Malachi Azure
Playlist
Note: These songs are not in the order to match the post, but this is the playlist for Kai’s 10 years.
Year 0 - Before Graduation
The 16th of June, 2020. A day which would forever hold unpleasant memories in Kai’s mind. His wedding day. The day that sealed Kai’s fate to a life he never wanted, and that was only part of it. That day, so much changed for so many people. The fire was responsible for so much damage. People were hurt, and not everyone made it out alive, including a Cerulean High senior, and Kai’s own aunt, Valerie’s mother. No matter the relationship she had with any of the family, family is family. Love them or hate them, there’s still that connection. Then, there were all the people who got hurt, and were at risk from the smoke and fire, including Val, even Jess, and his baby sister Ria. So many of his friends and more of his family could have been hurt worse or killed, but even then, the decision did not come down to him for what happened to Ruby Danvers as a result of that day. He was, in a way, grateful to her for having helped Ria get to safety, but furious at her for the harm she had caused. It wasn’t long before the girl was sentenced to prison for her crime, forever unable to fully, truly make up for what she had done. A mere nine days went by, funerals happened and it certainly wasn’t long enough for most to get past what happened, yet life was moving on in Listaria and repairs were underway. For reasons that truly didn’t even matter, Kai didn’t even get to attend his high school graduation. He was simply sent his high school diploma. Graduation, for most of the senior class, meant freedom, a chance to go on to make your life what you want it to be, but for Kai that couldn’t be the case. From the moment he said ‘I do’ he had lost what was left of his freedom.
Year 1 - “First” Meetings
Despite the fire and everything that happened, there was one positive that came out of the day of Kai’s wedding. Kai found out that he had a child. A little boy he had with Candice Clarke. Kai hadn’t expected it, but that didn’t change that he had a son. He hadn’t even known of Zachary’s existence for the very beginning of his life, and there was so much keeping him from being the father that he wanted to be for him, but Kai wanted to know the boy and be in his life. Family would always be important to him, which now included his son, and even Candice in a way, so Kai would always be willing to do anything for her and their son. First, Kai just had to meet him. Once Kai was fully healed since what Elettra had done, he was off for the honeymoon he never wanted, but before returning to Listaria, Kai was stopping in New York. He had business to deal with, along with checking in with his family, seeing his brother, sisters and Val, and most importantly, meeting Zachary. Kai was normally good at concealing what he had actually been feeling, but he couldn’t hide that there was the side of him that was nervous about it as he stepped up to the door. Though, as soon as he met the kid, it seemed that there was no reason to have been worried. Kai was a father, with a little boy that loved him, and even if Kai couldn’t be there nearly enough, he wanted him to have what he never had. A life where he could do anything he wanted, and could have all the love in the world.
The final Blue Blood list of 2020, like always, added five new members to the ranks of Blue Royalty. This time brought Elodie DeLoughrey, just as Kai knew would win, along with her brother Dorian, Sadie Monroe, Elias Stokes, and Theodore Alarie. The five new additions were now among those with the connections to achieve anything they wanted. Assuming they played along with the rules, they wouldn’t have a struggle in getting what they want. Only one of them had any idea what to expect when they were each invited to come to an event, Blue Royalty only of course, as Kai had told Elodie about his own connection to Blue Royalty, but the others didn’t know of Kai’s connection to the game, what his family did, until he stepped out in the front of the room. Kai held a confident appearance looking at the Blue Royalty winners, past and present. It didn’t matter if he wanted anything to do with the control of Blue Royalty or not, he was still the person set to take over from his father, meaning that this was just the first step. “Welcome to the Blue Royalty.” Kai began. He knew the structure of the game, and how things ran regarding the winners better than most. He’d spent years learning it, even if it was never what he wanted, but there was an added challenge. One new Blue Royalty winner in particular, Dorian DeLoughrey. Simply put, neither had thought of each other as friends before, but Kai knew he was with Jess. Dorian was the guy she had moved on to after him, and he wanted her to be happy more than anything, but did it really have to be Dorian DeLoughrey, someone who Kai had no choice but to deal with?
