The Royal Brothers' Mate

Chapter 12

Chapter 12.

*****

I sat in bed with my knees pulled to my chest. After stopping their fight, the king had commanded that Rowan get cleaned up and Corin and I go to our rooms. I was glad, I was incredibly shaken and ashamed. All of the guards seemed to be a mixture of shocked, terrified – though they tried to hide that – and sympathetic. The brothers had calmed down afterwards and Corin apologised to me over and over in links swearing that he never acted that way. It made me feel even more horrible knowing I could make him act that way, that it was my fault he had lost it and hurt his brother so badly.

It had been a few days since they arrived home and I had not left my room. Mostly because I was too terrified to run into the king or queen – or either of the brothers. I was afraid of one seeing me with the other, I was afraid of even linking to either of them while they were both around. They seemed to get the hint and both of the princes left me alone apart from linking to me occasionally to ask me if I was okay or needed anything, I never replied. I had food served to my room despite never asking for it, but I was grateful. Edwin had been the only person coming into my room. I asked why he was serving me and he said it was because Corin insisted it be him. He also constantly asked if I was okay and looked at me with concern and pity-filled eyes. I just wanted to go home.

I tapped the screen of my phone and it lit up to show that it was just past eight in the morning. I figured I would be spending another day just texting or calling my friends and reading or drawing.

Hearing footsteps down the hall made me freeze up because Edwin brought breakfast at exactly nine every day and Rowan and Corin had left to train at 6 and were still doing that. This was a pair of heeled feet followed by one more in a pair of flat shoes. The queen… No, please. I grit my teeth anxiously as I stared at the door willing her to walk by it or go into Corin's room. Neither happened.

I tensed as a knock sounded on my door before I pushed my feet off the side of the bed and called out that I would be opening it, but they didn't wait. I watched the door swing open and immediately stood up as it was confirmed who it was and I bowed, keeping my head down.

“Your Majesty.” I said.

“Eden. My sons are set to have an interview downstairs at nine. How about watching from behind the scenes? I’m sure it will do you good to get out of this room… and out of… that.” I looked up slowly and noted that ‘that’ was my clothing. I had already showered and changed into track pants and a t-shirt. Movement behind her caught my eyes and a woman stepped in to put some clothing at the edge of my bed. “Francis made that.” The queen informed me.

“Thank you.” I replied.

“Don’t thank me, Rowan’s orders apparently. Linda will fix your hair.” She replied, “See you downstairs.” She said.

After she left, the woman, Linda, blew and straightened my hair before pinning it into a carefully constructed and elegant looking bun. She also applied some light make up to my face. I thanked her as she left, despite being confused about why I was getting done up this way, I guess even being behind the scenes meant being seen by other people in the room? I dressed into the white blouse, soft white cashmere jersey and light brown straight-legged pants provided before I slipped on the matching stilettoes.

I carefully made my way downstairs and was met by the surprised faces of both princes and a couple of reporters and cameramen. I froze as I spotted the King beside his wife and I have a bow receiving little more than a glance back. I avoided both Rowan and Corin’s curious eyes, fighting my own to keep my gaze from drifting to theirs. I bit my lip nervously as questions at their confusion began running through my mind. Their mother didn't tell them I would be watching? They did not ask for me to be there? Why would she want me there?

“Father –” Corin began.

“We’re on live in five, did you read the script?” His father cut him off.

“Of course, but –” Corin stopped talking as his father began speaking to the female reporter.

I looked around. There were seats set up, cameras facing the seats. The king and queen sat on the sofa with Corin on another not far from them. Rowan stood behind the cameras looking as confused as his brother did and I felt. I stepped back as a cameraman showed me where to stand before the reporter took their seat and the director sat down. Rowan shifted on his feet lightly until he was standing right beside me and Corin’s eyes seemed to follow each movement, his body tensing when his brother’s arm brushed my own. I took a step away from Rowan but gave him a light apologetic smile to make it look like I had just stumbled in the heels.

Looking back at the scene in front of me, I became quite interested as they went live. The reporter began talking about how she had been invited to the palace to interview the next in line about some events he would be attending in the next month as well as an important announcement from the king and queen.

I watched Corin and smiled as his answers to the reporter reminded me of when he was on those dates at the restaurant. Each answer seemed thoughtful, was careful, short, to-the-point with no emotion attached to it, and made everyone around him slightly uncomfortable by how intimidating he seemed. He really did not seem to like talking much, it made him mysteriously attractive thought. The interview with him was about five minutes long because of his succinct answers before the reporter turned to his parents. She asked them basically the same questions she had asked Corin, the answers received were more elaborate and they all smiled and laughed together. I kept looking back at Corin though and would occasionally catch him looking at me which made me then avert my eyes to the floor.

Just looking at either of them scared me as it reminded me of what happened.

“So, you said there was an announcement you would be making?” I looked at the reporter as she spoke.

“Yes. We’re quite excited to finally be revealing this.” I glanced back up at Corin and he seemed unfazed as his mother spoke, “We have a secret that we’ve been keeping from the country for an incredibly long time, but we’ve done so for his safety…” The queen’s words drifted from my ears as I turned to look at Rowan whose jaw dropped beside me as his eyes widened. He was utterly shocked. Looking back at Corin, he still seemed unfazed even as they announced his brother. He looked towards us and it seemed like he knew the announcement had been coming.

