When stars betray

Chapter 3: BETRAYAL

One month later, the army fails to find the free grounder and slowly, everything gets back to normal. Iris continues going to school and surprisingly, her and Laden have become besties in a blink of an eye. Over time, Iris notices that Laden avoids any sort of physical contact with Iris. He plays normally with the others but when it comes to Iris, he refuses to touch her. Iris thinks it’s weird but doesn’t think much of it.

One faithful afternoon, Iris and Laden are in the garden of the castle she lives in since her mom now knows Laden and allows visits occasionally. They are walking side by side as queen Vaelis looks at them through the windows. “He looks odd, his hair and eyes don’t look human.” Says Vaelis in worrisome to her husband standing behind her. “It might be albinism.” Replies her husband while hugging her from behind. She chuckles softly while turning around as Darius kisses her lips gently, “You worry too much.”, he mummers while unbuttoning Vaelis’ top and sitting her on their soft, master sized, lavish bed.

“Can I tell you a secret? Promise you won’t tell anyone.” Asks Laden as they sit under a tree in the beautiful garden. “Yes! I love secrets. Pinky promise?” says Iris as she points out her pinky finger but Laden’s face went cold for a while as he looks at Iris, “Oh, I forgot, no touching.”, she adds. Laden looks visibly disappointed and sad as he says “I’m from the underground.”. “Cool, but where’s the underground?” asks Iris in confusion. “Never mind, I have to head home” Says Laden coldly as he gets up and walks away. Iris knows that Laden is a weird boy but she likes him that way, this was out of character for him though. He wouldn’t just leave her abruptly like that.

Laden gets into his guardian’s carriage, “I told he, I failed to keep the secret. Sorry I just couldn’t keep it from her.” Says Laden while looking out the Window as they ride. His guardian looks at him in shock, “What?! Just wait till your mother hears about this. How could you?!”. Laden looks down in shame and says, “I don’t think she knows about the Underground. By the way I can trust her.”, “You are in grave trouble.” Says his Guardian.

At dinner in one of the dining rooms in the castle, spoons and forks are hitting against plates as everyone is devouring their food, Iris is sitting next to her mom at the long table and as innocent as she is whispers to her mom, “Mommy, where is the underground?”. Vaelis chokes and servants rush to her, everyone at the take stops eating and turns their heads to look at queen Vaelis. “Are you okay, ma’am?” asks one of the servants. Vaelis doesn’t even answer to her as she says, “Iris, to my room, now.”.

Iris walks out of the dining room and up the stairs in confusion, did she just do something wrong? She wonders. Vaelis follows Iris and her husband follows her behind. All three of them enter the master bedroom and the door shuts behind them. Vaelis kneels in front Iris to match her height and asks, “Sweetie, where did you hear that from?” in the softest but serious voice ever. “Laden told me a secret today mom, he said he’s from the underground. Nana once told me a story about the underground. I’m just curious where it is. Also, can you keep the secret too, mom?”, “Nana did what?!” Vaelis exclaims as she storms out of the room. Scared Iris looks up at her dad and asks, “Daddy, what is going on?”, “Nothing darling, go to your room.” Says Darius as he walks out the door to try and calm his wife down.

A few minutes later, Laden is sitting in his room studying and overthinking the fact that he just told Iris the biggest secret in his life. Can she really keep that secret? He wonders. He sees lights outside as guards break the door to the house he lives in and shout, “Where is Laden Valenor?!”. Laden, scared rushes and hides in the closet but before he could even close the closet doors, his guardian runs inside and grabs him, jumping out the window and running into the darkness. Laden gets a glimpse of guards laying in a pool of blood outside. “Are they dead?” he asks his guardian. “This is all your fault!” his Guardian says while running with Laden in his arms.

Iris had betrayed him, he felt a feeling inside of him that he had never felt before. Anger, regret and just pure rage, how could she. It hadn’t even made a day since he told her his secret. She had betrayed him.