Summary: Eva has taken refuge in her room as she struggles to accept the decision she has made and begins to have second thoughts about marrying Gideon and becoming queen. Gideon makes plans for the Unity Tour. Will a visit from a friendly face coax Eva out of her room? Or will it make things worse?
A few days after their return to the palace, preparations are being made for the royal court to leave for the Unity Tour. Since that video surfaced everyone has been on edge and Bastien has been arranging more security than they would usually need for the tour and for the palace, but he said it would take some time because of the amount of guards needed, as well as handling the investigation into the attack on the palace. Eva has spent most of her time in her room while Gideon assured her he would handle everything. He also informed her he was sorting out her personal security but it would take a while to find someone suitable, meaning someone who met Bastien’s standards. After the assassination attempt, they had attended a meeting with the King Father and Bastien to examine who could be behind the attempt. Bastien had identified three suspects. A group called The Liberation Core, another group called Sons of the Earth and the Nevrakis family. She couldn’t believe her ears when she heard Olivia’s name mentioned. She had spoke up then and said that Olivia couldn’t be behind it as she wouldn’t do anything to hurt Gideon.
Bastien said he would take their opinions into account but would not rule Olivia out until he had investigated further. She thought something strange was going on as every time Bastien spoke to her, he didn’t quite meet her eyes. Gideon assured her everything was fine and Bastien was just focused on finding out who was behind the attack. He had told her he had made more aggressive arrangements for her security but it would take a few days to sort so until her own security was ready, she had been assigned a palace guard. Since she had taken up residence in her room, only appearing when she needed to, the guard had been stood outside her door. It was getting tiresome having a guard follow her everywhere she went in the palace. Her room was the only place she could escape everyone. Gideon had still not let her leave the palace to go and visit Drake. To say one final goodbye. He kept maintaining it wasn’t safe, even if she took a few guards with her. It felt like he was hiding something from her. She had left her room a few times, mainly to go to Drake’s room to either sleep in his bed or steal some bits of his clothing, just so she felt near to him. The nights she slept in her room, she slept with an item of his clothing, breathing in his scent and imagining he was with her.
There was a knock on the door. “Your Grace?” her guard called, interrupting her thoughts. “Yes?” she answered. “Lord Beaumont is here to see you. Shall I let him?” he asked. She heard Maxwell say “Why would you need to ask if I can be let in?”. Chuckling to herself, she shakes her head. “Yes. Let him in”. The door opens and in bounds Maxwell. “Eva!” he calls bouncing on the bed, causing her to almost topple off the other side but she manages to grab her bedpost just in time. “Oops” he said, looking sheepishly at her before offering his hand to pull her back up. She scoots back to rest against the headboard, pulling her knees up and resting her chin on them. Maxwell moves up the bed to join her and she rests her head on his shoulder. “Little blossom, are you ok? You’ve been in here for days. Since your meeting with Bastien and Gideon”. She sighs heavily. “I miss him, Max. So much it hurts. I know everyone is preparing for the tour but for me a big part of my life is no longer here and I just want to grieve. In here is the only place I can do that”. He shifts slightly, wrapping his arm around her small frame. “I know, Eva. I miss him too. This place isn’t the same without him grumbling about yet another courtly function”.
She sits in silence, unsure of what to say. Part of her knew that everyone else missed him too, after all they had known Drake a lot longer than she had but she felt like part of her was missing. She kept wanting to pick up the phone and call him and then it would hit her all over again. A sob escapes her but she quickly stifles it. “Eva, it’s ok to cry. I’m here if you need to let it out”. Hearing this, she can’t stop the tears from falling and for the first time in days, she lets her grief take over. Maxwell’s arms tighten around her, holding her as she weeps into his chest. Never had she imagined that she would lose Drake. Or have to marry Gideon instead. She wasn’t ready for this. She didn’t want to be queen. That’s one of the reasons she turned him down.
