The Secrets We Keep

Episode 16: The King's Mercy

My heart pounded so hard that I felt as if I couldn't stand straight in the King's throne room. My legs trembled, the thudding in my chest sinking me further into submission, despite every fiber of my being wanting to resist. I willed desperately to brace my hands against my chest, to feel some form of safety. I stood trembling, my hands bound behind my back, every breath shallow as Captain Gorvyn and a younger, brunette guard loomed behind me.

With a slow, deliberate movement, King Varek stood from his throne, the sound of his boots echoing in the cold, unforgiving room. His presence was suffocating, like a thick fog wrapping around me. The air felt thin, my breath shallow, every inch of me frozen as he neared.

When he stopped in front of me, I could see the darkness in his eyes, deeper than before, like two pits of endless night. Without warning, his hand shot forward, gripping my jaw so fiercely that I let out an involuntary whimper. He forced a vile liquid between my lips, the metallic taste flooding my mouth. I recoiled but couldn't stop the swallow.

"How long have you known?" he hissed.

"Ever since after my mother died," I involuntarily replied, my voice shaking.

Damn it. He gave me some sort of truth serum.

His face twisted, disbelief and fury mingling in his expression. "So it's true," he breathed. "That explains your red eye... But how? How is it even possible that you are still alive?"

I felt the words rush out of me again. "I don't know."

He began to pace in front of me, deep in thought, his boots clicking against the marble floor. He stopped abruptly, eyes narrowing at me.

"You possess no additional power from your demonic bloodline?" he asked. The question hung in the air for a few seconds.

"No." I answered, truthfully. Yes, I had Kako, but it wasn't because of my demonic heritage as far as I was aware. Unless he asked directly, I could keep that a secret– my only advantage.

Relief flickered in his expression, and he stepped toward me again, his fingers grazing my jawline. His voice came out deceptively softer, but no less terrifying. "Did you really think I would never find out?"

I swallowed, my throat dry, and my voice barely above a whisper. "Yes," I replied. I hated that I was cooperating against my will. I wanted him to know how angry I was at him, how much I despised him. I let myself continue to speak as truthfully as he wanted, "But, I'm still the same as every other Mongrel: oppressed by your stupid–"

His hand cracked across my left cheek, the sharp slap ricocheting through the room. Pain exploded across my face, and I gasped, the sting biting deep. "No you're not!" he roared. "You're an abomination! A child of two opposing bloodlines that should have never been born." His words hung heavy, dripping with disgust. "I should kill you where you stand for your bloodline alone, not to mention your outward defiance."

My heart stopped.

Should?

"But I won't," he scowled. "You've already sworn an oath of loyalty to me and what a waste that would be. No, you're far more useful alive to me now. Marked, but alive."

My stomach twisted. The room swayed for a moment as the realization dawned on me at his words. "No..." I breathed out, taking a step back, but the guard's grabbed my arms, holding me in place.

"Yes," Varek hissed back, a sick smile twisting his lips. "You'll be marked with both bloodlines for everyone to see, and you will be used as my weapon. My proof of power."

With a brutal yank, he spun me around, ripping my arms from the guard's grips, and forcing me to my knees. Gorvyn's face hovered above, his face radiating with twisted pleasure. Varek grabbed my hair, jerking my head back so sharply that pain shot through my neck.