"I demand you tell me where Kathryn is! Who is she with?" Liam fiercely storms into his mother's bedroom. She's seated on one of the sofas with her back to him. "Her cell phone has been off for the last two days."

None to his surprise his mom is unresponsive. She had been avoiding him like the plague since the wedding. Once he finally turns the corner of the couch his heart drops.

He is faced by Helena who has numerous tears streaming down her cheeks. It was a rare sight to see the previous Queen show emotion. Liam's whole demeanor changes. Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

"Mum? What is it?"

"Lucius," she replies delicately tapping a tissue underneath her eyelashes. "There's been an accident."

"Lucius?" Liam asks in thorough confusion taking a seat next to her. "I haven't heard you speak of him since-"

"Kathryn was in the car with him," she blurts out with a petrified look in her eye.

An involuntary nervous smile slides across the Prince's lips. "Pardon me?" He shakes his head while the aloof expression remains.

"Lucius was undoubtedly loyal to me, Liam. Putting her in that car I knew that- thought that she would be in good hands and-"

The broken expression on her son's face silences her.

"You're being serious." His voice shakes as tears pool his eyes and reality sets in. The nervous smile remains as he finally nods his head in affirmation. He thrashes a pillow to the side making a bolt for the door.

"Liam!" Helena calls after him standing to her feet. "There's nothing I could have done! I-I didn't know-"

"What did Robert talk you into this time, mum?!" The Prince whips around with a different, more appropriate expression. His forehead wrinkles as tears trickle down his red cheeks and his lower lip quivers. He stares at her as if she was a complete stranger, unrecognizable. He points a stern finger at her. "You've been playing us all along."

He wished more than anything, even if it was a nothing more than a lie, that she would tell him different.

But she doesn't speak.

"Kathryn would still be here if it wasn't for you," he says wiping a tear on his sleeve before rushing out of the room. "My child." Saying the statement out loud causes a heart wrenching whimper to escape his lips. Helena instinctively takes a few steps toward her son which only encourages him to retract.

"It should have been you in that car instead," he seethes through gritted teeth. The devastated look on her face doesn't phase him. All he knew was that he needed to get the fuck out of that room.

Out of the palace.

Out of the country.

He doesn't notice Robert perched against the wall outside the door listening in. The King stands with legs crossed and both hands in his pockets. After making sure that Liam had transported far enough down the hall he enters their mother's bedroom.

Eleanor makes it a point to keep her attention glued on her cellphone for the entirety of the flight. Scrolling through Instagram sounded more leisurely than coming to terms with the news she had discovered that morning. Luckily the nausea had passed as it was most likely substituted with overwhelming anxiety.

"Is there something you would like to tell me?" Jasper asks point blankly, his eyes burning through her.

It had already been 6 hours and 32 minutes into the flight and not a peep was mentioned about what had transpired. In his opinion this was more than enough time for her to tell him.

"Nope," she replies without question, her eyes quickly darting between her cell and him. She continues to flick her thumb upward on the screen.

Jasper's foot erratically and uncontrollably taps the floor beneath him. Usually he was one to keep his composure. If not the one. He stood by the King's side in downtown London confronted by an angry mob. He flew to England four years ago in an attempt to steal the royal diamond. He was fucking shot no less than a month ago.

But this situation was a whole different entity. Nothing could help prepare for this. No amount of alcohol or his wife's stash of Xanax could calm his nerves. He places his forehead in his hand resting his elbow against the arm rest.

It was going to be a long fucking flight back to London.

"Are you alright?!" Willow asks Liam passing her by. He's visibly frantic. The Prince gives her a glance that sends a chill down her spine and goosebumps down her arms. The look of thorough despair. She furrows her eyebrows walking down the hall in the opposite direction.

Robert is greeted by a thoroughly distraught Helena. The second she makes eye contact she throws her glass of bourbon at his head giving him minimal time to duck. It crashes against the while behind him as the contents trickle down the wallpaper.

The sound of glass shattering in Helena's room draws Willow near.

"Banish, exile, throw the girl in prison for gods sake! But this? You promised you wouldn't hurt her," she scolds Robert through pressed teeth. "She was carrying a child you son of a bitch! Your brother's child!"

"Precisely. Another heir to the throne."

Willow's jaw drops as the dots hastily connect. They had to of been speaking of Liam's girlfriend, Kathryn. She covers her mouth shaking her head in disbelief. Whenever the Henstridge family didn't seem to have the capacity to become any more corrupt, they made a valiant effort to prove her wrong.

"You are reprehensible. While you played vacation on that island I had to hold this palace together and went about my ways without being a murderer," Helena lectures louder than intended. "I even took care of Violet with the guarantee of no word to be spoken. But apparently you couldn't hold yourself back from meddling with yet another one of my actions, seeing as she whisked Cyrus away-"

"But that's exactly the point," the King says with a haunting chuckle. "You are simply not thinking clearly. Witnessing Willow follow through with the marriage would have catapulted my uncle into complete and utter madness. Who's to say that he wouldn't grab the nearest gun and shoot me there on site? He has nothing to lose. He's been living off crisps in a homeless shelter for the last several weeks for fucks sake!"

There's a pause of silence. Willow places her hand over her heart feeling it flutter against her touch. She's having trouble catching her breath.

"Cyrus needed a distraction, and my naive brother required the opposite," Robert continues calmly.

The sound of high heels clunking against the marble floor fills the hall as Helena nears her eldest son. An overwhelming smack echoes as she hits him full force across the face. Willow's breath hitches in her throat.

