After The End

9. The Secret Revealed

Elora pov:

At first glance, I didn't recognize my own room. It was like a tornado had swept through and tarnished the whole place. The mattress was haphazardly thrown from my bed and onto the floor. The drawers were emptied and all my belongings were scattered around. The white sheer curtains danced, stirred by the breeze coming from the open door of the balcony.

My heart skipped a beat when my eyes fell on a shadowy figure sprawled on the couch. Every instinct told me to run away screaming bloody murder, but the square thing in his hand stopped me dead in my tracks. Is it what I think it is?

With a heavy heart, I mustered the courage to step forward. My body trembled, with each step the figure became clearer.

His muscular arms stretched across the back cushions, taking the whole space. I gulped recognising the brown leather journal firmly grasped in his ringed, long fingers. With his head tilted back; the soft glow of the moonlight highlighted his strong jawline and prominent Adam's apple. My gaze trailed down, and I noticed the ruby hanging from a thin gold thread around his veiny neck, the symbol of the royal family in plain sight.

Contrary to the well-groomed appearance I had seen in the castle, now the buttons of his shirt were half-opened revealing his sculpted chest, his coat was nowhere to be found. Heat crept into my cheeks as my eyes shamelessly linger longer than intended on his bare, tanned skin. I forced my eyes back to his face.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?" I stammered, instinctively taking a hesitant step back when his eyes shifted towards me.

"Well, well, I didn't know you have a penchant for writing." Aurelius sneered, with his usual devious smile, holding my journal up in the air. My heart sank, I had a flicker of hope that miraculously it wasn't the damn thing.

Damn me, and my stupidity. I was so confident that I hid it well.

"But my, oh my, why would you doom yourself to such a miserable ending." He clicked his tongue, his eyes gleaming sadistically in the dimmed light.

I struggled to defend myself, from all people he had to be the one to find my journal. However, I couldn't afford to show weakness in front of him, he thrived on the fear of his prey until he completely broke them.

"Give me that. what I do or write is none of your business." I demanded calmly because I was too terrified to sound angry.

Attempting to take him by surprise, I lunged forward to snatch my journal. He jolted up from his seat, and I instantly recoiled. His towering, muscular build and captivating, menacing eyes suddenly made my insanely large room suffocatingly small.

"And how generous of you, to make it all about that Bexley girl and our oh-so-majestic prince. Quite the obsession you have there." He taunted, a mocking grin playing across his lips. with each step I took back, he took one forward.

"I am wounded, you know. How cruel of you to paint me as a villain, and didn't bother to write an end for me as well. I wonder if it will be happy or tragic." He tilted his head to the side, his bottom lips turned down in fake sadness.

In a blink of an eye, I was pinned to the wall, his fingers wrapped around my throat, but not too tight to block the air out of my lungs. I gasped sharply, my teary eyes locked with his crazed ones. The speed with which his demeanor changed chilled me to the bone, from a mocking smile on his lips to an unhinged look in his eyes with murderous intention written all over them. I dug my nails into his skin struggling to free myself from his clutch.

Is this how I die? I guess that's what I get for 'speeding up' the plot, I speed up my death as well.

"Yet, what intrigued me the most, what I cannot wrap my head around is how the fuck did you know about me and the king?" He hissed. I swore for a second I saw a flicker of alarm or perhaps fear cross his eyes.