Year 2 - Chaos Courtesy of A Parker
Daniel Parker, someone who Kai truly hated. Kai could tolerate the man, for the sake of his dear cousin who, for some reason Kai would never entirely understand, loved him, and for the sake of his little sister Akielah who looked to the guy as a mentor. Kai did contain some level of respect for Daniel Parker. One could not deny that the man was a genius, and someone who would do anything for those he cares about. That was worth a level of respect, but Daniel Parker would never let things be, and would do anything to get under Kai’s skin. Kai would never desire anything beyond a mutual toleration for the sake of the people they both cared about, but that wasn’t the case for Daniel. He couldn’t settle, and had to cause further problems. Whether he had thought it through entirely or not couldn’t be clear, but it didn’t really even matter. Daniel Parker, looking into everything about his father’s dealings with Blue Royalty, came to the decision of cutting the Parker family’s ties to their own company, effectively cutting the Azures from control over much of business dealings with the Parkers. Of course, the full connection between Justin Parker and Blue Royalty could never be entirely severed, Daniel Parker had managed to find each loophole available, though that doesn’t mean that one wrong move on the Parkers’ end wouldn’t be problematic. One thing Daniel had done though, was give Akielah a heads up that something was going to happen, she didn’t know exactly what would happen, so she could only do so much, but what she had been able to manage helped with controlling and repairing the situation, lessening the impact. The Azure family, people who had been investors and helped Parker Industries get its start to become what it was by that time were, for the first time, publicly associated with the company, and the reason for the Parkers leaving. Though, what would never be made public knowledge was just how the Azures had such ties to Parker Industries. The spotlight may have been on the Azures, but Blue Royalty remained in the shadows, as it had to, for the sake of the Azure family, and all previous winners. Daniel Parker was playing a dangerous game, one that wasn’t necessarily going to be about him or Kai winning or losing, but about how much collateral damage there would be.
What Daniel had done, brought a lot of complications to deal with. They weren’t necessarily complications Kai had to deal with personally, as Daniel intended. Kai’s parents were the ones putting out all of the fires Daniel caused. They had to fix it, but it was clear within the family that Kai’s parents held him responsible for everything Daniel Parker had done. Tension among the members of the Azure family were at an all time high. Everything with Elettra, everything Daniel had done because of Kai, Raphael’s announcement to the family that he was leaving New York to go after Eve and help her family with getting back on their feet with their family restaurant, even Ria was struggling with the complete change in family dynamic and acting out from feeling like she wasn’t getting any of the attention from her parents or older siblings. Akielah for a time was the only one who wasn’t an influence on the tension, though, that eventually changed with her reveal of her intention to test out of high school and desire to attend Oxford where Daniel, much to Kai’s dismay, and Jess both were.
Year 3 - So, What’s A Happy Marriage?
A whole two years of Kai’s life had gone by, and Kai still couldn’t say he liked how his life had turned out. Even in two years, he still didn’t have feelings for his wife. It was simply a marriage he was forced into. Like most of his life, it was nothing more than what he had to do for everyone else’s best interest. It was two years, two years of not being happy, but Kai had put on the facade of the happy husband, the charming American prince who knew what it was like not being of royal blood. So few people were able to see how he actually felt inside, so few he was willing to be remotely open with. Akielah, despite not wanting to let his little sister know about his problems, she knew her big brother enough to where he couldn’t hide much. Akielah would happily state that she was smarter than him, and she had seen him through highs and lows, so she knew better than most, how Kai had been. Then there was Val. Kai’s cousin was probably the one person that Kai could actually be willing to tell what was going on in his head sometimes, but even then there was still a distance there that Kai couldn’t stop. He closed himself off after Jess said no to leaving the wedding with him. How else could he deal with his life being the opposite of everything he ever wanted? He had a spotlight on him that he hated, so much of his life was decided for him, and he was in a loveless marriage that with time only became more clear that the marriage would never develop any emotional bond, clear in the fact that the husband and wife even slept in different rooms.
Of those who know Malachi Azure, they would know that calling him a manwh0re, wouldn’t really be the most inaccurate statement. He had a tendency to sleep around, one could say he was unable to keep it in his pants. If he wasn’t happy in a relationship, what was really stopping him? It was that instant of having a connection with someone, that moment where everything he hated about his life didn’t matter. It was the only part of his life where he felt like he had control, and likely it was one of very few parts, if not the only part, of his life where he actually could have full control. Kai and his wife didn’t get along with each other in a private setting, that much was clear, and each of them preferred the company of others, though most staff chose to look the other way, so when rumors were leaked by a maid who had been fired by the princess, the situation was quickly swept under the rug with little to prove the claim. However, it didn’t matter whether one believed the claim or not, they weren’t really rumors if it was true that Kai and his wife had both been partaking in affairs. To the outside, they were the happily married royal couple, but the closer one looks, the more they can see that there weren’t just cracks, but really nothing holding them together but the facade the world saw.
