CHAPTER ELEVEN: DEATH

My heart raced like a wide animal, and my legs trembled beneath me. Fear wrapped around my heart like a cold damp shroud.

"Herb…paralyze…collapse…no, no, no, this can't be happening, please make it stop," my voice was barely a whisper, as if speaking aloud would summon the darkness.

I dash out of the room, running towards the battleground.

All efforts of the royal guards to stop me proved futile.

And as I rushed into the battleground, I found Kethan, he lay there on the stony ground, headless.

Blood spewed out of the other half of Kethan's body, his head was lifeless at a distance.

The darkness seemed to have a life of its own, a living breathing creature that wrapped around me like a shroud.

Hesitating for a while, my hands trembling as I reached for his head, my thoughts rising like a runaway train drilling me into sanity.

Tears cascaded down my face like a waterfall, each one a manifestation of my shattered dreams. My body shook with sobs, my anguish echoing through the silence, they were like a river of sorrow, flowing from my eyes like a never-ending stream.

My throat constricted my breath catching in my chest like a trapped bird.

My body trembled, my muscles weak from the force of my sobs, sobs that were a brutal surrender, a raw and primal admission of defeat.

I sent a hateful glance towards Drystan from a distance, scoffing, he winked shamelessly.

"Bow down to your king," the hand of the king announced, raising Drystan's right hand to acknowledge him as the winner of the fight.

The crowd roared in acceptance, applauding their new king.

I stood there ice cold, with Drystan watching.

"Bow down to your king," the hand of the king screamed at me.

Refusing to bulge, I just stared at him tragically.

"Guards, force her to kneel," the hand of the king commanded.

Guards surrounded me, launching at me to forcefully get me to kneel.

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Back in my chamber, I hugged myself sad and anxious when Drystan walked into the chamber.

"You should learn how to knock," I groaned at him in anger.

"This is my kingdom," Drystan retorted, walking towards him.

Ignoring him, I looked away expecting him to make the same move, and walk away.

"You miss him," Drystan blunted out, sinking into the mattress beside me.

"He didn't even treat you right, I'm sure he was mean and cold as usual. Shouldn't you be happy he's gone?" He asked and scoffed.

"I don't remember him being cold and mean to me. Kethan was a handsome strong man, his only mistake was having you as a brother," I responded, disappointed.

"I killed him, he's dead and now, I'm the only one that can help you," Drystan stated grinning.

"You killed him? With a herb you told your mother to plant in his food because you knew you couldn't defeat him on your own," I retorted in anger.

"Whichever way, he's dead now and he can't save you from me," Drystan announced.

"Agatha, I have always had an eye for you ever since you came into this kingdom, I knew Kethan didn't deserve you and now, I can finally have you to myself. Agatha be my queen and rule by my side, together we shall change the world," He added.

"It would be over my dead body to be your queen," I argued, irritated.

"Hm, really," Drystan asked, ogling at me as he crawled closer.

I moved back in fear, I felt trapped like a rabbit in a snare unable to escape the horrors closing in.

"What… are you doing?" I stammered in fear.

"I am the king, I can have whoever or whatever I want," Drystan announced, pinning me to the bed.

"No…no, don't do this. I beg you," I muttered, nervously. But with a sarcastic laugh, Drystan started lifting my dress.

"Help! Somebody help! Please…" I screamed out, shivering in panic, but my pleas for an intervention were ignored until my mother-in-law walked in.

"Get away from my son's wife," Lunaria yelled in anger.

Getting up from me, Drystan walked towards Lunaria with a smirk.

"I told you to not get on my nerves, your son and husband are dead," Drystan blunted out.

"Leave my daughter alone," Lunaria retorted.

"She's not your daughter, she's your son's wife and he's dead," Drystan responded, pissed.

"You will regret this," Lunaria answered, staring at Drystan, irritated.

"And how? How would I regret this? Will your son wake up from the dead to fight me again? His head was chopped off completely. Kethan is dead and I am now your new king; accept that," Drystan muttered in mockery.

"You heartless bastard," Lunaria yelled in tears

"Watch your tongue young lady," Drystan retorted, smiling wickedly.

"And if I don't, you will kill me like you killed my son?" Lunaria asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, I will do worse than that, guards," Drystan yelled.

I cradled myself on the mattress in fear, my heart was pounding like a hungry lion with the fear of hunting stuck in his heart.

"Don't hurt her," I managed to whisper.

"Let's say I don't, will you give yourself to me? In peace," Drystan asked shamelessly.

"That's only assumptions, I will fight you to the end," I retorted in desperation.

"Alright then, our deal is off. Guards!!!," Drystan yelled, grinning in anger.

The guards promptly rushed into the chamber in a panic, I stared at Lunaria, who was weeping bitterly in pain.

"Bundle this woman and throw her into the dungeon filled with scorpions and snakes, maybe something worse," Drystan declared, emotionlessly.

"But…but she's the late king's wife, your grace," the guard hesitated.

"And I am your king," Drystan commanded.

In a panic, the guard rushed towards Lunaria and lifted her off the ground, to throw her into the dungeon.

"No, let her go," I yelled in agony.

Once they were out of the room, Drystan turned back to face me.

The more steps he took closer the faster my heartbeat, terrified.

"P…lease," I muttered, hugging the wall in tears.

"Oh, dear Agatha, who's going to save you now?"