章 4: (4) A royal mishap

"He is a hard nut to crack, Your Majesty. He has refused to say a word."

I swallowed, in front of me stood a man, his hands hung to polls and clothes torn apart, large welts adorned his skin and the sight of his pale, greenish skin left me seconds away from expelling my breakfast.

"Kill him."

My head snapped to George and my eyes widened.

I may have not been of royal birth, but everyone knew that traitors were condemned to death, their families however…

"Finish off his entire family. No one should be left alive." The man beside me ordered without batting an eye. "I want no loose ends,"

"Him, I understand," I turned to George, "However, his family? What crime have they committed?"

"Pardon?" We locked eyes.

I sucked in a deep breath and tightened my grip around the itchy dress I was stuck in. "If you are going to murder an entire family, perhaps you can share their crimes as well?"

"Are you questioning me, my Queen? You do know—"

"Is it so easy for you to take a life?"

"Now, you are interrupting me?"

"To end it? Stop it? Children, mothers…" I trailed off and took a step toward him, the stench of the chamber burning my nostrils, "Do you have no feeling in your bones? Is there not a heart in there —"

"Anastasia —"

"George,"

"Here, I am the king," The dark-haired man declared, eyes scanning me and the guards around. "And you will address me as such."

"You may become a king by hurting people, but you only remain a king by protecting them—"

"That is what I am doing!"

"I beg to differ!" I raised my voice, heart racing. "Your actions greatly conflict with your words; This is not protection, this is a massacre!"

"I knew it was a bad idea for you to be here."

George's jaw twitched. "The man is a traitor and that makes his entire family traitors."

I took a step back as the sturdy man towered over my petite stature. "I am a King. There are certain things a King must do—"

"Then why am I alive?"

"Pardon?"

I took a step forward, loosening my grip around my dress and straightening my posture, our eyes met briefly before tears stung my blue orbs. "Back there, I was about to shove a dagger into your chest," George's eyes widened at my words. "That is the greatest of treachery. Why am I alive? Or are your principles; biased, George?"

"Stop, Anastasia."

"Am I not a traitor too? No less than this man here? So why am I treated differently, George?!"

"Anastasia!"

"George!"

"That is King George to you!" His nostrils flared, eyes burning with anger. "These are matters of the palace, they do not concern you. I am the King of Keyes and I know what is right for my people!" His husky voice sent shivers down my spine. "You are nothing but a commoner, so know your place!"

There was silence, strong enough to slice the entire palace into shreds. George must have realized his mistake because he reached out for me and I took a step back.

"You are right," I bowed before our eyes met. A tear rolled down my cheek, "For a moment, Your Highness, I forgot my place, I remember now," My heart ached and pounded under the gaze of the guards.

"Anna, it is not so—"

I raised my palm to stop him. "Do not— Do not say anything, my king," I wiped my tears and averted my gaze to the man. "Everything is clear, I-I made a mistake, I am sorry, I shall return to the kitchen and join the other commoners, I already told you before that I was no one it is okay."

I slapped a hand to my lips and turned to leave when George's voice rang through the chamber.

"Set him down, do not harm his people—"

"B-but, your Highness—"

"Did I stutter?"

"No, Your Highness, we shall do exactly as you have ordered."

I froze in my place.

"No, not as I have ordered," I raised an eyebrow at his words and turned just as he continued.

"As your queen ordered," My heart skipped a bit and my breath hitched.

Whatever was he up to and why?

Was this some vague attempt to salvage his slip of the tongue?

Or to win my heart?

One thing should be clear to the king of Keyes; We would never see eye to eye as long as my sister was in his captivity and my father had been murdered by his hands.

"You need not try to impress me, or earn my forgiveness,"

The dark-haired man chuckled, a slight glint in his eyes as he closed the distance between us, "This is not some vague attempt to earn your trust, my Queen. This is to correct my mistake—"

"Are you admitting to your mistake? Or masking an apology?"

"Accept it as whatever you wish," He sighed. "Whatever shall we do with him?"

"I want to speak to him,"

"Never."

