Betrothed & Betrayed

Chapter Four

Queen Kyler was carried up into the queen's suite by Jacobi, feeling nervous as anxiety racked through her. She had only kissed a boy once before Jacobi, a cute stable boy whom she'd had a crush on as a young fourteen year-old. Jacobi closed the door behind him, before setting her gently in an upright sitting position on the bed. He sat down next to her, and she tried not to wince as his shoulder and thigh brushed against hers. "So.. Guess we're married..." Jacobi said, and she could sense the tension and hesitation. 'To hell with it.' She thought, before running her fingers down his cheek to turn his head towards hers. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, closing her eyes. She could feel his surprise, before his hand came around to rest on her back, pulling her closer. She leaned back towards the headboard, taking him with her and putting them on their sides. Something sparked in her chest, another fluttering around in her stomach. Her cheeks warmed as she moved her mouth against his. She slung her leg over his hip, slipping her hands under his shirt. He was surprisingly strong; his stomach and chest were muscled and wiry, as he wasn't exactly the bulky type. She let out a breath through her nose. Jacobi seemed to know exactly what to do; his hips moved against hers, and she wanted nothing more than for there to be no clothing between them. Her fingers ran through his hair, his hands travelled up and down her sides. She slipped off his jacket, his tie and shirt coming next. She felt his hands go to her shoulders, to the straps where he proceeded to slip them down and pulled her dress down her body, uncovering the thin white slip that went from her breasts to her thighs. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and both she and Jacobi leaped apart. Jacobi fell off the side of the bed, and Kyler stifled a laugh as she pulled her dress back up and put the straps over her shoulders. She stood and walked over to help Jacobi up. A second knock came as he was putting his shirt back on. "Who is it?" Kyler called, putting authority in her voice. A maid walked in, a letter placed on the tray in her hands. "Your Majesty, this is a letter from the King of Raymont." She said with a shaky voice, though there was curiosity in her tone. Kyler walked forward, grabbing the letter. "Thank you, miss." Kyler said, before closing the door as the maid left. She opened it, before letting out a gasp.
There was no king of Raymont.
~~~~
"To the queen of Norden, or whomever is in power, this is a serious letter. As of last night, the queen of Raymont, her majesty Queen Elane, is dead. She was killed by an assassin who goes by the name of Troye Valdez, who wore the symbol of Norden, and claimed he was sent by Queen Kyler. He was executed this morning, by the word of King Malik, heir to the throne.
As of now, until Queen Kyler is exiled or executed, Raymont is at war with Norden. She has threatened us, murdered our Queen, and started a war."
Kyler read the letter aloud, her heart sinking with every word. Jacobi had appeared behind her, his front pressed against her back. "This is bad." She murmured. Suddenly, something cold and hard pressed against her back. "Yes, it seems to be." Jacobi said, his voice like frozen steel. "Jacobi, what are you doing?" Kyler asked, turning to see a gun pressed into her stomach. "As you read, this kingdom cannot be safe unless you aren't here." Jacobi kept the gun pressed against her as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "After all, there's a king to take your place." He whispered, his voice chilly. She sensed somebody creeping up behind her, before the sharp sting of a needle piercing her neck. "Jac.." She murmured, before tumbling to the floor.
~~~~
When Queen Kyler awoke, she was bumping along in a dark place. Disoriented, she felt around, realizing that she was in some sort of horse trailer by herself. Terror filled her. "Where am I?" She mumbled, trying to stand but wobbling and collapsing back onto the floor. Kyler used her arms against the side of the trailer to get up, looking out the little slit that was supposed to be some sort of window. They were in the middle of nowhere, she realized, far outside of her kingdom. Panic swept through her, and tears sprung in her eyes, before rage started pooling inside of her. Jacobi had done this. She curled up on the floor, where multiple old blankets had been thrown in around her. She pulled them close to and over her, shivering. It was winter here wherever they were, obviously, which meant that it was far from her kingdom, her crown, her right as a ruler.
She had been stripped and put in a small black dress that some sort of lower class would wear; it had sleeves that went just past her elbows and a modest neckline, and went to her mid thigh. She was wearing the same underwear and bra she had been earlier, but no slip to keep the chill from reaching her torso. She curled her toes, trying to get some warmth into her bare feet. As she sighed, the trailer halted. The trailer door was opened as she pretended to be unconscious, before a rough hand grabbed her arm and yanked her into an upright position. "Wake up!" A male said loudly, tapping her cheek with his fingers. "Where am I?" Kyler said defiantly, opening her eyes. He was some sort of guard, with an unknown symbol on his chest. No, that was the symbol of.. Ironridge. "On the way to King Zenos' kingdom, of course." He snapped, looking down at her.
She rubbed the side of her neck gingerly; the person who had stabbed her with the needle hadn't bothered to be careful, and a bruise had blossomed across her skin. The guard yanked her up by the arm, and she flinched away, quickly grabbing a blanket to wrap around her frozen self. Even with modern technology, she guessed that Jacobi didn't give a damn how she was deported, as long as the job was done and she was gone for good. The tall guard dragged the queen to a different trailer, where she was practically thrown in, back hitting the wall of the mobile roughly, door slammed shut so she couldn't escape. Kyler looked out the window, falling back as the truck pulling the trailer jolted into motion, quickly regaining her balance and shooting back to the window, looking out desperately. They were entering the kingdom of Ironridge, moving through the gates. Kyler's heart sank in her chest, utter hopelessness filling her. As they drove through the villages and towns of the kingdom, she covered her mouth with a hand, sinking to her knees and falling back onto her haunches. It only took about ten minutes to reach the castle, and as Kyler was manhandled out of the trailer, she struggled, looking up at the castle, knowing it was her doom.