A Flowers Enigma

29- Futility

"We have to go..."

A fiery, vehement kiss blooms across my jaw as Jasper and I arrive at the palace. He had parked the car, and it was just him in I in the parking lot after our meeting with Lady Ramsey. "Just a little longer. I missed you." He groans against me, caressing my cheek.

I giggle in his mouth, running my fingers through his hair. He moans at the sensitive sensation of my fingertips in his hair, deepening the kiss and getting more touchy. But I pull away, knowing we had to focus on the demands of the day. There was much to do, and despite our doomed future we had little time for romantics.

"And we have time for that at night. But we still have work to do." I laugh at him, kissing his forehead. "That better be a promise." He growls, getting out of the car. My cheeks flush with excitement as I get out with him, secretly hoping the day would end faster. But that would also mean time would be ticking closer to Yannara's execution. And my duel with Adonis...

I have been training for it ever since I was discharged, working with Lance and occasionally Jasmine to hone my skills. Jasper tried to work with me, but he couldn't bear seeing me as a target rather than a lover as he was trained to do. Training with Lance taught me a discipline I never would have reached if anyone else taught me. It also allowed Jasper to get back closer with him after their altercation.

Sometimes, even both their fathers watched us in the shadows. Lance's father kept a judgmental eye on him, critiquing his form and the lack of swift harshness in his blows. He was blunt and sometimes even cruel, but it was a necessary evil.

I doubted Adonis, or any future enemies would show us any mercy if we were ever weaklings. It was a reason that the Bloodwyn Family were the best trained, and had the strongest armies. "He just wants to make sure I'm the best of the best before I take his position." He says, chugging down a bottle of water as we were getting done. He had noticed the sour look on my face after his father yelled at both of us for not doing something precisely- we had to run 20 laps as a light punishment.

"But why? He's so harsh." I mumble, rewrapping the bandages to my wounds that started bleeding through as we trained. The ones on my face started to heal rather quickly, and I had my mother braid my hair to conceal the patch of hair loss.

Lance smiles at me, a blindingly white smile. In his eyes I saw a strange, pure sadness that he could hardly conceal. It struck my heart with pain. His long hair was messily thrown into a man bun, some whispers of it drifting on his face and clinging to his sweaty chest.

"Well, I've got to be the best of the best to protect you and Jasper when you're my King and Queen, don't I?"

I was quiet after that. After the incident with Yannara, everyone has been on edge and extremely precautious with me. I wished they weren't, because I knew good and well I was capable of taking care of myself now. I felt extremely guilty having brought this on and stressing everyone out. But that didn't stop them from enhancing security guards, tripling cameras and limiting the access of outsiders into the castle. It was exhausting and overwhelming, having a guard shadow you every few seconds.

I snap back to reality, following after Jasper slowly. It was a dreary rainy day, and very few cars were around. I could hear new recruits training in the backyard with Lance's father, his powerful voice booming from mere miles away. I winced at the incoming pain of his lessons, knowing that my title, soon to be or not, would not stop his intensity.

Suddenly, the dull throb in my head that I've been suppressing since earlier got extremely worse. It got to the point where my eyes blared, my vision warping. A strange, melodic ringing gonged in my eardrums, and it felt as if they'd pop. "J-jasper...!" I groan, collapsing. My voice was so faint and strained it was highly likely he didn't hear me.