The Girl of Many Worlds | (Story formerly known as "Multiworldcial")

Chapter 17

We continued to glare at each other.

"As much as I am amused by your fiery spirit, I must warn you to keep it in check, or else Mercury won't be the only person you'll need to be afraid of," he said. He broke our tense bond and strolled to the door. "Let's go, princess."

I didn't move. I don't know why I was being so stubborn. Maybe it was because I was mad he said I was dwelling in self-pity. I knew there was a lot at stake—I truly did. But I also had a lot at stake too! My uncle was a murderous, incestuous dirtbag, my family and friends were worlds away and I'd potentially never see them again, and lastly I was suddenly not who I thought I was anymore; I was a piece in a war of which decided the fate of this world.

"So, you're not going to come?" Arden asked calmly. I didn't answer.

A blue bolt of rope swung out of his hand and fastened around my wrist. My eyes widened in horror and I looked up at him. With a seamless tug, he dragged me out of the seat and clumsily to my feet.

"Take it off of me," I ordered. The current from the Blue Light rope vibrated under the current; I twisted my wrist as it seamlessly molded to my movements.

"No." He shortened the distance between us, causing the rope to shrink as well. He peered down into my eyes and whispered, "This is the consequence of defying me." Not strong enough to resist the strength of my bondage, I was easily dragged out the door. The rope's small length made it nearly impossible to fight him. We walked through the halls and past servants while I, humiliated, struggled to break free.

"Stop fighting," Arden snapped.

"No." I yanked hard and sent him tumbling back towards me. He gave me a cold look and the Blue Light fizzled back into his palm. He grabbed hold of my wrist and threw open one of the various hallway doors. It slammed behind us and I took a few anxious steps away from him.

He faced me and his eyes bored into mine. "Jade... you will not humiliate me like that ever again or there will be serious consequences. Do you understand me?"

"You humiliated me," I pointed out. "Don't dish what you can't serve."

He closed the small gap between us, his face inches from mine. "I am your king. I can do whatever I please."

"You're not my king," I argued. "I'm not from this world for you to rule me."

"You're under my rule right now. I've given you a place to stay. You're warm and your belly is full. There are worse places you could be right now. Don't push your luck."

"What luck? To be stuck here with you?"

His eyes narrowed. "You are the most selfish creature I've ever met. What are you upset about? The fact that you're apart of something bigger than yourself?"

"You don't know what it's like to be torn away from your family!" I shouted.

"I know exactly what that's like," Arden retorted through his clenched jaw. "And lower your voice when you speak to me!"

"How do you know?" I cried. "I may never see my family again. I didn't even get to see them one last time!"

"Jade," he hissed. My stomach knotted as I slowly backed away from him. My back pressed the bare wall of the room, cold enough to send chills flooding into my body. His arms caged me in between him. He glowered at me, his eyes close enough for me to see each individual speck. "I was torn away from my mother. I felt her die. You've never experienced such loss. You're not even aware of your connection to your father—you wouldn't feel if he died. So cut the drama and grow up."

"Don't talk to me that way," I whispered. Tears pricked my eyes but I gathered my remaining dignity. "I'm a princess, no?" I grabbed hold of his silk black collared shirt, right in the middle of his chest. He pulled back, dragging me with him. I kept my hold on his shirt as we held our unwavering stare.

"Yes, you're a princess," he said. "Princess of Antika."

"So I'm royalty like you, right?" I questioned.

"Yes."

"So why don't you treat me more like it?" I asked.

"How do I not?" he bursted. "I have Camilla bathe you! I keep you fed with food that we usually don't eat! You're in one of the biggest rooms in this castle, Jade. I even got you a satin pillowcase because you so desperately wanted one. What more do you need?"

I loosened my grip on his shirt and smoothed it out. Soothingly I said, "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. Please just... I beg you to show me more sympathy." Tears welled up my eyes and overflowed. I couldn't look up at him anymore as I continued. "I don't know how to handle all of this... everything is so new, the villagers don't like me, and I feel like an outsider." I pushed myself away from him and crossed my arms over my chest. "And I know you think I feel bad for myself but it's not like I'm trying to. I'm scared. I've been afraid since the moment I saw Mercury outside my door. For you to then tell me that I have a chance of being taken by Mercury makes me feel so helpless." My voice shakes as I add, "And then on top of everything, I have powers? Not only has my life changed, but I'm not even comfortable with who I am anymore."

Shivers coursed through my body and I wiped away a few tears. Arden sighed and brushed a lock of my hair out of my face. "I'm sorry. Perhaps I've been a little bit too insensitive towards your struggles. This is a lot to take in." He paused and I looked up at him. He frowned and hesitated before taking his sleeve and wiping any remaining tears off my face. The fabric was soft against my skin. "There's no need to cry, princess. I won't let you suffer at the hands of him, nor anyone else. I will win this war. You will go home and see your family again."

He placed his hand in the middle of my upper back and guided me to the door. "We were going to go to the simulation room to get in some training for you, but I don't want you to be distracted; let's pay a trip to The Town and get everything sorted out down there." He may have felt me tense up, because he added, "I will be there to defend you the whole time. You have nothing to fear."

"Okay."

We entered the hall and traveled towards the elevator to The Town. Through one of the windows, I saw the vast wasteland outside. The snow was pummeled down; it looked hard to breathe let alone walk.

"Arden, have you ever walked across the snow in that blizzard?" I asked.

"It's not feasible to do that," he said. "I take a special sled when I need to travel to the other towns."

"Has anyone walked across it before?" I wondered.

"Trying to escape?"

I shook my head, although I knew he couldn't see it from in front of me. "I just... I feel like I walked across there before. I remember failing but doing it nonetheless."

We passed the painting of Arden's mom and my eyes grazed over her features. She was so beautiful. As we continued past her, my brain flicked a name into my thoughts. Petra.

In a frenzy, my dream came screaming back to me. The snow, the wasteland, the creature, and Dahlia's twin sister: Petra.

Arden halted abruptly and faced me with curiosity in his eyes. "Who was that?"

"Who was what?" I asked.

"I saw into your head. That woman who looked like my mom... who was she?"

"Her name was Petra," I said. "She said she was your mom's twin sister."

His bright features dropped—my words snuffed out the spirit he was filled with. "My mom doesn't have a twin sister." He walked on. "You do have a very active imagination, though, I have to give you that."

Figures. I thought for some reason that Petra would be real. I mean, the dream felt so real. Just thinking back on it, I could feel the cold against my skin. It was so surreal.

As my brain recalled the dream from the night before, something in my gut told me not to dismiss it just yet.