I felt myself growing anxious as we rode closer to where we left the others, I didn’t want to tell the others what had happened, the others had agreed to let them know what had happened to a degree, letting me know they would let me explain everything if I wanted.

I was worried on how they would react, I don’t think I could handle them freaking out over what had happened, it was to late to do anything about it.

Once we arrived back where we had left the others, I hang back in the stables taking a long time to groom Max, wanting to be away from them all while they talked about our trip for the stone.

I had asked them when we had stopped yesterday if they had found it, the stone had left my mind until we were setting up camp and the thoughts of the day before were starting to calm down. At the time that they found us the stone had completely slipped my mind, it was a good thing they had found it before they came looking for us.

My thoughts were cut off as I hear someone walking into the stables. I keep my eyes on Max as I run the brush over the same spot I had been for the past few minutes.

Whoever it was doesn’t say anything as I hear them come closer to where I was, I could hear them open the gate to the stall I was in and walk up behind me.

Just as I was about to ask who it was I felt a hand on my shoulder, I get spun around and pulled into the persons chest, the brush falling from my hand.

For some reason this made me tear up, I try and pull back so I could see who it was but they pushed my head back into their chest while tightening their other arm around my back.

“Let me hold you for a little bit, if not for you them for me, please.” The young king said and he leaned his cheek on the top of my head. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve had to go through with trying to help this kingdom, after the way we treated you and now this crap, I’m sorry I wasn’t there to stop it. I’m sorry I’m such a failure.”

I but my lip to try and hold back the tears that were burning my eyes, I was never this emotional, but Jake’s words were making me want to break down.

“You’re not a failure.” My voice was thick with the emotions I was trying to keep at bay, but no matter how hard I tried the tears slipped out and my shoulders started to shake with silent sobs. “You can’t help what was forced onto you by your family.”

I knew all to well how it felt to have everything shoved on you by people who had made the mess. You didn’t do anything wrong, yet you were the one left to clean up the mess.

I could feel him shake as he too cried, my hair growing damp as he let his own tears out.

I wrap my arms around him and pull him as close to me as I could, I would let us both have this moment to feel all the frustration, sadness, and anger from being forced to take on things that we weren’t ready for.

“Are you mad at me for what happened? I would be.”

“What happened was not your fault.” I say as I press my forehead into his chest, what happened had nothing to do with him, those men were twisted people.

He lets out a small sob, his hand on my back gripping my shirt into a fist.

I don’t know how long we had stood there, but it was a long time before we both sat down in the corner of Max’s stall, the sun had king set as we sat there. My head leaning on his shoulder and his head on mine.

He held onto my hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of it as we both just stared off either at the stall wall or the floor.

I never would have thought I would be doing anything like this, with anyone, let alone the king who seemed like nothing more then a young prick.

“You still get on my nerves.” I say just to remind both of us that he still got under my skin.

He let out a chuckle. “It’s okay, you do the same to me. It seems like you know how to push every button of mine to tick me off.”

I cracked a smile at that, I was kinda of proud to hear that, I loved the fact I could piss people off.

“We should go in before the others get worried.” He says while standing and dusting off before offering me a hand up.

“Yeah, I’m hungry anyways.” I grab his hand and let him pull me up, feeling a bit better then when I first got here. I appreciated the fact he didn’t ask any questions.

It wasn’t until we saw the others sitting at a table in the inns dinning room that he finally let my hand go.

“What’s for dinner?” I ask as I take a seat between Ni-ki, and Heeseung.

As I waited on my food I listen to them ta