Year 4 - Almost Happiness...
Press conferences, by that point Kai felt like he had done a million of them as Prince Malachi. Just as always, the questions were sent ahead of time, allowing for every answer to be rehearsed ahead of time for approval, as even Kai’s answers weren’t necessarily his decision entirely. There were things he would change, but even if he was a prince, he was powerless to do anything. Angela tried helping to make improvements to the kingdom as she saw fit, but she wasn’t looking to change policies, instead being a face going to her people to help first hand. She was a true people’s princess even if she didn’t care about the crown that would next pass on to her, so then came decisions from Eva and the king, neither of which had all of the best intentions for the people, as the king resisted change, and Eva only wanted the power, not the love of her people. Kai, he didn’t have the influence to make change, the decisions were all out of his hands, even if he saw ways that things could be better, even more efficient.
Kai was merely a face for the public, only coming to the conference to answer questions as he was supposed to, standing by his wife’s side. Some of what he would say, was genuine, though not all. Some, was what he had to, whether he thought it should change or not, and the rest was more of keeping up the act for the part he played in his life. Kai took a breath, and alongside Eva, he stepped in front of the room of people who had the opportunity of interviewing the pair, as the crown princess wouldn’t be in attendance. He could feel the eyes drawn to him as he gave an introductory statement, saying how he was looking forward to the questions from them all. Kai didn’t know who all was there, he didn’t look to see where the questions were coming from, let alone the school one editor and chief were from. He had answered questions, but a girl from Oxford stood up to ask a question, which brought Kai’s line of sight in the girl’s direction, but not to her, but the girl beside her, who’s eyes moved up to meet his, Jessica Pierce.
Jess’s presence was something Kai would have never imagined going into that day, but nevertheless, there she was. Jessica Pierce, who he hadn’t seen since a small awkward interaction a couple years prior at Valerie and Daniel’s wedding. So much time had passed, but seeing her there, brought the memories back to feeling like just yesterday. He still loved her. In the short time that their relationship was good, she made her way so deep in his heart that she would always hold a part of his heart in her hands. Even as Jess broke eye contact, and the girl she was with asked their question, one which held a depth that would be expected coming from Jess in comparison to the others there with their surface level questions, his focus was only on Jess. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight, even as his wife answered the question about the inconsistencies, almost as if there was that subconscious fear that her being there was just a dream that he would wake up from at any moment. Though, any doubt that she was more than a mere figment of his imagination faded away as he heard her voice, when she took the mic to ask an unapproved question, in true Jessica Pierce fashion.
She first asked for a comment on the “rumors” leaked about the affairs the pair had. It was true that the questions were commonly dodged, which was why Jess had to ask, then as Eva began to answer the question, Jess looked to him again, returning to the eye contact they had for an instant before, with a second question, this time directed to just him as Prince Malachi, something which he still hadn’t grown a liking to being called. ”What’s the significance behind the ring?” she asked, bringing up the very ring she had placed on his finger that day. That last moment between them in that bathroom together before his wedding, a moment he had replayed in his mind so many times in the years since, even wishing he could have changed her mind for them to have left to be together that day. She placed that ring of hers on the only finger of his she could, his pinky, right next to the ring finger containing his wedding band. From the moment she placed that ring, it had only been removed from that location a handful of times as necessary. He wouldn’t hide that he wore another ring, even if he had yet to explain to anyone the importance it held, the way it was more important to him than his wedding ring was. He brought his other hand to lightly touch the ring she had given him, taking a slightly deeper breath. “The ring was from someone very important to me. Someone I care about that still means a lot to me.”
With the questions Jess had asked given answers, security pulled her out of the room, at which point Kai excused himself from the room. He didn’t know, or care for that matter, about whether or not there were anymore questions remaining from the group. Stepping to the side, Kai spoke to a member of the security team, one which held more understanding of Kai and his relationship with his wife than most. “I need to speak with her. Alone.” Kai instructed, having the man tell the security that was escorting Jess out, to instead take her somewhere else, the only place he actually had to himself where he could say or do anything in private. Just shortly after he stepped through the doors, security brought a struggling Jess inside. “Let go of her.” He stated to the guards who had a hold of her, before instructing them to leave the room.
