211 We Will Be Here

"I COULDN'T!!! I COULDN'T SAVE THEM!!"

Upon reaching the room, the four of them found Liana trying to calm Amber, who was crying and trying to stand up.

"No, wait Amber. Calm down," she said.

But Amber's eyes weren't focused and she just kept struggling from Liana's hold.

"I couldn't save them. Why? I thought I did? Why?" she repeatedly said and her tears just won't stop.

Ashton could see that she must have both a recollection and a nightmare.

She must have dreamt of their parents death and somehow ended up having a nightmare afterwards.

"I tried. I… I was prepared. I couldn't save our parents why couldn't I save them as well?" she was still saying as she cried even more.

Ashton clenched his fists before looking at Xander and Timothy who was staring at her in shock.

"Are you just going to stand there?!?" he asked in agitation.

This is the time they had to step out and be her brothers.

Despite him wanting to run to her and calm her down, her brothers must do it this time.

Most of her shadows were from her past, there would be some occasions where she couldn't separate a bad memory to a nightmare.

She was too scared that she could no longer figure out whether what she just had was a dream or reality.

His tone snapped the two of them out of their shock and for the very first time in a very long time, they saw her.

Not as a stranger.

Not as Amber Wood.

But instead, they saw her as Nathalie Price.

The same younger sister who have her nightmares and would come knocking at their door while crying.

The same younger sister who would have her episodes of ear piercing cries because of her sickness.

The same younger sister who watched over them and took care of them despite being the youngest.

Xander moved and walked to her, Liana stepped aside while he grabbed both of her shoulders.

"We're fine!!" he held unto her tighter the tears that he had stopped moments ago came rushing out once again.

Indeed looking at her closer, without the supposed scar and the mask.

She has Nathalie's features.

Timothy walked towards them and sat on her side, he patted her head and in a gentle manner said, "We're fine. We are alive right here beside you now."

Her struggles slowly stopped upon registering the faces that was right there in front of her.

"I was… able to save you?" she asked.

Obviously she was still disoriented after coming out from a nightmare.

Xander and Timothy both gritted their teeth.

Xander pulled her into a tight hug, "Yes you did. And you were splendid. You were splendid Nathalie."

Timothy followed suit, hugging the two of them together.

Feeling the warmth of their hugs she finally snapped out of her daze and started crying again hugging them back.

She had a recollection of what had happened during the death of her parents.

Then after that in turned to where they were by the river bank.

Somehow, the people that came there first weren't Ashton and his family but instead were from the Price Empire.

And right in front of her, for the second time, her brothers died trying to protect her.

At the same time, they somehow knew that she was their sister, telling her to keep living.

It was after they died did Ashton and the others came, they killed the attackers while she held unto the bodies of her brothers.

This was when she woke up, everything felt so real that she couldn't distinguish it from the reality that she had indeed saved them. 

She hugged Xander as tight as she can, feeling the warmth coming from his body.

Feeling this, Xander gritted his teeth even more and hugged her even tighter, Timothy did the same and the three of them stayed that way for a very long time.

For almost twenty years, they have been separated from each other.

Meeting again wasn't how they had expected it to be.

Amber decided to venture on her own while the two of them decided to wait for her where they were born.

In the end, it was these decisions of theirs that caused them a far longer separation.

Amber poured everything out, she had always dreamt of this. Especially wen she was all alone in that hotel room almost eight years ago.

She was left alone in such a tragic way by her parents whom she had relied on for so long.

At the same time she couldn't even return to her brothers or they too would end up being in danger.

She was so lonely but she couldn't do anything other than to stand up on her own.

She had dreamt of them suddenly appearing, pulling her into a hug telling her that she did well in surviving.

But she knew back then that it was just a wishful thinking.

Yet here she was now, in their arms.

"Brother…" she whimpered as she cried even more.

Xander and Timothy cried even more, the way she called them was the same when she always had her nightmares back when they were kids.

When she was so scared, or when she had an attack and she was in so much pain.

"I'm sorry," she started saying.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save them. I'm sorry we have to leave you alone. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she kept going.

"Stupid, we should be the one apologising. You don't have to do so, you were never at fault," Xander replied as he caressed her hair.

They pulled away from her, both of them facing her holding her hand.

Timothy cupped her cheek, "You've grown so much and became so strong."

"I have to," she replied as she lean on his warm hand.

"I could only grow, I could only stand up," she added.

"Sorry, your brothers were not there," Timothy replied.

"Sorry we couldn't even recognise you," Xander added as he placed a hand on top of her head.

Amber shook her head.

She knew this feeling too well, back when they were kids, this is how her brothers would calm her when she was scared.

"I couldn't protect them," she looked up at them and said.

"I couldn't protect our parents."

"You don't have to, don't be guilty for being unable to help them for surely they would have hated themselves if they were unable to save you," Timothy said warmly and gently.

Amber looked down, in return Xander held her chin and made her look up to them once again.

"Why must you bare it? Why must you feel guilty for things that you shouldn't be? Why are you feeling guilty for our sake? Why are you feeling guilty for the deaths of our parents?"

She just looked at them, her eyes telling them that they should know why.

It was no longer the same as before where they can only see her happiness or her coldness or her seriousness.

Xander and Timothy understood at this point.

Just as they were able to live because of their hatred, she was able to live because of her revenge and guilt.

Amber felt another stare coming from the side and she felt guiltier.

She was living not because of revenge entirely but there was also guilt in there, guilt for her parents and her brothers.

But that doesn't mean she was only living with those two, it's just that something would be missing if she were to let them go without resolving anything.

The brothers could only sigh, they really are siblings, truly the same blood runs in their veins.

"Then stop now. Stop being guilty, you have done more than enough. Far more than enough that what you were supposed to do. We bet they never told you to not seek revenge but we also know that they told you to live fully instead," Timothy said.

They knew their parents well and of course their parents knew them so well.

They knew that they would surely seek revenge so what they wanted for Nathalie was to keep living and not die or be in danger because of her revenge.

Seeing that she was still tired, "Go back and rest, we will be here."

Timothy rubbed her hair and said.

The way he spoke was of complete contrast to when he speak with others.

He returned to that elder brother who adored and spoiled his younger sister.

"We will have more to talk once we have truly settled and rested. Right now, all these information are taxing to us, no matter how much we deny it. At the same time with all your preparations, your body must still be very tired," Xander started saying.

"Let's end this night in here, get our strengths back and then we can discuss more of what really is going on. Just know that from tonight, you already have us as well. You have saved us Nathalie."

She stared at them, one after another before she smiled, "Of course you should be here once I wake up. Just where will you be going if not?"

She may not show it yet but she was seething mad.

Mad at the empire for being so hideous as to try and kill her brothers.

The two of them chuckled before ruffling her hair one last time and leaving the room.

Amber looked at Ashton but he was already walking out of the door.