The Cruel Prince || Klena

04.

Elena stirred slightly. The pain in her shoulder had faded to a dull pulse. She still winced when she eventually opened her eyes and tried to move. Hands were on her instantly. "Don't move." He warned her. It was her brother, Jeremy. She looked around, and realized she was in her bedroom, back home.

"Where's Father? And Mother?" He shifted uncomfortably in the chair he was seated in. "Gone." He cleared his throat. She sat up immediately, and regretted it. She slumped back down. "Not like that." He added hastily. "They left. After you were shot, Father was furious. He demanded the guard to find your shooter, but whoever it was, was long gone. He blamed the Dark Ones. Got into a huge argument with the Alpha and Ventrue*, claiming it was 'all part of their plan'."

Elena suddenly got a spark of hope. "Does that mean that the engagement is off?" She asked, hopefully. Jeremy shook his head. That hope deflated. "No. They eventually came to an understanding that neither party was involved, and it was done by Rogues." Rogues? Rogues were stray Dark Ones, individuals who'd strayed from their kind, disagreeing with the Law.

They were almost unheard of these days. Almost. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you have to marry a stranger. That must be horrible. Having to spend the rest of your life with-sorry. I'm making it worse, aren't I?" He cut himself off upon seeing her face. "No, no, it's alright." Elena lied.

"Speaking of marriage, did Anna ever come?" Jeremy's face lit up. "Yes! Did you honestly think she would miss your engagement party?! Anna loves you, little sister. The same way I do." He paused. Elena felt some warmth go through her in the midst of all the uncertainty. "And she was dazzling. She came in the middle of all the fuss. You can imagine her face when everything was chaos."

"You were unconscious on the stage, and people were screaming everywhere like they'd lost their heads or something. Like...like a bunch of headless chickens!" He proclaimed. Elena laughed at her brother's dramatic gestures. "Oh? And what was Father doing?" She prompted him. "He was screaming like a fox had killed his sheep! He-he was shouting orders left and right, but of course no one was listening, so he just became all the more angry!" He sputtered.

Elena and Jeremy laughed out loud vivaciously and uncontrollably. They wiped tears from their eyes. Oh yes, the image of the King shouting was undoubtedly humorous to Elena, seeing as how her Father was always so composed. But he had a nasty temper. And they both had the scars to prove it.

Once the siblings had hit a certain age, it was like a flip had switched. All of the sudden he was the "loving" and "kind" King. But they both knew the truth. He was only attempting to change his ways because it seemed he had finally realized who would be taking the crown after him. And he wanted to control him.

Elena frowned suddenly, realizing something. "Wait, Jeremy. If you're going to be King of the Isles, and I'm going the be Queen of the Dark Ones, who will take Father's crown?" Jeremy's face turned serious instantly.

"I don't know. The thought has occurred to me already. And I do not know. It is very suspicious. I'm not accusing anyone, but I don't think the attempt on you was random. Someone planned this. Alerted the shooter. Question is why? You're already out of the way. Who would be targeting us? And why would they want you dead?"

Elena inhaled sharply. "Unless they didn't." Jeremy looked up. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if someone was targeting a certain someone that happened to be near me, but conveniently missed."

"I don't understand."

"This wasn't an assassination. It was a warning. Someone doesn't want me and Nik to join the Kingdoms."

*Ventrue: Leader of Vampyr clan, aka "Acerbus King"