. My eyes were hollow. I had eye bags and very dark circles around my eyes. The past few weeks had taken a toll on me. I took a deep breathe and tried to hold back the tears. I still haven’t come to terms with the fact that my son was dead, that I was currently preparing to attend his funeral.

Leo knocked on the door and opened the door, poking his head in.

“Are you okay?” He asked. I gave him a death stare and rolled my eyes. “I guess not…we’re going to be late.”

I nodded and exited the closet, pushing Leo out of the way lightly.

“Let’s go. Lead the way,” I said, avoiding e contact with him.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Andrea…”

His voice felt like a gentle caress on my mind, on my soul. I felt fresh tears roll down my cheeks and I turned my head away to try and hide it. Leo sighed and hugged me, wrapped his hands tightly around me, and buried his nose in my hair. I tried pushing him away but he only held on tighter. I eventually gave in and hugged him back, burying my face in his chest.

“I love you, Andrea.”

“I love you too.” And I meant it. It’s been a trying period but of that I was sure.

We remained that way for a while, holding on to each other and finding solace in the confusion however we could. We were interrupted by Leopold coming into the room. He regarded us for a while, and then waved at me. I smiled and waved back.

“The procession is done. They’re ready to lower the body into the ground.”

Leo nodded. “We’re on our way.”

Leopold nodded and left, leaving us alone again.

“We should be on our way,” Leo said, and I nodded.

He took hold of my hand and we began the journey to the royal graveyard that was located in the woods behind the palace. It was a clearing of a few acres of land, and fenced off from the rest of the woods with a high, spiked fence. As we neared the gathering, I saw the small, white coffin that held my boy’s remains, and fresh tears began to roll down my cheeks.

I heard the murmurs around me, the scoffs. I heard them say how they think that I killed my son. I heard someone say that I killed my mother. I closed my eyes and forced the voices to the back of my head, deciding to focus only on my boy’s body. I took the available seat at the front row, and watched as though I was in a trance as his coffin was lowered into the ground. I wanted to badly fall on his coffin and shake him awake. I wanted to open it up and tell him how much I love him. How much I feel for him.

I sat there; totally immersed in thoughts and memories of my boy that we shared. I watched as his coffin was lowered into the ground, and I honestly didn’t have any strength left in me to cry. I was tired of crying. It seemed like a cycle that didn’t want to end. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and heard the voice. That damned voice again.

“Your majesty…”

I whipped my head around, and saw Esmeralda standing there, looking like the innocent lamb that I knew she wasn’t.

“You…it was you the whole time?” I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Esmeralda said.

I turned to Leo, “What the fuck is she doing here?!”

Leo scratched the back of his head, “She’s the one who I told you about. The person that is to help you.”

“Is that a joke? Of all the people in the world, you brought HER?! The same person that tried to kill me?!”

“That was my father,” Esmeralda said.

“Don’t act dense, you stupid bitch. You were the one who killed my son!”

“Andrea!!”

“What?!”

Esmeralda turned to Leo, “I’m afraid that this might be worse that I initially thought. We will need to begin immediately.”

Leo nodded and looked at me, “You need to go with her.”

“No.”

“Andrea, please.”

“No. I’m not going anywhere with that witch,” I replied, pointing at Esmeralda.

They both looked at each other, and then at me, and then Esmeralda stepped forward. The last thing I remember is the witch waving her hands in front of my face.