The Selection (1x1 with AnnaCat17)

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Abril lightly knocked on the office door. She had been planning his coronation nonstop for a while, and wanted a break. She wanted to check on Pavel. She hoped he wouldn't mind having her around. She was nervous that now he was getting better, that he'd decide that he was still mad at her or simply didn't want her company.

Atlas had wanted to go with Victory as she moved into her new house, but he didn't want it to seem odd. So he had stayed at the palace, wishing she hadn't left. He wanted to be friends with her, but everything he said or did felt wrong. He couldn't figure out how to be around her, and gave up trying.

Elliott brought tea into the living room, setting it down on the coffee table. She sat down on the couch beside Romeo, resting her head on his shoulder. "Nothing good on TV?" she asked, taking his hand in hers and lacing their fingers together. She had been happy moving into his house, and loved being around him. She was happy to stay with him instead of moving into a new, empty house.

[AnnaCat17]

"Come in." He said only just barely loud enough for her to hear. He poured himself another glass and went back to sipping it, his gaze never leaving the corner of the room where his thoughts seemed to be stuck.

Romeo shrugged. "I just need something to do. I can't even work out to keep me busy and just sitting around is driving me nuts." He squeezed her hand gently before checking his phone for the 500th time that day. "Pavel still wont reply to my texts. I hope he is doing ok."

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Abril entered the room and curtseyed to him. "Your Highness," she murmured, feeling a bit nervous. "I was taking a break from working and wanted to check on you. I hope this isn't a bad time."

"I'm sure he's doing fine." Elliott curled up beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Abril would call if there was something to worry about." She knew her friend would take care of the Prince.

[AnnaCat17]

Pavel glanced over at her. He hated how formal things were between them now but wasn't surprised. He was going to be king. Not only that but he was going to be the first king since their country was founded to not have a Queen getting crowned beside him. It probably made him seem intimidating in a cold sort of way. In way like his father. He looked down into his glass, trying to think of something else. "You aren't interrupting me. Did you need something?"

"Unless he has pushed her away as well. He isn't exactly the most social of people." He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "I just worry about him. This wasn't how everything was supposed to go."

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

"No. I just wanted to see you." Abril slowly approached him, lightly resting a hand on his shoulder. She sighed, sitting down beside him and playing with his hair. "I've missed you. We've both been busy lately."

"I know." Elliott gently kissed his cheek. "It'll get better, I'm sure. Once you've healed you'll be able to help him."

Solace slowly made her way over to Sutton's room. She knocked on the door with her crutches and then awkwardly opened the door and went inside. She had a bag over her back that she used to carry everything as she did her job as best as she could, afraid she was going to loose her job. She went into the bathroom to replace the towels with fresh ones, setting her crutches against the wall as she balanced on her foot, taking out the clean towels and switching them for the used ones that she folded into her bag.

[AnnaCat17]

Pavel watched her sit on the edge of his desk, wrinkling some of his papers, but it didn't bother him. he gently took her hands and held onto them so she couldn't play with his hair or touch him and had to focus on what he was saying. "Lady Abril... I greatly appreciate all of the help you've been providing but... I don't want you to get any wrong ideas. Its time I grow up and start taking my duties seriously. There isn't anyone for me to hide behind anymore and I have to be able to get the work done right. I adored my time with you but I don't see how that is going to be possible anymore. i need to be serious now." He was terrible at this whole breaking up thing. It didn't even sound like a breakup the more he thought about it he just couldnt stand the thought of her doing all of this thinking that it would mean they would end up together when he didn't see how that was possible with how everything turned out.

Romeo nodded. He softly kissed her forehead as he tried to relax. "Have you talk to your friends lately?"

Sutton glanced up from his desk at her but did a double take as he recognized who it was. "You have got to be kidding me!" He snapped. He got up up and followed her into the bathroom, watching her as annoyance for the prince built up. "What do you think you are doing?"

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Abril's expression dropped. "You're breaking up with me?" She tried to continue to breath, but it was like he had punched all of the air from her lungs. She stared at him, hurt and dejected, trying to figure out if he was being serious or not. He was serious about this. Tears welled in her eyes as he continued to speak. She pulled her hands away from his, stiffening. "You want me gone? Fine. Enjoy your life alone. I'm keeping you from being the best you can be? I'll leave you alone," she snapped bitterly, unable to keep from crying, though she hated that she was crying in front of him. She got up, glaring at him. "You want to be alone? Be alone. I won't help you or love you anymore. I'm sorry for being inconvenient for you," she said snapped bitterly.

"Not really," Elliott sighed. "Abril's been busy whenever I called her, and I thought I'd give Victory space to settle in her new house. I'm sure she doesn't want me bothering her," she mumbled.

Solace shrieked in fear and surprise, falling against the tub in her attempt to scramble away from him. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I should have done this earlier, but I was busy. It won't happen again! I won't bother you while you work! I'm sorry!" She cowered away from him, afraid he was going to hit her.

[AnnaCat17]

Pavel sighed, standing up as well. "Abril, can you honestly say we were ever together? Is the selection what you would consider a healthy relationship where I am only ever yours if I am in the room with you but the second I leave I belong to someone else. The selection is over. i ended it so everyone could stop wasting their time and actually try to be happy. Can you really look me in the eyes and say you are happy with how things are? Because I can't. Im not happy. I didn't ask for any of this but now I have to deal with this and I don't have time to be chasing after girls or making friends or whatever when the entire country is split as to whether or not they even want me alive let alone running the country. You aren't an inconvenience or keeping me from being better or anything like that. I just can't get distracted by the things I used to let take up my time when everything is falling apart."

Romeo looked at Elliott worriedly but tipped her face up to his, gently kissing her. "You can bother me whenever you want. I enjoy getting bothered by pretty ladies such as yourself."

Sutton rolled his eyes. He didn't want to hit her. The only person he wanted to hit was the prince for not hiring people already. "Would you stop screaming already." He growled in annoyance. he walked over and lifted her up over his shoulder, forcing her to drop the things she was holding. He carried her back into the living room and dropped her on the couch. "you are staying there. Got it?"

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Abril glared at him through tear filled eyes. "I was happy with how things were! All I needed was to be with you in order to be happy. I loved you, Pavel, and even though you weren't ready to get married I thought there was a chance for us to be together. I should have known better, right? Why would you want to continue to waste your time with someone like me when you have a country to run?" She turned away from him, hurt. "Forget it, Pavel. I guess I was stupid enough to think we'd be together."

Elliott giggled, smiling happily as she kissed him back. "Good. Because I don't think I could stop bothering you."

Solace would have down what he said, but the moment he walked over and picked her up she screamed in fear, struggling to get out of his grip. She whimpered as he dropped her on the couch, nodding fearfully as she trembled, wrapping her arms around herself.

[AnnaCat17]

"This has nothing to do with you Abril!" He tried to stress. he grabbed her arm and tried to turn her back around so she would face him. "Abril, I don't want to get married. Forget me. Why would you want to waste your time pursuing someone who never intends to get married or have kids? You saw what my father was. I don't want to become that. I don't want to get stretched so thin i start abusing not only the country but the woman I am supposed to love and whatever children I may have. I can't risk that you and you shouldn't have to fear that. I need to just put all my energy into trying to figure out how to be a worthy king without worrying that I am going to hurt someone close to me in the process."

Sutton grumbled bitterly to himself as he went over and picked up the tray with his lunch on it. he carried it over and sat it on the coffee table in front of her. "There. Its coffee and ham sandwiches with some fruit. Eat it." he sat back down at his desk and tried to focus on his work but kept watching her from the corner of his eye.