Chapter Thirty-Six: Queen Takes Pawn
They had arrived at the 8th Kingdom palace, strategically scattering themselves around the estate. King Wendell had sent separate squads to complete specific tasks: one to fend off the Ice Queen's soldiers, one to search for Princess Gretchen, one to provide security for the main group, and so on. Wendell and Tony were at the front, walking along the dead yard to the castle itself. Wolf held Virginia's hand tightly through her thick gloves. Her breaths were short and hot, her vision slightly impaired by the fog she was making. "We're almost there," Wolf whispered, kissing her gloved hand.
Benjamin and Gabriel, although both in the back, were disconnected from each other. Benjamin's gaze remained fixed on the castle, looking at the windows and towers above in an attempt to locate Malinda telepathically. The prince, on the other hand, was instantly reminded of his childhood; his captivity and torturous experience. He never thought he'd be back in the 8th Kingdom, and the idea of loosing Malinda just like he had lost his mother sent him into an internal panic. Gabriel collected himself, however, resorting to calming techniques his therapist taught him as a young boy. He needed to talk, say something to distract himself.
"This is where I grew up," he joked to Benjamin. The rest of the group was too far ahead to hear him, and he felt that Benjamin alone lacked the sentimentality that made talking about his past uncomfortable. He felt he could talk to Benjamin plainly, without any excess sympathy or pity.
"What?" Benjamin asked in a mixture of acknowledgement of the prince's desire to speak and his own confusion about Gabriel's statement.
"I was born here, Benjamin. Right…" Gabriel paused, squinting his eyes to locate the tower where he and his mother lived, "there."
"That's not funny," he said, his tone emotionless.
"Well that's a little obvious," Gabriel replied, almost chuckling. "My father rescued me from here when I was seven. This place hasn't changed a bit since I was here." He looked at Benjamin with a half-smile, brushing his hair with his fingers before sprinting to catch up with the rest of the group. Benjamin stayed back for a few minutes, absorbing the prince's story. It seemed to explain much about Gabriel, but Benjamin pushed aside the thought to focus on the matter at hand.
Tony and Wendell had stopped, a barrier forming before them. Within seconds, it became a solid ice structure, too tall to climb and too thick to break through. "She knows we're here," the king proclaimed, lightly touching the wall.
"Look," Wolf blurted, jogging over to a crumbling section of the ice. It formed a makeshift doorway that led to an ample walkway. He hesitated to go inside; suspicious of the Ice Queen's game, but he entered a few feet at a time, surveying the path and noticing that it appeared to twist and turn frequently. Wolf stepped back to reach the others. "It's a maze."
"She wants to take us somewhere," Virginia said. "She's going to lead us right into a trap." She became angry at this point, gritting her teeth and slamming her fist against the arctic wall. "What should we do?" she asked, looking to the king for an answer.
"We have no choice but to play along for now."
"But that's exactly what she wants. We can't—"
"If you have another solution for this problem, I'd love to hear it," Wendell interrupted Tony. "It is a trap, but not one we can't handle. The Ice Queen wouldn't kill us like this," he said lowly, trying to restrain the morbid yet substantiated fact. The Ice Queen, he knew, was more theatrical than that. She despised him and would not make his defeat so subtle. "Come on."
x
The Ice Queen sat on her thrown, eyes closed in concentration. Constructing the maze was tricky, but making sure it was constantly changing required her full attention. She felt like a cat playing with her food before devouring it; King Wendell and his troupe were like mice, so weak and easily manipulated. They came to kill her; to flaunt her defeat on their list of accomplishments. But she had her secret weapon, and when the time was right, she would unleash it.
Her eyes opened and her body relaxed. The Ice Queen had given up on altering the maze's path, finding the trick boring and dull at this point. Thoughts of the king's blood on her floor sent thrills through her body. She felt like a human child, giddy and excited over something so simple and distinct. She would not be made to wait any longer. The Ice Queen secured her pale mask for the last time, her face having been fully transformed to the pinnacle of youthful beauty.
"It's time."
x
Sebastian and his men walked through the catacombs beneath the palace. It was a peculiar section of the castle, its increased temperature alone making it stand out. Sebastian was sweating underneath his layers of clothes, wanting desperately to remove them. But such a display was unmanly, and it gave him some pleasure in knowing he was suffering through something while conducting such an inane task. The area was dark and tinted in green; the soldiers were at least grateful there was some bit of color to keep them sane.
