Your guys' reviews are making me so happy! So glad you like it!
As promised here's another chapter! (I'm going to try to post another by the end of the night but we'll see if I can finish it)
Eleanor stood with her brother looking out the large antique window next to the main door. Ophelia would be arriving any minute. They had wanted to meet her at her car but they couldn't cross the threshhold during a lockdown, so instead Jasper and Marcus were the welcoming party on the stairs.
Across the courtyard the palace gates suddenly swung open and a black SUV pull onto the gravel circuit.
Liam's nerves started to get to him, "She probably hates me, Len. I'm the reason her father is in a medically-induced coma."
"That's on all of us Liam, not just you. And her father is the reason ours is dead, but we don't hate her do we?"
He nodded. His sister was right, Ophelia was probably more concerned with what her father had done to the king than she was with what they had done to expose him. Still, he felt incredibly guilty.
They watched as the car came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. Marcus opened Ophelia's door and she stepped out into the sun. Liams breath hitched. She looked beautiful. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she wore a simple white shift dress. She embraced Marcus affectionately. Liam wished he could be the one greeting her.
A familiar face came around from the other side of the car and opened the trunk to get their bags. Liam sighed. He should have assumed Nick would accompany her. Facing everything her father had done, she was going to need moral support.
Jasper and Marcus assisted them with the bags and headed up the stairs to the palace. Nick grabbed Ophelia's hand reassuringly and followed behind them.
Eleanor stepped away from the window and pulled her brother with her. They stopped in the front center of the great hall facing the large door. The prince took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.
Here we go. he thought.
Moments later it slowly swung open and the two bodyguards entered with the luggage. Their anticipated guests followed a few steps behind. Ophelia paused when she saw the twins, she felt like running all the way back to the states, but she forced herself to walk over to them with her chin up.
She stopped a few feet from the royal heirs. Nick squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"Hi," she greeted nervously.
"Hey," Liam replied with equal apprehension. Nick eyed him warily. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement.
They all stood in tense silence for a moment.
Eleanor was the one to finally speak up. "It's really good to see you Phe."
Ophelia sighed and looked down at her feet. When she raised her eyes again there were tears welling in them, "So you don't hate me?"
Eleanor scoffed, "God no! It's us who should be asking you that!" She insisted, stepping forward to pull her friend into a tight hug.
"Len- I'm so sorry. My dad- I- I had no idea." Ophelia uttered shakily.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Eleanor assured her before releasing the girl from her embrace to offer a slight smile. "Come. We'll talk more over tea."
She slipped her arm through the girl's and led her toward the drawing room.
The prince and Nick stood awkwardly for a moment before turning to follow the women. They had previously gotten along, but Nick's expression didn't seem as friendly this time around.
Liam understood why. He had just shattered his girlfriend's world.
They walked behind the girls into the room where tea had already been set out for them. Eleanor gestured for Ophelia and her boyfriend to take one settee and the twins headed to the one opposite them.
As they settled into their seats Marcus and Jasper entered and posted themselves on either side of the entryway.
Liam chuckled, "Guys, as much as I appreciate protocol, I think both of you are passed formalities at this point."
They glanced at eachother before breaking position and walking towards the sitting area. Marcus took the closer chair, near Liam and Nick, and Jasper headed for the farther chair between the two women. He and Eleanor shared a brief but telling look as he sat down.
Liam laughed internally. Even when they were silent they were obvious.
Now that they were all seated tea could be served, but no one reached for it. It seemed too cheerful an activity for the somber atmosphere.
"So how are you?" Liam finally asked, "I'm sorry I know it's a stupid question, but asking if you're ok seems worse. You're obviously not ok."
"It's fine, really." she said politely. "Mostly I'm... in shock. I just don't know what to think, or do, or say, i just-" she stopped herself as her voice cracked and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Nick put a hand on her knee. She took a breath before continuing. "I have so many questions."
Eleanor's heart broke for the girl. "Well you can ask us anything you want and we will answer to the best of our ability."
Ophelia took a moment, thinking before she spoke.
"I don't know where to start," she admitted.
"What, this isn't typical afternoon tea conversation for you?" Liam asked ironically.
She smiled slightly, grateful to him for easing a bit of the pressure.
"Ok." she began, "the last thing I had heard was that Lucius had confessed. Why did he do that when he was innocent?"
"Honestly, were not sure. The best we can tell is that he did it out of some twisted sense of duty to the crown." Liam answered.
"How did you learn it wasn't him?" she asked.
"Jasper discovered that the security camera timelines didn't match up so Lucius couldn't have done it."
She took a deep breath. "How did you find out it was my dad?"
"Jasper figured out the location of the attack and found a hidden camera that had captured footage of the whole thing."
Nick looked over at the bodyguard. "They gonna knight you?" He asked sarcastically.
Jasper shook his head. "Have to be a british citizen to be knighted." he answered plainly.
His familiar accent shocked Ophelia. "You're American?" Not waiting for Jasper's response, she looked at Eleanor.
The princess sighed, "It's a long story for another time."
Ophelia decided to let it go. Things were already confusing enough. She returned to her train of thought.
"I'm trying to assume you had a good reason, but why would you play the footage on live televison instead of giving it to the police? and don't say it's complicated."
"Do you remember that necklace with a domino symbol on it?" Liam asked.
She nodded, "The one you had on when I found you in the park."
"Yes." he confirmed. "We know what the symbol means now. A long time ago, when my father first became king, he was in love with a girl named Dominique Stewart, or Domino for short. She was supposed to be his queen."
Ophelia was genuinely surprised. She knew first hand how deceptive the monarchy was, but everyone in the world knew the love story of King Simon and Queen Helena. She had never heard of this other woman.
"What happened?"
"Our grandmother had her killed." he told her grimly.
"Oh my god," she wasn't expecting that. "Why?"
"Because she needed the money and her daughter was of a marriageable age." Eleanor spoke bitterly. "and the competition was too strong."
"That's horrible." Ophelia spoke softly. Helena had such a hardness to her. She had never considered the reason behind it. She was getting off topic though. "How does that relate to my father?"
"Dominique had a younger brother." The princess continued. "He was only a boy when she died and it completely devestated him."
Liam looked at Ophelia with soft eyes, "He never forgot how the person he loved the most was taken from him because of the royal family."
Realization swept over her features, "Like my father."
Liam nodded, "Jeffrey Stewart saw a kindred spirit in your father and used that. He had him place hidden cameras around the palace and got video of the grand duchess admitting to the murder of his sister. But he didn't stop there. He wanted vengeance, not justice. He got footage of all of us at our worst, and he was planning to broadcast it at the stadium to turn the crowds, and the nation, against us."
"And my dad helped him." the lump in her throat returned with force.
Liam swallowed his rage for a moment and spoke the words she needed to hear. "I know it's no consolation, but in the end I don't think he wanted to. He said that they would go after you if he stopped doing what they said."
Tears threatened to spill over her lashes. "Liam he killed your father-"
He clenched his jaw. "I know, and I will never forgive him for that, but for all the things he did I don't think he ever meant to hurt you, and I think it's important you know that."
Tears began to stream steadily down her face. She squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head as sobs began to rack her body.
Nick quickly wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his shoulder.
He held her for a minute before looking up and saying, "I think thats enough for today."
Liam nodded, but didn't move.
Neither did Len.
None of them did.
They all sat paralyzed in guilt and sympathy for the poor young girl who had now lost both parents to the Henstridge monarchy.