The King's Harem

Chapter 17

"Daughter of who?" I whispered mostly to myself.

"Allayna," Ari's voice was tense

I stared at him, he knew something. He was keeping something from me, he expected this.

"Allayna just repeat what he said. People are watching," He whispered

I looked to the crowd and sure enough, people were looking on in confusion and expectancy.

"Allayna!"Ari hissed

"I, Endolyn Allayna Steelewater promise to support the king and rule justly and fairly by his side,"

My voice felt too loud to my own ears. I sounded nervous and shaky. It mattered not how much I tried to level my voice. I wanted to be seen as strong, but how could I know? How could I be blindsided by this and Ari, he knows, he knows everything. He has been lying to me.

Did I not deserve some truth?

I felt the crown be placed upon my head. The weight felt as if it was crushing my skull, it was like ym head was made of paper. The scepter was place din my hands, but my hand refused to close around it. Sir Ellen forcibly closed my hand around the body of the sceptre.

He gave me a tight glare and turned back to finisht he ceremony.

"Then with the power vested in me, I introduce you to your King and Queen! " Sir Ellen announced.

Applause thundered throughout the room, citizens standing and clapping.

I could only see colors, my vision blurring. My head was killing me, that crown was getting tighter the longer I wore it.

"Ari who-" I started

The next moment happened so fast that I was not even sure what transpired at first. I had turned to Ari a million questions on my tongue when I felt the weight of that damn crown almost disappear. It's not like it was there and then gone. The crown was secured snugly on my head and when it fell backward, my head yanked with it, effectively tearing some of my hair out. My headache was far worse now. I brought my trembling hand up to my head and felt a sticky wetness.

The crowd was frozen in shock for just a moment one could hear a pin drop.

The silence was unnerving, what just happened?

No one was daring to move while the situation was processed.

It was just a moment longer before chaos ensued. People ran to the exit plugging up the large entrance. Too many people moving in panic, all at once.

I turned my head to find a large arrow embedded in the cushion of the throne behind me. Blood and hair decorated the arrow and the crown. I could feel the wetness now slithering down the back of my neck seeping into my dress.

"Allayna come on!" I heard Ari yell in my ear

It was unclear how long he had been calling for me. I felt almost attached to the seat.

Ari hauled me up not letting me gather my footing before yanking me from the throne room.

He dragged down a hallway where Prish and Allon waited at the end. He all but threw me into Allon's arms before stepping back.
"Get to my room and lock the door. Do not open it for anyone only me," Ari yelled before running back down the hall.

"W-wait where are you going?" I had finally opened my mouth to speak, but it was too quiet. He did not hear me, I barely heard myself.

Allon started dragging me with them down the hall.

I tried to get my feet to carry my weight, but he was moving so fast that I had no time to get my bearings.

"Please slow down a bit"

"No time to slow down, you need to speed up" Allon grumbled

"Why are we running? What happened back there?" I questioned

"Hush Allayna we must get you to safety before we start answering questions," Prish chastised.

I was getting increasingly irritated, but I shut my mouth and continued on.

The hallways of the palace now seemed so long. They were never ending as we did our best to make it back to Ari's chambers. We just rounded a corner when I felt a slice on the side of my ear. I screeched in pain as I slapped my hand against the wound. The arrow that narrowly missed taking my head off lay on the ground just a few feet ahead of us.

Before I even had time to turn around another arrow struck me only this time it sliced right through my corset., Luckily the wound was not too deep my corset came in handy for once.

As I turned around I spotted the culprit dressed in a black arrow already poised and pointed at me.