I've literally been watching TV all of yesterday and most of today after my oral surgery. Time to write.

Chapter Thirty-Five

❂Of Truest Heart❂

Lady Aretha

I stared at the men across the table from me. A contorted frown on my face, "You told me that if I helped you, my son would be on the throne."

One of them nodded, "Lady Aretha, we've already started the process, but changing the line of succession will take time."

"Time I do not have." I snapped, my palms were sweating beneath the table, "My time in Illea is running out, Queen Mila wants me gone and I refuse to go hide in Scotland where my son is to be crowned king."

A bald man with tattoos twisted along his skull laughed, "Your son's to be crowned king of Scotland, yet you still want him on the throne of Illea."

I shrugged, "What can I say, this country's grown on me. I'm not about to let some underage playboy who doesn't know how to even deal with his emotions take it away from someone as influential as my son."

"Watch your tone, Lady Aretha, that's the future king you're talking about. And if Sebastian doesn't turn out to be as influential as you say he is, then we've helped you for no reason beneficiary to us," the first one remarked, "You helped us get into the prison cell where they were keeping Enzo Malificum, yes. That has left the Reyes family in a state of unease, but I'm still not quite sure it's enough for them to be willing to change the line of succession to keep us at arms length. We've already mentioned it to the 'underage playboy' and he seems to be doing nothing about it."

I bit my lip, glancing around the dank warehouse they insisted on meeting in, "Then if you'll excuse me, but if that's all you have to say, I'd prefer to return to the castle."

The three men across from the table watched as I stood up, the bald one didn't say anything, the first one didn't either – but the previously silent one did. "Now, now, Aretha. Leaving so soon? Our discussion has only just begun. You want Sebastian on the throne, we want to be able to have the king under our fist. And if your son can't provide us with that, the repercussions would be…disappointing…to say the least."

I nodded, trying to hold back the fear these men had stricken down to my very core. I always knew that making deals with the Rebels was risky business. "Rest assured, Sebastian will pull through with your demands. Whether he wants to admit it or not, I'm the only family he has that's willing to bring him up to a higher political stance in Illea. Not in Scotland."

"Shame though, Scotland's quite the beauty."

Taking one last glance at the armed men, I said, "Not as powerful as this country, though." Then took my leave, not wishing to be in the disgusting room any longer.

Prince Logan

I was worried that the dove necklace didn't get to Elia as she didn't respond to the message I sent her on it in any way shape or form.

But I guess I couldn't blame her. She did tell me she loved me, and then I compared her to Eveline.

Dick move on my part.

The door to my room opened, and someone knocked on the frame, "Logan?"

I turned my head around, recognizing the voice, "Eveline, what are you doing?"

She twisted her pale hair around her fingers, "I wanted to see you."

"Yeah well, I don't particularly want to see you." I snapped. "In fact, I don't want to see you at all."

She took a step closer, "Come on, Lo, you don't mean that."

My face contorted at her nickname for me, "Get out."

A look of pain settled on Eveline's face, "Please, Logan – listen to me."

I shook my head and stood up, "Do you not get it? I don't love you anymore. I don't have it in me to ever love you again. Not after the stunt you pulled."

She glanced at my wall now bare of any photo she was in, "The photo of us…"

"It's gone. I had some staff remove it yesterday after I finally got financials completed, I also requested they remove all others you were in."

Eveline winced, her gaze fell upon the painting Elia did of me on the wall, then the photos from the All Hallows Eve party, then to one of the first time I held Chance at my party. All from the Selection. "You've practically erased me from your life."

I kept my face stern, "And I think it should remain that way."

She stared at me pleadingly, "Logan, I never stopped loving you, I can't loose you."

"Maybe you should've thought about that before you decided to run away from the life we had together."

Taking another step towards me, she reached out for my hands, "We could still have that life."

I shook my head, "No. We can't. I don't want that life. Not anymore."

"But you do. Deep down I know you do. I have to believe it." She insisted, her eyes beginning to water.

Standing, I stared dead into her eyes, refusing to look anywhere else in order to make my point clear, "That's the difference between you and I, Eveline. You keep holding on to what we have, not realizing that I've changed since you left. You want me to be the same boy I was two years ago, dependent on you. But I'm not. And I don't think I ever want to be again."

"Please, think this through. I'm offering myself to you. If not as your wife, then as your mistress." She stood straighter, as if she'd been contemplating this for a long while.

I barked out a heartless laugh, "Eveline, I've made it clear – I don't want you. And I don't want to be like my father."

She stalked closer, "But wouldn't you want to be with someone who loved you?"

My mind flickered to Elia, "The women I marry here in the Selection, I'm going to marry her for love. Not for politics. So I won't be in a loveless marriage, which means I have no reason to have a mistress. Nor a want for one. Now, if you don't leave now, I'll call the guards to forcefully drag you out of my chambers."

Lady Elia

I almost screamed at the sight of the dress sprawled out on my bed, thinking there was someone inside it.

But it was just a gorgeous fairy-like gown that was much longer than I was. It was all pastel shades of blue, pink, and purple – draped with a flower pattern and flowing sleeves. Resting on top of the bodice, was a silver floral patterned circlet.

I looked to my maid, Lila, "When did this get here?"

She looked about ready to burst with excitement, "Prince Logan brought it over personally. He looked like he was about to drown in all the beautiful fabrics." Lila stared at the dress in awe, "I wish someone would do that for me."

