ALL HAIL THE MONARCHY | Young royals

07 | It feels like im drowning

|07|
"It feels like im drowning."

CLARA WANTED TO RUN AWAY— as soon as she sat down in the seat next to wilhelm, all the quite eyes rested on her, giving her pitying looks. She had barely even managed to hold it together when August held onto her, giving her silent condolences. She could already feel the tears threatening to fall.

"Im sorry." She had muttered to Wilhelm and August, as soon as the song had started. The last thing she needed to hear was a sad song written for her brothers death. Clara pushed herself out of her seat, exchanging a helpless glance with august, before she fled the room, tugging on her her tie, that was way too tight and was nearly choking her, she suddenly felt hot, running a hand through her ragged blonde hair as she pushed through the doors into a empty room. She threw jacket off her shoulders, tossing it into the air, before ripping off her tie.

She couldnt breath. Clara felt like the whole world was collapsing around her, she felt so helpless it made her chest hurt. It was like a tsunami was battering her soul, the waves crashing around her, and Clara was drowning. She clutched her knees with her shaky hands, so hard that her knuckles had become white, dipping her head back as she desperatly tried to get oxygen into her lungs, but nothing worked, and as the moments went on, Clara felt more and more like she was going to die.

"Clara?" The door swung open, and Henry collapsed infront of Clara Frantically, kneeling beside her. "W-whats wrong?"

Clara shook her head, unable to form the words, "I-I-i."

"Its okay," Henry breathed, his worried eyes scanning Clara's face, "Its okay, im right here, just breathe."

"I cant." She cried.

"Yes you can, breath with me, Clara." He instructed, mimicking the movement of breath, "In and out, come on do it with me."

Clara began to focus on Henry, and the small movement of his chest, the sound of his breathing, and his words. And suddenly Clara felt calm again, she didnt feel like she was drowning, she felt as if she had just been pulled from the destructive waves, and henry was the savior.

Clara grabbed onto Henrys hand, tugging it for support, "thank you, henry."

Henry let out a short nod, his concern beggining to wary as he relized she was beggining to calm down, but he didnt pull away like Clara expected, instead he dropped towards her side, letting out deep breaths. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Clara's voice slightly cracked, making it hard for Henry to belive her, but he didnt push it, instead rubbing his fingers against her knuckles.

"Okay." He said kindly.

              Clara did not expect Henry to try and drag her on one of his Pre-practice Rowing runs, as soon as Erik's ceremony was over, claiming he was 'too busy later' to do it. Clara wanted to question him, and ask what was so important to him that he would suddenly disapear into thin air, for the entirety of the dark night, but she refrained from it. Henry could make his own decisions, he knew what he was doing, he had been at this school longer that Clara ever would be, he knew the works— something that he was willing to teach Clara if she was up for it.

"Henrryyy." Clara cried, dipping her head as she trailed after him.

Henry rolled his eyes at her, continuing to run at his fast pace down the hill, that he somehow managed to maintain for the past twenty minutes, "stop being dramatic, Clara."

"Im not being dramatic," she huffed, "Im just not cut out for running."

"Well your running just fine—"

It was as if Henry had somehow managed to curse it; Clara tripped over a fallen branch, and stumbled down the hill after Henry, almost crashing into him, and knocking him over, but Henry was too quick, he whipped around and caught Clara by the waist, steadying her on her feet.

He raised an amused eyebrow at her, before shaking his head, "Fine we can stop."

Clara would have cheered if it werent for the fact that she was way too focused on Henry's hands on her waist to even function properly.

"Clara?"

Clara blinked, not relizing that she had been staring at Henry, untill he started speaking again, and her cheeks flushed in embarrasment.

"Sorry." She mumbled, pulling away, and dusting off her pants, that barely had any dirt on them to begin with. Clara bit the side of her cheek, akwardly, staring in suprise as Henry patted it, a frown on his face.

"Dont do that." He told her, his hand still resting on her warm cheek. Her teeth let go of the skin, looking at him confusedly.

"What?"

"Dont bite your cheek." He continued, with a shake of his head.