forged of iron

The mention of Tucker brought forth a conversation in her mind that she had had with Alex several weeks ago, upon her arrival into the country. The tiny brunette had asked her not to share the details with anyone, not Tommy and not Kellan. A gnawing guilt ate at her stomach as she withheld information from her boyfriend, but she tried to shake it off. “I’ve considered the same thing,” she answered honestly. “I’m not going to say it’s out of the question.”

Kali doesn’t comment on his assumption that she’ll be able to extend her reach when she’s queen. In honesty, the queen was just a figurehead. She had no real power, not anymore. Royals were more captives of their country than rulers. The idea of them hiding her, however, brought a glimmer of hope that she hadn’t had in weeks. “Alex mentioned something fairly similar,” she answered. “To be quite frank, I haven’t been trying to get my hopes up about it in case it doesn’t work out. The most important thing, for me, is that she gets him out of that dungeon. Anything else is just the cherry on top.”

The brush of his skin against hers, for however short a time, was enough to make her feel electric. She maintains her composure as he speaks, but wants nothing more than to scream that neither of them would have had to be here if he hadn’t gone and been all noble. “I do have to do this,” she answered, trying to hold back tears for the millionth time that day. “If I don’t...I’m scared of what they’ll do to the people that I love.” That was the absolute truth. She knew what happened to people who went against her grandmother. Princess Diana’s life was like a horror story that had been told to her time and time again and she knew it was what was waiting for her if she ran. 

She’s grateful for her friend in that moment. He was trying so hard to make things feel okay for her, and she knew that they would be. She would be living a life that many others would kill for. It just wasn’t the life that she wanted. “We both know that’s not going to be possible, Tommy.” And it was true. She would have to cut off her scandalous friends as soon as she took the crown. They made for bad press, and the royal family didn’t tolerate scandals.

She wipes her eyes but it does no good. Seeing him behind bars didn’t get easier over time. Her fingers wrapped around the cool steel that separated them. She was desperate to touch him. It had been weeks since her fingers grazed his skin. The guards that watched her every move gave her identical warning looks, and she sighed as she pulled her hands back. “I don’t know how long they’ll let me stay. I just...I had to see you.” She bites her lip before continuing. “There’s only a few more days before...” She trails off. He knows what she’s alluding to. The coronation wasn’t something they spoke of often. It made her heart hurt too much.

She doesn’t comment on the mention of Diana. Kali knew about what was going on back in New York, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. Any more misery would send her into panic and she couldn’t handle that. She softens slightly, however, to try to put her friend at ease. “It’s easier with you and Alex being here. I feel so selfish because as much as I want him out of that cell, I’m scared. Because once he’s out...you’ll all be gone.”

It’s hard for her to see him there. Her eyes well as she passes a few books through the bars to him. “Food will be here later,” she whispers. “I can only sneak so much in at once.”

“Sit in coronation training with dear old Lizzie and then come bitch to me, Parker.”

You’re all far too overconfident in the sway our friends have. In America, it might have been different...we’re not in America anymore, Kel. England is different, it’s brutal, and it’s harsh. [She sighs.] Technically, I’m fifth in line for the throne. My father is the second son of Elizabeth. First would be Charles, then William, then Harry, then my dad and then me. But Charles has lived a full life, and so has my father. Neither of them want to be king. They want to live out the rest of their lives peacefully, without all the responsibility. As for William and Harry...neither of them had royal aspirations. If I had been good, if I had gone along with marrying Charles, the queen would have let one of them take the throne. But the agreement we had when I first came to America was that the next one of us to cause a fuss had to agree to take the crown when she died. And I know what you’re going to say, because Allie said the same thing when I first told her about it all. She said that it wasn’t like they could force me, that I could just give up my right to the crown just like Will or Harry. But we all signed the same document. A legally binding contract. And now...now, Lizzie grooms me to be queen. I can’t marry an American. I have to marry British nobility.

You do understand that you’re in jail, right? Even if Tommy and Alex keep their promise to get you out of here, we’re going to have to run for our whole lives. It’ll never be calm. Your career will be over. I’m not worth that, Kel. Let me just take my punishment...if I do what they want, they’ll let you go home. I just have to make an agreement that I never thought I would. 

Life is so much better when men just don’t think. [She covers her face with her hands, collecting herself for a moment before looking up at him with renewed fire in her eyes.] You don’t understand what’s about to happen. They’re not going to let me testify. Our courts don’t work the same as they do in America. The rest of the world may love a royal behaving badly, but I can tell you that the royal family does not. I’ve already been summoned by the queen. They’re going to ship me off somewhere, I know it. The deal with Charles is dead. They’ve already got him hooked in with some second tier lord’s daughter and he’s fine. But I will not be fine, and neither will you. They’re going to rip us apart.

You really think that I’m just going to be okay with you in jail while I’m out there? Life out there isn’t worth living without you. They’re gonna make me marry that asshole now, you know that, don’t you? None of this is better, Kel. Being away from the person I love isn’t better.

Then maybe you shouldn’t have been such a fuckin’ prick and confessed to a crime you didn’t commit.

Kali is taken by surprise when Kellan’s arm wraps around her throat. She instinctually fights against the hold for a moment until the words that he whispers in her ear quiet her and she stills. The fight stirs back up as soon as she hears what the story that he’s spun for the police, shock and awe evident in her eyes and she fights to get away so that she can stop him from being taken, so they can run together, anything but this. “Kellan, NO.” Her words are as menacing as she has the capability to be as the police rush them, pulling her apart from her boyfriend and they force his hands behind his back and push him to the ground. “NO!” she screams, sobs wracking her small frame as she’s restrained. “He’s lying! I ran, I convinced him to run with me. STOP. STOP IT, YOU’RE HURTING HIM!”