“I can handle myself, Your majesty”
He knew she could handle herself, that was never a doubt, but that didn’t change a thing. Though, her calling him ‘your majesty’ hurt. He hated the way being called by that title felt. It was everything he hated about his life. He was called that, and so many other similar terms, far too often for his comfort, and he couldn’t take it being called that by Jess too. “Don’t… call me that.” Even if the two had been avoiding each other, and he could have let her just be thrown out, he just couldn’t. He had to see her, and talk to her. “You can’t ask questions like that…” Jess asking those questions, brought attention to the cracks in the facade, the parts that were harder to keep the public from seeing, the parts that made him think of her.
“You wanted to know why I still wear the ring? I answered you. Someone I care about gave it to me.” Kai didn’t tell people why he wore that ring, the story behind it, but he would never lie about it and how important it was to him. He still wore it because it was from her. She gave it to him, and it was a connection to her. She quickly responded by saying he didn’t care, and tried turning away, but he couldn’t let her go, not this time, not like that. Without letting her finish her words, he grabbed a hold of her hand, turning her towards him, and pulling her close, and bringing his lips to hers, kissing her like he hadn’t done in years. “You’re right, I don’t still care about you, Jessica. I still love you.” It didn’t matter how long they had been together before, or how long they had been apart since, she would forever have that pull on him, someone he truly loved, even if it wasn’t the same for her.
“That’s why I never took off the ring, That’s why I called you here, and I know I can never change your…” he began, but never finished because of the way her lips met his. It was as if no time had ever passed as she put her legs around him, and he brought her to his bed, entirely lost in the moment with her as their clothes came off and they were lost in each other’s bodies for a time, how long didn’t even matter. They were just… together. Nothing else mattered in that moment.
Laying in his bed with Jess in his arms, Kai was likely the happiest man in the world. At that time, there wasn’t a worry in the world for him. He had exactly what he wanted, who he wanted. He could spend forever right there with the girl who would always have his heart. When he was with Jess, everything felt right, and he never wanted to let her out of his arms again. Though with Jess’s next words as she looked him in the eyes, it became clear that he wasn’t the only one wishing that they would never have to be apart like they had been again, that they could be together like they could have had things gone differently years prior. “Kai… You asked me a question four years ago. Would you say yes if I asked you the same question today?” His response needed no words as he kissed her, giving a slight nod. She may have said no to leaving with him before the wedding, but now, there she was asking him to go with her. This was everything he wanted, they could be together for real, no secrets, nothing to hold them back. Not just together in that moment, but really together. He held no hesitation in wanting to go with her. Kai, for the first time in a long time, could say he was truly happy, at least in that moment, letting his lips trail from hers, down her body, against her skin, even to her stomach and the scar left behind from what his sister had done, something he still felt pain and guilt from. He nearly lost Jess forever that day, and he thought he had lost her when he got married, and he didn’t want to lose her again.
Wait outside and he would be right there so they could leave together. It seemed so simple, but turned out to become one of, if not the biggest regret of his life. Of course with being the prince and living in the castle for years now, there would be a few arrangements to make before setting off with Jess. Minor little things really, gathering a few personal belongings, a couple gifts he had set aside to give in person even, but as he was ready and mere moments away from going out to meet Jess, he had even just taken off his wedding ring, his wife came up to him with news. She was pregnant. His wife was pregnant, and Kai couldn’t exactly deny having had sex with her. The pair may have never held romantic feelings towards one another, but as they were husband and wife, there had been times when the pair upheld a relationship on purely physical terms. There was a small part of Kai that looked forward to having a child, one that he could know from the very first moment of their life and be there for every moment after, that he didn’t miss out on so much with, but there was what his heart wanted. He wanted more than anything to walk out that door, and to go be with Jess, but how could he after hearing that his wife was pregnant…
Reluctantly placing the ring back on his finger, Kai walked outside to meet Jess, breaking inside knowing he couldn’t go with her. It was all he wanted to do, but he didn’t have a choice, he couldn’t follow his heart… no matter how much he wanted to. When she saw him, she didn’t know. She hadn’t realized what was going on as she kissed him. Kai wanted to take her hand, and get as far away from Listaria as possible, but he couldn’t, not with what he was told. “I can’t Jess…” he began, barely able to get the words that were breaking his heart out. She didn’t even give him the chance to finish, as she let go and began to walk away, pausing to give him a look that expressed just as much pain as he felt, and only added more for him to bear. Forever, Kai would have to live with the decision he had made that day, believing his wife’s words that led him to say goodbye to the person he wanted to be with. Forever, not leaving with Jess would be his biggest mistake and a regret he would have for the rest of his life.
