Chapter 22: The Weight of the Crown
Zane~
The moment I shut the guest room door behind me, I leaned my head against the cold wood, exhaling a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. The image of Natalie and Alexander curled up together lingered in my mind, a weave of emotions I couldn’t quite untangle. Protectiveness? Worry? Something else entirely? I shook my head and pushed off the door. There was no time to unravel feelings. Not tonight.
I walked to my room, the long halls of the mansion completely quiet at this hour. My wing was on the opposite side, isolated for reasons I sometimes resented. I reached my room and shut the door behind me. Darkness greeted me, but it wasn’t unwelcome. It was a delay to the punishments the daylight brought.
After shrugging off my jacket and boots, I climbed into bed. The soft sheets were a mockery of the harsh reality I lived in every day, but I let them envelop me. As I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts flitted between Natalie’s face and the millions of problems that needed my attention.
Just as I started to drift off to sleep, the familiar pull of my mind link snapped me awake. My father’s voice, sharp and authoritative, echoed in my mind.
"Zane."
I groaned inwardly, rolling over to glance at the clock. The red digits glared back at me: 4:42 a.m. Of course, it couldn’t wait until morning.
"Yes, Father," I replied, my voice steady despite the irritation bubbling beneath the surface.
"Any new leads on the Celestial Heir?"
I hesitated. The weight of his question was one I’d been carrying for years. "No, Father. Not yet."
A sigh, heavy and full of exhaustion and disappointment, resonated through the link. "Zane, you must understand the urgency of this. I was meant to retire a century ago. Do you know how tired I am after ruling for two hundred years?"