Chapter Text
Simon felt the stinging of tears in his eyes and before he could control his emotions or turn around he started sobbing.
He had taken out years of frustration on his cousin. The king!
He hated to be seen like that especially by him of all people!
His knees failed him and he almost ended up sitting on the floor but Melissa was quick at grabbing his arm.
"Simon I need you to sit down and breathe, ok?" she asked in a gentle tone.
Simon would have melt to that sweet voice if he hadn't been that upset! He didn't want to sit down!
The only thing he needed was to run away as far as he could from his cousin and his whole family!
Why couldn't he just stay there with Melissa?
"I don't need to..." but he was cut off by Richard's hand on his shoulder.
He was a gentle touch. Richard didn't look like he was mad about what he had told him.
"Simon please just sit down" he gently commanded him.
A part of Simon wanted to escape from his grasp. He wanted to yell and be mad at him but there was another part of him which felt like he wanted to give Richard and his family a second chance.
Even though he didn't want to admit it to himself, he missed them.
He made a few not very convinced attempts to free himself from his grip and then gave up.
He let Melissa lead him to the couch and he sat down next to her.
Richard did the same keeping a certain distance from him.
Simon shot him a glare. He was tired and did not really want to fight anymore but he wasn't less angry.
"Simon..." Richard started.
He sounded unsure.
"I really had no idea you were feeling this way, believe me"
Of course he didn't.
"I know you probably won't like to hear this but I'm sorry" he said.
Simon frowned at him.
"I'm truly sorry. I should have considered your feelings more and I'm sorry to think about it now but I hope it's not too late and that you will forgive me" he looked at him. Regret in his eyes.
He was genuine and Simon knew it. His heart ached.
"Please come back to Aldovia with me and we'll fix this. I'm sure others think the same way as me"
Returning to Aldovia?
Not a chance!
"No" he managed to get out.
Richard's face fell.
"What? You don't want to go back home?"
"It's not my home anymore. Sophia took everything from me" that bit still hurt a lot to think of.
"I will help you take everything back from her! I'm the king! And even if I couldn't do it you would have the royal palace!"
"As if Emily would love me living with you Twenty-four hours a day" he snorted.
And he wouldn't have liked it either.
Probably.
Richard looked genuinely upset.
"Simon please! I promise no one hates you! We never did!" Richard was literally pleading.
Simon didn't want to listen to him anymore. He was talking nonsense! He might have missed his family, but now that his cousin had brought up the whole going-home thing... he just couldn't!
"Go away Richard. Tell the others I'm fine. I don't want to return home!" he said barely containing himself.
"But why?" Richard asked.
"Because I am ashamed!" Simon finally shouted making both Melissa and Richard flinch.
"I'm ashamed to be seen again in the palace after what happened! I couldn't live with you I would feel..."
He was cut off once again but this time it was by Richard throwing his arms around him.
Simon went still.
"So is this what's bothering you? Simon, I really mean it when I tell you no one blames you for anything. Everyone miss you at home you know? You wouldn't know how much mom and Emily were worried about you"
"Emily?" Simon asked in a low voice.
Richard chuckled and held him closer.
"Especially Emily. She even sobbed a little but don't tell her I told you that"
He couldn't believe it.
Emily was always making fun of him. How come she was crying for him now?
"You are playing me" he said through gritted teeth.
Richard shook his head.
"I'm not. Everyone is waiting for you. Come back and we will all make amends I promise you" his tone was all serious now.
Simon was silent for a while.
Melissa reached for his hand.
"Simon" she said.
"Do you remember our novel?" she asked.
Simon looked at her in confusion.
What did their novel have to do with all this now?
"Our... novel?"
Melissa nodded and squeezed his hand.
"Yes. You were the one suggesting that what freed the prince from his transformation into a beast was not only the love of his fiancée but also the love of his own family"
Simon gulped.
He remembered now.
He wanted the novel to show how powerful family love was.
The Beast's family did not flee leaving him in distress, they helped him.
Running away from his own family without even trying to fix things... that's not what he or Melissa wanted to convey in their novel.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
He looked at Melissa who smiled.
"All you have to do is put your writing into practice" she told him.
Simon threw his arms around her.
"Melissa, you are special" he muttered against her shoulder.
"Without you I would have never seen my mistakes, thank you"
If Melissa hadn't found the acorn, he would have been king, sure, but then what?
He would have reigned with Sophia as his queen. A woman who never loved him and who would have just waited for a misstep from him to govern all by herself.
It wouldn't have ended differently than it did but he wouldn't have had Melissa by his side. He would have fallen into disgrace all alone.
Dear Melissa!
She saved him!