Page 21 of Warrior Princess
As evening approached, heralding another solitary dinner, a knock at the door momentarily lifted my spirits. I hoped for Diane's familiar presence, but when the door swung open, it wasn't Diane who entered, but King Eduard. My heart sank, and my hand instinctively brushed the fabric of my dress where the letter opener was concealed.
“What areyoudoing here?” Somehow, my voice was steady despite the sudden rush of adrenaline. I subtly edged towards the bed where the iron poker lay within reach, a silent sentinel in my strategy of last resort.
King Eduard shut the door behind him with a soft click, and his eyes locked onto mine with an unsettling calm. “I thought we’d have a little chat,” he proposed smoothly, his voiceunnervingly serene. “You’ve been cooped up in here for some time, and I wanted to see what your state of mind was like.”
“Nothing has changed,” I responded firmly, maintaining as much composure as I could muster. “I won’t marry you. Not in this lifetime.”
He simply nodded, a self-satisfied smile playing on his lips as if he found my defiance amusing. “I see... Well, Princess, I dispatched a letter to your father, but he hasn’t responded, oddly enough. The Crimson Clan, on the other hand, has threatened to march their army into my lands.”
A flicker of hope ignited within me.Ronan got my letter!
But before I could further probe his claim, King Eduard burst into laughter, his amusement filling the room with a chilling echo. “You actually believe me, don’t you?” he laughed heartily.
I frowned. “Are you lying?”
“Of course I am!” he chuckled dismissively. “Chief Aryan said I could have you. I guess you don’t mean much to the Crimson Clan, even after everything you did for them… Such a shame.”
His words hit like a physical blow. Color drained from my face and a wave of nausea surged through me. My stomach churned with the realization that Ronan hadn’t received my letter and Chief Aryan certainly didn’t plan to inform him of the letter he received from King Eduard. Despair tightened its grip, leaving me feeling betrayed and utterly alone.
King Eduard took a deliberate step closer, his presence imposing. “Which leaves me with little options, because I assume your father won’t stand idly by and watch me marry his only daughter,” he said, his tone laced with implied threats. “So, Princess, what do you think our next steps are?”
I backed away, every instinct screaming for escape as King Eduard's intentions dawned on me. My steps were calculated, subtly edging me closer to the bed where the iron poker lay—a potential lifeline in this escalating nightmare.
“Since you won't marry me voluntarily, we’ll have to take more drastic measures. If you’re forced to carry my child, you’ll have no other options,” he stated. His voice was eerily calm, as if we were discussing something mundane like the weather rather than a vile coercion.
“Excuse me?” My voice was barely a whisper, incredulity and horror mingling in equal measure.
He shrugged; the motion was chillingly nonchalant as he prowled closer. “I have no children besides Mykal, and he’s not even my biological child. Queen Sariyah was sterile and unable to bear a child. Unlike Eldwain where men can have multiple wives, I’m stuck withher… but not for long.” A malicious smile curled his thin lips. “She'll die any day now, leaving me free to take another wife. That wife beingyou,” he explained with a grotesque grin as if he was bestowing a favor. “Aren’t you lucky?”
“That’s not luck; that’s a tragedy!” I managed to choke out, my voice laced with disgust and fear.
Before I could reach the iron poker, Eduard's steps quickened to where I stood. Suddenly his hand was around my throat, lifting me with terrifying ease and throwing me onto the bed. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and I scrambled backward frantically as he climbed onto the bed and seized my ankles, dragging me toward him.
I kicked and screamed as survival instincts took over. I clawed at his face, striking anywhere I could reach, which only seemed to fuel his rage.
“I would rather throw myself out the window before letting you take me!” I growled, my voice raw. Tears blurred my vision and panic set in as I struggled to breathe.
He pinned my wrists above my head. “Don’t worry, Princess. I would never let that happen.” He smirked cruelly, his grip tightening as his other hand began to lift the skirt of my dress.
I kicked wildly, desperation lending me strength. My screams filled the room and echoed off the walls, drowning out all other sounds except the frantic pounding of my heart. I thrashed under his grasp, fighting with every ounce of my being.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I continued to scream until my voice grew hoarse. To anyone outside, it undoubtedly sounded like a scene of murder, and in that moment, it felt like one. The terror that gripped me was suffocating, the violation of my agency a torment I could scarcely comprehend.
In the midst of my struggle, a surge of adrenaline shot through me, sharpening my senses. I had to escape, I had to survive. My thoughts scrambled for any possible way to turn the tide and push back against the imminent darkness that threatened to consume me.
Suddenly, King Eduard’s weight crashed down upon me and a chilling wetness splashed across my face. The sharp, metallic scent of blood cut through the air, silencing my screams. For a moment, my senses were overwhelmed and the world seemed to pause. As my vision cleared through the haze of tears, I saw Mykal standing there, his hands gripping a golden candle holder now stained dark with the king’s blood.
He trembled visibly as he let the candle holder fall to the floor with a clatter. Hastily, he pulled King Eduard’s lifeless body off me. The reality of what just occurred was hard to grasp. I lay there for a moment, trying to steady my racing heart and ragged breaths.
Without wasting another second, Mykal scooped me up from the bed and cradled me tightly. “I’m sorry, Leila. I’m so, so sorry,” he whispered urgently into my ear, his voice shaking as I trembled in his arms. “I should have come to see you sooner. I should have—” His words choked off as he squeezed me tighter.
As cries wracked my body, I clung to Mykal as though he was the only solid thing in a world that had turned chaotic. Part of me yearned for it to have been Ronan who came to my rescue.
“Is… is he dead?” I managed to stammer, my voice barely above a whisper. I tried to turn my head to look at where King Eduard lay motionless, but Mykal gently and firmly held my head, preventing me from surveying the scene.
“Don’t look,” he murmured softly.
“But—”
