Hey, guys!

Omg, I'm so excited. Only 11 days til the final chapter is posted. I'm literally going to burst with excitement.

This chapter deals with a lot of the stuff that happened in the end of the last one, so I hope you enjoy, but uhhh... Be warned, you might cry.

Chapter Twenty Six

Adrian knew that he had work he had to do, but he didn't want to face the world outside of his bedroom.

The information that he had been receiving from Leander and Jensing was not the kind of news he had wanted. He had shut them both out too.

He couldn't get it out of his head, every time he closed his eyes he saw it. Everleigh's limp body in his arms. The feeling of sticky blood on his hands as he tried to keep her from losing all of her blood.

The coroner had said that her lungs had filled with blood and she had drowned in her own blood. Adrian had thrown up after hearing that.

She had died a hero's death, but it still hurt. What made his life any more special than hers?

He pulled his knees up to his chest as another sob racked his body. He was out of tears, he had been for hours, but he still couldn't stop the sobs.

He had lost her. One of his best friends.

Vivienne still hadn't spoken. The interrogator asked if Adrian wanted him to use other methods. For some reason, Adrian had said no. As much as he hated it, he still had feelings for Vivienne, even if they were never romantic, the thought of her getting hurt for information seemed too inhumane. Even if she had killed.

The first bullet had been aimed at King Abernathy. He had been shot, but it had missed anything vital. The doctors said he would be fine.

Everleigh wasn't though.

Everleigh would never be fine again.

Everleigh was dead.

Just like Queen Aurora.

Just like Ana.

Adrian stood up. He didn't bother with putting on a fresh outfit or fixing his messy hair. For once in his life, he didn't care about what King Abernathy would think when he saw him. Half of this was his fault anyway.

He walked down to the medical wing of the palace and stopped at the door. He took a deep breath, then walked in.

Adrian had never actually seen King Abernathy hurt before. So the sight of him in a hospital bed, his face pale, with wires and tubes around him… It scared Adrian. It scared the child in Adrian. The one who had curled up to King Abernathy's side in the middle of the night after a nightmare. The one who had climbed up onto his lap to see what he was doing. The one who believed his father could do no wrong.

How wrong that child was.

"Father?" Adrian said softly as he walked towards the bed.

King Abernathy looked at Adrian, and Adrian could hardly hold back the shudder. The look of pure, icy hatred on King Abernathy's face made Adrian's heart thud.

"You," King Abernathy said, his voice seething with anger.

Adrian swallowed and backed away.

King Abernathy sat up. "Do not move," he warned. "Stand still."

Adrian stood uncomfortably straight. He held his breath in fear that just the movement of his chest would set off the King.

"I used to think that I could love you," King Abernathy said as he stood and walked over to Adrian. "I used to think that there was something in you that was lovable. Something that would redeem you. I was so wrong."

Adrian felt his eyes burn. He knew that there would be tears if he hadn't already cried them all out. He stayed quiet though as the words sunk in. He had tried to convince himself otherwise after the meeting with Oliver, but now he knew it was true. King Abernathy had never loved him.

"I can't believe my father ever named you heir," King Abernathy said, and Adrian could feel the King's hot breath against his skin. "I don't know what he saw in you, but if he saw you now…"

Adrian opened his mouth to speak, but the glare from the King stopped him. It had gone from icy to a fiery rage. Adrian knew better than to try to argue when that happened.

"First, you had the audacity to follow me around like my own shadow, then you grew up to be the most worthless prince I have ever met!" He said. "You slept with the Report host, and had a child with her! Then… And then! The One Ceremony. You killed my wife and daughter! And if all of that wasn't bad enough, you started talking to Oliver."

Adrian shuddered, the words beginning to sink in. It was all his fault. If he didn't destroy everything that he touched maybe Everleigh would still be here. Maybe Queen Aurora and Ana would be too.

They were dead because of him. Because of his stupid selection.

"You ruin everything you touch and everyone you get close to," King Abernathy said. "And I am so glad that you aren't my son."

Not his son. Not his son.

Adrian ran from the room before the King could say any more.

He was right. King Abernathy was right.

This was all Adrian's fault.

Maybe if Adrian had eliminated Vivienne earlier or if he had just sped up his selection. Maybe if he hadn't had a selection at all…

Queen Aurora wouldn't be dead. She would know what to do.

Ana would be alive. She would know how to cheer up everyone. She always knew how to make everyone happy.

And Everleigh…

He should have told her that he loved her sooner.

Everleigh with her big brown eyes and blond curls, Everleigh with her pink cherry lips, Everleigh who cared about him…

She would still be here.

She wouldn't have died in his arms, her blood staining his white shirt and her pink dress.

She had looked like a princess.

Adrian sobbed a little harder at the thought of her dull, lifeless eyes. At her bloodstained hair.

He curled up tighter on his bed. King Abernathy was right. He destroyed everything he touched. Everyone he got close to died. Maybe if he just never left his room, no one would ever get hurt again.

"Go away," he said as the door opened. It was the most childish he had sounded in longer than he could remember.

The door shut softly, but quiet footsteps slowly got nearer.

"Adrian?"

Adrian sat up and looked at Sebastian. "What do you want?" It had come out harsh, but he didn't care. The less people who cared about him, the better.

Sebastian sat down on the edge of the bed. "I saw the Report and what happened to Everleigh," he said. "Are you alright?"

Adrian shook his head, as another sob hiccuped in his chest. It hurt so bad. It hurt so, so bad. It felt like his chest was being ripped open, like someone was tearing out his heart.

Before Adrian could stop him, Sebastian pulled him into his arms. He began to rock him.

"Lemme guess," Sebastian began, his voice gentle and soothing. "You talked to Abernasty afterwards and he yelled at you?"

Adrian nodded against Sebastian's soft shirt. "Yeah," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I deserved it though."

Sebastian frowned. "Why do you think that you deserve it?" He asked.

Adrian sniffled, then cleared his throat. He didn't want to say it aloud. If he said it aloud, then it became true. "Because this is all my fault…"

Sebastian stayed quiet, and Adrian cursed at himself mentally. Sebastian had agreed with King Abernathy. Of course he would. Who wouldn't? He had caused so many problems. So many deaths…

"You can't take that much credit," Sebastian began after a minute. "I mean, if anyone is really to blame it would be Abernasty. He was the one who ordered the hit."

Adrian shook his head. "Because he hates me," he said. "Because there is literally nothing about me that is lovable. Because I ruin everything I touch. I hurt everyone I love…"

Sebastian pulled Adrian closer. "Now stop that," he told him. "I haven't known you for very long, Adrian, but I know one thing. You are not unlovable. My uncle is just an ass. He's just jealous and angry and bitter. Don't listen to him. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

Adrian looked up at Sebastian. He didn't look much like Oliver. Adrian couldn't help but wonder if he looked like Rose had. What had Rose looked like?

"I know you don't believe me," Sebastian said. "And that's fine. I just want you to trust that what I'm saying might have some sort of truth behind it."

Adrian hesitated. All of his life King Abernathy had told him how worthless he was, how unfit he was to be a prince… Now he had someone saying something different. Were either of them correct?

Finally, he nodded. "I can try."

Sebastian smiled as he continued to hold Adrian close. "That's all I ask."

King Abernasty is a butt... But we already knew that, lol. I hope you enjoyed! Please follow, fave, and review! I would love to know what you thought!

Thanks for reading! Love y'all!