Wicked Chase

♛ Chapter Thirty-One

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The four of us split into groups of four. The two Igancio brothers scoured the lower parts of the strangely beautiful but dark castle while Ronan and I searched the upper parts of the castle. Everywhere I looked I was amazed, just as breathless as I was when I spent my free time roaming around the castle back in Deidrif. The magnificence was alluring but there was a stark contrast with both the castles.

The castle back in Deidrif was much larger, obviously having more time and investment to improve and enhance the infrastructure. The castle here in Fallonailes was comparatively smaller but still breathtakingly beautiful. There was this dark edge to the castle here, this haunting design that blended in with the castle's beauty. It reflected Thorin's soul well.

Ronan and I were at the very top of the castle now, his sword drawn while I attempted to hold the sword I picked up from the courtroom with my hands. I've handled a sword before when Alastair and Brice helped me train but something about putting me spot on in this situation was making me both nervous and excited and that I felt terribly inexperienced holding a sword.

Ronan held his hand up, his gloved hand going to his lips, the motion telling me to me silent. He jerked his head to the side and that's when I realised that there was someone at the top of the tower. I nodded and with our swords drawn I pushed the door open with my foot and Ronan stepped through first, his sword flying almost instantly to the throat of a young male.

My eyes widened and I gasped but not at my father's fast reflex skills but at the man that had a sword to his throat. It was one of the five men that chased me that day, back in the mortal world. One of the five men that had taken up so much energy to fight with.

"It's good to see you again, Princess Genevieve," he bowed his head slightly, making sure that Ronan's blade didn't cut into his skin. My face hardened at his words and anger slowly started to seep into my system again. "It's been a while since I've seen you. Oh, look at how much you've changed! I can tell that your King is proud."

My father looked at him with steely eyes and pressed the blade harder against his throat so that the man would wince with that trucks of pain but not hard enough to draw blood yet. Keeping his eyes on his prey, my father asked, "what is he talking about? Where have you seen him before?"

"He attacked me once when I was in the mortal world, when I had little to no knowledge about my real life," I replied, my voice steady as I didn't want to give the man any indication of any emotions that were raging through me.

"I remember all the things you did to me, your Highness," the man said, his face smug as his hand fell down to his shirt. Unlike the other people who my father and I encountered in our way to the top tower of this castle, he was clad in normal clothing, no bodily armour. He lifted his shirt up and a bruise met my eyes. "You didn't just bruise me with your elbow, you tore some skin out, too."

The sight made bile rise to my throat and I swallowed down my disgust. Had I been that violent that day? Did I really do that? A bruise was all that was left, fading out, but the fact that its presence was still there after so long showed me how forceful I had been.

"I'd like to return the favour," he said and my head jerked up from his toned abdomen to his face. He was handsome, with that dark and sinister look.

Ronan pressed the blade harder against his throat and blood trickled down in a small thin line till it reached the other end of the blade and fell over. Blood was drawn, a fight was about to break.

"You're not getting close to her," my father glared, speaking through gritted teeth but his threat was to no avail as suddenly the man was smirking and I felt something being clamped over my mouth as an arm draped around my stomach, hard and tight, and a leg wrapped around my own legs, leaving me constricted and having no space to move. Hair brushed the side of my face and the scent of jasmine hit me strong as my sword clattered down to the marble floor.