Chapter 73

"Goodnight, Oli Baby." Laura said, locking the door to her room as she slipped into the darkness that was a little by the lit furnace at the fireplace.

"I want to lay with you tonight," Oliver said, his hand on the door while he looked up at Laura, ensuring that the door wouldn't come close just yet. "I wanna hear you scream my name at the top of your lungs."

"You already did that this afternoon," she blushed, clicking her claws against the frame of the door.

"Well," he looked up and down at her slowly, "I wanna do it again, my Raaa Queen."

"Oh, Oli Baby." She moved a little, poking her head through the door, her lips grazing against his lips, while he quickly used the opportunity to deepen the kiss. "Some other time," she protested pulling away. "This Princess has some duties to attend to."

Her hand snaked through the door and she twirled a finger around his braided beard.

He smiled, that goofy smile that never really left his face, those eyes twinkling and full of humour.

Her sunshine.

Ah, she loved him.

"Some other time, okay?"

He nodded reluctantly, chuckling.

"As my Primcess wish."

She titled her head to a side and in a flash he was gone, obeying her oder.

A laughter bubbled from her throat and she finally shut the door and switched on the light.

Oliver was just the right amount of Sunshine she needed in her life. He had been the one to take her mind off the stupid fur creature that ran along the Castle hallways with undeserved immunity.

If she was insanity, Oliver would be her sanity.

They were perfect.

There was a knock on her door, and her hand stilled on the earrings she was taking off her ears, her lips breaking into a blatant smile as she watched herself in the mirror.

"Oliver--" her voice trailed off.

Her mind had been so occupied with thoughts of Oliver and what they had done that afternoon, that she had not paid attention to the scent and noticed that it wasn't him, before she opened the door.

"Delice." She said quietly, arching her an eyebrow. She hadn't seen her throughout yesterday. She could almost say she missed her. "Can't sleep?"

Delice smiled, but those eyes that were ever filled with kindness lacked something that used to be in them.

Something very vital.

"Come in already," Laura left the door, moving to the bed and preparing one side for her. "Is it those nightmares again?"

Delice shut the door behind her, taking two steps into the room and going no further.

"You are with Oliver?" She asked, her face unreadable, her hands behind her.

Carefully tucking away the pillow, Laura walked a little closer to her, her hands wrapping up her black hair on a quick bun.

"Yes."

"Laura."

Delice's dead heart broke and the betrayal flashed in her eyes.

"What is wrong with Oliver?"

"You know very much what is wrong with Oliver."

"It was in the past," she hissed. "You are not a child, Delice. Stop hanging unto fading memories. How many years ago was this?"

"He was mine and you took him away from me."

Laura frowned, walking closer, her eyes a little sad.

"You still love him?" She scoffed. "You have always loved my brother, Delice. Don't get confused." She rested her hand on either sides of her arms.

Delice didn't move, her eyes welling up in tears.

"You told me he was banished. That he would never come between us again." She watched her friend carefully. "Laura, you lie to me? All these years, have you been lying to me? Did you even ever punish him? Was he ever even banished?" Her voice became a little clear. "Or maybe you never even left him. Maybe you've always been with him." She ended with a soft chuckle.

"Delice, my sweet friend." Her hands held either sides of Delice cheeks, cupping her face in her hand. "This was all in the past. They shouldn't matter."

The tears rolled down Delice's face, and Laura's hands wiped them away.

"The only person you should be concerned about is my brother, the King. You love him, you have always loved him and you will always love him. Your right place is next to him as the Queen of Lavida, when you will make important decisions and take actions that will change Lavida forever, and for the best."

Delice's gaze dropped to the floor, the words weighing on her, like a physical load on her shoulders.

"A Queen in the hearts of all. Don't you forget that."

She dropped her hands from her shoulders, tilting her head up.

"Now smile for me." She commanded with a soft smile that faded away quickly, when she realized that Delice wouldn't be going along with her words on this as easily as she normally would.

"Delice. Smile. Now."

But the corners of her lips deepened and the tears kept coming.

"Oliver is nothing to you! An extra luggage that your perfect self shouldn't have! If you have feelings for him then it is a flaw and with flaws, you are unworthy of his Majesty."

A moment of silence passed in-between them before Delice broke it.

"You lied to me, Laura. You are my friend. You shouldn't have lied to me."

"I did it for your own good," she brushed her hand over her hair. "I knew you wouldn't be able to take it, so I did it for us. I made the decision for us, even though the guilt almost killed me. I did it for us."

She threw her arms open towards her.

"I hate it when you fight me. And I even hate it even more when it is over a guy."

Laura blinked, a light scoff escaping her slightly parted lips, her gaze moving slightly around the room before her hands dropped to her sides.

"This is ridiculous. Our relationship is special than anybody would ever have. You are like a mummy to me and I am your Protector, we are inseparable, her friendship of deep roots." She move her hands up for a hug again. "Don't let this break us. Don't fight me over this, please."

Delice took a step back and Laura frowned immediately, her apologetical look vanishing immediately.

"Oh," her voice turned cold. "It is like that now." Then her face hardened. "Be like that then."

Ice passed through her veins, the fire that was flaring in them melting at Laura's words.

"Lau--"

"Are you deaf? I said, get out!"

She bit her lips, nodding.

Without another word, she left.