𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆

{Plot 3}• CHÀPTER XVII

𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐔𝐒 ♚♧

(Caution: Vague description of blood and violence)

I tried to sit as still as I possibly could. I hated being here without Audrey. It had been hours and still Vandal had not shown up. Ryker and I had been told to wait in the meeting room and we have been here ever since.

We arrived earlier than expected and they seemed a bit startled to see us but non the less welcomed us. Vandal was not a man that stayed away so when I hadn't seen him in the welcome crowd I had gotten the feeling that there was something off. His cup bearer Isaiah had said he was with his men and would be with us shortly but till now we still had not seen him.

Against my better judgement I had listened to Ryker when he said we should wait. I held onto the white glove Audrey had given me tightly, inhaling her intoxicating scent from time to time to calm me down. I had been away from her for long enough, I couldn't stay any second longer.

I pushed myself off where I sat, walking over to the door I felt Rykers arm stop me before I could grab unto the handle.

I turned around to face Ryker, "I refuse to stay here any second longer. We have been here for hours Ryker and there has been no sign of Vandal. There is something wrong"

"I agree. It's unprofessional to keep the King waiting and Vandal seemed too eager to have us here to just not show up" Ryker agreed. "Even his second command has not been seen"

"It's enough of this" I pushed the doors open, my men marching up to meet us.

"Your Highness" they greeted in unison.

"Where is Isaiah" as if on cue Isaiah emerged walking up to us hastily. He looked a bit panicked and unsettled by our presence.

"Your Highness" he bowed and I glared at him, watching his every move. "Y-you're out. Vandal will be-"

"Enough" I stopped him. My patience was running so thin I felt my blood begin to boil, they had made a fool out of me. I came here and I hadn't gained anything, nothing but excuses. I could have been with my little one instead I was here being made to look like a damn fool. I balled my fists, my brows set in a firm frown.
"Where is Vandal" I stressed each word through gritted teeth.

"H-"

A guard walked in cutting him right off. He walked up to me, whispering into my ear and the words that left his lips had the last specs of my patience and self control dissolving into thin air.
"Vandal, Griffon and half of his guards are not in their stations. They are not here"

My eyes snatched back to Isaiah's now wide panicked ones. He began to shake furiously, his hands gripping onto the end of his shirt. I took slow calculatice steps towards him, my fingers tracing over the white glove in my one hand while the other twitched with the urge to grip his throat and tear his skin with my nails.

"You have been fooling your king" I spoke calmly, the look in my eyes and the promise in my tone the exact opposite. My eyes began to darken and I could feel myself loosing it. My hand trailed up to his neck where I slowly gripped him hard, forcing him to his knees. He began to cry and it only made me even angrier.

"P-please have mercy My Lord" he pleaded, crying like a banshee. His voice scraped my ears and all I wanted to do was snap his neck like a twig and throw him to the side but I needed to draw as much information as I could from him.

"I don't like repeating myself" I leaned down so my face was only a few inches away from his and he could see all the things I wanted to do to him in the golden rims of my eyes. Just then I heard a loud familiar voice in my mind crying out my name. I stilled, my blood running cold when the owner of the voice registered in my mind.