Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 337: Still Feeling Guilty

Chapter 337: Still Feeling Guilty

"You’re being rude to me - your King, Mary! Just obey my orders and return home right this instant!"

Louis was taking none of her advice and started to order Talia around, to return. He was also complaining how Esteria is unsafe for her and no one cares for her safety there.

Talia walked to the door of Vivian’s room and opened the door to take a look at Vivian, still holding her phone in her ear although she was not listening to a single word Louis was speaking.

Seeing Vivian lying on the bed with a bandage on her head and IV drips connected to her hand, a pang of guilt hit her heart.

If she wasn’t with me, will she be here like this now? Why is that when bad people target me, every time others are more affected than me – the target? Cyrus, Mr. Ed, Vivian... Why is there such list?

I know this is not my fault and I might be suffering from what they call ’the survivors guilt’, but still why does my heart feel heavy?

Cyril isn’t here... Where could he be? Should I talk to him?

"Can you be considerate and not make my other ear deaf too by your shouts?" Talia decided to end the call.

"Deaf? What’s wrong with your ear?"

That scary voice made Talia flinch and she turned to look at the source of the voice. She wanted to answer, but looking at Lord Lockhart’s stern face, she froze.

Oh no! He’d blame me for this, right? First I took his son and now his daughter-in-law is unconscious because my enemy wanted to kill me. What should I do?

Arthur, who was observing her, sighed in exasperation. There she goes... blaming herself for something that has got nothing to do with her! She froze and is not even answering Lord Lockhart’s concerned enquiry.

Arthur explained about her injury to Lord Lockhart and he saw the relief in his eyes as he learnt that the deafness is only temporary.

"Louis, I’ll talk to you later." Talia tried to end the call.

"Is that His Majesty the King of Rosandale in the line? If I won’t be considered presumptuous, may I ask for a word with him?" Lord Lockhart asked politely.

"Talia, pass the phone to Lord Lockhart," Louis had heard Arthur talking to Lord Lockhart and understood that he was there too.

Talia passed the phone and she was surprised when Lord Lockhart apologised to Louis for putting Talia’s life in danger. From how the talks went, it seemed like Louis was considerate and he expressed his well wishes for Vivian.

Arthur could see Lord Lockhart is telling in a roundabout way that he is not placing the blame for this incident on Talia. He is trying but if that dumb woman would understand that is another issue.

Talia smiled politely at Lord Lockhart who asked her to be careful and take rest without wandering around. She was happy that he didn’t blame her.

"Guess all parents screw their kids over: even Maria Brunton." Talia heard Lord Lockhart say as she turned to leave and she didn’t understand why he said that.

Lord Lockhart who had an eye for reading emotions could understand Talia was feeling guilty. She was always like that. Images of her when she was a child, refusing to attend funeral s with tears in her eyes popped to his mind. Jerome tried to leave the child at home, but her mother insisted that she should learn to be grateful for those who protected her and insisted that attending their funerals is the least she could do.

It was wrong of Maria to force a little child who cannot understand death to attend funerals of every bodyguard who died while serving her. Maria, bless her soul, was fair to those who lost their lives, while being unfair to her own child; unknowingly, making her feel guilty than being grateful for the lives lost or hurt, around her.

It is not her fault she is born in a position where her life is constantly under threat. It is not her fault when someone gets hurt while being around her or while protecting her. It is up to her to understand it and get over it!

Arthur paused for a moment hearing what Lord Lockhart said. Her cries at the creek when they met for the first time came to his mind.

Ugh!

He held her hand and led her to the OR where the surgery of Mr. Ed was taking pace. The nurses there assured that his surgery was going well and although Talia wasn’t entirely convinced, she felt hopeful.

She called Louis using Arthur’s phone and asked him to arrange for Sir Robert’s family to visit him if they want. After such a major surgery, it would be advisable if Sir Robert is kept here and transferring him to Rosandale immediately won’t be good for him. He’ll wish for his family to be near him during his recovery and his family might want to be here too.

Talia asked for Mr. Ed’s wife’s number but Louis said he’d talk to her himself. Talia also felt that it would be more assuring for his wife if the King talked to her directly.

Talia knew her grandfather and great grandmother should be worried for her and talked to them informing that she is feeling perfectly fine.

"What happened to her?" Talia asked gritting her teeth. After making sure she took care of the people who loved her, she wanted to take care of the one who put her in this spot and hurt those who loved her.

"She has some broken bones and... If Cyril is there, I’m not sure of her life," Arthur brought her to the room Sophia was in.

He wanted to tear that woman apart, but seeing his Iris lying motionless, he couldn’t think about that woman. Talia has woken up and Vivian still hasn’t. Arthur could only imagine how Cyril is feeling. He might want to vent his frustration out on the person who put his fiancée in this place.

There were a couple of cops standing guard outside the room and seeing Arthur and Talia, they let them in although as per protocol they shouldn’t allow anyone in. What are laws and protocols in front of status and money?

As expected, Cyril was in Sophia’s room and he was shouting at the nurse, "Give her bed to someone who deserves it and let her lie on the floor! My Vivi is unconscious there and this trash is calmly lying on the bed with... she doesn’t need this!" he pulled out the morphine drip.

The nurse tried to stop Cyril, but failed in stopping him. "Sir, I understand your frustration, but as medical practitioners, we are bound by the Hippocratic Oath to serve all patients fairly..." she tried to explain, but Cyril didn’t mind.

"Cyril, stop this." Talia knew if word gets out that Cyril is acting this way, it would be a PR disaster.

There is irrefutable proof that Sophia did a terrorising act and she is on her way to death row if they push for it. But still, she needs to stand a fair trial and be judged by her peers before she should be punished.

Cyril acting up on his frustrations won’t be seen in good light by the public, although they’d understand his anger.

"Lord Lockhart called for you," Talia lied through her teeth.

"Dad is here?" Cyril did get distracted and left the room not before glaring at the nurse. He even banged the door shut as he left making the nurse flinch.

The nurse nodded at Talia with gratefulness after Cyril left and fixed the morphine drip properly. Talia stood by the side and smiled politely. The nurse really was relieved now that her patient is safe.

Princess Talia is really graceful.

"Sophia, look at me." Talia walked closer to the bed and Arthur stood behind Talia. Although Sophia was cuffed, he didn’t want to be careless around her.

Talia’s lips curled to a smirk seeing Sophia still having a murderous expression. She didn’t look half as much as the classy woman she once was. She looked pathetic and dark.

"Apologise Sophia. Regret and remorse are considered a good thing to lower your punishments by law. You do know you’d be on death row for what you did, right? You attacked the Princess of Rosandale and her friends." She spoke in a gentle tone and paused seeing Sophia grinding her teeth.

"You don’t want to speak to us?" Talia hooked her arm with Arthur’s and Arthur fixed the stray hair falling on her forehead. "Thank you, Fred" Talia smiled knowing Sophia is getting madder. Her blood pressure as seen through the machines increased visibly.

Talia continued looking concerned, "Fred and I just wanted to talk to you. You were such an elegant lady and what made you a terrorist? You even had explosives, Sophia. Where did you get them? You are young and there is a long life ahead of you, Sophia. Fred and I want to help you. I can get you clemency if you want. Just tell me who forced you to ..."

Talia knew what hurt Sophia more won’t be the pain in her body or her broken bones, but seeing Arthur and her together. And so she purposefully displayed PDA in front of her. Arthur understood what Talia was planning and he went along with her too.