Year 5 - Sibling Bonding
“Akielah, do you want it?” Kai asked his sister with complete seriousness in his tone. This was a conversation Kai had been thinking about for a while. Akielah for the longest time, was just a kid in Kai’s view. He knew her, he knew better than most that she wasn’t just this innocent kid who had yet to experience the world. She had seen Kai at some of his lowest points. She was this insane genius who held herself back far too often, but her mind still worked in ways that Kai’s didn’t, honestly like Daniel Parker in that way. She was a girl who was more grown up than most her age since far too young an age, in a way because of him and her experience with watching him nearly die all those years earlier. Because of him, and his relationship with Elettra even then, Akielah had been through something she never should have, especially not when she was just an 8 year old little girl. She grew up too fast, and there was that part of Kai that in a way, tried to preserve whatever was left of the innocence in her childhood. That innocence she lost because of what happened to him. That event had given the two a strong bond, though he still felt he had to protect her, but he knew he couldn’t treat her like a kid forever.
“Kai… that’s not up to me. I can’t choose something like this for you.”
Kai ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “You know I never wanted any of it. You’ve always been the one who showed interest. I only ever wanted to know if I could have won the game if I tried, but you wanted to run it. If you want it, it’s yours. Full control over everything with Blue Royalty is yours.” If Kai could have done anything to not be put in charge of Blue Royalty, he would have. He just couldn’t, he couldn’t let his parents make the choices for his siblings like they had for him.
“Kai? Are you really sure about this?” Now, things were different. Akielah was an adult now, and Kai knew he had to treat her that way. She was better with the game than he was. He could handle business and people, but running the inner workings of the game never felt right for him, but for Akielah it did. “You’re not just a kid Akielah, I know that, and I know you would run the game better than anyone else, much better than I ever could.” The look of surprise was clear on Akielah’s face at her brother’s words. She had never thought he’d stop treating her like she needed protection from the world. It didn’t matter how mature she was, or how old she was, it always seemed like she would be that 8 year old kid who was scared to lose her big brother, and needed him to protect her, in his eyes. Before saying another word, she pulled her brother into a hug. “Thank you Kai.” It was time that the mind behind Blue Royalty was someone new, someone like Akielah Azure.
Year 6 - Another Chance Ripped Away....
As royalty, it was only natural for Kai to receive invitations to attend a near unending list of events full of those who had connections to royalty, though, Kai was rarely in attendance at those types of events, but for once he actually opted to attend, unaware of the presence of a certain Pierce in attendance. However, the first Pierce he encountered was not one he actually knew, but instead a little girl who asked him if he would dance with her. Kai would never deny a little girl asking him to dance, even not knowing who she was. It would bring a smile to a kid’s face, and she would be safe and sound until she could be back with her parents, or whoever was watching over her. For that moment though, he was actually happy. The rest of his life didn’t matter at that moment, he was just happy to make a kid smile. The whole moment, reminiscent of that first date with Jess, and only more so when the girl in question actually appeared. Though Jess’s intervention put a stop to the interaction between Kai and the young girl who was revealed to be Jess’s sister. Just like Jess, it seemed that being told not to talk to strangers would stop her from talking, or dancing, with someone she had never met before. Kai hadn’t planned on meeting Jess there, especially not in this way. At that point, Jess told Paige to go, saying she’d get her ice cream. “Bye Paige.” Kai said with a smile, as he returned a wave. Though as his gaze turned to Jess, he couldn’t tell what she was really thinking, not in her look, actions, or her words even. They hadn’t seen each other since… that day… Kai still regretted not going with her. He regretted it more than anything, and he never had the chance to tell her why he thought he couldn’t go with her. “Jess…” he began, only to have her try telling him not to, but he had to tell her why, so he pulled her into the bathroom, of all places, so they could actually talk alone. Whether she still wanted anything to do with him or not, she deserved to know why he made the choice he did, why he hurt her. His wife lied to him, and with the lie she had told, there wasn’t a way for him to have left with Jess before he knew it wasn’t real.
