Friends with the King of the Underworld | Book 1

Chapter Thirty-Eight

I gulped as I watched the thrones towering in front of me. They sat ominously as we made our way down the long aisle in the Throne Room.

I remembered the last time I was here.

I paused before the small steps that led up to the raised platform where they sat. Damien noticed and stopped half-way up the small platform. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head and watched the floor before the platform transfixed. "The last time I was here - it was a dream, Robyn made me believed I married him and I was," I swallowed hard, "Queen. I'd watched one of the Guards kill a man asking for food for his family. Right here." I was still staring at the same spot the man had begged.

He walked down towards me. "Then I guess it's a good thing you're here with me and not him." He extended his hand. "Do you want me to take you back to your room instead? You don't have to be here while I talk to Oren and carry out Leah's sentence."

I looked at his hand and swallowed. "Now? You're going to do this right now?"

He nodded. "I don't want traitors around my friends and my people and least of all around you. I will talk to Oren first then call her in and carry out her sentence."

I tried to make a joke but it came out as a frightened squeak instead. "No jury of her peers?"

"No." He was firm. "Not to the woman that tried to kill you, Emylin. I won't be kind."

My eyes moved from his hand to his violet eyes.

He was King. He couldn't take the chances of something like this happening again. He had to protect his realm and its people. He had to be firm and give out her sentence soon. He had to kill the snake in the grass before it could do any further harm.

It wasn't like she was innocent either.

I nodded and took his hand. "I'll stay."

He gave a crooked smile and gently helped me up the steps. "Oren should be here in a couple of minutes, the guards outside should be able to track him down soon."

I nodded, remembering that he had murmured something to one of the guards outside of the Throne Room before coming in.

He sat down on the large throne in the middle of the room, the one that he had once mentioned was meant for the queen.

He saw my look of confusion. "Now that we aren't going to be married the throne goes back to me."

I only nodded as I approached it. Like the trees before, the throne seemed to be breathing and brimming with magic. "What is it made of?"

I caught his smirk in the corner of my eye as I watched the ebony throne. "The throne is just as old as the kingdom itself. It was forged from the stone found under the bed of the Ylee."

I remembered the Ylee he'd mentioned. "The sacred river?"

He nodded. "The life force of our magic, yes. Maybe you should have history lessons while you're here."

I gave a small smile. "That'd be nice."

He continued to watch me as I looked at the scripture and carvings etched in the stone.  It was humming loudly.

"How do you not get distracted by it? It's so loud."

"Practice, lots and lots of practice." He smiled. "I can show you."

I smiled then laughed. The laughter erupting from my lips was genuine.

"What's so funny?"

"If you would have asked me a year ago what my life would be like, this would never have made the list." I laughed again like someone was tickling my middle. "I'm in the Throne Room of the Underworld talking to my best friend, the King, about controlling my powers so I don't hear the chair singing."