All Characters except Kaytee and Alex and Ms. H belong to Pixelberry.
The next morning the gang was already seated for breakfast when Leo finally came down. Liam could tell there was something on his mind. The brother stared into the others’ eyes, as they unspoken words were understood by the other. Suddenly Kaytee bolts from the table and runs to the bathroom downstairs. Olivia turns to her best friend and smirks.
“Care to share anything with us, Liam?” Olivia gives him her all-knowing look.
“Maybe she got food poisoning from the deli we ate at yesterday.” Maxwell chimes.
“Max, you both had the same thing and you are not sick,” retorts Olivia.
“Or maybe she is sick of you being so….” Max gets cut off.
“Can we please just eat!” Leo raises his voice. “If they have something to tell you, they will, but doesn’t Kaytee get sick sometimes from long flights?”
“Yes, little blossom still gets motion sickness sometimes.” Max frowns.
Liam silently thanks his brother for deterring Olivia’s line of questioning. They weren’t really reading to share the new just yet. line of questions. He and Katyee had decided to go ahead and tell them since her morning sickness is becoming all day sickness. They agreed that the formal announcement will wait until she is 14 weeks.
“So, where did you run off to last night?” Max asks.
“Umm, I was reading.” Leo nonchalantly says.
“Reading, is that what you are calling it?” Olivia teases.
“No, Reading as in reading a book, you know the rectangular things with paper with words on them. Or in your case that thing you through at Drake as foreplay.” Leo retorts.
Liam looks at Leo, he can see there is something weighing on him. He was reading the journal, Liam would be lying if he said he didn’t want to read it, but he knew that Leo would tell him when he was ready. He just hopes that whatever those pages contained that it would free Leo, and not push him further into the hell he was in. Sure, everyone saw the Playboy Prince, but there is so much more to Leo than that persona. Only he and Drake, have seen the real Leo, the despair, the anger, the lost, the intelligence, the loving, the compassionate.
“What time does your flight leave tomorrow, Li?” Leo inquires.
“At 7 am.” Liam frowns.
“I thought you were not leaving until Friday?” Drake questions.
“I need to get there a day earlier, Francesco will be in New York and I really want to get this trade deal signed, I finally got him to agree on terms, best to get it signed while he is in a generous mood,” Liam replies.
“Well, I will take you to the airport.” Leo offers.
“Thanks, Leo.” Liam smiles.
Kaytee finally comes back to the table and they all start planning the day. Since no one really wanted to go to town they all decided that a day on the beach would be perfect. After breakfast, everyone went to get ready. Liam and Leo filled the cooler with ice and drinks, Mrs. H had made them lunches. They spend the day on the beach.
That night as everyone turned in, Leo once again found himself contemplating whether he should continue to read the journal or not. He had already learned that his grandfather was a sadistic piece of shit. He has been so angry with his mother for leaving him, but now …if what she says is true…he would need to have to confront his father. Finally, he opens the book.
Journal Entry 34,
My darling boy,
I have given a lot of troubling history, but I will tell you about the happiest time in my life. I was awaiting you to make your debut into this world, Your father was over the moon when I told him I was pregnant. Adeleine was already 4 months along and we had just announced that an heir was on the way. Godfrey, wanted to talk about a betrothal once we knew that I was having a boy. Your grandfather Saul, pushed your father and me to have an amniocentesis done. “To ensure that a male heir would continue the Rhys name on the throne.” We wanted to wait until you were born but after it was over, I knew that I was going to have a little prince. My love for you was already there, but now I could call you by name. My little, Leonard Andres Rhys, you were my light in this dark world.
So many noble families wanted to be in line with their children to be in line to be chosen by the next Prince or Princess. I mean, I was only 12 weeks along and people already had you married before you even were born. Every time we saw Duke and Duchess Karlington, he was pushing a betrothal agreement. He would remind us he was a cousin to the Royal family in his England. Constantine or Adeleine would always change the subject. I was always wondered. He would spend a lot of time with her. The thought broke my heart. I never confronted him. I refused to think that he would be to callous, as she was one of my closest friends. I did not want to think that they would betray me like that. Madeleine would be groomed to become queen, I only hoped that she would take after Adeleine and not Godfrey. He was cold and heartless sometimes.
