When mind becomes a prison p2

"Your highness Tacito!"

"Garrick!" Tacito said in surprise as a shirtless and sweaty Garrick approached him with a big smile, "Oh wow, is that how you imagined him to be like? How did you manage to even make him more handsome than he already is?" Kimberly asked as she watched Garrick signal to a group of young knights to keep training while he approached Tacito for a talk.

Although Garrick now had few visible scars on his half naked body, somehow they added to the charms of an already charming man.

His hair was longer, wilder and tied in a high ponytail, and you can tell from a mile away that his body was that of someone who's ready for war.

"I'm not sure...what you're talking...about?

he looks like...the same Garrick...but...with longer hair." Tacito whispered.

"It's either that you're lying, or your mating bond is blinding you." Kimberly replied.

"Your highness you kinda spooked me for a moment! I thought you were talking with someone even though you're alone." Garrick said.

"My apologies Garrick...I was actually...talking to myself...I was trying...to recall some of...my lost memories." Tacito replied.

"Then I should be the one apologizing, I was told about your amnesia...I'm really sorry for Jade's actions, I hope that you're not mad at her, that if you remember her." Garrick said.

Smiling, "I'm not mad...at anyone Garrick...surely not at...an innocent kid." Tacito replied.

"With your memories or not, you're still as kind as ever my prince." Garrick said smiling.

Smiling back, "You flatter me... Garrick.

Anyways, I can...tell you're training." Tacito said.

"As a commander I have to be in perfect shape...if you weren't in your current situation, I would've asked you for a sparing match, when you got injured I was worried I'll never get to fight you again.

Also you deserve a rematch on our race, we never got to finish because of the accident...Maybe we can race again soon, and away from any kids playing football this time." Garrick replied.

"You two keep talking, I'll go around and explore this place." Kimberly said before walking away.

"Okay." Tacito accidentally replied loudly to Kimberly, confusing Garrick.

"Okay, what your highness?" Garrick asked.

"Oh...umm...well...First of all...please just call...me Tacito only...no need for... formalities.

And second I'm...not in a...serious condition currently!...I can actually...fight you if...you want to!" Tacito said.

Surprised, "Ned and Muriel would kill me if anything bad would happen again to you...even Aroon would hound me for it." Garrick replied.

"Who said anything...will happen to...me?

I'll be the...one sending you...to your dear...beloved doctor for...a checkup when...I'm done with...you." Tacito said smiling.

"OHHHH!" The group of knights in training, stopped and gasped as they heard what the prince said.

Chuckling, "I admire your spirit, I can tell you're eager for a fight, but I stand my ground...I won't be responsible for endangering you Tacito, I'm supposed to protect you." Garrick replied.

Suddenly, "Are you Scared?" Tacito asked smirking, earning another gasp from the knights.

Smirking back, "Okay You royal troublemaker, Since you really wanna fight, Don't you dare blame the outcome of this match on me!" Garrick replied.

"There'll be no...outcome but me... moping the floor...with your arse." Tacito said chuckling.

"Since you said that, let's make your defeat a quick one, I challenge you to a game of 3 backs to the floor!

Do you remember the rules?" Garrick announced and the knights cheered.

"Of course, I... just have to...to make you...fall three times...on your back...to secure a...win...a pretty easy...win...I might add."Tacito replied.

...Meanwhile...

Standing in one of the corridors, "Now let's see..." Kimberly said as she touched a decorative flower vase and felt its texture on her fingertips, "So I can touch stuff, but not people, Tacito is the only one I can touch.

It makes sense, since I'm here in his world." She said.

Sighing, Kimberly decided to walk a bit more, her feet slowly carried her across the corridor, but as she began hearing certain familiar voices, she quickened her steps Until she made it to the source of these voices.

"How can you say that Agu? Don't you have a heart?" Stella said angrily, "You're right I don't, I gave it to Yuuya when I fell for him, remember?" Agu replied.

"Ugh! You're so annoying!"

"And you're so loud."

Kimberly chuckled at them, it wasn't unusual for her to witness Stella and Agu arguing, most of the time they're arguing about something not so important.

Suddenly, "Hey! whatchya two fighting about?" Yuuya came toward them asking.

"Wow, they all look a bit more mature now, even Yuuya!...11 years do make a difference." Kimberly said as she inspected her friends, "Tacito told me to expect to see you guys...I wonder how I would look in this world." She added.

"We aren't fighting, Stella is just annoying me." Agu said.

Offended, "You're the one annoying me right now! Can you believe your husband Yuuya?" Stella replied.

Sighing with a knowing smile, "What did he do?" Yuuya asked.

"I told him that since we haven't seen Kimberly in a while, we should all take some days off and go to visit her." Stella said.

"But she's currently outside the kingdom! Garrick won't be able to leave , he's the commander! and Kimberly is too busy anyways.

She said so when we spoke to her on the phone last week!" Yuuya replied.

"Exactly, That's what I was trying to get Stella to understand before she called me heartless." Agu said.

"So you agree with him?" Stella asked Yuuya.

