Butterfly Effect

18. Bleed Me Dry

The beloved King and his soon-to-be Queen were arguing.

The entire foyer of the palace was filled with endless roses, they varied from white, to pink, to red. If that wasn't enough, her favourite composer was positioned in the very middle, playing her favourite song on a saxophone.

Keenan had come to that conclusion pretty quickly, staring at the ill-mannered woman as she yelled at the head maid about the whole spectacle that was most definitely not the maid's responsibility.

She always acted more like a bitch when she was upset.

Clutching the note in her hand, she angrily threw it at the maid before storming away, retreating up the grand staircase from which she had descended moments earlier.

Regrettably, Keenan found himself needing to enter the palace that morning for an important meeting. He was on his way to one of the many meeting rooms when he was stopped at the entrance.

As he approached, his attention was immediately captivated by the sea of roses. Amidst the floral spectacle, he spotted her standing barefoot, draped in a silk robe that revealed the contours of her body. Her hair was neatly pulled back into a ponytail, and her face was devoid of any cosmetic adornments.

Once she departed, Keenan continued further into the palace.

He cast a glance at the composer, silently signaling for him to cease playing altogether.

"This has nothing to do with you," he reassured the renowned musician, maintaining the facade. "She's simply not feeling well, Benny. Julian will send you the invoice shortly."

Benny, understanding the situation, offered the dark prince a gracious smile as he began to pack up his saxophone. Keenan proceeded towards the distressed maid, who appeared shaken from the harsh words of the enraged bride-to-be.

Before he reached her, he bent down to retrieve the discarded note, his stormy gaze fixated upon it.

'I'm sorry, mon ange. But I can't focus on anything when we're fighting, and I hate knowing that something isn't right between us. Please forgive me, I miss you.

I love you.

Ju.'

Bingo. Something had clearly gone terribly wrong before the man left to assume his responsibilities in his current diplomatic mission.

He read the words written on the note. The depth of Julian's apology and the longing in his message confirmed Keenan's suspicions that their relationship was in turmoil.

His mind came to nothing, trying to piece together the puzzle of what could have caused such a rift between them.

He shook his head, finding the note unnecessary, to say the least.

Keenan had always been the one to keep his feelings in check, to prioritize duty and responsibility over personal matters. But seeing the plea in Julian's words, he couldn't help but wonder what his brother had done so wrong to be so candid with his emotions.

To him, that was weak, powerless even.

Folding the note and tucking it into his pocket, Keenan approached the maid, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

The maid took a shaky breath, her eyes welling up with tears. "I...I don't know, Prince Keenan. Her Highness... she was furious with the King. Said that she would fire anyone who accepted any more gifts from him. I've never seen her like this before."

Keenan's brow furrowed. He knew Julian could be stubborn and dedicated to his duties, but he couldn't believe that he would neglect his relationship with the woman he deemed to love so fiercely.