DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of The Royals characters, however I own some original characters that you'll get to know them one by one.
Hi everyone!
I'm back with a new chapter as I promised. I'm thankful to all of you loyal readers (unintended pun) that reviewed and read the last chapter even after that long hiatus. I hope you'll like this chapter as much as I liked it.
Enjoy!
Chapter21_Darkness
"I've been looking all over for you!" Jasper heard Eleanor's worried voice and tried to put a visible smile on his face when he looked up. "Sorry, I had too much to drink tonight. I needed to sit down for a while." Eleanor chuckled and sat next to him joking: "You're getting old, Frosty." Jasper moved a bit closer to her and whispered mischievously: "We'll see about that in a couple of hours, love."
Eleanor threw her head back laughing, and Jasper actually smiled looking at the happy Princess before him. He couldn't describe his own happiness when he saw her laugh like that. And it killed him to know what he'd say would make that laughter fade away in a heartbeat.
He grabbed her hand and started slowly: "Len, I need to tell you something…" Eleanor's demeanor changed as she noticed how Jasper's face became serious. She frowned and asked: "What's wrong?" Before he could respond, they both heard a gunshot followed by loud screams echoing all around.
Jasper's first instinct was to grab Eleanor and make a run for it. His eyes wandered around for Liam and the King but they were nowhere to be found. The crowd was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Eleanor was shouting something but he could only focus on finding them a way out.
He couldn't identify the shooter as much as he hoped but that was not the point. The point was to get Eleanor somewhere safe. He was almost out of the grand room that someone grabbed his arm violently. He turned around, coming face to face with a man wearing a ski mask.
Before he could think, Jasper punched him in the face and hoped it would buy them some time. It took two seconds for the man to wince and that was all the time he needed to run with Eleanor by his side. He looked over his shoulder once but the man wasn't following them.
He turned his face only to see Peter standing at the entrance of the tunnels. It was probably the first time in Jasper's life that he was relieved to see Peter's face. He finally turned to Eleanor whose tears had covered her face. The sight of her so distraught was like a punch to his stomach. He needed to fix that.
He cupped her face in his hands and tried to calm her down: "Len, everything's gonna be alright. You're gonna be fine, you hear me? I'm gonna go figure out what the hell's happening and Peter will get you somewhere safe. Alright?"
Eleanor shook her head furiously and kissed him hard before whispering: "I won't let you. I can't lose you, Jasper…" Jasper smiled weakly and joked: "You're stuck with me, Princess. You have my word." Eleanor whimpered in defeat as he kissed her lips and whispered: "Be careful, Len."
"Oh, cut the crap already!" Their heads turned towards the very annoyed Peter and their eyes widened. Peter was pointing a gun at them with a smirk planted on his smug face. They were still in shock when Peter asked mockingly: "Did cat get your tongue Frost?"
Jasper growled: "You fucking bastard!" Eleanor's hands grabbed his arm, not letting him take another step towards that traitor. Peter chuckled and asked: "Are you afraid, Princess? Are you scared that I'll blow your pretty boyfriend's brains out?"
Eleanor greeted her teeth and let out angrily: "Clearly you are here for me so Jasper's off the table." Jasper gave her a very angry look but Eleanor went on: "If you want to hurt me, go on, get it done. But do NOT hurt him." Peter cocked the gun and asked maliciously: "Then, where should I hit you first, Princess? Where do you think it'll hurt more?"
"Wherever you want, mate. DO it, Peter." Eleanor encouraged while Jasper hissed: "SHUT UP!" Eleanor let go of him and yelled: "I'm not going to shut up, Jasper. If the people are so angry with us that they want to physically hurt us, I'm not going to stop them."
Jasper grabbed her arm and pulled her close towards his body asking in a hush: "Are you mad?" Eleanor put a hand on his face and said: "I was always mad, Jasper. I'm not letting him hurt you." Jasper could only watch her innocent face and wish there would be a way out for them.
Peter cleared his throat and they both turned around to face him again. He started: "So, Frost, I'm going to need you to step aside or suffer the consequences." Jasper answered calmly: "Not a fucking chance." Eleanor whispered: "Jasper, please…"
Peter smirked and said: "You know, I never liked you Frost. And not just because you were fucking her or anything, but because you always thought you were better than me, better than most of us. And here we are, at last, about a bloody bullet away to your death."
Jasper pushed his anger back and tried to negotiate with him: "I was an asshole. I know. But that's on me. It has nothing to do with her. If you just let her leave, I'll let you put a bullet in my head." Peter scoffed asking: "Let me?" Jasper gulped and hoped he hadn't made the situation even worse.
Peter started: "And who says it's not about her? She's the reason I'm standing here. And I'm not alone, you know." He turned his attention to Eleanor and said: "We don't want you or your family around anymore. It's time to put a stop to this monarchy once and for all. And nothing destroys a royal family more than its members falling to their deaths one after the other."
Eleanor visibly broke down and fresh tears started pouring out of her eyes. Jasper's heart clenched in his chest and he went to hug the miserable Princess that Peter shouted with the gun pointed at him: "DON'T touch her."
Jasper noticed Ted Pryce was approaching Peter from behind and hope ran through his veins like blood. He tried to buy them some time before Ted made a move so he put his hands up and said: "Alright. Alright."
Ted carefully walked until he was right behind Peter and put the gun to his head. He froze and asked: "Who the fuck is this?" Ted answered calmly: "Your bloody boss." Jasper saw a hint of shock appearing on Peter's face but there was no time to process that since that shock turned into determination. Peter pointed the gun towards Eleanor and pulled the trigger.
The sound of two gunshots echoed through the tunnels as two bodies hit the ground simultaneously. Eleanor screamed as Jasper's body hit the floor and she crouched down near him in a hurry. Her mind was reeling from the events that had just happened. And it happened in a heartbeat. He had jumped in front of the bullet for her. Jasper had jumped in front of the bullet.
The pain was rushing through his body; pain like he'd never experienced before. He watched as Eleanor sat next to him, her tears falling freely on his face as she cradled him. Ted Pryce was shouting something at her but he couldn't focus on his words. He gathered his strength and let out: "Len?"
Eleanor's eyes were on him as she pleaded for no reason: "Baby, please…" She couldn't form a sentence but neither could Jasper. He grunted before whispering: "Love you…" Eleanor started wailing but she managed to let out: "I love you too, Jasper. I love you. You hear me?"
Jasper tried to nod but it needed so much energy and he just couldn't find the strength. Eleanor put her tear-stained lips on his but Jasper couldn't even return the kiss. She pulled back and watched his face fearfully as she whispered his name like a prayer.
He felt the need to close his eyes and rest. He needed to rest so he could be better soon, for Eleanor. His eyelids closed as he gave into the darkness and Eleanor's voice faded away. She kept screaming his name and shaking him but Jasper slowly closed his eyes and made Eleanor's world come crashing down.
She threw herself at his bloody body and kept whispering his name over and over again, hoping he would open his eyes. She couldn't believe what was happening. Jasper, the love of her life, was on the verge of dying and there was nothing she could do about it.
Suddenly she was pulled away from him and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get herself free. Eleanor felt the sting of a needle in her arm and soon her body went numb. The last thing she saw was Jasper being put on a stretcher and moved out of her eyesight in a hurry. And then she was floating in the darkness as well as him.
So Jasper got shot. :( This is one of the things me and most of the Royal fanfic writers did at least once in our stories or thought about doing it. The ultimate sacrifice. It's pretty enchanting. Tell me what you think.
Xoxo,
S