You were my only priority, making sure you were strong and healthy, Your father’s affairs were encouraged by Saul. He thought that I was making Constantine weak, but your father was coming into his own, as a man, as a husband, and as a King. On the day of your birth, your father was overjoyed when we finally met you. Once he held you for the first time, I swear I could see the exact moment when his love for you took over his heart. He made a promise to us to be better than his father; for a few years, he was. I was so proud of him and what we were building together. The affairs stopped, he was a very attentive husband and father. He would love to read to you and made sure he was present with us in the morning and in the evening when you finally learned to sleep at night. I would find him sitting in the rocker with you on his chest, just talking to you and telling you the kind of life he wanted you to have, the kind of life that he was going to make sure that you had. The crown was heavy, but he made time for family, we were a priority to him.
Then when you were about 2 ½ years old, your grandmother Miriam was poisoned, her death marked the death of the man your father was becoming: strong, courageous, and independant. I always believed that Saul would do anything to keep his power over Constantine, but to murder his own wife to frighten his only child into submission, that was truly evil. And that evil proved to be stronger than our love for one another.
Know this, the only regret I have is that I was not strong enough to save you both.
Leo buries his face in his hands. Everything he has read has made him question everything he thought to be true. He started to think about how his father was when he and Liam were younger. He tried to remember their grandfather. All he could remember is that his father never left them alone with him, and when he would come to see them, he made sure that the nannies took them for the day. He finally drifts to sleep.
The next morning he waits for Liam to come to the kitchen, he has coffee waiting as he knew Liam’s routine for very early morning. Liam enters the kitchen area and grabs the mug, he presumed was made for him.
“I take it this was for me.” Liam yawns.
“Yes, your majesty, it is.” Leo smirks, “How is Kaytee feeling? Are there any instructions that I need to know beforehand?”
“Yeah, keep ginger ale and ginger tea handy, take care of them, Leo. I hate leaving her, I think it will be harder the further along she gets.” Liam gazes at the stairs.
“Li, I will take really good care of them. Come on, the sooner you leave the sooner you can get back here.” Leo walks to the SUV parked out front.
Leo drives down the driveway wondering if he should tell Liam what he has been reading in the journal, he did not want too, but he needs to know… Liam sits in the passenger seat looking out the window, he was excited to become a dad, but he still afraid… Leo can sense Liam’s emotions, but there have been too many secrets, too many lives ruined, he is at a crossroad.
Taking a deep, centering breath, Leo sighs, “Li, I halfway done with mom’s first journal. It is a very interesting read. What do you remember about our Grandfather?”
“Our, Grandfather?” Liam thinks, “Not much, as he was hardly around and when he was he and Father were always fighting. I would be taken out of the room quickly. Why?”
“I think he pulled what Father did to you and Kaytee. Well not exactly what he did, but for the same underlying reason.” Lea answers
“Which is?” Liam inquires.
“Control,” Leo states. “All the enemies that we were always guarding against, I think that Grandfather may have started it all. I also believe… man this is hard to say, I don’t believe father had anything to do with my mother leaving, or that note…maybe it is just wishful thinking, but I think my mother was making father too independent, and grandfather did want that he wanted a puppet on a strings.” he glances at Liam.
“That is what he wants of me…” Leo can hear the sorrow in Liam’s voice. “Your saying our grandfather ran your mother off like Father tried to do with Kaytee?”
“Everything I am reading is pointing to that direction, but I … I think that when you get back we should both read them. I cannot do this alone, some of it is too painful to read alone. Maybe this will finally help break whatever curse they have brought down on our heads, well your head.”
“If I start acting like him, stop me.” Liam tries to lighten the mood but secretly means every word. Turning out like his father is his greatest fear.
“There is one other thing, Li…” he starts, “Dad was also the spare.”
“What? How can that be?” Liam surprised, they were always told he was an only child.
“Rumor has it that the first child was a girl, and grandfather did not want a girl to be next in line for the throne. That would end the Rhys name if she married. She was said to be a stillborn, and grandfather never talked about, just sent grandmother away to have the child until he knew the sex.” Leo explains. “My mother thinks…, what…never-mind.”
“What is it Leo, you know you can tell me anything, right?”
“Of course I do, but I will have to read more,” he sighs. “Some of the pieces are coming together, but so many more questions. We can talk more when you get back on Sunday, right?”
“Yes, on Sunday afternoon.”
The brothers drive to the airport in silence, both think the same thing…What kind of demons are waiting for them to uncover what was done in the dark?.