Kiss of Death

Part 7

"You don't think you went a little bit too hard on her?" The voice is muffled. Where am I?

"The assassins won't go easy on her." The voice is familiar but I can't tell from where.

"Still Nolan, you didn't have to bludgeon her in the head then slice her." Nolan. I know that name.

I open my eyes and try to sit up. Sharp pains erupt all over my body and I collapse back down. Ow.

I lay there and open my eyes. A man with red hair and brown eyes looks down at me. Another with red hair and green eyes stands beside looking at me. His eyes remind me of Keegan. Keegan. The events of the last two days come rushing back and my mind aches from the strain.

"My brother." I croak out.

"What about your brother Runella?" Nolan continues to look at me.

"It's Rune not Runella." I hate that name.

"Anyways Runella, your stamina certainly needs work, but you seem to be pretty comfortable with a sword and dagger." I growl at him and he backs away.

"So when is this wedding?" I need to get this over with.

"I was thinking in a month. There will have to be many preparations. We have to formally announce it, have an engagement ball, and do all of the wedding planning." He leans in and kisses me on my forehead.

I fall into a deep sleep. When I come back to, my head is clear. The sun shines through the windows all around me. I can see birds chirping. Down in the garden I see two people. I get up from the bed and go to the window.

In the garden Tyson and a man I don't recognize are walking. Tyson's head is leaned on the mans shoulder. The man says something and Tyson's head lifts and he turns to the man. His smile is the biggest I've ever seen. The man picks him up and they touch noses as they spin. As the man lowers Tyson, he pecks him on the nose. They hold hands and continue to walk through the garden.

My door opens and I turn around to see Nolan coming in with a tray of food. He doesn't notice me and he has a sad look on his face. When he realizes that i'm not in the bed he begins to panic.

"Calm your royal britches I'm right here." He looks up to where I am and his face is filled with relief.

"I see you're doing better." He sets the tray that he was holding down. I walk over to the bed and sit down on it. I look down at myself and realize I'm in a hideous white night gown.

"Where are my clothes?!" I look around the room trying to see if I can find them.

"Those rags?" He smirks, "I threw them away."

Rage flurries up inside of me. How dare he? I get up and fly towards him and slap him across the face. I begin to punch his chest. I begin to sob as a feeling of despair overwhelms me. Nolan grabs my hands.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He pushes me and I fall off the bed. I cant get up. It feels like a thousand tons are on my chest.

Nolan walks over to where I am and looks at me. He scoops me up and carries me to an arm chair where he sits with me wrapped in his arms.

"Those 'rags' were my father's. They were some of the last things he gave me. And you just tossed them out like they were nothing." I think of him. His kind smile. The way his eyes crinkled when he laughed. The way his bright blue eyes sparkled when we sparred in the back yard. The stories he would tell as he ticked me into bed. Those memories and those clothes were all I had left of him. I dissolve into a fit of hiccups and sniffles. I feel Nolan's hand lead my head to rest on his shoulder. We sit there in silence. After a while he shifts. He looks at me with sad eyes. I look away before I start blushing. He's so damn cute.

"Runella" he sighs, "I'm sorry." He stands up and puts me down in the chair. "I didn't actually throw them away. They're in your closet."

I get up and rush over to the large white wardrobe and fling it open. Sure enough, my clothes were there folded neatly. I grabbed a loose white shirt and brown flowy pants and went to the bathroom. I slammed the door shut and locked it. This was the first time I had gone into the bathroom.

There is a gigantic white tub with golden handles to my right. On my left a white countertop with double sinks stands. I continue to walk in and the toilet has its own room. Rich people. I turn on the tub and open a closet door next to the tub. Inside are shelves full of towels and soap and any hygienic product I could think of.

I grab a towel and it is the softest thing I have ever felt. I take off the hideous white night gown and climb into the tub. I sink into the warmth and close my eyes. I imagine the the water is my father, wrapping me in a warm embrace.

After lounging in the tub for a long time, a knock sounds at the door.

"Ms.Smith? The king has requested you join him for lunch in the garden. There are dresses for you to wear in your closet." This voice is unfamiliar. It sounds like a young girls voice.

I finish showering and wrap myself in a robe that I found in the closet. I walk out of the bathroom and head over to the closet. I dig around and pull out a pastel blue sundress. I put it on and look at myself in the mirror. The dress flows down to right above my knees. The sleeves  flow down to my elbows and then billow out. It's gorgeous. A knock sounds and Tyson comes in.

"Are you ready Runella? The king awaits."