Then, as Jess once again told him to just stop, he saw something that hurt to see. A ring, an engagement ring on Jess’s hand. She was with someone who clearly knew how Jess wasn’t someone you should let go. Though, maybe that was why Kai did what he did next. He knew he couldn’t just let Jess go. If the time since that day he had to say no to leaving with her, even since the time since his wedding and before, he was better with her. He liked who he was when he was with Jess, and he was happy with her. He just couldn’t stop himself from kissing her, simply with the word, please, as she kissed him back.
Kai could see the confusion, uncertainty even, on Jess’s face. He didn’t exactly know what he was doing, he didn’t have a plan, he was just going with the moment as he asked her to be with him instead. A request that he wasn’t sure would be granted, but soon enough the two found themselves escaping the party, being together just like they had been so long ago, when they were happy and could spend so much time together. Though, of course it seemed as though the world was against Kai actually having the life he wanted with the girl he loved, as once again, his wife brought his plans to leave with Jess to an abrupt halt, but this time wasn’t a lie, after all… it’s difficult to fake a positive pregnancy test.
[details="Year 7 - Regret… Definitely Regret.”]
A royal heir, that’s all that seemed to be talked about for a very long time. The pregnancy, the gender, the name, that’s what the media wanted to know. All the public saw was that their princess and prince were having a child, they saw the joy and excitement, though like always, there was more behind it than what the media saw, before and even after the birth of Listaria’s future king. A happy couple, a growing family in the eyes of the world, but neither was really accurate to what was behind the castle walls. The royal couple was in no way happy. Over the course of the pregnancy, the lack of care that the two had for each other only grew, especially when it was revealed to Kai that the baby wasn’t his. That’s right, Kai could have been with Jess not only the once, but twice, yet he wasn’t able to be with her because of what his wife had led him to believe. Both had been having affairs, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to Kai, but it still hurt him in so many ways. The kid was princess Eva’s son, but not Kai’s. Not having a child with someone you don’t get along with should be a positive, right? Though, for Kai, he would have this kid around, one that he would be associated with in the press, that wasn’t his. Kai wanted to be a father, he wanted to be the best father he possibly could, but there he was, unable to be fully involved in the life of the son he actually had, yet the child whose life he could have been involved in from the first moment, wasn’t his. Without the child really being his, he didn’t have much say in anything. Decisions weren’t his to make, he wasn’t responsible for the baby’s care, which was left to nannies and tutors when he was old enough. Like usual, Kai was little more than a face for the public, unable to do what he wanted or much of anything that really mattered.
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Year 8 - What Could’ve Been...
“Where do you think you’re going Malachi?”
Kai stopped in his tracks at the sound of the female’s voice behind him. “What does it look like, Evangeline?” Kai responded coldly. “I’m done.” Kai said, finally turning to look at his wife. “I’m leaving. I can’t do this anymore.” Kai had a bag in hand containing only a change of clothes and the belongings he had that mattered too much to leave behind. He had finally reached the last straw. It didn’t even matter to him what people would think. They could hate him for all he cared. He wanted nothing to do with the crown, with Listaria, his wife. He hated the life he had. He knew leaving and going back to New York wouldn’t be like how it was when he was just a teenager. He knew how his parents would react, they would hold it against him and he would be on his own. Akielah and Raphael would be willing sources of support where he needed it, but he would be living a life not like the one he once had in any way. He would just be Kai Azure, a guy who had done a lot that he regretted, but was finally going to live the life that he wanted. There wouldn’t be the same constant spotlight on him, with people telling him what to do, deciding his entire life for him. Kai was going to change things, and nobody was going to tell him what to do. He was going to find a normal job without his family’s connections, live normally, have friends he could simply relax and hang out with for a while, and he could be more involved in Zachary’s life like he wanted, even if Candice was doing a great job with the boy without Kai around much. Kai could be happy, living the life he wanted, and he could even be with someone he actually cared about. Maybe there would be that chance that one girl in particular could possibly forgive him for what he had done to her, and give him that chance. A chance that if Jess gave him, he would spend every day, for the rest of his life, trying to make up for everything that happened, trying to show her that giving him that chance was worth it.