“You’re saying you have a second son?” The reporter asked, her shock matching the man beside me as well as every cameraman around us.

“Yes. Over there. Rowan, join us.” The king commanded.

Rowan seemed stunned but stepped forwards slowly making his way over to where Corin was, greeting the reporter before he took a seat beside his brother. He seemed like a natural thereafter without even having been given a script. I watched as he answered each question carefully and thoughtfully but with much more emotion and humour than his brother had. He seemed much less intimidating and more approachable. Watching them beside each other really pointed out how different they were.

“Does this mean we’re seeing a change in the heir to the throne?”

“No, Corin is the eldest by fifteen minutes.”

“Twins?!” The reporter seemed shocked but happy by this fact, “I have to ask, since Corin seems to be rather tight-lipped about this topic in any interview, Rowan. Are you seeing anyone?” The question made both prince’s heads turn to me immediately and I swallowed as the reporter's did too, as well as the cameramen around us. I looked towards the king and queen but they were just smiling t the reporter.

“Yes.” Rowan said making Corin look at him, his jaw immediately tightening and I felt my hands clench onto each other nervously considering that maybe I should just go back upstairs. I could not though, the queen had requested that I watched the interview.

“They have. Corin’s just – well, this should have been a surprise, but,” The queen laughed, “He’s just gotten engaged to Cassandra, you know the daughter of Hank Jamerson, and Rowan’s been in a relationship with Tiana Hardley for a few months now.”

I felt like the air had been forcefully knocked from my lungs after the Queen spoke.

“Tiana Hardley? The supermodel?” I barely heard the reporter ask as I watched Corin, his face was still straight but I could feel his annoyance. I looked at Rowan to see him looking at his mother confused.

“Yes.”                                            

“Um, actually –” Rowan stopped when Corin’s hand landed on his shoulder.

“We are just really interested and excited about discussing those charities we have been involved in promoting and the galas planned around them, can we return to that?” Corin spoke, his tone daring anyone to disagree, I was not surprised when the conversation instantly went back to the charity events discussed earlier.

Eventually the reporter called for a break and the king and queen excused themselves, citing that they wanted the reporter to have a more ‘intimate’ interview with the princes but before they could leave the reporter spoke.

“May I ask who this is?” The reporter asked once they weren’t filming anymore. I gave her a friendly smile realising she was talking about me.

“Eden. She is our assistant. She wants to remain out of the spotlight though, we ask that you respect that.” The queen said.

“Of course, your majesty.” The reporter said, “Though many would kill for that job and I would have loved to interview her.”

“I know, right?” the queen laughed.

“Eden, come with me.” The king spoke once he reached me. What? I looked at him. Alone?

“I’ll come with.” Corin spoke making relief shower over me. It was incredibly short-lived though as the king replied to him.

“The two of you still have the second half of the interview to do, focus on how you and Rowan plan to bring packs together in the next few months as you get to know your Alphas before your wedding.”

“Eden has to take notes.” Rowan said.

“She will watch the interview tapes afterwards.”

“Alright, we’re back in three minutes.” The director spoke.

I felt my heart pick up as I anxiously played with the ribbon that was attached to the cuffs of the shirt I was wearing and had managed to slip loose from under the jersey. Rowan and Corin were looking at me uncertainly but had taken their seats.

“Eden, come.” The king’s voice was pure command and I could not resist it. Not that I had any intention to, he was the king, we were surrounded by people and he terrified me. I nodded and followed him out of the room feeling more afraid with each step I took. I actually could not remember a moment my fear had subsided since that fight.

I followed him down the hall, a few guards behind us until we reached a door and he dismissed them before he pushed it open and gestured for me to step inside. I did. It was a large office. I assumed this was where he got work done, as my own Alpha had an office in which he did his work as well. His was soundproof. This was probably as well…

I walked further inside nervous and uncertain of where to go next as he followed me and shut the door behind him making the room completely silent instantly as all the noise outside was muted. I turned around slowly as he made his way over to where I stood. The walls were lined with shelves of books around us, a big desk not far away from us and a coffee table surrounded by seats further across the room. I began wrestling my thumbs nervously as he came closer to me before he stopped a few feet away. There was so much space in this room but he chose to stand so close by.

“Eden, I have just given you a way out of… whatever the hell it is you tried to do here.” He said making me look towards him slowly.

“What?” I asked.

“Out there. Those announcements. You can pretend to be really upset about all of it and just leave, never call or see them again. I’ll fund the plane to wherever you want to go, I’ll even go as far as to pay a couple of months of your rent.” He said.

I stepped back automatically as he stepped towards me.

“Um… I-I don’t understand –”

“I might have believed this if it was one of them, that is not too farfetched with this ridiculous mating thing I guess, but not both. You obviously created this situation to con my family or something.”

“I… I didn’t.” I said softly. He frowned.

“Not even one, but both of my sons. You should be ashamed of yourself. That’s hardly decent behaviour, Eden.”

