Innocent

~6~Azalea

I don't understand what I find so fun about playing Xki. I haven't felt a feeling like this since we were children, I could kill him if I wished, it's probably what I should do. Xki is getting more and more information about me, I don't have a plan but do I need one when he is so undertrained. He was trained by the king himself for years, more than me, shouldn't he be better than me? Is he holding back? Maybe I should simply just ki-

"Umm, Nyx? You in there." I snap back at Prim's voice.

"Yes, I'm here. Do you need something? I need to go buy us food. I'm leaving."

A flicker of hurt passed through her face. A flicker of guilt passes through me. No, no, no. She knows that I don't have feelings. She knows I only helped her because I took a whipping for her. It was stolen from me, my soul is gone. I am empty, empty, empty.

"I'm s-"

"No, it's fine. You told me years ago that you care for no one. You told me you can't rely on others. It's fine, I understand." she cuts me off.

She's only 10 she shouldn't have to feel this, I made her like this, I made her a monster, how my father made me a monster. A tool of death.

I leave before I can make any more slip-ups. I still need to keep him on edge, I have better ways to spend my time.

I find him easily, I manage to swipe his entire coin pouch from him without him noticing, that can't be right, it can't be that easy. Father always told me that I was a woman so I got lower training. Father wouldn't lie so Xki must be trying to make me underestimate him.

Time to have fun. 

I walk up to him. I now have my hair in two Dutch braids leaving all my scars for show. I must make him question himself, as Father taught me to, break their mind and the rest will come easily.

"Umm, excuse me, Sir?" I plaster on an intimidating look, "I think you dropped this," I say holding up the pouch. 

"Yes, I believe I did. My thanks." I watch his eyes as they fall from my hair to my eyes, to my lips where they linger, then to my neck. I watch his face change, contort into an expression I can't read.

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you get all those scars?" he asks, playing directly into my game.

"My father." I bow my head down, A fake attempt at hiding them.

"How old are you?" 

"I'm 18, Sir. I don't think you should linger on these," I say gesturing to my neck and the left side of my chin and cheek, "It happened a while ago, they don't hurt or anything." 

"A while ago?" he questions further.

"Y-yes, it all happened when I was around the ages of 7 till I was 10, if I remember correctly. It was quite a long time ago." 

Confusion crossed his face, then understanding, "Azalea?" he says

"I'm sorry?" I question.

"So you know someone named, Nyx?" I shake my head, "do you know someone named, Primrose?" I nod.

"Yes, yes. I do, she's like a sister to me." I explain, "I was unaware she had any 𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒊𝒒𝒂' 𝒅𝒉𝒖𝒌𝒖𝒓," I say purposely using Arabic.

"I apologize I don't know Arabic, what does that mean?" 

"Oh, it means, "male friends", I'm sorry I didn't mean to be disrespectful." 

"No no, that's alright. Could you possibly take me to Prim?"

I nod and motion for him to follow. I lead him to our alleyway corner where Prim is lying on the thin sheets of softened wood.

"Prim?" Xki questions.

Prim jolts up. Surprise is clear across her face once she sees me. I give her the smallest head shakes.

"Xki what are you doing here?" she says flustered.

"I was unaware of your living conditions," he says looking around. "I could get you a room at the inn while I stay here."

"No no, I'm happy here," she says quickly while shaking her head.

Her face reminds me of when I first saw her. She was getting dragged to the town center to be publicly whipped for an attempt at stealing an apple. A bitten back fear, not wanting to look weak but also trying to lead at the same time.

"'𝘢𝘯𝘢 '𝘢𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘲𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭'𝘪𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪, 𝘺𝘶𝘮𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘬 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘧𝘪 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘫𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪. 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘶?" I cut in speaking to Prim. (I know very little English, you help me translate. Okay?)

Prim nods then turns to Xki, "She said that she wants me to translate for her because she knows very little English." Prim interprets.

"That's alright. Do you have any messages from Nyx?" he questions.

"No," she states simply.

"Does she know her?" he says waving to me.

Prim looks at me and says, "𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘩𝘢 𝘺𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘩𝘢𝘲𝘪 𝘢𝘭𝘫𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘪?" (What the fuck is he doing here?)

"𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘣𝘶. 𝘧𝘢𝘲𝘢𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘮 𝘣𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭'𝘶𝘮𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘢' 𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘩𝘢" I respond. (Playing. Just make some shit up about me knowing her.)

Prim turns to Xki, "She does know her." she glances at me.

I cut in with purposely slow and shaky English, "Nyx is like a sister to me, same with Primrose."

"What are you doing here?" Prim cuts to the chase.

Xki sighs, "I was hoping for more information. I need to return to the castle with her in a fortnight (two weeks) or I will be punished." I give him a black stare when he glances towards me.

I go to the side of Prim to slowly make my way to the floor to sleep. I give Prim a warning look only she can see telling her to keep her mouth shut about our plan, my plan.

After a little more talk, Xki finally leaves. Prim gives me a look that I dismiss.

"Don't you think this is cruel?" she asks quietly.

"𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘶," I respond. (I do not.)

She sighs but I can feel her give up on the topic, she knows she won't win this battle or the war. I hear her breaths even out as I do every night, only then can I rest peacefully. 𝘞𝘩𝘺?

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    A/N

This chapter was a little boring.