The Last Prince to Die

Whatever it Takes

I heard her gown rustling in the corridor before the Queen entered my chamber unannounced. The guards flung the door open carelessly and I jumped from the sudden noise. Her entrance wasn't unusual, but it was always unexpected.

"I have just received a letter from the Prince of Leucos," She stated to catch my attention. "He has offered his hand to you and I am writing now to accept." I gasped and gave her a grieved look.

"Your majesty, must I really marry this Prince?" My chest tightened as I remembered what had happened to my recent husband. She didn't seem surprised by my inquiry and was unmoved by my plea.

"I'm sure it's no surprise to you, Princess, that your wishes are not honored here. You are merely a pawn for our kingdom to gain more power and territory. So, my suggestion is that you learn this now and accept it or you will join your family in their tragic fate." A tear threatened to slide down my cheek, but I resolved not to cry in front of her.

"I don't mean to disobey your Highness, I merely wish to point out that my recent husband died only two months ago. Would my marrying another man so soon after his death not look suspicious?" The Queen took a moment to think on this point before responding to my argument.

"What the people think of you is none of my concern. You will marry Prince Valdemar and I will hear nothing else on this matter," All of the air left my lungs and I felt as though I had been punched in the gut. "I have arranged for you to leave in a week to meet him and make preparations for the wedding." With her final announcement, she left my room and the guards slammed the door behind her.

I threw myself onto my bed and curled into a ball. I sobbed into the pillow that I was cuddling close to my body for nearly an hour. All of the memories of my late husband flooded my mind and I was overcome with grief.  The pain in my heart was too much to bare and I now lay on my bed silently thinking of ways I could get out of this arrangement. 

I heard the voice of John, my body Guard, outside the door. I wiped away my tears and opened the door to see him assuming his shift guarding my door. When he saw me, he stopped the guard that he was relieving and had him take his post for a few more minutes as he followed me into my room. 

"Princess, what happened to grieve you?" I sat on the edge of my bed and took a deep breath before responding.

"The Queen is forcing me to marry the Prince of Leucos," I held back another wave of tears as he processed what I had just told him. "I tried to protest the idea, but she would hear nothing I had to say." His face turned red as he got angry about this news. 

"Why is she making you marry another man? Your late husband King Declan passed away only a short while ago. Does she have no compassion for your feelings?" I chuckled sarcastically. 

"I think you and I both know she has never cared for me or my family. She told me that my only role is to help her gain territory and power." He was shocked and his fists balled up at his sides. 

"You are not a pawn in some game, you are the Princess of Nymeria and the rightful heir to this kingdom." I shook my head.

"That's just it, I am not. Ever since the King and Queen took over my kingdom, I have become nothing but a puppet. I am a piece in the game of power that they are playing," I hesitated before I spoke again. "I believe they are the ones who killed my husband." He gasped.

"Are you sure?" I paced back and forth in front of my bed as I nodded and began to explain.

"After this morning, I am sure it was them. Think about it John, why else would King Declan have been murdered in front of me? Why else would they spare my life and send me back home? And, why would I be forced into marriage again so suddenly," I paused before whispering. "It's my fault that Declan was murdered..." Tears poured down my hot cheeks as I sobbed again.

John walked over to where I was sitting and sat next to me. He pulled me into a hug and I leaned into him as he rubbed my arm.

"Please forgive my neglect of custom, but I thought you needed a hug from a brother," I nodded as I held him tighter and thought of my late brother. "It is not your fault that King Declan was killed. You aren't the monster who ordered his murder and you certainly didn't deserve to see it unfold. I know how much you loved him and what they did is unforgivable." I pulled away so I could look John in the eyes. 

"John, if I marry the Prince of Leucos, they are going to kill him too." I found it hard to breathe as panic set in. 

"Bela," He only used my real name when he was serious. "You can't control what they do." I shook my head and stood resolutely. 

"Maybe not, but I can get to him first." John raised an eyebrow and gave me a concerned look. 

"What do you mean, why would you need to get to him first?" 

"John, I don't want anyone to ever go through what Declan had to suffer through. I can't bare to see another person hurt at my expense. So, I'm going to kill him first." John was too stunned to speak as he stared at me. 

"You know you can't just go and kill someone, right Bela? Especially royalty, I mean, if anyone found out, you would be hung. And, aside from that, you aren't a killer. There has to be some other way of solving this problem." I ignored his advice and frantically searched my room for something as he continued reasoning. 

"Ah hah, I found it!" I said with a victorious smile as I held up the item I had been looking for. I brought it back to John and put it in his hands.

"Your dagger?" He looked down at the sheath and then at me again. "You're serious about this, aren't you?" I nodded with a serious expression before he handed it back to me. 

"I promised my brother I would regain our kingdom. He looked me in the eyes with terror as a group of men mercilessly whipped and beat him. They left him to bleed out and die as I sat there, chained to the wall. He used all the strength he had left to look up at me. He made me promise that I would make these people pay for what they did to our family, and I intend to keep that promise." John could tell that I was lost in the memory, so he grabbed my hand and I snapped out of my thoughts.

"I know you've been through a lot and I won't even pretend to understand what is going through your head. And there is nothing I want in this world than to have my best friend back. But, killing this Prince won't avenge your brother." 

"I know, killing this Prince isn't about avenging my brother. It's about protecting his kingdom and the rest of his family. If I marry him, a group of men will be sent to torture and kill the Prince and everyone in his family. Then, they will take over his kingdom and I will be sent to start the same process all over again as soon as another Prince proposes. I have to make sure this corruption ends with me. I will ensure his death is quick and painless, but I will not allow anyone else to witness what I suffered through." John was silent as he contemplated what I said. 

"If you do this," John started hesitantly. "You're going to need help and I won't let you go alone." I shook my head.

"No, if I do this I have to do it alone. I will not let you get hurt for something that I had to do. I already lost one brother, I will not lose another one." One of the guards called John's name and he had to leave.

"I can't tell you what to do, but at least think about it?" He cracked the door and then stared at me pointedly. "And, whatever you do, please tell me about it. Even if I can't be there, I want to make sure you're ok." He closed the door and I sat on the edge of my bed. 

I looked down at the dagger in my hands and sighed. I tried to imagine what my brother would do if he were in my shoes. I know he would have done anything for our family, including fighting in war. So, I made up my mind that I would do whatever it took to protect the people I care about. I am going to kill the Prince of Leucos.