Come Morning Light

Chapter Nine

Bellamy had been gone for two days, attending business outside the kingdom. After our night in the yard I wasn't surprised to find I missed him and our time at night. I had started to look forward to sitting with him, to hearing his story as much as telling mine. The castle was quiet without the king. It was intimidating ever since someone had tried to poison me.

Finn took it upon himself to keep me safe. He came to my room every morning along with Raven and checked up on me. He was sweet, but I could tell he had it bad for my hand maid. I smiled when they would bump into each other, their embarrassed cheeks filling with blush. It was just as sickening watching them dance around their feelings as it was cute.

Bellamy made it clear someone was to check my food before it was brought to my room. I fought him over it being Raven, for reasons no one but the two of us knew. She thanked me when he finally agreed the cook would test it in front of Finn. I knew no one else would be foolish enough to try to take me out again. 

The king had been furious, he made it clear if anyone touched me they would face his wrath. I didn't want to know what he would do to them. I'm sure they would be begging for death by the end.

The last two days passed slowly. I missed Bellamy and his deep voice, I missed his warm hand holding mine. I stopped fighting myself, I realized after he saved me this wasn't going to be as easy as I thought it would be. He still wouldn't tell me the truth, but every time I got closer to it I realized this mission was useless. Because this boy King wasn't a monster, he was surviving whatever it was that was haunting him.

It had been hot these past two days. So hot no one left the castle except the guards. Finn complained about the heat, walking around without his shirt on whenever he was forced out into it. Of course he murmured about how we all knew this would happen. He would look at me whenever he said that.

They declared a drought the second day when the kingdom's water system ran dry. Finn made the decision to start getting water from the outside river since Bellamy wasn't inside the castle. I worried about Bellamy, he had promised he wouldn't be gone for a long time, but what if something happened? I worried, but I didn't understand what was happening. Whenever someone mentioned the drought or the heat, they usually look at me like it was my fault. 

Maybe this is why I wasn't supposed to live. Maybe my death was supposed to satisfy the kingdom and keep the world in balance. Or maybe I was trying too hard to connect two situations that clearly weren't related.

It was dark, a noise sounding from across the room. My eyes snapped open, my door slamming shut. I sat up, pulling the blanket up to my chin. I wasn't a scared person, but without Bellamy here I worried someone wouldn't care about his threat. They could flee before he figured out who it was who hurt me.

There was a dark figure standing at the foot of my bed. My heart stopped, "Bellamy?"

"Wrong," the voice was off, it wasn't as deep. It was as angry though. I couldn't see his face but I felt like I had heard him speak before.

I squinted against the darkness but nothing happened. I couldn't see who it was. I pulled my legs up as he figure moved slowly around the bed. They were getting closer to me, "see you're the problem. You're supposed to die. But Bellamy can't see that because he's thinking with the wrong head. So before you cause this kingdom to fall, I'll set things right."

"Murphy," the voice clicked into place just as his hands grabbed me, "don't do this. Please."

He laughed, it was evil and made my skin crawl, "I promise it'll be quick. Not before I have my own fun with you. Bellamy seems to enjoy his time spent here in this room with you. I want a turn, I want to see what all the fuss is about you."