A Thousand Words

Decision Time

I ripped the ring off.

“No.” My voice was as cold as it can get. “In your bloody dreams” I hissed, standing up, my heart hammering against my ribcage, threatening to jump out. The food I had just eaten was on the verge of being thrown out.  This is not happening- this is not happening. The Prince stood up. Oh God, this is happening. I groaned to myself.

“Ayzel, I do not appreciate your attitude, and you will change it.” I hadn’t realized he was walking this way. I started backing away.

“You can’t order me about.” Strangely, the words came out as a whisper. The Prince raised one of his eyebrows.

“That’s what you think Ayzel.” He opened his fists to reveal the ring. “And I would be grateful that you don’t do that again” My breath was caught in my throat and definitely not in a good way.

“I’m not getting married!” My voice grew louder at each word and I tried not to show my fear through the words I was speaking.

“We’ll see about that.” The Prince muttered softly, with an eerie coldness behind each word. He didn’t like people saying to no to him. “NowI suggest you take this ring, or might I have to convince you some other way?” I shook my head, almost wanting to plead him.

“This isn’t funny.”

“I realize that, I am, however, not one who makes jokes.” I didn’t think he was. I shook my head, shocked to hear my voice sounding almost pleading.

“I’m not – I won’t marry you” The Prince sighed.

“I’m not exactly giving you a choice Ayzel.” Others would have thought that his voice was almost gentle at that point but I knew that his tone was almost mocking.

“You can’t make me.” I attempted to sound more confident than I felt. “I will simply say no.” The Prince glanced my way, frowning now. His face didn’t look as relaxed now. “I don’t care…” My voice shook a little. “I don’t care if I embarrass you in front of the whole Kingdom.” My voice sounded much more certain than I felt.

I hadn’t even realized that I was cornered. The Prince looked down at me. I tried hard to flatten myself onto the walls, willing them to swallow me up. It didn’t work. The Prince’s eyes flashed.

“You really think you’re going to do that?” I glared back.

“I know I am.” My voice faltered a little, the Prince seemed to catch this out.

“Oh really…” His voice came out as a whisper. Thankfully, he strode back to table. He glanced at a guard who had walked in, other than that guard, we had been alone. “Call in the prisoner.” He ordered, with an authority in his voice that only some of the Royal family had it. I blinked at the word prisoner. Well of course he had prisoners. Someone got dragged in, my stomach tightened. It was an old man.

Prince Xayaan’s POV

I watched Ayzel’s face turn to one of horror. True the old man was one of my prisoners. What she didn’t know was that he was just about to be set free. The man was gagged and bound. He didn’t know what was happening or where he was.

I had actually had him took out, the council had wanted him dead, a reminder of how powerful they were. But then again they couldn’t do it without asking.

“This, as you can see is an old man… he wanted his daughter to stay at home, not work as a maid but stay.” I walked towards her, putting my arms around her. She stiffened up, cringing. I tried not to let my anger loose.  “His life lies in your pretty little hands.” Ayzel’s face paled. I stared at her. “You say yes, he goes free, along with his daughter. You say no…” The Prince gestured at his guard who immediately took out a sword and pointed it towards the man’s neck.

Beside me Ayzel stood, shaking a little. It is not easy to choose between your own life and someone-a strangers. However, this would help me make my decision. If she said no, I would pretend to have the man killed and let her live with the possible guilt and not marry her. But if she said yes, I would let the man walk free, even though he would have anyway.

“Fine.” That was the only word I needed. I nodded; the prisoner was pulled back out.

“There are more from where he came from.” I warned, quietly. “If you do anything displeasing in the future I shan’t hesitate.” She merely nodded. I knew this act had only just set me lower in her eyes but it wasn’t as if I already wasn’t.

“We will be married tomorrow.” I announced, placing the ring back onto her finger.

“Tomorrow?” I ignored her slight stammer, she’d have to get used to it. My eyes bore into hers.

“Yes, tomorrow” My reply was greeted with silence. “Until then you may do as you please.” A hopeful glimmer in her eyes, she wasn’t thinking of escaping… was she? “In your room.” I added. I smiled, it was better- much better- than having Jameelah as a wife.

Ayzel wasn’t talking anymore. She just stared at the floor, but I wasn’t fooled. I knew that she was thinking, I wondered if she would ‘risk’ someone else’s life for her own.

“I will escort you back.”

“I can go back myself, thanks.” She snapped wearily. I stared at her.

“No. You won’t.” I would teach her the rules later. I led her back to the room she was staying in and stopped near the door. “I have some paperwork to take care of…”

Ayzel’s POV 

“I have some paperwork to take care of.” Prince Xayaan explained, as if I cared. I had managed to stay a step ahead of him on the way here. He nodded. “Until tomorrow then.” By tomorrow I will have a plan. I told myself, of course I would. With that he took my hand and kissed it, lightly. I couldn’t help but wrench it away, my face red with anger. I received a very cold look from him, doing so. I turned and strode into my room.

The second I was alone I couldn’t help but cry. I know I’m not supposed to be but I just couldn’t stop. My sobs just kept coming. I ripped off the bangles and accessories, not caring how valuable they were at the moment. Finally, I was left in my cream dress. This couldn’t be happening; my life couldn’t just change like this. It just couldn’t. I found myself no longer supporting myself, wishing I could just somehow die here, wishing that somehow I would get out of this.

Yet somewhere at the back of my mind I knew I was stuck. This was not a fairytale.  This was happening and nothing could stop it now. Not even Uncle would. After a few minutes I curled up in the bed, trying to hide from the world. My thoughts would always just drift off to tomorrow.

I don’t know how long it was but soon my mind started growing drowsy. I had a suspicious it was the food I had previously eaten but I couldn’t bet on it. My body sunk into the mattress and the duvets coiled around me. The room was cool. The temperature dropping outside, the afternoon sun sunk into the distance deserts. With that, I allowed myself to drift off.

Ok, this chapter is very small... But there is more! I was just trying to stucture it... well we were... anyway, whoop there is 700 views for this story! Thank you for all the votes, comments and simply clicking on this story to check it out!