“I didn’t –” I tried to explain there was no way I could have made this mate pairing happen but he cut me off again.

“Ah, of course. People like you never do things intentionally. You just screw things up without even having to think about it. It is why we choose our people carefully.”

“I’m not –”

“Be quiet.” I bumped into the wall as he stepped forward raising his voice. In such a huge room, I had somehow managed to end up against the wall – or rather a bookshelf, with him right in front of me. I was terrified, my hands shaking as I could basically feel the power and anger radiating from him. “You’re playing a dangerous game, girl.” I grit my teeth as I stared at the point on his jacket where his lapels met. Why was he blaming me? It was not my choice to be their mate, it was not my choice for Corin to find me at the restaurant, why was he acting like I had intentionally seduced both of his sons?

“I-I’m not playing anything, I’m not trying –” I gasped as his hand suddenly collided with my face sending my head snapping sideways as the sound of the smack echoed through the room. I kept my eyes on the floor as I moved my head back slowly. He had not hit me very hard, he had the ability to do much worse. Right, what the hell was I thinking trying to defend myself or tell him he was wrong? It had been stupid to open my mouth.

“Like I said, people like you do not do things intentionally. You seem born to mess things up. You play that role pretty well, slut.” I winced at the name. I did not know what to say, I was too terrified to speak, he would not listen to me anyway and I was afraid of making him any angrier. I swallowed feeling a knot grow in my throat. It’s not my fault, right? I did not choose to be mated to them… “Do you not see what you are doing to my sons?! To my family?!” His yell made me wince and jump slightly, almost like he had tried to hit me again.

I felt my chest moving rapidly with my heartbeat as I heaved and tried to press myself further into the wall to get away from him, it did not help much and I kept my burning eyes on the floor. I tried my hardest to shrink back further as he stood directly in front of me and I was certain he was going to try to rip my head off or something, it made my eyes gloss with tears until his shoes and the floor were a colourful blur behind the tears that I fought to keep contained in my eyes.

“I’ve met my mate, you know. I marked her the night I met her, a ball at the palace when I was young. We both had way too much to drink and we moved really fast that night. I just had to have her and of course I did.” She’s dead... If he met her, the only reason the queen would not be marked was because his mate was dead. “I watched them kill her a couple of days later, my father and uncles.” He said. Rowan had said that he read about that… “I watched… the entire thing…”

I cleared my throat, my voice stupidly forcing itself from my throat against my better judgement. “N… You-you couldn’t… No – no one could watch… no one loses their mate… and stays alri… and is okay...” My mother wasn’t.

“Well, your mother was weak, as your father probably was too and whoever that man I met is. So was my mate. Which is why I let them kill her. It is why I will choose who my sons marry. This family will have no weaklings. I survived losing my mate, it was clear to me that she was great for that one night but useless to me overall. The strong get over things like that easily because we know there are more important things. They will too, eventually. I will not hurt them by killing you in front of them or at all, clearly they're already weaker than they should be since you are still here, but you will never be with either of them.” He said.

“I-I can’t just leave… They-They’ll always know where I am.” I whispered. Even if I tried to hide or leave, the pull would be there and they could follow me.

“Then you’ll always keep moving until they get over it.” He said. I winced again as he lifted his hand but he did not strike at me and instead just placed his hand on the shelf beside my head as he leaned very close to me. “Our family has spent generations, centuries building this family and this country into the powerhouse it is now and I will not let a single, wretched wolf like you or anyone else ruin that. I’m warning you right now, Sweetheart. You will not be happy with the events that unfold because of you. I have waited long enough for you to reach your senses.” He said. I furrowed my brows but did not look up. “You should have thought about the people you would be hurting if you stay here. I will only be polite about this today. Trust me, you stand to lose much more than you would gain here.” He stepped back, but I could not seem to relax my body because I felt like he could still strike at any moment. He stood still for a few seconds more before he walked out, the door shutting lightly behind him.

I felt my shoulders sink and lifted my hands to wipe away tears that immediately began leaving my eyes once I was alone, but wiping them away only seemed to cause more. My phone vibrating in my pocket made me jump before I grabbed it and looked at the screen. It was a call from Corin. I slid my finger over the screen to ignore it before I put my phone on silent and began trying to catch my breath and stop my tears.

I could feel that neither Rowan nor Corin had moved from the living room and I was grateful because I did not want to be near either of them right now. I made my way out of the office and up to my room, shutting myself inside once I made it there.

I kicked the heels off as I leaned against the door and stared at the balcony across the room. He said to think about the people I would be hurting if I stay. Was that a threat to my family? I tensed. Brandon was already on his bad side. Was he going to hurt them? No, he would not risk giving Royals the reputation of harming innocent people again… he could get away with fabricating something my family did though. I shut my eyes tightly as I leaned my head back against the door. I should never have met either of them, this entire mate situation had proved to be nothing but trouble since the second I touched Corin’s hand. I was not going to risk my family getting hurt, I was going to leave. I could ask the king to pay for the flight, I did not even know where I would go but it didn’t matter. I just needed help getting away from here without either of the princes noticing…

Edwin.

*****