She sprung from the bed and began pacing the room, muttering to herself. “Eva? Are you alright?” Maxwell asked. “Max, I can’t do this. I can’t marry Gideon” she told him. “What? Why not?” he queried. “I don’t love him. I don’t want to be queen. I don’t want the pressures of ruling a country or the pressure to produce an heir once we are married” she said turning away from Maxwell, trying to calm down. He walked in front of her and tilted her chin up. “Eva, listen to me. I know you don’t want to do this, but you can’t break off the engagement. Think how that would look for the monarchy. Two failed engagements for the king? You know Cordonia needs this. You said it yourself, you’re doing it for Cordonia”. She nodded. “I know, but how can I marry a man I don’t love and be expected to produce heirs with him? And what about what I want? I’m not ready for this” she whispered, flopping back down onto her bed, tears falling from her eyes. She knew she wasn’t ready. She had thought about leaving but Maxwell was right. Two failed engagements would make the monarchy seem unstable so she had to do this, no matter how she was feeling. Her heart filled with dread at the sudden realisation that after the wedding all eyes would be on her and Gideon, the citizens of Cordonia waiting for news of a royal heir.
She started to panic at the thought of the pressure she would be under. Suddenly her breathing quickened and she began to take rapid, short breaths as she gasped for air. “Max…I…can’t…breathe…need…air” she choked out, forcing each word out between uneven gasps. He snapped his head towards her and saw her hyperventilating. Her face was flushed. Her whole body was shaking. “Oh God!” he murmured as he quickly made his way back to her. Kneeling next to her, he reached out to her. Gently taking her hands in his, he leads her from the bed to the balcony and sits her down on a bench. Maxwell tried not to freak out but the sight of her unable to breath rocked him to his core. He needed help but he couldn’t leave her her while she was like this. Her eyes were closed as she struggled to regain control of her breathing. “Eva, open your eyes” he commanded. She did as he said and looked at him. He needed to help her. “You have to breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth” he said as he did it himself a few times to show her. It didn’t appear to be working. He jumped up abruptly and ran for the door, he flung it open and exited into the hall. The guard jumped when the door was thrown open. “Lord Maxwell? Is everything alright?”. Maxwell shook his head. “It’s Eva. She… we were just…” he stammered out, unable to form a sentence. The guard saw the panic on his face. “Show me” the guard ordered.
Maxwell dashed back to the balcony, the guard hot on his heels, his gaze settling on her as she struggled to regain control. He turned away, tears in his eyes, unable to watch the scene unfolding before him. “I need the palace physician to Duchess Eva’s room immediately” Maxwell heard from behind him. It seemed like an eternity had passed before the doors to her room were thrown open and Dr Wylder rushed out to her, Gideon striding out to the balcony behind him. He pauses in shock when he spots her hyperventilating. He went to move toward her but Maxwell approached him, stretching his arms out to stop him getting near her. “Let’s give Dr Wylder space to work on her” he whispers, pulling him back. Both of them watch as the doctor checks her over. “Lord Maxwell, how long has she been like this?” Dr Wylder queries, looking at him. “Er, a few minutes at most? She said she was having difficulty breathing and needed air so I brought her out here and when I couldn’t calm her down, I went to the guard for help. We weren’t gone that long”. He nods and turns back towards Eva. “Duchess?” Dr Wylder said. Turning her head towards him, she looks at him. “I need you to breathe for me, ok? We’re going to do 4-7-8, alright?” he questioned. She nodded. “Okay. First, breathe out as hard as you can” he instructed, nodding his approval as she expelled the air from her lungs.
“Now inhale” he said, counting slowly to four, watching as Eva followed his instruction. “Well done, Duchess, you’re doing great. Now hold your breath for 7“ he instructed once more counting slowly. “Perfect. Now expel it all out for 8” he said, counting slowly up to eight. Maxwell’s shoulders relaxed slightly as Eva’s breathing regulated slightly. “Ok, we’re going to do it one more time, Duchess” Dr Wylder said, beginning the process again. After a few minutes, Eva’s breathing returned to normal. “She should be alright now. Any more issues, call for me again” he said, standing up and bowing to Gideon before exiting the room.
