Chapter 3

There was a small knock on my door making me look up from the book I was reading. Papa came into my room with an overflowing cup of smuggled tea in his hand with a sympathetic smile. "I brought you some tea." He places the steamy cup on the top of my nightstand.

"Thank you." I mumble incoherently, not really in the mood for the steamy tea. My head still hurts from the hard punches I had received, and I couldn't really focus on anything.

I could feel Papa's stare on the top of my head as I was disproportionately concentrating on a book I was reading. "I have something for you." I heard him say and I looked up from the book where he was holding something in his hands.

"I found this when I was cleaning out the basement earlier. I have been looking for this as long as I can remember. My mother had given me this necklace before she passed away." He handed me a white gold necklace that had a ruby rhinestone in the middle.

It looked like it was brand new by the way it was gleaming from the light. Something in me just wanted to protect it. "Thank you, Papa, it's beautiful." I furtively wiped my now teary eyes.

"Your very welcome sweetheart and I know that it isn't much but this necklace helped me a lot through the darkest times in my life. Now I'm giving it to you, so it can protect you from the dark times and it can remind you that I'm still with you."

I leaned over, so I could hug him tightly. Papa takes in my crushing embrace as a warmth feeling. "I love you, Papa." I mumble in the crook of his exposed neck, taking in his vanilla scent.

Papa starts rubbing small patterns in my back. "I love you to baby." He kisses my temples as he pulls me closer to his body as if he doesn't want to let go of me.

There was a loud banging on the door making my eye's shot open. This type of knocking was forced meaning they wanted to get in immediately. I started getting out of my bed as my body began to shake.

The loud knocking got louder, and I quickly searched my room to find something to defend myself with. I grabbed my old baseball bat from my closet and walked over to my door.

Opening my door, I walked out of my room to see if anyone was up. Papa and Dad's room light was on, meaning they were alarmed by the sudden intruder banging on the door.

Dad ran out of the room with a gun in his hand. Papa walked out of the room also and he was trembling uncontrollably in fear. His frightened face was pale with his eyes on the edge of tears.

"Hayden, I need you to go into your sister's room until I tell you come out." He told me demanding voice meaning he didn't want me arguing back.

Nodding my head in fear, I walked towards Hailey's room and opened it up where she was already up with wide eyes of what's going on. I closed the door behind me as I walked over to her.

"What's going on and who's at the door?" She asks me with fear in her eyes. I wish I could know who was at the door but by the way they were banging they wanted to harm us.

"I don't know but don't worry Dad and Papa got this under control. They won't let anyone hurt us." I tried calming her down even though I was on the edge of a panic attack. I'm supposed to be calm, so she would know that everything was going to be alright.

"Hayden, I'm scared." Hailey whimpers as she buried her face in my chest. I held her tight against my chest as I tried calming her down. I could hear my own heart thump against my chest as I heard screaming coming from down the hallway.

Closing my eyes shut, I pray they would go away and don't harm anyone. Can you answer my prayers above and listen to the desperation in my words. I know I don't ask you for much, but this is the only time I'm asking you for something.

For the sake of my sister and my parents even my Dad because if something happens to him my Papa would lose his mind.

I flutter my eyes open when I realize that all the noise in the house stops. I didn't hear any gunshots nor any screaming. What if they kidnapped them?! "What's going on?" Hailey lifts her head from my chest.

"I don't know but the house is quiet." I mumbled as I got up from her bed and Hailey followed behind me. I walk towards her door, opening it up where I heard dull murmurs coming from the living room.

Slowly walking out the room, I try to be quiet so I can make out what they were talking about. I heard several unfamiliar voices and my Papa's voice.

"So what you're telling me that you're taking my son away from me?!" I heard Papa voice crack and I stood there simple-minded to what is happening right now.

"Yes, and he has to go immediately because King Everest is anxious to meet his Queen to be." That name sounds so familiar, but I couldn't wrap my mind to where I heard that name from.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I walked in the living room to meet with many men. My body tense when everyone eyes land on me. An armed man walks over to me, merely bowing his head then smiles warmly.

"Ah my Queen it is a pleasure to meet you." He says, having my eyes going wide out of my socket. Why is he calling me Queen? Does he know I'm a whole male?

Turning away from the man, I look at my parents for answers. "Papa, what is he talking about?" I ask with trembling in my voice, not understanding what is going on.

Before he could speak the man spoke for him. "Hayden, you have been chosen to represent Kingra Laoslanasa as their Queen. I know it seems weird since you're male but we searched all over the world to find his Queen and when we saw you we informed King Everest to you and he wanted you immediately."

Shaking my head furiously with tears streaming down my face, I try to make everything disappear where I wake up from this nightmare.

Now that I remember his name, he is that psychopath that tragically killed his mother. I would be damned to even be near him where he could do something to me.

"No, I won't go with you! I'm supposed to leave my family to be a fucking Queen where I don't even know that man." I screamed, having him smiling evilly instead of that warm smile that he introduces me to.

"Look we don't have time to waste here because we are on a time schedule where your husband has plans for you. This is a choice whether you accompany us or your own family gets demolished." Many men started to point guns at my family, ready to pull the trigger.

My breathing quickens as my body begins to tremble. It seems as if everything was playing in slow motion. I look at my family who looked fearful for their lives except my Dad who was glaring ferociously at the men.

Hailey was staring back at me with tears in her eyes, and Papa was doing the same. I didn't know what to do; I didn't want to go with them nor I wanted them to kill my family and drag me to an unknown country.

Turning back around, I close my eyes where multiple tears fall from my eyes. "Alright." I breathed out as I felt I had made the biggest mistake in my life.

The man grins sheepishly in satisfaction as he turns around to pull out his phone. He puts it against his ear, and he starts to pace back and forth. "Your Majesty we have your Queen." He spoke bluntly through the phone and he merely nodded his head while listening to the speaker.

"Don't worry we will bring him back to the castle, not one scratch on him." With that he hangs his phone up then turns around to look at me. "Come on your husband is waiting for your arrival."

I walk over to Papa who pulls me into his arms, crying his eyes out. "Papa I don't want to go, please don't let them take me." I cried with him and he pulled me back so I was looking into his eyes.

"Listen to me, Hayden, just remember what I told you. You will be alright baby and I promise you that. I will always be there with you even if I'm not here physically."

I desperately wanted to believe we were going to see each other again but I'm going to take in on his words. "Papa please stand your ground." I whisper in his ear, and he nodded, knowing what I'm talking about.

I back away from his arms then turn to Hailey who was crying. She runs into my arms, and I hug her tight. "Shh I will be back Hailey." I said to her, and she nodded while backing away from me.

I then turn to my Dad who had an emotional expression on his face. I didn't bother saying goodbye to him. "Okay, are you done saying your sad ass goodbyes? We have the plane already up and running." I heard the man said in minor annoyance from me taking too long.

I nodded, walking away from my family that I might not see again. I feel my knees give out when I was walking nervously towards the door but manage to hold myself.

I turned over my shoulder one last time to see Papa saying 'I love you' and I almost ran back over to him so I can feel safe in his arms again. Before I could do that, one of the men blocked my way.

Turning back around, I begin walking aimlessly down the squeaky porch and towards a bunch of cars that were lined up. One of the men merely opens the door for me and I was being pushed inside the vehicle.

Before I knew it we were speeding down the sunken road. Everything that I could remember was fading as I tried holding back in my tears.