Chapter 13 - A Gift for the Bride

Red wasn't a color she particularly fancied because she believed it always clashed with her eyes, but she didn't complain about that when the dress Raquel had picked for her turned out to be a long red dress.

She had bigger problems right now, like finding out why the King had sent for her and why he was been absolutely nice to her.

There were so many servants in the castle and they all seem to be going around minding their business, while Colin led her to wherever it was the King was waiting for her, lighting up the way with the torch in his hand.

Colin led her down so many dark stairs that she started to suspect that he might just be leading her to her death.

As much as she had found the idea of death pleasing yesterday, today however, she felt totally different about it. She now had questions that demanded answers and to get those answers, she had to stay alive.

They took another round of stairs lower and the whiff of a disgusting smell in the air stung her nose.

Finally Colin stopped, signifying that they have gotten to where they were needed. He opened the bars and she stepped in.

There were few torches hung up on the wall, making it a little easier to see than when they had been coming down the stairs.

The King was standing a few steps away, with some guards, in front of a railing that stood between those up, and whatever it was that was below.

Could it be his dragon?

He was claded fully in his red robe, his golden mask that was over his face was glowing under the golden light of the torches that were hung on the walls, his hands were folded casually behind him, while he looked down intently at something.

"You are here," he said, his gaze still fixed on what he was looking at when she stepped in. He stretched his hand sideways towards her, looking at her only then. "My Bride, come. I have a present for you."

She slowly stretched out her hand, skeptically observing his outstretched own to see if he had any intention of suddenly tossing her over once her hand slipped into his.

Finally she stepped forward, there was no escaping this.

The moment she took his hand, his grip tightened around hers and he looked down once again.

"It came all the way from Inaymi."

Her brows furrowed.

What present could that be?

She looked down slowly, her heart pounding in her ears as she prepared herself for anything.

But her attempt at readiness had been to no use, because what she saw still made a chill of dread run down her spine, her breath hitch with panic, her heart race madly, and a choked gasp of fear escape her slightly parted lips.

He stood behind her, talking lowly so that his words creeped into her ears.

"Do you like your gift?"

Her hands tightened painfully around the iron railings, as she watched the image below and tears stung her eyes.

How was she to respond to that, when he called her whole family been chained down down in the dungeon, a gift.

"I know what they did to you."

The roughness of his black leather glove, as his hand slowly trailed her bare collarbone made her freeze. She could almost feel the coldness of his golden mask against her ear, as he stood firmly behind her with his face leaning forward.

"I have heard the tales."

He tucked a strand of her curly black hair behind her ear, maybe in an attempt to make her feel at ease but it didn't work.

She could hear the muffled cries of her family from the dungeon below penetrating through their sealed lips, as they looked up at her, begging profusely for their lives with their teary ears.

Even Lytio was there, chained down with his own family too.

She stared at them intently enough to see that beneath Aniya's fitted dirty brown gown, was a slightly protruding belly.

She closed her eyes sharply, remembering the painful memories.

"I have seen the scars."

She opened her eyes once again, wondering when he must have seen those scars. Then she remembered that he had helped her with her cuts last night, it must have been then he had seen it all.

How she was obviously unwanted and punished for it, even by her own family.

Despite herself and how much she had convinced herself that she was over all these, a tear ran down her cheek.

It still hurt.

"They are standing right on top of my dragon's cave. With a snap of my fingers, the floor will open and there will nothing of them except ashes and burnt bones."

At that moment she heard the low growls of the dragon. It was certainly beneath them, her family's and Lytio's family's muffled cries increased, screaming as loud as they could against the gag in their mouths, while they trashed around as much as their chains could allow.

They knew their fate and they knew they were standing right on top of death.

"Just one word from you and it shall be done."

She sucked in a breath at that, feeling the pressure heavy on her shoulders.

"And if you so desire, I will let you watch."

Her fists around the railings started shaking, her chest raising and falling her breath ragged.

It suddenly felt like the room was closing in on her.

Too much...

She looked around quickly and without a word she bolted right out of his reach, pass the bars and stumbling into the darkness outside. Yet she didn't stop, she maneuvered her way, till she found the stairs and started going up, but she missed a step and fell forward.

She expected to fall face flat on the stairs followed by cries of her agonizing pain, but a pair of strong hands wrapped in gloves caught her, and placed her gently on her feet at the bottom of the stairs.

That had happened so fast, it took a moment for her to balance herself.

How had he---?

Nevermind that!

She peeled out of his grip in fear of him, blinking in the darkness.

It was hard to see him, hard to see anything.

"Are you alright?" He asked and she could almost sense care in his voice.

Almost.

That didn't make sense, none of these made sense!

"Why--?" she asked, her voice breathless.

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing all these, your Majesty?"

"Because, you are my Bride."

"What does that even mean?"

Whatever it was, she was certain it definitely didn't mean the thing it was supposed to mean.

Once again, he tucked a strand of her short black curly hair behind her ear.

How could he even see her in this darkness? She couldn't see him.

"That I shall protect you and care for you like one would his other half, till after a year when you shall do the same."

"The same?" Her voice was no longer breathy from gasps of fear, instead it was quiet and inquisitive. "How?"

"You will know when the time comes."

Slowly the darkness started thinning out and she could hear guards approaching, see the reflection of the golden light of approaching torches dancing on his golden mask once again.

Instead of having answers, now she had even more questions.

She blinked, remembering the family in the dungeon. As much as she despised them for what they had done to her, she didn't hate them enough to wish death upon them.

"Set them free, your Majesty."

He nodded, taking a step back.

"As you wish."

Then he snapped his fingers.

Twice.