The king had charged his faction with locating Princess Gretchen. Sebastian almost laughed at the idea of having to save another kingdom's princess, his opinion of the supposedly strong 2nd Kingdom army only decreasing. Before Wendell decided to take action, the 2nd Kingdom sought to wage war once again on the Ice Queen, and once again failed to successfully do so without help. While Queen Gretel's men fought battles in the other parts of the frozen land, Sebastian was fighting where it counted the most. Or at least, his kingdom was.
Sebastian blamed the king's lack of kinship with him for his designated mission. He and Wendell rarely agreed and their personalities were so dissimilar. Sebastian would have greatly preferred to be fighting the queen herself, his combat skills unparalleled. He seemed unfit to head a rescue mission like some romantic hero he knew he was not. When they write about this day, he thought, this part of it would not be retold or praised; a paragraph in a history book was all Sebastian expected.
"Over here!" one of his men shouted, his voice reverberating through the tunnel. Sebastian was at the decaying door within seconds, giving his mission some sense of urgency. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. If he hurried, he might actually be able to fight someone.
The door was jammed, so he ordered his men to stand back as he charged the door. It only took him one overly forceful push to send the door practically flying across the cell. While the dust was clearing, he heard a faint gasp. It was the princess, he assumed, though nothing about her said royalty. She was decrepit, slouched over, her arms held high against their will, her feet skidding on the wet and grimy floor. Her hair covered her face, the ends dripping in sweat and tears and melted ice. But through the mess, Sebastian could see her large eyes and wide smile. He wondered how she could still be alive, let alone happy.
"Princess?" he asked for formality's sake. She nodded as fervently as she could, her neck threatening to snap from her movement. "My name is Sebastian," he said strongly, though the hardly knew why he felt compelled to introduce himself. It was something he had seen the king do: introducing himself as a means of consoling the person he was rescuing. It makes them calmer, the king had said. They'll trust you more if you know your name.
"Sebastian," she murmured as she fought back some tears.
"I'm here— we're here to save you," said Sebastian, kneeling down before her, making eye contact. "I just need you to relax." With his eyes still on hers, he motioned for his men to help him break the chains that held her. When her left hand was released, Gretchen began to sob, lightly at first, then more fiercely as they came closer to freeing her completely. And Sebastian felt proud of what he was doing. Here he was, rescuing a princess from a wicked queen; just like in the stories he was read as a child. He was the knight in shining armor, and, to his surprise, it made him feel good.
x
Wolf was kicking an ice wall at the end of the maze. It was much thinner then the walls beside him, but was still challenging to break. His eyes were turning golden, his fangs becoming more pronounced. The others offered to help, but Wolf reasoned that one exhausted member was detrimental enough. With one final jerk, the wall came crashing down. Beyond it was the castle's main hall, they assumed, spacious and empty.
The group stood there, all facing the staircase all the way at the other end of the hall. The ceiling was remarkably high, some intricate design carved at the top. It was all colored in white, with traces of silver on the columns and window frames. Pale light came in from the dozens of windows that lined the sides. It reminded Virginia of when she met Snow White, except this time the whiteness of the area had an ominous atmosphere to it.
"Now why would she lead us to an empty room?" inquired Tony, shaking his head.
"It's not." They all heard the echo of the Ice Queen's voice, filling up the space. She was everywhere. Gabriel's heart stopped, memories of her sound flooding his mind. But the prince still clung to some sense of denial, shutting his eyes in an attempt to forget where he was.
Wendell saw something in the distance descending the stairs, and everyone heard the clicking of shoes coming from the same direction that the king was watching. The Ice Queen wore a pallid gown, blending in with her surroundings. The group closed the distance between themselves and the wicked queen, all except Gabriel who lagged behind, eyes remaining half-closed. She wore her mask and her extravagant crown that she reserved for special occasions. Almost every inch of her skin was covered, giving her a ghost-like appearance. It helped Gabriel deceive himself into thinking it wasn't actually her.
"We meet again," she commented, her voice slightly muffled by her disguise. "Alas, this shall be the last time we ever meet." She moved closer, her foot landing on each step deliberately until stopping mid-staircase, leaving a substantial height difference between her and her guests.
