Desire (On Hold)

Chapter 15

Hellooooo! An upload at last! YAY!

Chapter Fifteen

I stood off in the corner of Asteria’s now-empty bedroom. She had just finished packing up the last of her things into a wooden trunk, when Henry walked in the room, his usual swagger abandoned.

“I have some tea for you,” he said hopelessly, handing over a steaming hot cup of tea that had steam pouring out. “Just made it myself.”

Both Asteria and I watched him cautiously, which he noticed. He quickly went to explain his odd behaviour towards her.

“I’m so sorry,” he said apologetically. “I really am.” He hung his head low, making it seem like he really meant what he was saying, but I knew it could have just been a way to hide what he really felt from her without even having to modify his facial expressions.

I stepped into Asteria, curious to see what she thought of the whole thing. Of course, as I expected, she didn’t pick up that Henry hanging his head might have been a way to hide his real emotions. She truly thought he had ‘reformed his attitude’ as she put it. I didn’t expect her to think the way I did, however, because she was so young and innocent, with no experience... not that I had much more experience than she did, but the whole Asteria’s memories thing had taught me a lot about the world and people.

Asteria smiled at Henry and sipped the tea, not cautious in the slightest anymore. I wished I could reach out to her and tell her not to, but I was just a witness in a series of events that had happened a long time ago.

I could feel everything Asteria was feeling. The tea dripping down her throat, making it feel dry was just the first step of what Henry had done. I could feel every single drop reaching her stomach, tearing through painfully.

Asteria cried out in pain, clutching her burning stomach. “What have you done to me?” she screamed, all forgiveness she had felt towards Henry disappearing in an instant.

The tearing pain felt like it had started bubbling and bubbling, snaking its way up to her head. She had began to feel dizzy, and staggered to the side, grabbing on to the side of her old bed for support.

“You’ve poisoned me!” she screeched, her face contorted in anger and pain.

“I really am sorry, Asteria,” Henry apologised again, but his smile contradicted it.

Asteria collapsed and Henry gathered her up, covering her head with a potato sack and wrapping ropes around her wrists. He slung her over her shoulders and walked out of the room.

“Come with me,” the older Asteria said to me, striding towards a room at the end of the hall. The kitchen.

I looked around and saw Henry discussing something with somebody quietly and urgently. I moved closer to hear what they were saying.

“Asteria is definitely asleep,” Henry assured the other man.

“Good, I have the other sleeping draughts ready,” the unknown man said, pointing to a stove where a pot of bubbling mixture sat.

“Very good,” Henry appraised. “You stay here with my sister while I administer the others with the potion. After about, say ten minutes of me leaving the castle, you will come with Asteria.”

Henry dropped Asteria onto the floor in front of the man from over his shoulder and walked out of the kitchen.

I followed him, running to try and keep up with his long strides. He finally stopped and entered a room close to Asteria’s old bedroom.

Inside the room were a dozens - maybe even a hundred -  of frightened people, waiting to see what they were doing there. A lot of them froze in horror when the saw Henry, but others bowed to him out of fear.

“Silence,” Henry shouted, making the already quiet room fall completely silent. “Follow me.” He turned his back and began to walk away, out of the castle and across the dark and silent gardens. All the people followed nervously, their hands tied behind them, making them feel like prisoners.

Henry walked - and was followed by the many people - for what felt like to the people a lifetime, until he reached the sea and an old, rickety ship. He gestured for them to file on board and they did as told, not wishing in the slightest to contradict the heir to the throne.

As everybody sat on the wooden floor, huddled in together, Henry pulled out of a sack he had been carrying a large pot with a ladle.

“Everybody must drink a spoonful of this mixture,” he ordered loudly. “It’s for your own safety, so i wouldn’t try to get away with not having any.”

Henry passed the pot to the closest person and they gulped down some of the mixture, feeling the same horrible sensation as Asteria did. Every person after him did the same and experienced the same feeling, until the ship was littered with unconscious bodies.

“She’s here, Sir,” grunted the man from the kitchen, panting as he arrived on the ship with Asteria slung over his shoulders like a sack full of shopping.

Henry took Asteria off the man and waved him away. Once Henry was sure he had gone, he dropped his sister on the ground amidst all the other people. He left a note stuck to the bag covering her head saying that she was to be the ruler of the island they were headed to. It was the least he could to for her after sending her away.

“Goodbye, sister,” he said emotionlessly. “Have a good life.”

So what do you think about Henry? Pretty awful man, eh! But I have mixed emotions about him... I mean, yes he is horrible (in my story at least, I don't know what he was ilke when he was alive!) but he does love his sister in an odd kind of way... he just wants to be king and doesn't want anyone threatening that. Anyway, tell me what you think! Please comment :)