Olivia Sparks

A dozen white sticks all with a single red line laid on the vanity. Olivia examined each stick and three lines creased on her forehead.

Negative.

Everything came out negative. Scrunching her nose, she told herself that she should up her game in tracking her period.

For years, she didn't bother to count the days. She was reliant on her contraceptive devices that she never once tracked her period.

Yes, she suffered for a few days every month because of her heavy period, but she wasn't so conscious about having or missing it that she had to know her numbers like the back of her hand.

Things have changed, however, after she suffered a miscarriage. She would go crazy counting fertile days and safe days, and her average menstrual cycle.

Call her crazy, but Olivia suddenly became obsessed with things concerning her fertility.

On top of that, she would often read articles about pregnancy signs, and took those notes to heart. 

For that reason, she would test herself right away at the showing of the slightest of symptoms.

Those signs didn't matter now. All the tests she took turned out negative. Slumping on the ottoman, Olivia's shoulders dropped.

Her hands automatically flew to her belly and she drew circles on it. "I'm sorry," she said. Guilt swallowed her whole being for the unborn child she lost.

"Livi! Mom's hooome!" she heard Queen Isla call out her name. She guessed the queen welcomed herself inside Maxen and Olivia's bedroom again. 

It was a habit Olivia should hate, however, she found it odd how she always looked forward to Queen Isla crashing inside their bedroom.

Her unannounced visitations always felt like a Christmas present on a random day of the year.

Checking her reflection on the mirror, Olivia tugged the corners of her lips and practiced a smile to hide her disappointment over the negative pregnancy test results.

"Just a second, Mom," Olivia announced. She swiped the white sticks to the bin and it clanked against the metal when it dropped inside.

To her surprise, Queen Isla was sitting on the edge of Maxen and Olivia's bed. She was holding an unopened pregnancy kit on her hand.

"Mom…" Olivia trailed off, unsure how to explain herself. "That's uhhh… test."

"I know what this is, Livi darling." Queen Isla peered up and smiled at her. She gently patted the empty space beside her for Olivia to sit on.

Once Olivia was seated, Queen Isla shifted on her seat and faced her daughter-in-law. By the look on Olivia's face, she could assume the result she got was negative.

Understanding filled the queen's face, and Olivia was grateful that her mom didn't probe for an answer—an answer to a question which Olivia didn't want to repeat saying.

"I'm okay," she lied through her teeth, although it was obvious on the gray clouds that hovered her that what she said was far from the truth.

Queen Isla cupped Olivia's hand and brought it to her l.a.p. "It's okay if you're not okay. Don't be embarrassed about speaking what you feel. If you want to, you can wear that emotion as an armor."

Olivia tugged her mom's hand as if she was tethering herself to the queen. The way Olivia held Queen Isla, it was as if her life depended on her mom.

"Thank you," was all Olivia mustered up to say for she never had a motherly figure like those you could watch in the movies—generous, selfless, and supportive.

All she had growing up that was closest to a mother figure was the stern Rona and the splurging Auntie Martha which weren't bad influences at all, although Rona Co was still debatable after what she did to the Lin Family.

"Hmmm," Queen Isla exhaled. She peeled her hand and planted it on Olivia's cheek. 

Rubbing the pad of her thumb in Olivia's cheeks, Queen Isla advised, "Give your body enough time to heal, darling. We just lost precious cargo months ago."

"I know," Olivia agreed. She pursed her lips into a thin line and broke her eye contact from the queen, afraid that if she held onto that motherly gaze, Olivia might break down and cry.

"Look at me, darling."

"Mmm?" Olivia peered up and scrunched her nose to make sure there was no tear hiding in the corners of her eyes. She wondered why there was a smug smile on the queen's face.

"Trust me, darling," Queen Isla trailed off. "With the rate of how you and Maxen fornicate, I have no doubt royal babies would exponentially grow in the House of Sui."

"Mooom!"

"What? Walls have ears, darling. Plus, I know how effective my green juice is. So I say, go with the flow, and I don't need to say this, but, enjoy the process." Queen Isla winked. Her words of advice reeked with innuendo.

Olivia choked on her saliva, sending her to a violent coughing fit. While Queen Isla gently patted her back, a loud booming sound echoed from the outside, rousing their curiosity.

The loud sonic sound sent Olivia's heart racing in her c.h.e.s.t. Her instincts kicked in and she immediately grabbed the knife under her pillow.

Just as another booming sound echoed, Shadow and the two soldiers who man Maxen and Olivia's bedroom came rushing to their aid.

Shadow scooped Olivia up and acted as her human shield. She peered to her left and saw the two guards dragging the queen to safety.

Dancing green and red laser light strobed the space and as Olivia looked over her shoulder, she saw one guard kneel on the floor when a bullet struck his leg. 

He tried to get up, and make a run for his life, but unfortunately, another bullet bore a hole on his head.

Whatever was happening, Olivia had no clue. All she felt was as if she was flying. 

Reaching Maxen's library, Olivia took the lead towards the hidden door behind the lifesize portrait of a sultan.

She ran her fingers along the portrait's frame and paused before pulling out a skeleton key camouflaged amongst the carved wood with intricate patterns.

Olivia used it to open the door behind the portrait, which led to an underground tunnel.

She memorized the entire maze. She had to. It was part of her training with Secretary Abbott and it was the only time that the uptight gargoyle gave her a grade with flying colors. 

Maxen brought her down once as well to make herself familiar with the narrow and pitch black halls. 

He said nobody else was to know of the tunnel's existence for it was their only way outside of the mansion should a breach rose.

"Just. Give me a second. I need to breathe," she demanded with her eyes closed and her c.h.e.s.t rising and falling rapidly. 

Her eyes darted to Queen Isla and she asked her, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Queen Isla opened her mouth, and Olivia's heart dropped to her stomach.