8 Chapter Eight

    I rush back to the room, afraid to even look back. Part of me wanted to just go warn Pyrian. But another, ugly part of me wanted to let it happen. I gasp slightly, taken aback as to where this thought may have come from. As the king he has every power to stop the wrong. He could have fixed it ages ago.

  I shake my head, no it was because it was set in stone. But yet again, nothing is set in stone when you are king. I rub my face with my hands and sit down on the floor. I cannot afford this. Now is not the time to panic. Now is not the time to be insecure. But I wasn't being insecure, I knew it was true. And I didn't want to believe it. But maybe the rumors were not really rumors and this man was not who he has been telling me he is. Maybe he really was evil.

Pyrian

    Council meetings. They were a joke. Full of blabbering fools. There were obvious solutions to problems that they had yet to come up with. My brother, Sepharon, always was quiet, calculating. They all were. Currently anyways. Soon enough they would make their claim on the throne. All demon monarchies turn out this way. It's a total bloodbath. The other two, Coldir and Maroxin gazed at me intently.

    They were straight up evil. No qualms about it. They simply had hatred in their hearts. My mother was here, present for the elders, of course in the court room we all addressed her as Araiz. They all had yet to bring up Zenaya. I knew mother was angry but she respects me being king. However my brothers were a different story.

     The other council members were here to. Just lords of different areas.

" Your majesty, what do you think?" I look up, unaware that they were speaking.

" What's that lord Faer?" He turns a deep red color.

" Oh w- well I was just wondering what you thought about the new stirring of people? What should we do about it?" I think for a moment.

" Tell the guards to patrol more often, double the patrols. As well as train a set of new soldiers as well, it's about that time regardless. As far as planting goes send royal farmers to go and plant crops and oversee the humans. As for you all, just keep order in your settlements and towns. We also need to prepare for the festival of the moon soon so keep that in mind. Put in a slip with your themes at some point this month." I wave my hand in the air as a gesture of meeting over. The other lords simply get up in confusion still taking in the information.

    I get up hurriedly. I need to think in private. I take a walk around the halls and think to myself. If I just tell her that she doesn't have to repay me then she can just leave then? My heart constricts at the thought. I get mad at that, I don't even know her. Not to mention that she is the lowest on the caste system.

    Even though that doesn't matter to me, I decide that it will be better if she leaves. She will be safer, and away from me.

   But I don't want that. I look at the intricate design in the walls and the maids that bustle about in the halls, avoiding my gaze and bowing their heads as they walked past.

I never asked for any of this actually. I was born into it just like everyone else is born into their lives, families, traditions.

For a while I did maintain the evil gestures. I sentenced many humans to death, and I even smiled at it. Now I simply frown at everything. I don't want to let Zenaya go. But she must not suffer because of me. She is free now. Maybe she will go to another region, another kingdom perhaps.

I turn around to go back to my room, hoping that she went there but am stopped by my brother Coldir, " Ah, brother there you are." He smiles but it is not friendly.

  No matter what none of my other brothers are worthy to take this throne. They would not bear it loyally. They would abuse it. Just as I had in the beginning. I had never been my mother's favorite, only my fathers. But he was no longer here. So I inherited the throne.

I did not want it. But I got it. "What do you want Coldir?" He drops his smile. He leans in close to my shoulder as if telling a joke but then whispers something, " Why don't you do us all a favor and just step down from the throne. We all know you didn't want it anyways." I lean back and laugh as if I'm response to his "joke". " Why would I do that? We all know your too hot headed to have it and I assume that's why your threatening me?" He drops his facade and marches away glowering at anyone who passes.

I continue walking back to my room. I open the door to it and Zenaya is on the floor with her head in her hands. She looks up as soon as the door opens however. She smiles and hurriedly gets to her feet. " Zenaya I think you need to leave for right now." I don't waste time in persuading her to leave. I know she won't. But she will have to. " Why? Did I do something wrong? I still have my debt to pay back to you."

  I sigh, I really don't want her to go, but she will be safer this way. "As your King I say that your debt is paid." She protests but I stop her with a look.

I reach into my closet and pull out a sack.

" This is enchanted, it has a few items in here that would not normally fit. You may have it, only a few of them are made in the world. Use it well. And be safe. I will lend you a horse and have a guard lead you to the end of the castle grounds." She starts to tear up.

  "Is that what you want." I look at her and inside myself am screaming. But I reply.

"Yes." I turn around so she cannot see the agony. I had already had the guard waiting for her at the end of the stairs.

She slips out of the room taking the sack with her.

Zenaya

I slip out the room after he turns his back. I was not going to cry. I have endured to much to cry. I descend the stairs and there is a guard waiting for me at the bottom. He sneers at me but walks next to me. Out in the courtyard there are two horses, a smaller and a bigger one.

  "I will escort you to the end of the castle grounds and then you are on your own."

I nod, to sad to really speak. I climb up onto the horse, never having ridden before I was quite wobbly. The guard notices and steadies my horse so I can get comfortable. I take the reigns and nod my head in a thank you.

Since I was technically free I did not have to follow all the rules but I had to still be careful. He spurs his horse on and I give mine a light kick, and we start moving.

The castle grounds are gorgeous. With all the winter flowers blooming. The whites and purples of nature coming out into the air. Birds are more hushed however and it give an eerie feeling to the air but once the insects start up I ease into myself.

We come up above a hill and there stand the gates. The gates out and in of the castle. The entrance heavily guarded day in and day out. I take a deep breath, I look at the guard who nods very slightly at me and turns his horse around and picks up his pace away from me.

I kick my horse to go forward and I straighten my back, ready for what is to come.