Katerina, my usual dress-making maid, even looked as if she was under the dress's spell, "I've never seen anything so intricately stitched."

Moving the circlet to the side, I wrapped my fingers gingerly around where my shoulders would go, "Can you put this in my closet please, Lila?"

The young girl stared at me in shock, "You aren't going to try it on?" Still, she took it out of my grasp.

I snatched the silver hair-piece off the comforter of my bed, and walked over to the mirror and slowly placed it down on my white-blonde hair. I gulped, and Amara rested a hand on my shoulder, "You look like a Princess, Lady Elia."

She did have a point, and I squeezed my eyes shut, imagining myself in that dress with this circlet on, and the dove necklace resting on my collarbone. The way I pictured myself, I did look like a princess.

I quickly removed the piece, and stashed it away in the drawer with the velvet box. He had yet to tell me if he loved me back, rather tried to bribe me with fancy things for my forgiveness, or at least the chance to explain himself.

While the part of me that was completely struck by cupid's bow wanted to fall into his arms and never leave – the part that had my heart completely melted by all his gifts. But the part of me that was toughened by my mother's treatment knew that I couldn't just fall back into the arms of the person who hurt you.

I just couldn't.

Lady Aaliyah

I didn't know what to do here at the castle now that Sara was gone. I dawdled around the Women's Room for hours, reading magazines, or started numerous books.

After trying to engage in a conversation with Jess and Scarlett about music I had never listened to before, I decided I should try to get some fresh air.

I was wandering around, still yet to have memorized how to get to the gardens, when the Queen-Mother of France, Angelina Schreave-Gasquet, ran into me.

I stared at her graying red hair as she stumbled slightly, "Oh! Queen-Mother! I'm sorry-"

She laughed, shaking her head, "It's fine. I was just going to get some cups for Will's tea. Say…would you care to join us?"

I barely found myself able to nod in assent, "I would love to."

Angelina's face broke out into a smile, "Great! I'll just get a maid to bring up the cups, and I can escort you to our usual spot." The elderly women motioned for me to follow as she quite nearly skipped out into the gardens and into a clearing where a table was set up. Lila and William were already seated, and the Queen-Mother of Illea was laughing at something the ex-King had said.

They glanced up, and William smiled warmly, "Lady Aaliyah, how wonderful!"

"I hope you don't mind me intruding." I replied, careful to sound as polite as Octavia naturally did.

Lila waved me off, "Oh nonsense, we love to have get to know Logan's girlfriends."

I blushed at the term and sat down beside Angelina and Will.

"So, Lady Aaliyah, tell us about yourself." Lila insisted, leaning forward in true curiosity.

Shrugging, I responded, "There isn't much to tell. My father managed to scavenge enough money to bring me up to a three from a four so I could go to a fashion institute in Calgary. Then I started to intern for Elliana, and applied for the Selection in hope to help her with publicity, and maybe even get my own career started."

Angelina nodded, "That doesn't seem like 'not much to tell'."

Will grunted, almost as if the noise was painful to get out. Lila's attention swung back around to her husband, as did mine. His eyes flashed in discomfort, and a trickle of sweat ran down the side of his face.

"Will?" his twin sister asked, concern laced in every bit of her voice.

He shrugged the two women off, "I'm fine."

"Excuse me, William, but I'm not sure 'fine' is an accurate response." I claimed, "Are you too hot?"

He shook his head, "Quite the contrary actually, I'm freezing cold."

Lila's face blanched, "Will, we should get a doctor to look after you."

"No. I'm fine, don't scare the young girl."

I shook my head, "Sir, if you aren't feeling well please go to the hospital wing, don't be held back by me."

Will smiled, but the expression twisted uncomfortably, "It's nothing. Just a little bit of chest pains. My age must be catching up to me." He tried to laugh, but keeled over.

"Will!" Lila screamed as he fell out of his chair.

I helped the two women get the ex-king back up and started to wheel him while running to the castle gates.

The guards glanced at me suspiciously as I neared, but they dashed towards me, "What happened?"

I shook my head, "I don't know, he was saying his chest hurt, he had cold sweats, then suddenly he just…just collapsed."

Angel and Lila ran closer, panic blatant on both their faces.

The guards nodded, taking the wheel-chair from me, and pushing their way, faster than I could, to the hospital wing.

The Reyes family didn't need to loose their grandfather now.

I was going to make this longer and include some Sash…but after what I just pulled I don't think that it's necessary, or really wanted…

So yeah…

Will…

Is he going to die? Or will he live? I DON'T KNOW! Hahahaha

So Eveline tried to convince Logan to let her be his mistress. And Elia was being the cute little girl she always is. Then Aaliyah had tea with the elderly Schreaves. And then Will collapsed (I AM NOT COPYING ANYTHING WITH AMERICA HERE, HE'S OLDER AND IT'S SADLY MORE COMMON THAN I WISH IT WOULD BE)

Ok on a totally different note…

Ive been planning a Sequel to Of Truest Heart (Called Of Truest Intent) and I was going to have the heir be a girl (I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY SEQUELS WITH GIRLS, BUT LIKE UM GIRLS ARE AWESOME, AND I WANNA ADMIRE ALL THE HOT GUYS ID BE GETTING)

I wont reveal her name. Sorry.

Or any other Reyes children-to-come whether they are Brooks', Luce's, or even little Jules (and any of Sebastian's kids).

time to go watch more netflix

BYE LOVELIES

~Hailey