The Blood King's Love

Eighteen

The carriage that carries me and Theo—er, I mean, Teio—is quite the cause for claustrophobia. Much better than a cage, but nerve racking nonetheless. My guess was that the soldiers were so shocked by Teio's sudden appearance in the town that they grabbed the nearest carriage to compensate. As they escorted me inside, they refused to look me in the eye, while still being painstakingly gentle. I don't think their fear is misplaced. The look in Teio's eyes when he revealed himself was bone chilling, especially for such a young boy. He sits in front of me now with the same cold look, glaring out the half-shut window.

There's nothing to see outside other than the fast-passing town we were just in. Many heads on the street turn to see what the spectacle is. The sound of hooves galloping on the sandy road, and the carriage driver shouting out directions, are the only things that I can really hear.

We're going to the palace. That's the only thing I know. If I were to step on palace grounds, I figure I'd be shot down immediately—if not, the King will have me tortured for escaping and execute me later. But now the situation is different. I have Teio. Is he enough to protect me? How much authority does this kid really have? Clearly a substantial amount, but there's no way he has more say in the matter than his sister Freya, let alone the Blood King. I have no idea what he has in mind.

But I won't ask. I need to stay quiet and let the Prince of Teron do the talking. He may be a tiny little brat, but this is his territory. I'm a criminal right now. The scale is not tipped in my favor.  

The child may have sensed my anxiety. His demeanor doesn't completely change, but he gives me a slight nod and turns back to the window. That helps, I guess. 

After what feels like forever, the carriage stops. I can hear doors begin to open and creak closed as we move forward again. A peek out the window shows me that we're definitely no longer in the marketplace anymore. The ground is no longer sandy with footprints everywhere; it's a nearly spotless marble. I can see the feet of the soldiers rummaging around, halting the horses and attaching steps to the carriage. We're back on castle premises. Footsteps from up ahead start to get closer, and I can hear an angry female voice approaching us. 

"This is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous," she spouts. "He never wants to do any of his school work, he skips all his swordsmanship classes, he doesn't show up for anything, and best of all I find out he's been wasting time mingling with maleficent peasants? To the gods, I swear, that boy has a lot of explaining to do!" 

Across from me, Teio's eyes roll into the back of his head. The soldiers open the carriage doors, and Teio's little self emerges onto the steps. "Hello sister," he grumbles. 

I can see out of the corner of my eye that a young woman in lengthy, fanciful garb stands with bodyguards surrounding her. Pillars of green and gold surround her. If that's Teio's sister, then...

"Prince! You know the formality, do you not? May I remind you that you're the cause of quite the difficulty right now!?"

"Blah blah blah, whatever, your Majesty," he shakes his hand passively. "I don't have to answer to anyone, much less you." 

She growls. "You brat! I can't believe you would use your title to defend such a criminal. Bring the prisoner here! Let me see it with my own eyes."

I swallow. Slowly I stand up and walk onto the stairs, a step or two behind Teio. The soldiers all put a hand on their weapons as I reveal myself. My eyes land on the woman who called out for me.

Queen Freya is quite frankly the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life. Her golden hair is long and smooth, half tied up into a bun and the other half flowing behind her. Her skin is a beautiful porcelain, her cheeks rosy, her brown eyes shining. She has the same nose and mouth as her brother, but with a twist of femininity. The gown she wears is copper with a scarlet sash tied around her thin waist; silver jewelry covers her from head to toe. 

Her gaze is that of a snake. 

"My stars." She looks me up and down in disgust. I don't look exactly like my wanted poster, but compared to these people, I definitely look like I belong in jail. 

"This is what our men have been after? This measly boor? Twice, she escaped captivity, twice...I'm sick.. Bring it here. Let's get this over with."

My heart is pounding. The soldiers make their ways toward me. Shaking, I start to make my way down the stairs when Teio grabs my wrist. 

"Step back!" The soldiers around us stop in their tracks at the young boy's word. "You will not touch the prisoner. I have a means to negotiate."

The Queen's jaw drops. "Negotiate? Have you lost your mind? You are aware of its crimes, correct? That thing disobeyed the word of our King on several occasions and--" 

"And she saved my life," Teio proclaims. His hand slides down from my wrist to my hand, holding it. His fingers are so small, so cold. 

Queen Freya scoffs. "So what? So everything is hunky dory because a Prince was saved? Whether it saved your life or not is no concern to me. I am concerned with the laws that have been broken and their ability to be upheld." She looks at the soldiers expectantly. "Well? I told you to bring it here!"

"You won't be bringing her anywhere," shouts an angered Teio. The soldiers are frozen, unsure of what to do. The boy uses that to his advantage. 

"Men! You can either side with me or my loud-mouthed sister. But the only side you have to answer to, is that of your King!" 

"Your Highness, enough of this foolishness," says the Queen, visibly trying to calm down her irritation. "There would not have been a price on its head if the King hadn't ordered it."

"You very well may be right. Which is why I want to speak to him about this matter."

"To what? To negotiate? The King's word is absolute. No matter what you say to him, he is almost never swayed."

"Fine," Teio says, letting go of my hand and grabbing me by my sleeve. "If you're so sure the outcome will be the same, why not let us hear from the King? Wouldn't it be more satisfying for him to see the accused punished at his word in front of him? As you say, his word is absolute. To the gods, I swear, if he orders me to kill her with my bare hands, I will not hesitate to do it."

The tension in the air and Teio's confident declaration doesn't let me breathe. I feel myself going pale. 

The Queen stands still for a full minute, staring down her younger sibling. Finally she exhales, rolls her eyes and calls back her guards. 

"Alright, your Highness. This time you may have your way. Not because I believe you have a point, or any chance in front of the King, but because I believe this experience is one you can learn from. I should have recognized your immaturity in handling this situation from the beginning, but regardless, I am sure that once the King shuts you down you will no longer see a reason for such escapades any longer. I will speak with the King and see if he even wants to hear from you. If he doesn't, understand that you will not get your unreasonable way. When you have the throne for yourself in the future, you will understand the responsibility of a king. By then I hope you have your priorities straight."

She turns away, her men following. When they're back inside and out of site, Teio's grip on me loosens. His gaze, once icy and determined, is replaced with a bright smile. "We did it, lady! Come on. Let's go to my room." He drags me down the stairs and heads into the castle. The soldiers follow close behind. 

I'm absolutely bewildered and confused. "Theo--I mean, Teio, or whatever--stop--one second--"

He keeps walking despite my protests. "Ugh, lady, don't be freaking out. Just trust me."

I want to, I really want to. I know he's a prince and all, but he's, like, five. Did he not hear what the Queen said? The Blood King won't even entertain the idea of sparing me. I should've just stayed in that tree house. Hell, I should've stayed in the prison cell. 

It doesn't look like I have the option of regretting my decisions anymore. I follow Teio.

Just being in this palace again makes me want to vomit.