Capítulo 4: Confrontations
"Are you questioning my decisions, don't forget I am your king and my word is final", he says in a menacingly high voice that is deeper than usual, making the room vibrate with it. He leans closer, his palms firmly placed on the table I can feel his heavy breath fanning my forehead and I know I should be on my knees right now begging for forgiveness.
Suddenly my body is not cooperating, I need to show him that I was not against his decisions, I've never been against. He has always been a good king and the people of Elyvale kingdom deeply love and respect him, and that includes me. A good king that does everything for the prosperity of the kingdom, and now that everything includes sacrificing his daughter.
"Please father think about Lau...."
"Enough...", the loud bang on the table sends plates flying and gives me the shock of my life, my legs are shaking, and tears start streaming down my cheeks...."don't you dare call me father", he warns. My stepmother instantly pushes me back a little and stands in front of me shielding me from my father's sight who is fuming and breathing so heavily. He must be so disappointed in me, his own daughter publicly disrespecting him. Sebastian is holding my shoulders tightly from the back, "stop it Erica", he says shaking me a little.
Tears in my eyes are blocking my sight, and I fail to notice any movements in the room, but I can hear the chairs being moved.
"Erica...", I hear Laurel's frighten voice, but before I could turn towards her, my stepmother is suddenly pushed aside almost colliding with the table, "mother...." I scream trying to reach forward to steady her, but a powerful palm collides with my face almost sending me to the ground.
"How dare you speak back to the king", my mother's venomous voice is screeching in front of me, she hits me so hard, and the pain is unbearable. I am shaking and she is breathing fire. Her hands are usually soft and smooth yet its' contact with my face feels like a piece of wood was used. My hand flies to my face palming it, my mouth and eyes are opened widely by the shock. Sebastian starts pulling me back away from her. I now know the source of Lauren's frightened voice, the queen, always able to inflict fear to defenseless soul even with her smallest of movement.
"Get her out of here", the king shouts still in his initial position, but am unable to see him. The marble floor beneath is swaying and I might fall down if my brothers who are now holding me from behind let go.
"Guards", my mother shouts
"I'll take her away, your majesty", Theodore tells her in a begging voice before the guards' arrival, he knows where the guards will be instructed to take me.
"Lock her in her room", my father instructs him when we start moving. Sebastian and Theodore on my sides and Humphrey at the back.
"Humphrey and Sebastian you stay", I don't look back, and I feel a gentle push forward, they are in a hurry to get me out of the room, aware that the queen might change her mind and hit me again.
"I am so sorry, Erica", Theodore mutters when the guard closes the dinning room door behind us.
"It is not your fault, Theodore. My.... face hurts so.... much". I say to him. He tilts my messed-up face slightly towards his side and runs his thumb across my cheek, his eyes plagued with concern and worry, "I don't know what to say", he doesn't wait for me to say anything but scoop me up and carries me, and I tightly hold unto his shoulders.
We pass by several confused servants' faces in the hallways and in the open spaces, but they don't dare say anything, they must be thinking I hurt my foot, but not for long, a word of my misbehavior will soon spread, and they'll know. They are unable to see my face though because of Theodore's wide chest.
"You can put me down", I say to him when we start climbing the stairs.
"You are not that heavy, you know, you need to eat more....", then he chuckles to lighten the mood …."you think we believed you with the earlier, ' I think I ate too much food'? he mimics me and I laugh through my tears. "We knew you just wanted to get away, but congratulations for managing to convince the queen", he continues
"Your Highness, what happened?" Sarah who was not far off hurries to open the door that leads to the hallway I share with Laurel. He does not answer her but continues towards my room, she follows close by and opens the door to my room. Theodore doesn't stop until he places me softly on my bed.
"Sarah, could you give us a moment?" he tells Sarah who is curious and worried as to what could have happened.
"I'll be outside if you need anything", she says and hurries towards the door closing it behind her.
"Here", he hands me a glass of water that was on my bedside table.
"Thankyou", I say bringing the glass to my lips.
"I am sorry for not defending you, this should not have happened", he strokes my hair lightly, he feels sorry for me. The water soothes my erratic emotions yet I can't stop the flowing tears.
"It is not your fault, I brought all this to myself", I say wiping the tears off my cheeks with the back of my hand. "There was nothing you could have done. He tilts my head to check on my face and I don't have to ask how it looks; he opens his mouth to say something but decided not to. Instead, he strides towards my wardrobe and brought with him a small towel. Wetting the towel with the water I was drinking and presses it gently on the side of the face my mother had struck me.
"It is partly my fault I didn't do anything on the information about the marriage and now....", he pauses to inspect my face, "....you are the one bearing it all". He furrows his brows and am sure my face is swollen and red. He pauses when a knock comes through the door and one of the guards enters.
"Your highness, her majesty is calling for you urgently", he says without looking at us directly.
"Am on my way", he tells him and took my hand to replace his own holding the towel on my face.
"I'll come later to check on you", he says standing up and kissing the top of my head.
"Thank you, T", he walks a few steps towards the door and turn around as if he forgot something.
"If the queen or king comes looking for you, don't say anything to anger them farther, we will figure it out together when things calm down", he says in a low voice afraid that someone might be listening, then leaves in a hurry. He knows that if he delays, he'll be making things hard for me and himself.
When the door closes, I hear him talking to someone outside, probably Sarah, but I can't hear what he is saying. I can tell that he is gone by the sound of fading footsteps down the hallway. Moments later Sarah enters with a very worried expression.
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