Half a heart, half a crown

T H I R T Y O N E

With my heart beat so fast, I turned ever so slowly and was met with the mysterious old lady.

Without a word, not even a sign, she grabbed my arm and pulled me out of this chaos, into another secret place.

I have so many questions to be answered but I chose to be quiet because the time wasn't right.

Just as the secret wall shut behind us, I could hear a loud bang indicating that they had successfully broke into the room but at the same time, unsuccessfully.

Here we are standing right next to each other in a dark place. My heart slammed in my rib cage so hard that every beats I was afraid that she could hear it. We didn't utter a word.

She was so focused on the blank wall in front of her. The light from the candle lightened the area by a considerable amount of intensity. I don't know whether she was staring at a wall waiting for me to confessed or standing there thinking. I, myself didn't utter a word either.

After what felt like eternity, she spoke while her eyes doesn't left the blank wall, "I am truly aware of what you are doing but I am not so sure myself why you are doing that, because having that as a thread won't scare him." She sighed, "whatever it is that you are planning to do, don't. Please don't hurt him."

"...because having that as a thread won't scare him."

Nothing else does.

"I'm not planning on doing anything." I said. "Sometimes making the most time of your life before you die could change the way your life ends."

Just as the words blurted out of my mouth, I could feel the echoes of it bouncing along throughout the four massive walls.

"What if I were to tell you that whatever that you are doing now won't affect or change the way your life ends. Would you believe me?" She looked at me with so much intensity and certainty.

For once, I had almost believed her.

"You are not going to die." She said, "maybe not today."

Maybe not today

"I-"

"Break in!!" I was stopped at my words. I quickly adverted eyes towards the old lady and she, herself, looked extremely terrified too.

Without a word, not even a sign, she grabbed my arm and pulled me out of this chaos, into another secret place.

She saved me once. I shouldn't just let-

"Let's go." I grabbed her arm trying to get her on her feet.

Her palm was sticky and sweaty, she was nervous I could tell, because I am too and we both knew so well that not only does the Devilon's soldiers were here but the slashing sounds of killing outside told us that the rival's soldiers were here too.

We goes deeper and passed by many spider webs indicated that this place isn't regular visited.

We increased our paces as we heard loud footsteps approaching us aggressively. By this time, I, myself, panicked really hard too. The kingdom of Devilon, had never ever in the history was once attacked by any rivals of other kingdoms. It is known for its most exceedingly powerful kingdom. But today, right now, at this moment, the chaos outside are awaiting for our deaths.

Sweats filled our bodies but our hearts filled with undeniably uncontrollable beats.

Then I felt a squeeze on my sweaty hand. I turned to see the old lady smiling at me encouragingly.

With a squeaky and quick move, the bright silver blue eyes that was once filled with life became empty and lifeless. The old lady was sliced by a sharp thin blade across her neck. She fell onto the cold hard ground with a thump and her eyes were open mercilessly.

I froze.

She saved me once.

Even one time, I couldn't save her, let alone her son.

I looked to see the very last person I would want to see at this moment, King Antonio Davinsky, the King of Emercidin.

He held a long silver sword with blood filled its blade. He was dressed in a soldier uniform, with armor helmet surrounded his face revealing only his pair of blue eyes that I was once admired.

All of the old memories flashback and I could almost hear myself screaming his name on how I had been wanting to kill him if I ever see him again and on how I am going to tell him how he doesn't mean anything to me anymore, on how cold I have become and how much braver I became but I couldn't utter a word. I was silent.

We stood there staring at one another in a safe distance. Even though my feelings for him were long gone, a part of me still couldn't forget the way his hands fit perfectly on my waist when we danced during that masquerade ball and how his hand fit perfectly in mine as he grabbed me out of that chaos situation. But I also remembered the time when his eyes showed so much affection towards another woman and also how he turned me down and lend me to another man who was his own biological father.

Quite abruptly, he pointed his sharp sword towards my throat. His hand was shaky. I walked closer until the sharp end came in contact with the flesh of my neck. It stung, oh god it did. But this was nothing compared to the time I was tortured horrible in this kingdom.

He smiled, "You haven't change, Queen Magnificent Dillionio."

I didn't return his smile. As coldly as I sounded, I said "Here you are standing in front of me, you did it King Antonio. You won."

By this time, the cut on my neck was numb.

Suddenly I was pulled harshly backward and fall into the arms of a familiar stranger. Without having to turned around, with a sharp blade at the new part of my neck, and with a voice so low and precise, I knew so well who this person was.

"King Antonio, you seemed to be so interested in this woman." King Devilon Arisen said, "No wonders your Father wanted to marry her right away."

The sharp end of the blade goes deeper on my neck causing me to winced slightly.

King Antonio stayed silent and his grip on his sword tightened.

"From the scene that I had witnessed earlier, I assumed that this woman was no use of keeping her." King Devilon said, "How about I kill her instead on your behalf, King Antonio Davinsky?"

Just as the words left his mouth, King Antonio laughed mockingly, I was confused and what he said next made me even more confused.

"Oh trust me King Devilon, you won't." King Antonio said.

This had taken King Devilon by surprise. His eyes widened by a bit and then goes back to his emotionless self.

He smirked, "And what makes you think that?"

"You probably won't like what I am about to say." king Antonio answered, "I think it's better if we just keep it to ourselves."

This tripped King Devilon even more, I could see he doesn't like the way King Antonio acting towards him and the way he spat out words confidentially.

"Or maybe, you don't want me to kill her because she worth something to you?" King Devilon challenged.

King Antonio smiled, "Whether she is worth something to me or not, it doesn't matter. Kill her if you must, but I'm pretty sure you can't and you won't."

"What makes you so sure that I won't kill her?" King Devilon questioned. I could hear a mockery in his voice.

"Just like I said--" King Antonio was cut off by a very dangerous and deep voice of King Devilon.

Even I, myself, was startled and this caused me no good, I could feel the cut on my neck getting deeper. I could hear my flesh cut open.

"Say it. Nothing is better when kept." King Devilon demanded, " Say it."

This did not terrify King Antonio, not even a bit. Instead he smirked challengingly and without hesitation, he said "...because I knew how it feels like to have a beautiful young woman in our arms."

King Antonio pointed his silver sword exactly over King Devilon's throat.

"Especially, a woman like her."