Maxwell and Gideon stand in silence, Bastien standing just inside Eva’s room, watching her. She goes to stand up and Gideon moves towards her. “Easy, Eva” Gideon said, offering her a hand to help her up. “I can manage” she said, standing up, wobbling slightly as she did so. She stumbles slightly and Gideon’s arms shoot out to catch her. “I’m fine” she snapped at him, causing his hands to drop from her arms. Making her way back inside she heads to the bathroom to get a glass of water before making her way to the sofa in her room, slowly sipping her water as she sits down. Maxwell and Gideon stand in the corner of the room, watching her with worried looks on their faces.
As she sits down on the sofa, she catches the worried looks on their faces. “I’m fine. You don’t need to stand watch”. Neither of them move from the corner, still watching her. Silence descends on the room until Bastien clears his throat making them all jump. “Your Majesty, I hate to interrupt but you have a meeting about security arrangements”. Gideon nods. “Ah, yes. Thank you for the reminder Bastien. Maxwell, keep an eye on Eva” he instructs. “For gods sake. I’m fine. I don’t need a babysitter” she huffed. Gideon walks toward Bastien, taking one glance at her before exiting her room. Maxwell remains standing in the corner, watching her. Draining her water, she stands up and Maxwell moves toward her. “Eva, you need to sit down” he said, taking the glass from her hand and attempting to steer her back toward the sofa.
Shaking her head, she walks past him into her bathroom, throwing her clothes back into the bedroom as she removes each item. “I’ll, er, be over here” Maxwell said, closing the door over slightly. Stepping into the shower, she turns it to scalding hot and lets the water wash over her. She leans back against the cool tile, thinking of a way to escape this madness. She was sick of being treat like a porcelain doll. She had been through enough in her 25 years to let a little thing like an assassination attempt get to her. God, she missed Drake though. Sliding down to the floor, she leaned her head back against the tile, tears mingling with the water running down her face. She needed to get out of here but she had nowhere to go and no one to help her.
Turning the shower off, she wraps her towel around herself and stands in front of the mirror. She cleared the mirror with her hand and stood staring at herself. She barely recognised herself anymore. She was no longer that girl from New York. Taking a deep breath, she took one last look in the mirror and walked out of the bathroom. Maxwell sat on the sofa, her discarded clothes piled neatly on her bed. Walking towards her dresser, she grabs some underwear and heads into her wardrobe. Discarding the towel, she dries off and puts her underwear on. Grabbing a pair of pyjamas, she pulls them on and joins Maxwell on the sofa, both of them sitting there in companiable silence looking over the palace grounds, watching the sky darken as it turns to night time.
Just then, Maxwell’s phone rang, causing both of them to jump. She watches as he takes it out of his pocket and answers. “Yes, Bertrand?”. She resumed staring out of the window, not listening to Maxwell’s conversation. Bertrand was probably reprimanding him for something. “Eva?” Maxwell said, gently tapping her arm. Glancing at him, so he knows she is listening, she remains staring out of the window. “It’s getting late, we should get some sleep”. She glances at the clock on her bedside table, which showed it was nearing 11pm. They had been sat on her couch longer than she thought. She thought it was rather late for Bertrand to be calling. Nodding, she stands up from the sofa and heads towards her bed. Maxwell watches her as she climbs into bed and faces away from the door. He walks toward her door, switching her light off and opening her door as he does so. “Max?” she calls. “Yes?” he responds. “Will you stay?” she asks in a small voice. “Of course” he said, closing the door behind him. She heard his heavy footsteps on the floor as he made his way back towards the sofa. Hearing it creak as he laid down, she settled back on her pillows and drifted off to sleep.