Chapter 36: 36


    Kinsley answered the door after buzzing Octavius in. She had been surprised he hade to see her.


    She stood in the doorway and watched as he stepped off the elevator and came in her direction. “Hello,


    Octavius.”


    “Miss. Wells,” he nodded politely and then held up the tablet he had in his hand. “I am sorry to bother


    you, but we are leaving for Chicago in an hour. I just needed your signature,” he exined, handing it


    to her. She read over a digital consent form.


    “What is this for?”


    “It is just written consent to allow the royal family to pay off your debts and to grant them the ability to


    directly deposit a million dors into your personal bank ount, as agreed upon in the service


    contract you signed with the Prince. It is yourpensation for your time.”


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    “Right,” She sighed. He made it all sound so casual. Like her fling with Nichs had merely been a


    business arraignment. She was being paid off. Kinsley stared at the consent form. She offered it back.


    “I do not want the money.”


    “The money is yours.”


    “I told you I do not want it,” she did not want her time with Nichs to be sullied and cheapened by


    getting paid.


    “I have orders not toe back without your signature,” Kinsley sighed. She did not want to make


    things harder for Octavius. Using a stylist that clipped to the top with a ma, Kinsley signed the


    digital form and handed it back to him. “Thank you, Miss. Wells.”


    “How is Nichs?” She asked before he could leave.


    “As well as can be expected after dying and being revived. He is skeptical about the oue but has


    agreed to the therapy.”


    “I wish him the best.”


    Octavius smiled warmly at him. “I shall ry the sentiment.”


    “Watch over him.”


    “I always do,” he promised, and then Kinsley watched as Octavius left.


    Well, that was that. Her time with Nichs was passed, and it was time to return to her miserable life


    as it was. On the other hand, she was now debt-free and a million dors richer. She could afford to get


    her own ce. Hell, she could buy a house outright and maybe a car too. She could even get her


    parents set up in a nice little ce where they would not have to worry about their finances. Yes, the


    future looked bright, so why did she feel dead inside?


    ***


    Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, one monthter…


    For three weeks after arriving in Chicago, the medical team’s chief goal was to help Nichs regain his


    strength so that he would be strong enough to participate in the physiotherapy they had nned. So for


    three weeks, his only task was to eat and to keep down food. For years Nichs despised eating


    because he always felt nauseous. However, since he started taking his daily injections, nausea was no


    longer a problem. Nichs was able to ingest and keep down everything offered to him, and in a few


    weeks, he had regained enough strength to perform simple tasks.


    For thest week, he had been doing little things like lifting weight… 5lb weights. Sure the weight was


    on the low side, but to his withered muscr structure, they might as well had weighed 500lbs. They


    were trying to build upper body strength so that he might build enough muscle to hold on to the bars


    when they started to get him walking once more.


    His progress was slow, but he was making progress. Physically he felt better. The nausea was gone,


    and his appetite returned. He had regained sensation and feeling in his body once more. He was


    overjoyed not to be in constant pain; he had not even needed his pain killers. His vision was still gone,


    and he still required his wheelchair, but even little progress was progress, and for the first time in his


    life, Nichs felt hope. Hope that his life could be better. Hope that he could even have a life.


    Nichsy in his bed on his back while Octavius knelt on the mattress next to him. Octavius had one


    hand on Nichs’ knee and the other on his ankle as he lifted Nichs’ leg up into a bent position and


    slowly pushed it, so his knee touched his chest before straightening out the leg and then repeating the


    motion. He had done it to one leg and was now working on the other.


    It was part of his therapy. The muscles had atrophied, and this exercise helped to stretch the tight


    muscles in the legs out and helped him keep limber enough to engage in the physiotherapy in the


    clinic. Nichs was not strong enough to do it on his own, so Octavius helped him. They went through


    this routine three times a day, and it was exhausting.


    Throughout the weeks, Octavius had yed nursemaid to him. With Nichs in his weakened state,


    Octavius had to do almost everything. He would help in and out of bed each day, in and out of his


    wheelchair. He helped Nichs clean up and groom himself each day. He’d help him bathe, and then


    he would shave Nichs and help him brush his hair and teeth. Only a true friend would bathe another


    man. The first week and a half, he had even spoon-fed Nichs until he regained enough strength to


    feed himself.


    With Octavius’ constant help, Nichs was very slowly regaining both his strength and his


    independence. He still needed help getting in and out of his bed and wheelchair, but he was now strong


    enough to feed and groom himself. After a long day of therapy at the center, Octavius would help


    Nichs back into his bed. Then he would sit in a chair near the bed and read the newspaper to


    entertain Nichs. Octavius was ever vignt, and Nichs knew even if he lived to be 100, he would


    never be able to repay Octavius for his kindness and his friendship.


    They were in silence as Nichs was lost in his own thoughts. He was thinking about Kinsley. He


    thought about Kinsley a lot. He missed her, but he had told himself he was letting her go. However, he


    had made himself a promise. If he was ever able to walk again, he would find Kinsley and show her the


    progress he had made. If he recovered enough, he would seek her out and try to rekindle their


    romance only if he recovered. He feared that over the time it takes for him to recover, she will have


    moved on and reced him with another man. He would not me her if she did, but he held out hope.


    He needed hope. It was the only thing that kept him going. The only thing that made him try.


    ***


    Los Angeles, two monthster…


    Kinsley dropped down on her couch in the living room of her new house. She had bought herself a real


    home and paid to furnish it. Outside in the driveway sat a new Nissan, and her bank ount still had


    enough money in it to live off for another two years. She owned the house and the car outright, having


    umted no new debt. She was going to work to keep it that way. Kinsley stared at the college


    broachers on the coffee table. She had been thinking about going back to school. She could do it with


    no student debt. She wanted a real career, something that could pay for a decent lifestyle. Only she


    had no idea what she wanted to take.


    She thought about Nichs as she did so often. She missed him, but he was gone, and there was


    nothing she could do about it. She supposed she should move on. Go out with friends and meet


    someone new. But she was not ready to learn t love someone else. Right now, the wounds on her heart


    were still far too fresh, and the only thing that could heal them was time.


    ***


    Aclon Kustium…


    Samuel sat on his throne as the Magistrate argued for the punishment of the Prince before the court.


    He went into the details of Matthew’s treason. Thewyer representing Matthew did his best to plead


    for mercy but was getting nowhere. The people were outraged by his actions. Samuel’s heart broke as


    he thought how sad it was that he was forced to choose between his sons. He loved them both, but


    Matthew’s actions were inexcusable. As King, he could not allow it to go unpunished. As a father, he


    could not bring himself to have his son executed even though death was the punishment for treason.


    After two weeks of trial, Samuel could listen to no more of it. He put up his hand to silence the


    Magistrate. “I have heard enough. I am ready to rule,” the guard demanded. Matthew stands and


    epts his judgment. “Treason is a serious crime, one punishable by death. As King, I find you


    unequivocally guilty of treason,” those gathered began to cheer and p. Samuel put up his hand,


    silencing everyone once more. “As a father, my love for you is unconditional. I cannot execute my child,


    but you will be punished. I sentence you to life in prison with no possibility of parole.”


    Matthew red at Samuel with hatred. He did not consider live in prison mercy. Samuel reached out


    and took Naya’s hand in his as she sat on the throne next to his. He could see the tears in her eyes.


    This was hard on them both, but she was clearly relieved he had shown Matthew mercy. With the trial


    over, they could focus on Nichs’ slow recovery. Hopefully, it would work. Samuel did not believe


    Naya could survive any more heartache.