Crown Of Chaos

Chapter 18

I groan in pain as I raise my hand to my throbbing forehead.
I guess I wasn't a pro at drinking.
As slowly as I could, I pulled myself up and rested my back against the headboard.
How did I get back home? And where is Skye?
I gasped as my hand flew to my mouth.
Oh no. What did I do...
༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻
FLASHBACK FROM YESTERDAY AFTERNOON
"El, come on, we need to get you back to the palace." Skye sighed.
I shook my head and planted my feet firmly on the ground.
"Aw, come on, I was just beginning to enjoy myself," I whined as I swung our linked hands together.
Skye had pulled me away from the bar and was having trouble dragging me back to our horse, which was tied up near a bakery store nearby.
I think my hand was sweaty, or was it his?
"Come on." He grumbled as he pulled harder on my hands, forcing me to walk with him.
"No!" I yell as I yank him towards me, causing him to stumble a bit.
"Lets go back."
Skye looks at me questionably. "Are you serious right now?
I smile and nod my head vigously. My red hair whipping in the wind and getting all over my face and mouth.
"Positive-"
I didn't even get to finish before Skye's eyes suddenly widen as he pulls me towards him.
I trip into him speechlessly as my hands fall flat against his chest.
A bike whizzed past us, its rider yelling a sorry before paddling away.
Skye turns his head away from the bike and checks me over.
"You ok?" he asks.
But I didn't answer.
I was too busy realizing how close we were and how strongly his arms were wrapped around my shoulders.
Time seemed so slow as I gazed at him. His long blonde hair had fallen out of his ponytail. Stray strands swaying in the breeze.
He looked different. A good different
Older, more mature.
"El?"
I blink before shoving him away so hard that he goes sprawling to the floor.
"Shoot, El!" He curses as he looks at me angrily.
"What is wrong with you?!"
༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻
END OF FLASHBACK
I sigh and draw my hands over my face.
He's right.
What is wrong with me?!
What on earth was I thinking?!
Skye is my friend. My best friend.
I would never think of him as anything else.
My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on my door.
I huff and shuffle down into my sheets. I really didn't feel like talking to anyone.
"Come in!"
The door opens, and I recognize the voice immediately.
"A-afternoon Miss," Eve stutters as she plays nervously with the hem of her apron.
"Sir Edwards requests your presence in his study."
I force a smile. "Thanks Eve, I'll be right there."
Great. Another meeting.
As soon as Eve is out of my room, I hop out of bed and change into a pair of brown pants and a cotton white shirt.
I then quickly braid my hair and pull on some boots before walking down the hall and fianlly reaching his study.
I swallow before knocking on the door.
"Enter"
I walk in only to see Edward leaning against his desk, holding a weapon that looks strangley familiar.
I stride inside and shut the door behind me before sitting at his desk adjacent to where he is standing.
I stare at him as he silently rubs a white cloth over the weapon's blade before wrapping his fingers around the hilt and angling it towards me.
"Remember this?" he says as he dangles the wepon before my eyes.
My heart skips a beat when I set my eyes on it.
It was the blade I took from Valoria's armory room during the riot.
The same blade I used to plunge into my mother's "murders" stomach.
It still looked the same, its silver blade thin and sharp. Fragile-looking but strong and firm. The emerald green gems on the handle glistened in the candlight.
Edwards laughed upon seeing my reaction.
"Shocking right? I kept it after all these years."
He paused.
"I don't know why I did."
"How did you even get this?" I asked as I leaned back on my chair, trying to seem careless and unbothered.
"A maid found it in the bathroom and handed it over to me."
I bit my lip as I turned away from him.
Stupid maids.
Sighing, I turn my gaze back to him.
"So why am I actually here?"
Edward sat in his chair and faced me. Hands folded neatly on the desk.
"We are here to talk about your appearance," he says blandly.
I raise my eyebrows. "My aperence?" I scoff.
Edward nodded his head. "You knew the boy as a child, am I right?"
I nodded slowly. "I didn't really see his point.
"According to his actions 7 years ago, I don't think you and him left on good terms."
I push away the memories of me crying out for Declan's help before I was carried away by Edward's masked men.
"Your point?" I question.
Edward leaned back in his chair and fixed the cuffs of his sleeve.
"In order for him to marry you, you need to become someone else; you need to look different. act different."
I sigh. "And how do you plan doing that?"
Edward smiles slightly as he rises from his chair and walks towards me.
I stay deathly still as he grabs my braid and toys with it in his hand. Swinging it back and forth.
"We could start with your hair, as it is the most memorable feature of you."
I could feel my ears heat with anger as I snatched my braid back from his grasp.
"What do you plan on doing with it? I mumble.
Edward just stares at me for a few seconds before replying.
"Dye it."
I turn my gaze to him.
"You want me to dye my hair?
He nods as he runs his eyes over me. His hand scracthing his cean shaven chin.
"Dye it black."
I scoff. As much as I didn't want to, there was no point in arguing with him.
"It will be done," I grumble.
"That's not the only thing you'll be changing," he adds.
I sigh angrily. What on earth does he want me to do now?
"You must change the way you dress. I don't want to see you in this flimsy and unproper lady attire anymore apart from when we are training. Do you understand?"
I dig my nails into my palms. "Yes," I mutter.
Edward then takes my hand, and I almost flinch at his touch.
Edward and I were never close. Just looking at him makes me feel uneasy, let alone touching him.
His hands feel warm and rough as he turns my palm upwards and places the blade into my hand.
"Have your hair dyed by tomorrow. We have one week to train for the mission and discuss how the plan will carry out."
The blade lands in my hand, and I almost sigh with relief.
It feels so good to have this in my palm again.
"Am I clear?"
"Yes sir."