Counting down the days until you see that I'm eternally yours...

Chapter 12 | 'Til Death Do Us Part

"When a fairy speaks to you in your dream, it is a warning of what is to come in your future."

Those who knew you well were aware of your insatiable curiosity; it was a trait that you found had often benefited and aided you, but at the same time it had also caused you more trouble and grief than you would have liked. Being curious always did come at a price; knowledge was power, but knowledge was also a burden. If you had known the truth of the legend the moment you had met JR, things surely would have been different. The events which had taken place, the conversations, the feelings, everything would have taken an alternative path. Of course, the extent of the damage would have been unknown to you, which is why the information had not been disclosed. It was not something you were meant to be told; it was something you were meant to fulfil earnestly.
'Curiosity killed the cat'. It was a strange phrase, but the truth of this saying was something you were about to learn the hard way...
Naturally, when you had recklessly called out to Grinkel, you were desperate. In such times, any idea tends to seem like the most genius idea at the time. Not even a minute had passed since then but you were now regretting having caught his attention. All had gone silent across the battlefield. Grinkel had snarled in your direction before making his way up the hill towards you. You took a step back, fearful of what you had just done.
"My lady, you must run," Dohyun stepped in front of you, shielding you from Grinkel but you both knew that it was futile.
"I...I..." you could not find the words.
You watched as Grinkel edged closer and closer, his grotesque features becoming clearer and clearer.
"Stop!" JR exclaimed before pointing his sceptre towards Grinkel and creating a force field between Grinkel and you. He held his sceptre tightly, all his concentration focussed on keeping the force field up, desperate to keep you safe. Two elven soldiers nearby stood in front of JR, poised and ready to lay down their lives to protect their King.
"How admirable," Grinkel began as he picked up a pebble and threw it at the force field, the pebble shattering into a million atomic pieces in an instant. "The Elf King has left himself vulnerable to protect you, a mortal." Grinkel's blood red eyes matched the dripping liquid at the end of his sword, filling you with dread.
"You need to run!" JR called out to you.
"Run?" Grinkel threw his head back, cackling as he did so. "Running won't stop the inevitable, Elf King. Now tell me," Grinkel extended a scaly hand, his pointed nails curling into his palm. "What reason do you have for calling me by my chosen name?" he snarled, clearly both annoyed but also pleased at having the upper hand in that moment.
You took a moment to weigh up your options. Supposing you did ask Grinkel for the truth about the legend, would he even give you the truth or would he tell you a lie? Was it possible to trust the word of the bad guy in such a situation? At the same time, the good guys had not exactly provided you with much information. It had been riddle after riddle and you were frankly sick and tired of it all. You just wanted to know. It had reached a point where you were no longer thinking rationally and were just being stubborn, but it had never failed you before. Taking a deep breath, you stepped out from behind Dohyun.
"I want you...I want you to...tell me about..."
"My lady, no," you heard Dohyun call after you.
"The legend."
"No..." you looked towards JR and saw the sad, helpless look in his eyes. Instantly, you realised you had made a terrible mistake.
"The legend?" Grinkel repeated, the corners of his mouth turning into a sly smile. "Why, has your Elf King been so rude as to not disclose to you the true nature of the Legend?"
"Don't you dare, Grinkel!" JR shouted towards him.
"But why ever not? The human needs to know."
"You know very well why..." JR's words trailed off and he looked towards you, pleadingly. "Please, you can't trust his word."
"I think..." you clenched your fists tightly. "I think I should at least hear what Grinkel has to say then decide for myself."
"How very wise and diplomatic," Grinkel laughed to himself. "Why it's such a shame, she would have served well as your Elf Queen."
"But I haven't decided if I will be the Elf Queen or n-"
"Are you so naïve as to think this was all in your hands?" Grinkel continued laughing mockingly. "You told her it was a choice?" Grinkel turned to JR. "You gave her false hope and told her she had a choice? You truly are a fool, as foolish as your foolish father was."
"Don't you dare speak a word about my father, you murderer!" JR snapped back at Grinkel.
Tension was high and your emotions were tumbling out of control. You were angry at Dohyun and JR for giving you false hope but at the same time, you were even more confused as to why they had given you that impression. Then again, if they had come up to you and demanded you return with them without any option, you would have surely resisted.