"I want out," Helena says, her voice trembling. "I will not partake in this bullshit.. this blood bath any longer."

"If that's what you wish."

Willow turns on her heels ready to improvise as she hears Helena exiting the bedroom.

".. But there is such a thing as second degree murder, you are aware of this, yes?" Robert calls after her.

"What're you getting at?"

"There is no out. We're in this together, mother. As it always has been."

Willow gathers herself as Robert exits the bedroom door. She acts as though she just happened to be walking by with the best attempt at a smile to match.

"What're you doing roaming about on this side of the palace?" he asks in a threatening tone, his eyes scanning her face.

"I was just trying to locate my handsome husband," she innocently says delicately tracing his jaw line with her hand and a seductive look in her eye. "Is there an issue with that, my King?"

"Very well," he replies locking eyes while putting his hands on either side of her waist. He kneels down before going in for a passionate kiss. "I propose we take this to the bedroom."

She compliantly nods her head. Now was not the time to let down her facade. Yes, Robert threatened she and her family before the wedding. But that was expected. Willow was never in on any sort ofcoup. Not with Robert. Not with Helena. Not with Eleanor or Jasper. Cyrus or Liam.

She had her own plan that had transpired over the years.

All of the lives lost under the rule of certain members of the fraudulent family proved to be never ending. This only motivates her further. She was out for revenge. She was doing it for Kathryn. For Liam's tragically unborn child. For Lucius. For King Simon.

For England.

For Dominique Stewart.

The Next Morning

The usual tension in the palace had only risen since their departure. But this time it was to their advantage as they were no where near the center of attention.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but it is rather nice being home. I can vomit in the comfort of my own bathroom."

Eleanor lays in bed on her side with pillows piled over her body. She squirms her way toward Jasper offering a good morning hug. His body doesn't move an inch closer. In fact, it doesn't move at all. The extremely unamused expression remained that was apparent since they woke up. He was visibly and absolutely livid. She didn't understand what the hell managed to crawl up his ass during the duration of the flight from America back to the UK. He had been acting more than strange ever since they left Earl's house.

As they did when she knew she was in trouble, Jasper's eyes turn a dark shade of grey matched with a tightly clenched jaw.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" she finally asks after a few moments.

As if he had been desperately waiting on the question, there's no hesitation to answer.

"You know what's got my 'knickers' in a twist?" He quotes wildly with his fingers as he sits up looking down at her. "The fact that I had to find out from my estranged father that my wife is pregnant."

All of the color drains from her face. Guilt and fear hits her like a tsunami. She was not prepared for this in the least. Eleanor had yet the chance to mentally settle herself, nonetheless deliver the news to her domineering and emotionally unpredictable husband.

"I.. I found out yesterday morning," she shoots back clearly irritated. "I'm sorry I didn't joyfully pop out of your father's bathroom throwing confetti screaming, 'Hey guys! I just pissed on a stick, and you better buckle in Jasper because it turns out you're stuck with me for the rest of your life!"

A look of disgust spreads over his face before he covers it with a hand. He wipes both eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Pinching the bridge of his nose he stares at the blanket covering them. He can't look at her.

"I thought that message was clear when you married me, Eleanor," he says with a level of hurt evident in his voice. Unfortunately for him she was in defense mode and was not taking any prisoners. Throwing the sheets to the side she stands to her feet revealing the black lace slip she had worn to bed. She lets out a grunt throwing both arms in the air pacing back and forth.

"Jasper I just got my life together. It feels like yesterday that I was.. I was snorting adderall off sinks in public bathrooms," she says dramatically cringing. "Experimenting withwomen.. who just happens to be your ex-girlfriend by the way."

He rolls his eyes letting her continue her tangent, although it was clear that she was making excuses and deviating from the issue at hand.

".. Getting wasted off my ass just to make it through the day," she continues intertwining her fingers in her hair above her forehead. "I'm 25 years old. I haven't traveled enough yet, I haven't-"

Jasper hops from the bed creating a human barrier so she can't take another aimless step. No longer could he control his emotions. Two days was long enough.

"And that's fucking fine if you feel that way," his voice raises. "But we're supposed to be in this together. For better or for worse. In sickness and in health. Fucking hell I can't believe I have to say all of this girly crap just to get this through your head! Let me be there for you, Len.. for our family."

His comment makes her skin crawl and anxiety shoot through the roof. Eleanor's face had turned a pale shade of red with adrenaline pumping through her veins. She thrashes her body away from him wrapping her arms around herself, her nails digging into them.

"I don't even bloody know if I want it!" she shouts spinning on her heels facing him. "How am I supposed to take care of someone else when I can barely take care of myself? How am I supposed to tell you.. when- if I'm not ready?! I don't need your help, okay? Now would you back off already?"

The pained expression on her husband's face makes her heart immediately sink. He looks more in agony now than he did in the hospital after being shot.

"I'm-I'm sorry," she says instantaneously with sincerity. "I didn't mean that, I-" She nears him reaching her arms toward him but he instantly throws his hands above his head. Tears swarm the rims of his eyes as he silently walks to the dresser. She watches him throw on a t-shirt and basketball shorts. "Where are you going?"

Jasper doesn't even glance at her before power walking toward the door. "I need some air."

Special S/O To Louise for her comment on a chapter or so back: I really loved an idea she had and decided to play off of it. I thoroughly agree that this would probably be the more 'realistic' approach for Eleanor to handle the news of a pregnancy and I had a lot of fun exploring that. As always, much love to all of my readers :)