Chapter 351

"Pearl. Pearl. Wake up." It was Auggie.

"Yes. Hello. Sorry. I dozed off. Everything alright?" Pearl asked.

"No. You need to come with me." He said, sounding direct and concerned.

"Alright." She said. She left little Christian there to sleep and walked with Auggie to the study where Jim and others were gathered.

"What's going on?" Pearl asked.

"We lost contact with Sebastian. Pearl, it's not good." Jim said.

The news was on.

"It is a sad day. A convoy believed to be carrying King Sebastian of the United Kingdom and the Vice President and Secretary of State of the United States, set to meet with top Pakistani officials for peace talks, has been bombed. We are still waiting to confirm casualties. This is a dire situation." The news anchor said.

Pearl heard a loud ringing in her head. Like a siren going off. She felt her knees buckle and Auggie held onto her and helped her into a chair.

"Pearl. Pearl!" Jim shouted. "This is bigger than you. All of this. This is about a country that has been through so much and you can't let go now. You will be Queen regent and mother if something has happened to him. Christian is next in line. You have to keep it together."

Pearl felt numb. She lost all feeling in her legs and her heart felt like it might explode from her chest, it was pounding so hard. She had this life now, a real life with a man that loved her. Could she not ever have true happiness?

She shook her head. "No. Nope. He can't die. He can't leave me. I've been through too much. We have all been through too much. I can't do this." Pearl said.

Jim looked at her. "You can and you will." He said.

Pearl shook her head and got up, shakily, and left the room. She walked to her bedroom and curled up in bed. The pillows still smelled like Sebastian's skin. She lay there, silently, curled up and listening to her breathing.

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Erik saw the news bulletin come across the television at the restaurant he was at. "Micah. My god." Erik said.

"That doesn't sound good at all." Micah said, drinking his beer.

"Pearl." Erik said under his breath. He threw a 20 down on the table and left.

"Where are you going?" Micah asked.

"To her." Erik said. He hailed a cab and told the driver to take him to the palace.

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"I need to see her." Erik told the guards at the door.

"I don't think that's going to happen." One of the security detail said.

"Please. We have a history. I may be able to help her. Let me by!" Erik shouted.

"What's going on out here?" Jim asked as he walked to the side door.

"Jim. I saw the news. Is she ok? I need to talk to her. Just to see if I can help. This is terrible." Erik said, worriedly.

"What makes you think that seeing you will help at all? Doesn't seem like it would." Jim said, turning around.

"Ask her." Erik said. "Ask her if I can see her. Ask her and you'll see. You'll understand."

Jim looked back at him.

"No one knows her like I do. We went through more together than any two people could. I can help her. Let me help her, I owe her so much." Erik said. Jim shook his head and walked back inside. Erik stepped back and sat down on the curb across the street. The same curb where Pearl had leaped in front of a moving car for him years before. He looked down at his hands. Hands that had aged, hands that had done such terrible things. He waited, and waited, until the sun set and dusk fell over the London skyline.