"I'd have to agree with you," said King Wendell. "This will be the last time." He squared his shoulders, facing her fully. This cordial greeting was a façade. She was a monster, and he would not be taken off-guard by her civility. His first order of business was making sure Malinda was safe. "Where is she?"
"The princess? She's… around," the Ice Queen replied cryptically, anticipating the king's query. "But you're not really here for her. That's the 2nd Kingdom's problem, and I know your kingdom's needs supersede theirs."
"No, that's not—"
"No sense in pretending, your highness," she said, the term of reverence dripping in sarcasm. Wendell was puzzled by their repartee. He thought her mind would first go to Malinda, her daughter, instead of presuming he was talking about Gretchen. Was this another one of her games? Why was she refusing to acknowledge Malinda?
"What are you playing at?" he asked, more in bewilderment than frustration.
"Why don't I show you." The Ice Queen looked to the side, giving a knowing glance to her servant located at the top of the steps. The servant opened a door as commanded, scurrying out of the way. The sudden flash of light almost blinded the girl who stood behind the door, waiting to make her entrance. There was absolute silence as she started walking, her footsteps made all the more evident. She reached the start of the staircase, adjusting her own white mask. The girl walked down, more slowly than the queen had, but for different reasons: the girl, rather than wanting to give a dramatic effect, was hesitant about her next steps, despite never showing her conflicting emotions.
She could see the faces of the people at the base of the stairs, their faces contorting in bafflement and apprehension. It was only when she felt the queen's arm against her stomach that she stopped walking.
"Take it off and reveal yourself," the queen said loudly, gesturing with her hand in maleficent pride. And the girl did as she was told. She untied the ribbons at the back of her head, carefully removing the weighty mask and letting it fall to the ground. They saw that it was Malinda, the mirror image of her mother. She wore a white gown, her silver shoulder straps and shorter train the only thing distinguishing her dress from the queen's.
The Ice Queen was close to taking off her own mask, but stopped when she heard Virginia say, "Malinda! Thank goodness you're alright." It was not so much the comment but the relief with which it was said that perplexed the queen. If they had seen Malinda less than a day ago, would she not know that Malinda was safe? Still, the queen refused to believe that her own daughter was capable of fooling her for even a second. Her pride urged her to test Malinda.
Malinda froze when she heard Virginia's words. She was startled by her stepmother's joy, but knew that her reaction contradicted with the lie she had told the queen. Malinda remained stone-faced, only her eyes twitching slightly, which the Ice Queen had not noticed since she was watching at the group beneath her.
They stood in silence for a few moments, which gave Malinda the chance to observe her friends and family. That is what they are, she thought, finally accepting them in her life. And I have to protect them. She saw Virginia and Wolf clinging to each other, both staring at her. The king seemed relieved as well, but retained his stern composure. In the back, she could see Gabriel breathing heavily but quietly, being soothed by Anthony. It killed her to see him this way. And making his way to the front was Benjamin, his mouth opened and eyes wide. He was on the verge of smiling, but the longer he looked at her, the more it resembled a frown. He was disappointed in her, she could tell. If only he knew…
"Here before you is the heir to my kingdom," said the Ice Queen, her arms elevated and chin up. "She has chosen to join me," she proclaimed louder, before taking another step and addressing Wendell. "And there is nothing you can do."
They were all shocked by the Ice Queen's claim, and stunned that Malinda appeared to comply with her. She stood as stoically as her mother was infamously known to. Malinda was not the same. Nevertheless, Wolf, at least, failed to believe it. He knew this trick: being on the villain's side as a means of defeating her. Wolf nudged his wife's shoulder, making her look at him. Instantly, she knew what he was thinking and her features filled with hope.
"You're full of it," Benjamin said angrily, finally in front of the group. He walked closer despite the protest of his parents. Benjamin looked directly into the slots on the queen's mask where her soulless eyes would be. "We came here to save her. You can't honestly expect me to believe she would join you." He spit out "you" with disgust; his rage was rising. Benjamin was almost growling, his eyes already changing to a wolfish hazel.
Malinda became increasingly nervous. Her story was being punctured with holes. She only needed a few more minutes…
"I expect nothing," the queen yelled, descending one more step. But Benjamin was not intimidated. He looked over at his sister, who appeared as though she was in a trance, trapped between wanting to act and standing still. He assumed the Ice Queen must have put a spell on her – an option he never would have considered weeks ago, but since coming to the 9 Kingdoms, anything was possible. "I'll show you," said the Ice Queen in a low voice.
