The Misplaced Prince[COMPLETE]

His Princess

It was getting easier and easier to break free from her.

Joshua grunted, his muscles heeding to his command, and pushed away from the arrow piercing his skin. He glanced briefly at Shrader--the frozen man, still leaking rivulets of blood, his expression hard--and looked away with gritted teeth. He couldn't think on this situation at the moment--nor help it--so walking around the man, he approached the crossbow wielding Queen, a black rage filling him.

Standing within this room were the few people who mattered to him. And she threatened to hurt them. He would end her.

She was bending over Kasey who she had unfrozen, and Kasey lay dazed and stumped, a miserable bundle on the ground.He raised flaming hands, his voice stone cold, not betraying the killing fury that had descended over him.

"Step away from her, Queen. Right now." he drilled black eyes into her when she turned to regard him, "And unfreeze my family."

Her eyes went to the fire, unconcerned, "You know I'm only a vessel away, even if you destroy me again."

"Then I will kill your vessels one by one, until I find you and kill you myself." the fire was spilling over him, through him, "Unfreeze them. Now."

Kasey was edging a pale hand towards something, almost as if on instinct. She didn't look like she had any strength left within her to fight--God knew how long she had been trapped with this crazy woman--but Joshua wasn't about to draw attention to her attempt to equip herself with any of the weapons littered around her.

"Aren't you interested," the Queen whispered, stepping close to him, "why I wanted to marry you through that ridiculous Lady? What we could do together?" a crazed gleam entered her eyes, "I only need your woman's body. We'll be unstoppable together. I'll let you keep your people--your family. They are nothing to me."

"You're not going to lay a finger--" Joshua's eyes flared, "on my woman's body."

"I was not asking." she snarled, whipping around to Kasey, and Joshua grabbed her with burning hands. She let out a maniacal scream, and for a moment he thought it was because he had burned her as he tackled her to the ground, holding her beneath his flaming form. She went limp, her eyes fixed on something, and he realized she wasn't reacting to his fire--she was staring at Kasey, her gaze pale, hateful...scared?

Kasey was rising shakily, intense red hair streaming around her pale face, lifting something, her eyes almost unfocused. It was something heavy--a brick?--and her hands brought it up almost instinctively in front of her chest, clutching so hard that it reduced her fingertips to pale bloodless claws. A book? It was an ancient book, the one Joshua had discarded.

Painful compassion rose within Joshua at her obvious disorientation. She was an accomplished close combat fighter--was she now thinking it was a good idea to club the Queen on the head with a book?

Well, the idea did have merit.

"No! Nooo!" The Queen was growling, not struggling, regarding Kasey with stark fury, her jaw gritting helplessly, watching the melee as if now, for some reason, she was at a disadvantage. Her eyes narrowed at Kasey, again and again, attempting magic. She was trying to freeze Kasey, Joshua realized, but it was to no avail. For some reason, held to the ground beneath him, she seemed to have lost her power. Was it because he held her arms down--?

No, not the arms, Joshua realized. It was the book. The book Kasey clutched to her, looking almost dazed with possession, had somehow made her immune to the Queen's powers.

Having been in the royal heirlooms, the book had had to have some power. Was that what it was?

"Step away, Joshua." Kasey said calmly. Joshua shot her a surprised look.