“You would really leave your Pregnant wife?”
“Shut the hell up Eva. Don’t even try playing your f***ing games with me again. I’m tired of it, and I’m done with your lies and the hell they’ve put me through.” Was it really wrong for Kai to not believe a word that came out of her mouth anymore? Kai could be a manipulative jerk, he knew that and couldn’t even deny it if you confronted him about it, but there was a very short list of people who had the power to truly manipulate him. To an extent, his parents, though Kai only went along with it out of necessity. Elettra, his own twin sister, who could manipulate him like no other, pushing in just the right places to keep him wherever she wanted. Anna Pierce, Jess’s twin sister, after all, through blackmail, and the assistance of his sister, she had managed to even manipulate him for a time. Then, there was Princess Evangeline Langdon of Listaria, the person who manipulated him in the ways that probably hurt the most. Each time he had tried to be with Jess, she got in the way, pulling him away from Jess with her lies. First in lying about being pregnant that first time he was going to run away with Jess, then the next time, despite actually being pregnant, lying about the baby being his, just to keep him around.
“I’m not lying to you Malachi.”
It was clear that Kai wasn’t sure whether or not to believe her, even then. He didn’t want to, that was for certain. “Prove it.” No matter how he felt about her, what could he actually do if she was pregnant with his child. He couldn’t leave, no matter how much he wanted to, because then he would never get to see or talk to his own kid. Not getting to know his child wasn’t something Kai was willing to risk. Once it was proven that she was pregnant, Kai demanded that at the first instant possible, there would be a paternity test. He needed to know the truth, and he wasn’t falling for her lying to him again.
With his wife being pregnant, Kai became the sure choice of being sent as a representative of Listaria for peace talks with another country, Alexandra. However, there was an unexpected situation as he was sitting for a meeting with the prince. Jessica Pierce, or as the prince Kai was meeting with called her, Juliette. Jess was undercover, again after the year she had spent in North Korea that he had heard about. The encounter grew stranger as Jess accidentally spilled a small amount of tea on him, leading him to the bathroom to clean off. Taking the moist rag she tossed at him, he worked to limit any stains, as he was still on thin ice with some of the laundry staff after an incident with some wine, but that’s a whole different story. Though, even as he did so, his attention was just on Jess as she warned him about prince Victor. Someone who was just the age Kai was when he married Eva, and who honestly was the type of person who would be a more fitting pair with Eva than Kai was. Neither interested in caring for their people, only the power they could gain. There was that part of Kai that still wanted to just pull Jess close, kiss her, and apologize for everything he’d done and be with her, but he couldn’t, and one thing was clear. This encounter with Jess was different, because he had hurt her one too many times…
Year 9 - What’s Even Left After Pain?
One. Two. Three. Three heartbeats. The royal babies that the world heard all about. Well, they heard that there wasn’t just a royal baby, but royal babies. The princess hadn’t just been pregnant with a single baby, not even twins like herself and Kai both were, but triplets. Triplets can be tricky, born premature with heightened risks to mother and children. Odds were high that something could go wrong, something made all the more clear with the birth. One. Two. Two heartbeats. Of three born, there were two that survived. The two girls, identical twin girls, would go on to be princesses while their triplet half brother was to never grow up. Of the three infants, there were two fathers, one of Eva’s affairs, and Kai. Eva hadn’t lied. She was pregnant, with Kai’s second born son… The media would hear about the birth of the royal twin girls, but the boy would merely cease to exist in the minds of the few that knew, except for Kai. Kai would always remember and think about who he had lost. Once again, he wasn’t getting to be a father. Be with a girl he loved, have a family, that was all he wanted, but every time it was ripped away from him. The reason Kai stayed with his wife, in Listaria, was gone, not even because of a lie, but because his life just never seemed to work out in a way where he could be happy. Life just ripped away every chance at happiness he had, especially whenever it came to love and Jess. He hated what his life had become. He hated putting on that facade for the world. He never liked it from that first day, and he would never truly feel life the person he had to be. His life was nothing that he wanted, in fact it was everything he didn’t want, but that didn’t change a thing. How he felt didn’t matter. Every mistake he had ever made always managed to catch up to him. He had screwed up so many times in so many ways, hurt people, done everything wrong, by that point, Kai couldn’t even feel like he deserved happiness, or even if he did, it didn’t seem like it would happen for him. What was even the point of leaving anymore? Losing what he did have, would gain him nothing. He was better to keep on with his life as it was. Keeping his walls up, more closed off than ever, but what did it matter? He could do his best to not let anyone in, better yet, not feel, and not let anyone see how miserable and hurting he was, and had been. Kai had to be what he let people see. Be what people wanted him to be, because he couldn’t be himself. Afterall, most people didn’t care enough to look beyond the facade to the person really inside, even when the broken person had been through so much pain.