She looked upward to where Malinda was and handed her the dagger she had crafted especially for a moment such as this. Malinda grasped the stiff weapon, so small that it fit perfectly in her palm. She took it without hesitation. Time was moving slowly for her. She shuddered to think at what she had to do with the sharp item. "Prove your allegiance to me," she commanded, "and kill him."
"K-kill who, your majesty?" Malinda murmured, playing awkwardly with the metal in her hands. The Ice Queen laughed, finding her daughter's attempts to stall amusing. She knew Malinda still had links to the people below them, but once she committed this act, her will would belong to the queen. Her plan would be complete.
"Him." The Ice Queen pointed at Benjamin, who gasped when she addressed him. Virginia was on the brink of running to her son, but was stopped by Wendell. He shook his head at her lightly, wordlessly communicating to her the need to trust Benjamin and Malinda.
"Yes, mother." Saying the words made Malinda nauseous. She wished she still had the mask on so she could express some sort of emotion; send a message to herself that all this was fake. Time was running out. Malinda walked down the staircase, her eyes never leaving Benjamin's face.
"It's me," he said, his expression softening. Benjamin hadn't seen his sister in so long, and their relationship had become strained. He just wanted to wake her up.
But she kept walking closer and closer to him, the dagger firmly gripped in her hand.
"Malinda, please, it's me, your brother," he continued, pleading with her. He felt guilty for not being there for Malinda when she needed him. He could only imagine how finding out you're adopted must feel. The more he looked at his sister, the more he noticed her eyes were not changed. He had seen people in trances before, both magically and psychologically. Something was off.
She reached the last step; the dagger still had her side.
Benjamin remembered Gwen's eyes when she confessed, glazed over and empty. He recalled the witch's monster's eyes; her creation that was under her complete control. The brute's pupils were mystically colored, glowing even. Malinda's eyes were her own, so why was she doing this? Why was she still walking to him?
Malinda was now only a few feet away from him, nearly as tall as him on account of the heels she was told to wear, hidden under the flowing dress. The Ice Queen was growing impatient. Aside from testing her ability to kill her stepbrother, the queen also sought to measure her daughter's willingness to do it. So far, she was failing.
"Malinda," she said, the sound of her name on the Ice Queen's lips sending chills through her. It was almost a whisper, but in the grand foyer with the ice walls, her voice was enhanced significantly. Malinda needed no instruction; she knew what the queen expected her to do: she would pierce Benjamin's heart.
As she lifted her fisted hand, aiming the knife at Benjamin, Malinda saw something in the corner of her eye: someone coming into the main hall. She knew it was Henry Rivers, hiding in the shadows and right on time. Malinda let a tiny smirk escape, one that only Benjamin could see and definitely noticed. He would have smiled back if she hadn't turned around so quickly, her gown repeating the motion seconds later.
"No," said Malinda, throwing the dagger across the hall, in the direction of her partner in crime. "He's not worth it. None of them are."
"I am the judge of that," the Ice Queen replied, her teeth crunched together. "Nothing would give me more pleasure than to see them bled dry."
"Send them home," Malinda ordered the idle soldiers that stood at the corners of the space, ignoring her mother's words. They did as instructed and started to move the group towards the exit, far away from the queen and princess.
"Stop!" she roared to her men, commanding them to disregard her child. "Do not move them any further!" The Ice Queen marched down the steps, away from the staircase, nearing the disobedient girl. "You dare make demands in my castle? I am the queen!" She let her fury reach the surface, her nails growing, her eyes beginning to gain a red tint. She vigorously removed her mask in one swift movement, the object breaking into innumerable pieces upon meeting the floor.
The Ice Queen faced a scenario she had predicted but failed to prepare for: her daughter's rejection. She saw the facts before her that she had been blind to. Malinda's story was flawed, illogical. Why would the people who had forsaken her now fight to have her returned? It dawned on the queen that Malinda had never met with Wendell and his men; she had never fully chosen her side. She had been fooled by a simple girl, and yet the Ice Queen let herself be tricked, too eager to make her dreams of dominance a reality.
"You have deceived me, but you have been caught," she said lowly, calming down momentarily. "You must do as I say."
