Twisted Worlds

Chapter 21 - The Return

I was still sitting on the steps pouring my eyes out when there was a knock at the door. It was late, around midnight and someone was at the door; never a good sign. Too bad a sign to bother about waking up grandma so I shouted from where I was sitting, slumped down on the bottom step of the stairs, "who is it?" I tried to make myself sound as menacing as possible but that is rather difficult when your voice is squeaky with tears.

"Erm....it's- it's Kailen" I gasped, this was it, he was going to kill me. So rather than doing the smart thing I stood up, shook out my aching and numb legs and reached for the door handle. I opened it just a crack, Kailen was just standing there looking down at the ground looking rather sheepish, but as the door creaked he looked up, just slightly his long hair partly covering his eyes.

"Can..Can I talk to you for a minute"

And suddenly I felt brave, all the time I spent worried and scared had made me strong and now I was ready to face him.

"Surely If you are going to kill me we don't have to have a heart to heart first" I sounded bitter, but in truth I was....I was very, very bitter and I hoped he felt every crack of the whip I put behind it.

"Can I come inside?" He was still not matching my gaze, which was probably more for self defence than from shame, I was giving him the full on death glare; but despite my mind screaming at me not to, I open the door and stepped aside to let him in. I followed him through ,into the living room keeping a close eye on every one of his movements. I hadn't noticed quite how tall he was until then, with broad strong shoulders. I could never win a battle against him hand to hand without magical help that was for sure. He would take me down in an instant even if I caught him by surprise. So I suppressed the urge to grasp the ruby dagger I always kept in my belt and followed him in. As we entered the lanterns self lit, but rather than glowing grandmas orange they quickly altered and burned a deep red in Kailens' presence.

"You want to speak, speak. But know one thing, you may have some of the most powerful magic in our world, but you are up against the Princess of Syltyn and I can almost guarantee that I can take you down with the magic I have" and in those words I portrayed all the hatred and bitterness I had felt since my father had died, all the pain and sorrow over the years had melted into one thing, survival. And I needed to be brutal to escape this encounter.

 "I am not going to kill you"

He was facing away from me, towards the far wall of the living room, so I was sure he had said something different.

"What?"

"I am not going to kill you, I cannot kill you Ella" and then he turned to face me and walked up briskly so we were only centimeters apart. I forced myself to look up at him. His eyes were rimmed red as though he had been awake for days but his eyes were soft and kind...but I couldn't believe them, not one bit.

"I cannot kill you Ella, I would die if I did"

I forcefully pushed him away from me and backed up towards the door.

"BUT YOUR THE ASSASSIN, YOUR JOB IS TO KILL THE RICH BITCH FROM THE CASTLE! ISN'T THAT WHAT EVERYONE CALLS ME, THE PRISSY PRINCESS WITH TOO MUCH FREE TIME AND TOO MUCH MAGIC FOR HER OWN GOOD!" I screamed it letting all my anger out, everything that had fueled my fear and hatred. "So do it Kailen....DO IT! I've lost everything else why not life, so take the shot Kailen, I see you brought your sword so kill me, better you than the King" and then I collapsed into the floor. Still sitting  upright but my legs sprawled out around me. "I am asking you to kill me Kailen. SO DO IT, that's your job, now I am telling you to kill me. Can't you see it, this is what I WANT, WHAT I NEED" I was still angry but tears began falling from my eyes.

"My father was murdered, my mother married a monster, she is now locked in the dungeon with all my other loyal subjects. I was forced to marry the enemy, a Serentali and then they sent YOU to finish me off when I refused, so do it Kailen. Finish me because if you don't, you know they will." By the end my voice had lost its edge...I began to feel sorry for myself. But the look he gave me was not of pity but of sadness.

He didn't reach for his sword but for me. Sliding down onto the floor next to me and pulled me so close to him there was no air left between us. Before he whispered breathlessly in my ear,"I am not my father Ella, he chose to kill the woman he loved because of duty. I cannot make that choice" and then he pulled away from the hug and pulled me onto his lap before kissing me deep and hard, making everything feel light and fluffy. All the anger and the misery began pouring out of me. He pulled  away looking at me for a moment, still hold in  me tight. "I love you Ella" and then he pulled me into him and kissed me again. When we finally came up for air I was speechless but my instincts were telling me what I should have seen the whole time, "I love you too Kailen" this time it was me who kissed him. With so much force that he keeled over onto the floor as I pinned him down still kissing him with everything I had. And then grandma walked in....typical.

"Well I see you two worked things out, I think I will just go back to bed before I see anything I don't want to" and then she turned on her heels and went straight back upstairs.

And just as we looked down at one another, wind blasted around us, pulling us together and the glow of a gold portal encapsulated us and we were sucked into its depths, still holding one another tightly. But it was too late, this was no ordinary portal. This was the kings portal, and for a strange reason I had a feeling he wasn't pulling us back home to congratulate us.