The f*******n Crown

Chapter |20|

A J A X ' S. P. O. V

"Push, come one!" One of them collapses, beginning to cry about a broken arm. Most likely a sprain if anything. "Seriously, I was away for a few f*****g weeks and this is the state of you all."

Normally I wouldn't be this harsh, emanating from my own father, but they were all slacking and a few disrespectful comments managed to reach my ears, questioning my own authority which meant I had to enforce it.

"Keep going. We're not stopping until they've all been moved."

Barrel duty was a pain in my a*s. The complaints it incites were like gravel over my skin, but I have also experienced the same pain they do.

My father made me go through the same training as any soldier or guard. I suffered like they did, put in the work they did, and now I'm the strongest warrior in Dahlia.

A fighter to rival my own father.

Lifting two barrels, one over each shoulder, I heave them into the truck. "I don't understand why we have to do this." I hear Scott murmur under his breath.

It earns a few sniggers, maybe yesterday I would have even let it go but with every new day that encroaches, the timer on my relationship decreases.

And that causes the fury inside of me to boil. The only outlet being training.

My glare pins him frozen.

"This is milk that will feed your families, your homes, your kingdom. Milk that will be used in the sectors by those who cannot afford the luxury feasts that we have. Being a soldier doesn't mean forever wielding a sword, but helping people. Saving them in ways you wouldn't expect. Our duty is to help Dahlia, in whatever way possible."

In the distance, I make out one of my primary guards running towards us. Panic flares across his face, something clutched desperately in his hands.

I whistle, "Run five laps." They drop the barrels in relief and turn towards the track. "Not Jared, Ollie, Carter or Ben. You four stay here."

I ignore the quizzical look they share, jogging to meet him half-way. "Harrison, what is it?"

"Sir-" He heaves for breath, used to the inactive ways of palace guarding. "One of the maids, she found this hidden in the air vent in Wren's room."

"The new guard?" I take the small pouch, pouring the gold pieces into my palm. "Holy f**k,"

"And this," The note is creased and worn at the edges, clearly stashed for a few weeks at least. Unfolding the delicate paper, my eyes gloss over the scrawled writing.

I want it done by the end of the month. If she's still breathing, the gold is off the table and your sister will become the deceased instead.

Instantly panic sets in, knowing that in the Palace, a threat like this would only ever be targeted to Emmeline, especially since her engagement. "Where's the Princess?"

He frowns, "A walk, I think but I don't know if Wren is with..."

"He is, he's on her duty. f**k!" I pinch my nose, trying to calm the fear that almost paralyses my body at the thought of her getting hurt, or worse.

Turning around, I point to Jared. "Go alert everyone the Princess is in danger, get my father, put the palace on lockdown, and get as many capable soldiers as you can into the forest. Head towards the creek. The rest of you follow me, and kill on sight if you have to."

They're the only guards that are capable of wielding a weapon yet, all others are still trainees which I wouldn't feel comfortable putting out into the field yet. Drawing my g*n, we sprint into the forest, two heading west and east whilst I run north.

Emmeline loves her walks, and I've been on so many with her I have the trail mapped out in my head, but you should have made any slight change in her mind and I may be well off course. I stick with my instincts.

Follow your f*****g head Ajax. Ignore my heart that is screaming at me to cry or scream aloud her name.

"s**t," I murmur, the fear intensifying as I find Emmeline's guard, Jenson, dead.

There are still footprints in the mud that carry on further so I cling onto the little hope it offers. They lead into the clearing, blood stains one of the few large rocks and there's clearly been some sort of fight.

That's my girl. f*****g give him hell.

"No! No!" I race in the direction of her voice, a beckoning that fuels the adrenaline which courses rapidly through my veins.

Cocking the g*n, I rest my back against the oak tree, shielded from view. One glance over my shoulder and I find him, that f*****g bastard strangling Emmeline as he attempt to grab his sword. She's kicking, punching, fighting with every bit of strength in her.