"Or what?" Malinda responded, as defiantly as when she first spoke to the queen day ago. Her plan was working. She might actually succeed. The thought alone made her confident in the face of her evil mother.
"I cannot let you live." Her words echoed despite the faint tone of her voice. She was moving to strike Malinda, her face serene yet determined. Malinda could see the muscles on the Ice Queen's arm, bracing herself for the massively painful hit she was neither fast nor strong enough to avoid.
But then she heard someone shout; a manly voice, screeching in a battle cry. The Ice Queen shrieked as well, stopped in her tracks. Henry had stabbed the queen at the right corner of her back, sliding the blade down with as much force as he could muster. Malinda lit up with relief, trying to run towards Henry. She could not get close, however; the two were in a heated struggle.
Henry struck the queen at several points, but she deflected most of his attacks. Henry had learned from his previous confrontation with her; he was more cautious, more aware of the grander scheme. When the servant had come into Malinda's room to announce the king's arrival, both of them had been dumbfounded. They had formulated a plan to defeat the queen together, and the longer Henry lasted in battle with the monster, the more hopeful he became that his seemingly eternal vendetta would be satisfied.
Malinda went on to instruct the soldiers to remove her family from the grounds, but they stayed in place, their fear of the Ice Queen far too great a force to overcome. But their stillness provided a makeshift fence that kept the group at bay and safe from the violence. All she could do was look at them from afar, happy to reveal her hoax to them yet as afraid for their lives as ever.
Henry made closer advances to her, able to slash her forearm. But his proximity made it all too easy for the Ice Queen to grab his wrist, cracking his bones into submission. He dropped the dagger and fell to his knees in pain. Malinda heard his cry and went to him, prying herself away from the stares of her friends and family.
He was bleeding, holding on to his wrist. Henry looked up at the queen, whose features were now truly monstrous. She grinned wide, bearing her teeth. "This is how it happens." In a single fleeting motion, her nails fully extended and sharp, the Ice Queen severed Henry's head, and he felt a cool draft between his neck and shoulders.
Malinda's eyes were shot, her mouth gaping. She let out a heart-shattering scream. "Henry!" she called out, the veins in her head becoming more prominent. She too fell to the ground, her hair disheveled. Her sobs were uncontrollable and for some time she forgot where she was. She imagined herself back in her room in the small New York apartment that only she and Benjamin and Amanda shared. Life was simpler then. And Malinda lacked the will to continue. She could hear the frantic chattering of her parents, her grandfather, her brother, the king and the prince. They tried to get to her, but the soldiers did their job well.
She opened her eyes and saw Henry's head concealed in the darkness, his body being frozen by the queen in her rage. Malinda had to defeat her on her own, as she had originally intended. She would not let anyone else die. Still on her knees, Malinda raised her hand in their direction. She concentrated on using her powers, trying to invoke them purposely for the first time. Her eyes felt cold, fizzing, and her blood seemed to flow faster through her. She managed to create a thick ice wall, like the queen had done early that day, which blocked off the king and his company. They were safe now.
The soldiers fled the scene, too cowardly to witness the clash between the two most powerful individuals in the 9 Kingdoms.
They rioted behind the cold barricade, Wolf and Wendell pounding the ice vehemently. Gabriel had been on the verge of hyperventilating, but the knowledge that Malinda was isolated with the Ice Queen propelled him into action. Benjamin stood by Virginia, who had teared up at the sight of Henry being killed and hearing her daughter's subsequent bellows. "Weapons. Do we have any weapons?" Wendell asked frantically as he watched Malinda get up from the marble and walk towards the queen.
"Here," spotted Gabriel. Some soldiers had dropped their swords in the midst of fleeing the area, but two weapons were not enough to break through Malinda's barrier in time. Gabriel and Anthony picked up the swords and began bashing the ice. Benjamin then saw some axes against the wall. He was hesitant to use them since he figured they were only props.
"Good thinking, Benjamin," said Wolf, following his son's eyes. They both took the axes while Virginia grabbed the shield; they used whatever they could find, Wendell settling on utilizing a metallic pole meant for propping up the kingdom's flag.
The Ice Queen's appearance had returned to normal, once again resembling something close to human. Henry's death was enough to appease her for the time being. She was omnipotent, unstoppable. All she had left was to kill the girl.