Year 10 - Back To High School We Go
If you had asked Kai back in high school where he thought his life would be in 10 years, you would get an answer relating to being in New York, married to a nice girl, working in business having taken over from his father. You may not have gotten much depth to the answer, but even then it wouldn’t have been close to his life over these 10 years. However, if Kai were to have truly admitted where he hoped his life would be, the difference would be so far from his reality, but it was a dream life that he still wished he could’ve had. Kai’s dream life would have been to be with someone he loved more than anything in the world. To fall in love, marry her, and spend every day of the rest of his life making her feel like the most important person in the world, because she would be. The girl Kai would marry would be the most important person in his life, the center of his world with the children they would have. They could live somewhere near, but not in, the city, maybe near a beach or the mountains. Somewhere peaceful in a way, where their children could grow up happily without worry. Even as a teenager he knew he wanted a close family that he would devote everything to. He knew what he wanted his life to be, for so long, but his dream hadn’t become a reality, and it was only becoming increasingly more clear that his dream life was nothing more than that. A dream. He would never seem to have that peace and happiness of being with someone he loved and growing a family, together, doing what they wanted, and Kai could be who he really wanted. However, with the upcoming announcement that would take place after Kai returned to Listaria, any small amount of hope Kai for a life of happiness, would slip away as the spotlight on him would only increase further. Angela, the crown princess of Listaria, would officially be abdicating her place in line for the throne, meaning that as soon as their father stepped down or died, Eva would become queen Evangeline, and Kai would become the king by her side. One last week to enjoy what little freedom he had remaining, to escape the public eye temporarily. First, the ten year high school reunion with his former Cerulean high classmates, then visiting his siblings, and seeing Zachary before heading back to Listaria. “I’ll see you two after the weekend, and you can tell me how your driving practice is going then, alright? I’ll be there for a couple days before I see Akielah and Raph. I have to go now though, bye Ria.” Kai finished with his video call with his sister, Ria, taking a chance to talk to her before going onto the yacht for the reunion. Ten years. That’s how long it had been since high school. Ten years since his life had changed so much, since he had gotten married, since he met most of the people there, since the time he was dating Jess. Among the former Cerulean high seniors, there were many he didn’t know, some he hadn’t spoken with in a long time, there were those five who had won Blue Royalty, and a few who could still be considered friends. Though, there was also Ruby having gotten out of jail, who despite Kai’s gratitude to her for helping Ria all those years ago, wasn’t exactly someone he wanted to associate with. Then, there was Daniel, unfortunately in attendance as well, and Val, Kai’s very own cousin, who even with Daniel involved, who would always be a friendly face. That being said, there was still that feeling inside that said it would have been better not to come, especially with the presence of both Pierces, one he hated, Anna, and one he’d always have in his heart, Jess, who had written a best selling book that would soon become a show, but both were best to be avoided. So much had changed in the past ten years, for so many, but for Kai, he was still that person stuck in a life he never wanted, still wishing for a life that would mean something to him.
Mentioned Characters
@benitz786
Jess (Every year, except year 5)
Daniel (Years 2, 4, 5, & 10)
Anna (Years 8 & 10)
Candice (Years 1 & 8),
@CerealKiller
Val (Years 0-4 & 10)
Theo (Year 1, and vaguely referenced Year 10)
@novella
Sadie (Year 1, and vaguely referenced Year 10)
@angelic
Elias (Year 1, and vaguely referenced Year 10)
@astxrism
Elo & Dorian (Year 1, and vaguely referenced Year 10)
@Ouijaloveletters
Ruby (Years 0 & 10)
@unsungcheerio
Aline (Not mentioned by name, but her death mentioned Year 0)