"I Do sis, and before you call me heartless too... think about this, Kimberly is a celebrity now, she's as busy as his majesty Muriel, and Garrick too!" Yuuya replied.

"Why is everyone so busy, even Garrick is too busy to hang out these days! We're supposed to be friends forever! But instead we have Garrick who's always busy with his job and if he has time, he's spending it on his family.

And Kimberly is always traveling, we only hear from her through occasional phone calls! And you two! Are married to each other so of course you'd prefer hanging out with each other instead of me!" Stella said frowning.

Feeling sad, "I wonder if that's how they really feel in reality." Kimberly wondered.

"You're acting as if you won't ditch us for your beautiful husband any moment Stella." Yuuya said grinning.

"Stella, things don't always stay the same...change Is always gonna be a matter of time.

We're still friends! We just have different lives than we did back then, it's only natural that we're not exactly as we hoped we'd be...

And about Kim, we might be her friends, but we're not exactly celebrities like her, we don't know how difficult it is to be her right now." Agu spoke-up.

"Stella, Agu is right, you know kim, she's the type that comes running when we need her, we're her bestfriends and chosen family.

But we can't make her drop her dream and come to us, because we wanna have coffee with her everyday." Yuuya said.

"But I miss her...she's always away, I'm tired of only hearing her voice on the phone, we see her on TV more than in real life, it's annoying!" Stella said, her eyes started glistening with tears.

A dumbfounded Kimberly stood watching her friend about to almost cry, "Kim chose her path Stella...and she's trying her best to be our friend, while simultaneously be a famous actress that is constantly traveling.

Her heart must be as broken as yours is, and I know for a fact that she misses us more than we miss her but this is her life, let her be happy!" Yuuya said in an attempt to comfort Stella.

"You're right...still, I really wanna see her.

There's a selfish part of me that wishes she never decided to go persue her dream, she's the sister I never had." Stella replied.

"Oh Stella." Yuuya said hugging her.

As she watched them, Kimberly felt too emotional by this moment, she decided to go back to where she left Tacito.

And it didn't take her long before she made it there.

Kimberly was surprised to see the young prince throw a man to the ground with so much ease, if felt like Tacito tossed a paper and not a person.

"Ugh...ohh..damn!" groaning in pain, Garrick stayed laying on the ground, this was one crushing defeat for him.

"See?...I told you...I'll kick your...ass." Tacito said standing over Garrick with a big smile.

"How did you get this strong all of the sudden?! *Panting* were you training in your coma?!" Garrick asked.

"You can say...that." Tacito replied chuckling.

"Hey Tacito...can we go somewhere to talk?" Kimberly asked grabbing Tacito's attention.

"This was fun, can we have a rematch?" Garrick asked.

"Hey...I just remembered...I need to...do something now...so let's have...our rematch later." Tacito replied.

"Okay! as long as we have one." Garrick said and picked himself up from the ground.

Chuckling, "Sure you big...oaf." Tacito replied and started walking away, with Kimberly right by his side.

...Few minutes later...

Going back to the garden, Tacito was sitting again with Kimberly, by this time she has already told him about what she saw, "So Ned Valentino was the reason I chased my dream in my past life." Kimberly said.

"He was merely...the person you...needed to push...you forward Kimberly.

In your past...life...you were afraid...that your parents...would disown you...for transitioning and...leaving the knights...to be an...actress.

But on the...same day you...met Ned in...you changed your...mind and finally...did it." Tacito replied smiling, "You were always...meant for stardom...Kimberly." He added.

"Don't you think it's unfair to chase after your dream, on the expense of your relationships?" Kimberly asked.

"Well...The life of...a celebrity is...usually lonely because...being at the...top...makes it difficult...for people to...reach you." Tacito replied.

"Maybe I should give-up on being an actress then." Kimberly said.

"It's not your...fault that your...dream is somewhere...unreachable for most...people.

Besides, I'm pretty...sure you're doing...your best to...keep your friendships...alive.

Others would forget...about their old...friends...but you haven't.

Also realistically speaking...your friends have...to accept your...right to follow...your dream without...them holding you...back." Tacito replied.

"You're right, besides everyone's following their dreams.

Garrick with his FBI agent thing, Agu and Yuuya are true crime podcasters, and Stella is happily sharing a home and a workplace with her husband.

It's only fair that I get to follow my dream too, but why do I keep feeling guilty?" Kimberly asked.

Sighing, "I feel guilty...all the time...about all sorts...of things even...ones that are...out of my...control.

Unfortunately...some of us...are destined to...feel like they...don't deserve happiness...even if we...absolutely deserve it." Tacito replied.

There was a strange, like an annoyed look on his face when he said, it got Kimberly curious enough to ask, "If you feel like you don't deserve happiness, there must be a reason for that.

I've always felt rejected and incompetent, and because of that, even when I receive love and make incredible achievements,I still don't feel worthy of the happiness that comes with it.

So, what's your reason for feeling like you don't deserve happiness?"

Smiling, "I feel that...way... because I never...saw myself as...a person even...worth the air...that I'm breathing.

Everyone keeps saying...that I'm gorgeous...but all I...can see is...an ugly monster." Tacito replied.