I raise the g*n and shoot without thinking.

The blasted sound echoes through the woods, chasing the birds into the sky. I don't hesitate to run, hand shaking a little as I clutch the g*n tighter, prepared in case the bastard is still alive.

"Emmeline, Emmeline hey," Her face is splattered with blood, eyes wild and unnerving as she stares straight through me. The body slumps to the side when I help her stand, drawing her paralysed body against me to allow the heat to sink in.

Resting one hand against her back, I press a hard kiss against her head, finally allowing the rush of tears to trickle down. "We're over here!" I yell out, the frantic noises that surround causing her to jerk in fear against me.

"No, no, no," She continues to mutter, thrashing to be released once again into the wild. The moment she turns, her eyes fall on Wren's lifeless body and she screams.

Her fear only intensifies as she notices the blood all over her dress, reaching up to her face, she draws her hands back to find the blood staining them.

Screaming again and again, I'm forced to lift her into my arms, several guards approaching us with similar looks of concern.

"I'll get the Princess to the palace, Ollie with me. The rest of you dispose of the body and search the woods thoroughly."

"Sir, we found Jenson's body. Throat cut." Like always the loss of one our men stings entirely, cutting through my heart clean. Jenson fought with my father, there was no way he was working with Wren.

I clear my throat, trying to choke back the further flood of tears. "Inform his family, make sure the body is given the respect he deserves. Has the King and Queen been..."

"Yes, they wanted to come out to help but we managed to ensure they stayed in the palace. They are waiting on the east wing."

It was the closest to part of the Palace to where we were, thank f**k. Emmeline was trembling now, almost frightened to move as if the blood had frozen her into a limbo she couldn't escape from.

Clutching her tighter, I walk straight up, reaching the Palace after what feels like a century. It's difficult to tell what is hers and what is his, but the blood continues to seep from her head.

The doctor is waiting alongside everyone else, and springs into the action the moment I bring the Princess indoors. He urges me to set her down on the settee, but she clings onto my shirt tighter with every new voice that reaches her ears.

"Emmeline, baby you have to let go." She doesn't even respond to her mother's call, continuing to blankly stare into nothingness.

"I think it's best if you treat her whilst I hold her." He might have been a doctor but I had seen far too many guards suffer from PTSD. Although not severe, Emmeline had never seen another person get shot before, nevermind killed and the blood that coats us both is the constant reminder that she's not trapped in some hellish nightmare but reality.

A reality where people would try to kill her, all because of her title and name.

My eyes search for Damien, not wanting him to see us in this vulnerable state whilst he watches on from the side. He's there of course, forced onto the sideline with a clear expression of fury mingled with absolute despair that wrecks me.

"Please Princess, I must dress your wounds." Shaking her head, she draws closer into me.

"Give me." I take the washcloth from him, fighting to ignore the way she flinches everytime I wipe it over her face. Her eyes remain shocked at the white cloth turned pink, but the number of eyes fixed on us, disallows the chance to calm her the way I know how.

It's the kind of intimacy that would easily cross the line from over concerned friend to paranoid boyfriend.

"Is it just your head?" The deep gnash has my blood boiling, wishing I could go back in time to stop myself from killing him, but instead take him captive and t*****e him with the most depraved techniques I've learnt.

"Yes." The sound is so faint I almost believe I imagined it. Resisting the urge to soothe her with kisses, I squeeze her hand instead, fighting a smile when she squeezes back.

***

"Go over it again Ajax." I grit my teeth to stop myself from lashing out at the King.

It's been over an hour of grilling, everyone pissed that I killed the bastard instead of subduing him for interrogation.

I get it. It means the threat is still out there because Wren was just the middleman, but he was so close to killing Emmeline that I acted on pure instinct, blinded to any notions of sanity.

"We've been through this again and again. The story isn't going to f*****g change." I slam a fist on the table, causing it groan under the weight.

My dad fixes me with his stern glare. "Ajax, watch it." No matter if they were friends, they would never be equal.