"Your Highness," I tried but he refused to respond. I rolled my eyes and reached for the hem of his garment. "George," I called. "You asked me to trust you, did you not?"

"Yes, I did. I will never break your trust."

"To trust you, you need to trust me. Do you trust me?"

"I trust you," His large hands cup my cheeks and the guards look away, "But I do not trust him," His gaze hardened on the man.

"I can take care of myself, have I proven it? Trust me to take care of myself and I will trust you to return my sister."

"These, are royal matters, they concern me, as the king,"

"Well, it so happens that I am the Queen of Keyes so the matters of the palace do concern me as well ." I matched his gaze. "Now can we please wrap this up so I can take off this itchy dress,"

"I shall help you take it off," He whispered, and my body trembled under his touch.

I leaned, and our noses brushed, "After I speak to him, you shall do whatever you wish, I shall trust you, but you must trust me now."

George's expression softened and he traced my cheeks. "Anastasia, do not be stubborn."

"I am not being stubborn."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I am not!" I huffed. "I will get him to talk..." I whispered. "I beg of you,"

"Are you certain?"

"I am positive,"

"Alright." His shoulders slumped. "I will grant your request but I will have a personal guard assigned to you by tomorrow."

"For whatever reason?"

"For my pretty woman's safety." He winked and stepped out of the torture chamber.

I heaved a sigh of relief before the traitor's words made me stiffen.

"He shall end your life too."

I spun around to lock eyes with the man on the wall.

"You should worry about yourself."I carried my dress and walked to him. "I want to help you."

"I don't need your help—"

"Your family will die because of your stubbornness." I pointed out and the man lowered his head.

"They are innocent."

"Then tell me the entire truth. Only then can you save your family."

It took an entire staring match before the man finally opened up.

"I am Arden." He began and I grabbed a seat to sit down.

"I was born into the resistance, a group of people who believe the king does not belong to the throne because he is not of Royal Blood."

I frowned. "Whatever do you mean?"

George wasn't of royal blood?

"My group has been in search of the real heir to the throne of Keyes; the princess who disappeared years ago so she can reclaim the throne but a small part of the resistance wants to murder the princess too."

"What?" My frown deepened. "A princess is the real heir to the throne?"

The battered man in front of me nodded.

"If she is the key to the throne, why murder her?"

"Not my people, a small part of the resistance." He grunted, "The princess is poisonous, and they fear that she will rule independently —"

I snorted, "So they planned to control her? Interesting."

The man's voice cracked, "I am being threatened by the small part."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"King George wants to stop both parties from keeping the throne which is why he erases any traces by murdering not only us but families too." He coughed, breathing heavily. "The dark side of the resistance believes that the Princess of Keyes, Charlotte Keyes, and the rightful heir to the throne is back and that the king has her captive." The man confessed.

We locked eyes. "Please save my family. I do not care about my life but my family does not deserve to die, I beg you."

I clenched my fist.

I lost my family the day I set foot in this kingdom. It would be unfair to watch another person lose their family too, especially if I could stop it.

"I will not let anything happen to them. You have my word." I fisted my gown and slipped out of the torture chamber.

"So, how did it go?" George's voice made me flinch.

"As I suspected, the man was being coerced."

The King of Keyes narrowed his eyes. "That cannot be true."

"It is—"

"A lie." He interjected and inched closer. I took a step back. "That traitor lied to my Queen but that doesn't matter because I will still have his head."

"You cannot!"

"What are you waiting for?" His husky voice thundered across the quiet hall and the guards snapped to attention. "Kill that traitor and his entire family!"

George began to walk away but I caught his sleeve. The dark-haired man turned and we locked eyes.

"What is it this time?"

"Do me a favor," I begged, biting my bottom lip.

I knew what I was about to ask sounded crazy but there was no other way.

I needed answers, something to help me navigate my way in this royal mishap and only one with the slightest idea of the madness going on was that man.

Killing him would be the same as throwing any chances of my freedom into the dungeons.

"I beg of you, just this once,"

"Anything for my pretty woman." His voice was soft as he leaned, closing the distance between us.

My breath hitched.

"I want you to make the traitor my right-hand man."

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