Modern Princess

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Ren's POV

I waited and waited and waited for nothing to happen. I saw my opportunity arise when Griffin started to look distressed and the men watching over me began to slouch.

I slowly looked down, scanning the ropes on my waist and tugged a little on the ropes behind my back. I couldn't see a flaw in them where I could easily escape, but the guards had been dumb enough not to tie my legs to the chair. If they thought I was some weak princess who couldn't defend herself they were about to find out how wrong they were.

"Griffin I need water. Sitting out in this heat is exhausting," I complained loudly.

He turned his head slightly so I knew he heard me, but still ignored me.

"Griffin please! I just need some water. I'm not feeling too great."

He ignored me once again as I thought he would which meant I only needed to wait a little while longer to initiate my plan. After waiting a good amount of time for Griffin and the guards to think I had passed out of a heat stroke, I let my head fall and my body sag.

It didn't take as long as I thought for the guards to notice my new posture and to get Griffin's attention. He sounded frustrated, but came over to me none the less. After a while of prodding my neck, checking my pulse, and feeling my "feverish" skin, I made my move.

I kicked my legs up, letting the sound of noses cracking and screams of surprise and hurt satisfy my goal. I rocked onto my feet so I would be standing up, even though I was still tied to the chair, and began using my prison as a weapon.

Once more, groans and screams filled the air as my chair came in contact with bone and flesh. I didn't stop to assess the situation when I made a break for it. The door was at the other end, but I knew if I could at least run/hobble halfway there, I could fight the rest of the way there if necessary.

As it was I did make it halfway, but it wasn't Griffin or the guards that stopped me. The rooftop door slammed open and a very familiar king stepped through it followed by a few guards.

"King Sorg?" I gasped, both from lack of air and a bit of surprise.

What was he doing here?

"Ahh, Princess Renoford. I see you're still here," King Sorg sneered taking a step towards me.

I couldn't move. One because I literally had no where to go, but also because it was King Sorg. Why was he here?

King Sorg continued, "You seem just as surprised Griffin. I suppose there are some things you really can't figure out. But your lure did work. I'll take Princess Renoford with me in exchange for your life and allegiance."

"Allegiance to what?" I heard Griffin question from behind me.

"Allegiance to me of course. I am the one who can end your life in a second or make it one worth living," King Sorg drew the words out so that way there would be no mistaking his meaning.

Meanwhile, my main thought through all of this was what did he want with me?

"What about the rebels cause? Is that not what you're heading as well?" Griffin asked once more.

"Lets just say I have other agendas and bigger fish to fry that don't involve those so called rebels," he growled, taking another step towards me.

"I thought you were a rebel leader? Do you not agree to everything they stand for?" I finally asked.

I silently added, "Whatever those things may be."

Even though I didn't think there was a chance of King Sorg admitting anything, I thought it might have been worth a try.

"Griffin, what is your answer?!" King Sorg impatiently snarled.

He was not in a mood to be trifled with, that much was clear, but what had thrown him so far over the edge?

"Yes. I pledge my allegiance to you King Sorg," I heard Griffin say with a hint of something that sounded awfully close to remorse.

"Excellent. Then your first task is to kill Princess Renoford. With her gone, it will be much easier to overtake Kedudien."

King Sorg said all of this so easily that I almost didn't catch onto what he was saying. The moment I did, I hobbled around to face Griffin since I was still tied to the chair.

At least Griffin didn't look as calm about King Sorg's order, but that didn't stop him from taking a gun from his guard's outstretched hand.

A hand rose as I stared down the barrel of the gun. This wasn't how or when I pictured myself dying, but I could suddenly see the headlines. "Princess Renoford Dead While Still Tied to a Chair"

"Griffin please don't do this. You can't let him control you. You can't let him win. You know this isn't right and that we have to stop the rebels. We have to stop him and the rebels before anyone else is killed," I pleaded, trying so desperately to make him see the good.

Instead, he steadied his slightly shaking hand with his other one and aimed for my chest.

I knew I was defeated as much as I knew I would soon be dead so I settled on closing my eyes and watching for the shot of a lifetime.

"Drop your gun. Now."

My eyes popped open at the voice even though I was pretty sure it was from behind me.

"Beckham," I breathed.

"Hello son. I was wondering when you were going to show up."

Despite the new addition to the rooftop, Griffin's stance never wavered. The gun was still trained on me.

"Put down the gun or I shoot," Beckham commanded.

I wasn't sure who he had his gun pointed at, but it obviously got the point across. Griffin slowly let the gun fall to his side and was staring at something or someone behind me. I slowly turned back around so I would be facing Beckham. I figured if Griffin was going to shoot me at least I would see Beckham before I died.

"Since you're my son, I'm going to let you go before I call my guards. But you only have one minute because the moment I give the signal they are going to come rushing in," King Sorg carefully told Beckham.

"I'm not going anywhere without her," Beckham countered, nodding his head over to me.

"Then I guess you're not leaving," King Sorg sighed.

Everything happened so fast that it was almost like riding a roller coaster. A rush of adrenaline hit me

I wasn't sure what was more deafening, the boom of the gun or the smack of Beckham's body hitting the rooftop. Everything was happening at once. I was screaming, guards were flooding the rooftop, I was being cut free, Beckham still wasn't moving.

I was crawling along the rooftop, dodging bodies as they twisted and fought against each other. My sole purpose was getting over to Beckham.

I hovered over him, my eyes lingering over the spot in his stomach where blood was rushing out of.

"Beckham! Beckham stay with me," I cried, placing my hands on his face. "I'm going to get you out of here."

I wasn't sure how reassuring my words were considering my extremely shaky voice and the chaos going on around us. A bullet whizzed by my head, narrowly missing my left ear.

"You have t-to get out...of here," Beckham gurgled, still clutching his stomach.

"I'm not going to leave you. We're in this together," I told him.

I never let my eyes deviate from him even as his breathing ceased and his eyes drooped closed.

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