War of Faeries

Chapter 37

"No." I answer. I wasn't going to become a working girl. Not again at least.

"Then you don't get the information. More than one person takes time, and I think you want it done quickly."

"You're right. I want information quickly, and you are going to deliver."

"Then you need to be a working girl. Or did you forget how this works?" she tells me, placing her hands on her desk.

"Maybe you forgot who I am, and how this goes." I tell her standing up, leaning on the desk so she has to look up at me. "I tell you what I need and you give it to me. And if I don't feel like paying the price, then too bad because me not killing you is reward enough."

She gulps and leans away. Pearl nods her head before pulling out a pen and paper to write down the names I am about to give her. I smirk and see her shudder in fear. Clearly she forgot who I was, and that I don't take orders from her, or anyone anymore.

                    ***

"I kept them busy." Matthew mutters passing by me.

I smile keeping my head low as I head to my room. At least I could still count on Matthew to help me with this mission. I walk pass a few guards who check me out as I do. I had my cloak open, they could see the outfit underneath, just not my face. But when my body is a distraction why would you worry about what my face looks like?

"She is in the bathroom taking a bath. Why don't you come back later?" Shannon tells Henry, who just so happens to be standing outside my door.

Matthew may have been able to keep the others busy, but he wasn't able to keep Henry busy. Matthew couldn't make Henry believe I was truly sick, or whatever he told them. I catch Shannon's attention and keep walking down the hall. I couldn't risk being noticed by Henry and have him ask questions that I once again could not give answers to.

"Its nothing I haven't seen before." I hear Henry complain as he walks down the hall. Shannon had finally been able to convince Henry to come back later, and he wasn't having it I guess. I stay still letting the guards stare at me longer than I would have liked. I was willing to let them stare as long as it meant Henry didn't see me.

"Where in the heavens have you been?" Shannon asks, the moment I walk into my room.

They take one glance at my current outfit and I see the horror in their eyes. They simply didn't want to see their future queen dressed as a whore. I take my cloak off and toss it onto the bed, there was no use in answering her question.

"I don't think we need to know the answer to that." Samantha mutters, and her words anger me. I know what I am dressed like, but how many times had someone assumed I became a girl of the night just for the hell of it? How many times had I had those sentences whispered and murmured about me when I didn't have any other choice?

"I am going to go take a bath, and then I am going to the library. Which is where I will be for the rest of the day." I tell them stalking to the bathroom.

             ****

"Why didn't you go to your meetings this morning?" Henry questions me, I don't bother looking up from the book I am reading.

He stares at me for several minutes, and when it is clear I am not going to answer him he sighs. He pulls out the chair across from me and plops into the chair. Watching me, waiting for me to pay him some attention. I turn another page, and hear a sigh from him. This went on for several minutes as well.

Page flips.

Sigh.

Page flips.

Sigh.

"The meetings are important-"

"So is training for the competition. So is catching those criminals that escaped. The ones that the meetings are about. But last time I checked you were doing nothing about it. Last time I checked you cared more about what people thought about you than doing your actual job." I tell him, getting up from the table.

"Last time I checked you weren't talking to me because of the last training session we had. As for not tracking down the criminals, I thought you would be glad. One of those criminals is Cora." he says following me into the row of books.

"Next time don't pair me up with someone that I cant kill. Get a criminal off the street for all I care and have me fight against them. I am more than willing to kill a criminal."

"Are you sure about that? Killing someone is... it takes a lot out of a person." He whispers the last part.

The truth is killing someone makes you question life as you know it. It makes you question everything you have ever fought for, because what is worth fighting for that you have to kill someone? The answer... lots of things, but to each person that something looks different. It just makes you question if the thing, or lifestyle you are fighting for is worth killing someone over, to worth dying for.

"I would be willing to kill for my kingdom." I answer with my back turned towards him. So he didn't see the look on my face. Because the truth is I have killed for my kingdom even if I didn't want to admit it.

"Don't worry about training. I think you can handle yourself anyways. The training I have been putting you through... Lets just say there were some consequences for putting you in the hospital."

"I think you should leave. I don't have anything to say to you." I tell him once I catch a glimpse of Matthew through the bookshelves.

"Valarie-"

"I mean it Henry. Leave."

I feel him pause, I also feel his hand hovering over my shoulder. I stared ahead at the bookshelf until I knew he was gone. Once I knew he wouldn't be following me around silently trying to have a conversation that I just really did not care to have.

"Is there anything I can help you with Princess?" Matthew questions, glancing up at me from the book he is reading.

"We need to talk." I tell him, leaning against the table.

He gets up from the table with a soft sigh. He looks at me, waiting for me to lead the way. He knew that we couldn't have this conversation out in the open like this. Not with all the opportunities someone could have to eavesdrop.

"What did you need to tell me?" He asks as soon as I have locked the door to my room.

"I should have told you I was leaving. You deserved to find out through me, not through Max or anyone else."

He crosses his arms over his chest, no emotion on his face. I bite my bottom lip, I knew I hurt him I didn't realize how deeply I had hurt him. He watches my every movement, and I watch him take a breath and release it without ever saying a word.

"Are you finished?" He asks once he realizes I am not going to say anything else.

"No. I am not finished." I tell him.

"I lied when I told you I was just a job. You and I both know that I am not just a job to you, that I mean more than that to you. I was scared to admit that I mean more to you."

He lets his arms drop to his sides, he takes one small step towards me. I watch him as he continues to take steps towards me.

His breath fans across my face when he stops walking, his hand cups my cheek gently. His other hand is on my waist, pulling me closer towards him. I stare into his eyes which hold so many unspoken emotions.

He slowly lowers his lips to mine, and the moment they connect my eyes flutter closed and my arms wrap themselves around his neck. The kiss is soft and slow, and everything that it needs to be.