The Reluctant Queen

Chapter 15

A/N: IMPORTANT!! 

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENT THEMES. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

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"Sophia, I found you."

I thought I wouldn't be afraid, not now that I decided to officially go against him. But fear has a habit of coming against your will. 

I scrambled to get up but Adrian walked around me, his attention now focused on the man before me. "I see you helped my queen run away from me."  He walked forward, his leather boots crunching the gravel with every step. His eyes looked like they were on fire, a luminosity that appeared to come from inside him. It seemed like there was a demon with us, not the king. 

I had never seen him like this. His fury was so strong it practically choked me but his words and movements were calm. I had only been gone for a few hours, but his appearance was rugged and feral, as though he had been searching for weeks. And I knew his anger would not be alleviated because he had found me.

The store clerk's eyes practically bulged out of his head. He looked at me, almost begging me to deny it. Even after how he acted I felt sorry for him. I-f Adrian wanted to kill him there was nothing I could do to change his mind."Queen?!" He fell to his knees, his hands on ground in a plea. "Please, My King, I didn't know-" 

"Adrian, please. I-I'll go home." He ignored me, his eyes never leaving the terrified boy before us. 

"You want to help her with her ring, do you?" Dear god. The boy shook his head, saying nothing. "you want to be compensated for your act? Did I hear you correctly? Well," Adrian said before squatting down to be eye-level with him. "Do you know the penalty for treason? For harming your queen?" My breath caught, and for a moment the world stopped.

 Adrian smiled with narrowed, angry eyes.

"Adrian! No-" I yelled, but it was no use. He moved so fast wasn't able to see, but I heard. The poor, foolish store clerk screamed in pain. I somehow got to my feet, my legs numb enough that I couldn't help but stumble away. 

Adrian killed him. He killed him in front of me. 

Time seemed to blur and rush all at the same time. I felt sluggish. I tried to run but I tripped, my mind suddenly clouded. My knee hit the ground but I didn't feel it, too focused on the bright sparks that were now in my vision. I was going to faint, any moment now I was going to lose consciousness. 

I looked over my shoulder, wishing instantly I had the energy to run away like I wanted to. The sparks were not my imagination. The entire space around us was engulfed in flames, but that wasn't what made me want to scream. The fire was coming from Adrian, the flames surrounding him, sprouting from his hands and mouth. He was a demon, he must be. In just moments I was surrounded, unable to run and barely able to see. I covered my eyes with my hands, struggling to breathe. I felt arms around me, bringing me off the ground and holding me close. I struggled against him, but I was too weak, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to stop him from killing me next. "It's over now. Shhh." 

"Let me go!" 

"Never do that again. Do you hear me?" He said it softly, but he held me against his chest firmly. He began to walk away, as if the disaster he created meant nothing to him. "Never run away from me, Sophia." 

I wasn't listening. I wrestled in his arms, but he just held me tighter. "Just do it! Just kill me!" I wasn't going to wait. If he was going to do it he was going to do it here and now. He looked down at me, his face unreadable. 

"Kill you? You think I would be able to kill you?" His fingers dug into my skin. We were now far away enough from the fire that the world around us was dark again, the only light coming from the moon. "That brute got what he deserved. You, Sophia. You are the only one in this world I would never be able to hurt." My lip quivered. He couldn't say such things, not now. Not after what I saw. He made way to a carriage that was obviously his, coated in black paint with black stallions. One of his men opened the door for him and without a pause Adrian took me inside. He still wouldn't let me go, as though he was afraid I would try and escape the moment he did. I probably would. "When you lash out again, I will find you. I'll always find you and I'll always forgive you." I couldn't hold it back anymore. I hid my face in his chest so he wouldn't see me fall apart. The tears fell with no end in sight and I sobbed. I'm not sure how it was possible, but his arms held me even tighter. In fact, mine were now around waist, holding him back.