"I'm sad it has to end this way," she said, wiping the blood off her fingernails. Malinda knew the queen was incapable of feeling emotion, and the disregard she had for Henry's life made Malinda furious beyond measure. The Ice Queen was creating a storm, one that Malinda could only conjure in heated moments. Although Malinda was infuriated, it was more of an ache than a sharp pain. Her sadness dulled the effects of her anger.
The queen had such control, and control was the only thing that pleasured her. Malinda realized that the Ice Queen's need for perfection – a need that she too sometimes shared – was at the core of everything she did. And again, the queen underestimated her. Malinda didn't need a blizzard or magic tricks; she was built to withstand the blistering cold. The Ice Queen could not defeat her so effortlessly.
They walked closer to each other, calculatingly. Malinda could hardly see the creature before her, the heavy snowfall and hair in her face obstructing her vision. The Ice Queen mistook her daughter's slow progression for an apprehensive approach. She laughed, rejoicing in the moment.
The woman's cackling increased Malinda's fervor, her thoughts again going to Henry. How could she defeat someone so… heartless?
And then it hit her, Henry's words replaying in her head. The queen was not in fact heartless, he had told her. Malinda didn't understand his statement at the time, but now it rang clear in her mind. His final gift to her, she thought. In the end, he did defeat her just as he always wished.
Malinda waited for the right time, when the queen's sight was just as hindered. She ran to Ice Queen with a speed she had never achieved before; another one of her unlocked powers finally emerging. The queen was caught off guard, and within seconds Malinda was right in front of her, staring at the core of her eyes – staring at herself. She balled her hand into a fist and with her superhuman strength, punched a hole through the Ice Queen's chest.
She wheezed as she felt Malinda cupping her heart; a frozen item tucked away in her body and the source of her power. She was reminded of Henry Rivers' attempt at killing her years ago; he aimed for her heart as well but was never able to get at it. Malinda squeezed the solid organ, frigid and stiff. She wailed in fury, stories of all the Ice Queen's wicked deeds flooding her thoughts. At last, she finally crushed the queen's heart, a flash of light emanating from the crumbling flesh.
Malinda pulled her arm away, a pale liquid replacing the red blood she was expecting. She looked up to see the Ice Queen covering the opening above her breast, stumbling backwards in confusion and resentment and horror. She witnessed the queen experiencing fear, and she only wished he were alive to see it with her. The queen started to fall, her skin becoming like rock. Bits of her flew off, turning into snow as she disintegrated. She never struck the ground; only her crown remained, clinking against the stone floor. Her body had evaporated and died away along with the storm she had made.
The castle was silent, only the lingering gusts of wind making any sound. She had done it, but the aftermath felt different that what Malinda was anticipated. She was happy – a bittersweet sort of joy – but greatly fatigued. It was over and yet she felt a soreness on her chest and a lightheadedness she was attributing to relief.
The group had paused in their efforts to get through the ice wall, astounded by Malinda's brave act. The barrier itself was starting to melt away on its own. Benjamin watched Malinda as she stood there in the same spot, her body wavering slightly. She must have been exhausted, but he sensed there was something more to it. Malinda grunted as the tenderness transformed into acute pain. She clutched at her chest and felt something wet and thick. She looked at her palm and it was painted scarlet. Malinda was bleeding through her dress, the blood cascading down her form and onto the floor. They all saw as she collapsed, losing consciousness from the blood loss.
"Malinda!" Benjamin yelled, crashing through the thinning arctic wall. He ran over to his sister, with the entire group behind him. Benjamin skidded across the floor, bent down beside Malinda, placing her head in his lap. His pants were soaked in her blood and he put his hand over her heart, applying pressure on the wound.
Gabriel was on the other side, holding her hand. Virginia and Wolf began to panic, becoming inconsolable. Anthony hugged them both, rubbing his hands against their arms, tears forming in his eyes as well. King Wendell shouted for his men, leaving the hall in search of an entry point for his soldiers.
"Please don't die, Malinda," Benjamin beseeched. His face was engulfed with tears as he held his dying baby sister in his arms. Her breaths were shorter and shorter with each passing minute, and Benjamin slipped his head into Malinda's hair, more distressed than he had ever been. "Please…"
Sorry for the delay in updating. There are only a couple more chapters left. Thanks for all the support. It really means a lot to me.