Half a heart, half a crown

T W E N T Y T W O

With a sudden action, I was pulled and hardly gripped with the tip of the sword pointed close to my neck.

A gulped passes through my throat.

My heart beat rapidly non-stop, quicker and quicker, I was terrified, if I move an inch, I knew I would be hurt.

"Angelica Fanicanio." He said in his deep voice.

Angelica? Princess Angelica?

The room full of hitting, fighting and killing were all gone down in a very unexplainable silence.

Suddenly everyone stopped. Antonio froze in his place and Father King Edwards stared at me with worried eyes. His grip on the sword tightened and he took a slight step forward, but this doesn't bring me any good, the tip of the sword came closer and touches my skin slightly. I could hear the slightly cut causing the dripping of the blood. What came to my sight is that Princess Angelica was nowhere to be found. I guessed King Antonio noticed this, but he didn't act suspicious because he knew this man right here had mistaken me for princess Angelica.

"King Devilon Arisen.." King Antonio said through gritted teeth.

My eyes widened and I was trembling, oh god I shouldn't be trembling right now because the tip is cutting through my flesh little by little.

King Devilon Arisen, this couldn't be real, he was the king of kings. The king who was dark and vicious, the cold-hearted king who ended so many people lives. The merciless monster. I, everyone was told to not mess with him, or to even involve with him, he would kill you within a glance, this silver-blue eyes monster is terrifying. Rumors spread all over the world that if this brutal king wanted something or anything at all cost, we have to give it to him, or else, oh god, or else he wouldn't give you back your life. Didn't they say it is a rumor? But darling, not all rumors are false.

What wish did princess Angelica not granted him?

"Lend her back to me." Father King Edwards said with his sword pointed fixed at King Devilon.

A dark chuckle escaped from King Devilon's lips and my heart skipped a beat in denial. What was that?

Darkness.

Darkness was all I saw.

There was silence. The presence of the sword was no longer here, I could sense it. I could feel it. But as far as I know, my eyes couldn't fight to remain opened, as my eyes slowly drifted halfway shut, the large silver-blue eyes were the last thing I saw before I lose consciousness.

***

I woke up to the chains and dark walls. Agonized sounds were echoed through the massive walls, everything was dark. Blood stain across the walls and different kinds of weapon were hanged in every corner.

Every. Corner.

I pulled the chains from the rows of steel with all my might. But it wouldn't break.

"Don't bother." A voice said.

I looked up to see a man with tired eyes and bloody wrists. I knew what they did to him, so cruel and yet so unforgivable. And I knew exactly what he did to himself.

"I already tried."

Those three words were enough to makes me realize I am useless, helpless.

Suddenly came to realization that I am still in my wedding dress, but it was not white, it was tainted with red, blood. My hair were a mess and my veil-it was nowhere to be found. My feet were bare and bloody, cut and bruises were seen very clearly. Everything looked like a nightmare and you know what is much more terrifying?

This isn't a nightmare.

It is the truth of reality.

"Ding.."

Someone might have hit the bell because it ringed loudly. Everyone around me looked terrified and they all gather and hugged themselves in the corner. Guards came and unlocked the cage, everyone stay in their position and no one walked out, I was surprised and confused at the exact same time. What scares me the most is that why do I act like them? I shouldn't be scared nor terrified but I found myself snugged to the side, far away from those unknown people.

Who wouldn't be scared when you found yourself in a cage full of strangers, not just any ordinary strangers, but strangers with blood and bruises all over them.

"Get out." One of them order.

As everyone crawls out, I stood up causing everyone's eyes to be on me, someone pulled the end of my dress trying to get me on my knees, I got down and followed them.

Everyone knelt there, heads bowed, feeling as helpless and as furious as I did, I wanted to fight, I wanted to do something. But I was terrified, just as everyone else. Until someone lifted my chin causing my gaze to reached upon the brutal King Devilon Arisen.

His gaze stared deadly into my eyes without any emotions.

"Why have I mistaken you for Angelica?" He spoke, "you two looks nothing similar."

Everyone said nothing and I was terrified to do so.

"I thought she was going to be married to Antonio today." He said, "I was wrong."

What was all this about? Did princess Angelica and King Devilon have some kinds of connection that we, us did not know about? Oh god, all I want right now is to escape from all this mess, meeting King Devilon was already a nightmare.

"You ruin my plan." He leaned down and looked at me with madness in his eyes.

My jaw was shaking due to the cold voice of his.

"You will be punished." His eyes turned dark, "just like them all."

They looked frightened but they didn't even let out a word or protest. They are afraid, just as I remember the face of the King of Emercidin, they were all afraid of this merciless king. No one had ever mistaken brown eyes for blue eyes, this is the first time I have witnessed.

His hand gripped hardly on a rope and twisted it so hard and strongly slammed it across my back and my screams were shaking. I cried in pain but I bit the side of my cheeks, trying so hard not let out my sobbing.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"No." it managed to came out braver and stronger than I thought.

"Smart woman." With that he pour a bucket of extremely cold water on my severely bleeding back.

I winced in pain and I could tasted the metallic-taste in my mouth from the hardly bit cheeks.

I was panting real hard. I was scared. I was terrified. I was afraid. I was myself, my weak self.

Beat.

Stop.

Beat.

Stop.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Through the moment of silence, just my heart slamming so hard in my chest due to the unbearable pain, my breathing could be heard very clearly reaching the four massive walls. But no one says a word, they were all bowed and couldn't move, they were helplessly scared.

Until someone decided to speak up.

"I accept coins, gold, weapons, sterling, silver, broken hearts."

He leaned down and his lips twisted into a smirk.

"And secrets."