Just like me and Emmeline.

Sighing, I drag my hand through my hair, tugging at the ends in pure frustration. "I just want to take a shower and go to bed." Lie. I wanted to talk to Damien and Emmeline, then pass out in bed with them both. "I have told you everything."

"Okay." Uncle Hardin smiles. Well tries to, but the weight of the day has dragged him down too. "Thank you for saving my daughter."

I shrug, walking to the door. "It's my job."

Literally but also because Emmeline holds one of the two halves of my beating heart. If anything ever happened to her, I simply wouldn't survive.

I knock as delicately as possible for a brute like me, cursing when it echoes a little too hard. The last thing I want is to trigger her, that's why I chose to quickly shower and change before braving the unknown

Light footsteps run towards the door, and the moment she catches sight of me, her arms fling around my neck, pulling me into the room.

"Thank you," She murmurs, planting small kisses all over my face. "I love you, god I love you, I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't you that found us."

"Shh," I brush her tears before the salt evaporates into her skin. "Don't think about it now. Just live."

Burying her face into my neck, I gently lift her into my arms and walk towards her poster bed. The jacket draped over the armchair sets my heart racing all over again. "He's in the bathroom." I wonder if he even knows I'm here or if he's just stalling

Emotions have always been difficult for him in ways it was simple for me. Then again it worked the opposite for logic.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better." I draw her back against my chest, stopping her from curling up into herself. "I had a shower and...I didn't want to get out. Mal had to practically force me out and then my mum stayed for a bit and we just talked about mindless stuff really. Damien came around half an hour. We played chess, but he definitely let me win."

"You've got his heart captured Princess. He doesn't let any win."

"Special circumstances. I nearly died today." The joke falls flat. The bleak reminder settled over us.

"But you didn't, and that's something to f*****g celebrate." Lifting her in the air, I turn her body around so she's straddling me.

Our lips fuse in the most melodic kiss, soothing the aching wounds inflicted by fear, Sinking my hands into her silky hair, I drag her closer to my body, the heat causing her to gasp as I thrust up gently, letting her grind against my c**k that grows harder with every soft moan she whispers.

"Started the party without me, I see." We wrench away from each other, like two school kids caught by the teacher.

Damien attempts to smirk, but I see the pain that lingers in his eyes, no matter how hard he attempts to mask it. Emmeline lifts her hand out for him. He takes it without hesitation, letting her draw him in like a siren luring a sailor to inevitable death.

I watch them kiss, watch Damien let go of logic, replaced with love and l**t for the same woman that both our hearts beat for. Then he kisses me, and she's so close, her lips a mere inch from ours it's like I'm kissing them both.

"I thought of something. Something that will make us feel better." She sounds nervous almost, but tries to supplant it with confidence. We see straight through the ruse.

"I'm listening."

"I nearly died, and even though I didn't, it was still utterly terrifying. In that moment, I saw my life flash by. I realised how much time we all lost being idiots not to recognise that our friendship was clearly more."

"We have each other now." I counter. "This, us, is real."

"But for how long? I want this forever and I know I have to marry Theo but what if I proposed a mutually beneficial agreement."

"Like what?"

"He can have affairs, relationships, or do whatever he wants behind closed doors, but I get this. I get both of you forever and we live happily, die with no regrets."

To me it sounds f*****g perfect, the perfect life even though I would still be cast out in the shadows. Then again, I was always the optimist.

"Emmeline, you have to have an heir and if anyone found out about us...god, you would be killed. All of us, your family, not to mention any children."

"Obviously there are kinks to work out, but it could work. Couldn't it?"

"The problem is this plan relies on an outside source, Emmy, and it means telling him with no idea of how he would react."

"I understand if you both don't want to take the risk, but I do. If you say yes, I'll ask him, and then there's a chance. There's a chance that we'll get our happy ever after."

If there's a chance...oh f**k it, I'm all in.

What's a life worth living without love?

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A/N: Thoughts on Emmeline's plan??