The King of Saminu

Chapter 9

All I was able to recognize was the sound of a door slamming followed closely by my wrists belonging to me once more. The man before me sighed, his body close enough for me to feel the heat coming off of the Spennian. Every fiber of my being was stressing, the forceful thought of humanity trying to decide if I should try to fight the man before me, or run away. He was much too tall and much too strong for me to even begin to think about trying to take him down, while at the same time, the same man who I had no chance of fighting was blocking what appeared to be the only exit.

The king's mouth was moving, and surely words were coming out, but I had no chance of hearing him. I was physically shutting down from the anxiety; my face was tight, the tears were still coming at a steady stream, and while the king had been blurry before, black dots were starting to take over my vision. Yet, the same release of passing out wasn't going to be an option either. I could feel it. My only option was to stay awake and take the hard road. Clenching my fists together, I closed my eyes, trying to calm down.

I was able to feel my nails digging into my palms, my teeth scraping against the cut in my lip that was now gushing blood. The ringing in my ears gradually went away, until I was able to hear the king asking if I was okay. I knew I couldn't answer yet, taking the time I needed to realize that the danger I was trying to prepare for didn't really exist. If the man before me wanted to kill me or hurt me, he would've started already. And though I didn't really believe the thoughts I was conjuring, I was able to finally take a much needed breath of fresh air.

"Rensker?" I looked up. My neck strained from how close the man stood to me, and I had to take a few steps back. His body heat was unbearable after the small episode I had had, and I needed to place a cold hand against my forehead. I needed to heal.
"Can you... can you take this shit off?" I asked, not able to make eye contact as I jingled the metal chains and wiggled the fingers of the metal gloves. The king sighed and opened the door, shutting me inside and leaving. Without a doubt, there were at least three guards on the other side of the door, but I was comfortable where I was. I wanted to heal, needed to.
"The only reason I'm letting you go is because Vaindari said you were weak with your powers. And because it's daylight. And because if I want you to trust me, I have to trust you," The king rambled on as soon as he came back, and I was reminded of how young he seemed once more.

"That's three reasons," I muttered as the king grew closer, unbeknownst to me that he had been able to hear the words I had spoken a little too loudly.
"Excuse me?" The king bristled at my words, pausing as he held the key into position. I sighed. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
"You said 'the only reason'. But then you listed three," I spoke, surprised by my ability to speak without stuttering. My fear was dissipating. The king had to be younger than me, and with that hope, I could deal with him.
"I guess you're right," The lock announced with a slight click that I was free from my chains, and I smiled at my new ability to move my hands out in front of me. I turned around, uncomfortable with having the king standing behind me, not ready to be vulnerable even though he had given me some freedom.

I ripped the gloves off as fast as I could, placing my hands on my cheeks. While I couldn't heal myself, the coolness of my own hands was a blessing.
"Are you ready to have a discussion with me?" The king finally asked, and I nodded, still unable to look at him. He huffed at my response, yet gently placed a hand on my shoulder. It was then that I was reminded of the fact that the buttons to my shirt were still undone and my torso was on display. As the man before me guided me to a seat, I skillfully buttoned myself back up, my nimble fingers knowing how to cover up at a moment's notice.

"We need to get married," I choked on air, my eyes feeling as if they were about to leave my skull as I now looked upon the boy. He looked serious.
"Where did you come up with that silly little idea?" I asked, sounding like my father. The king rolled his eyes, leaning further back in his chair to the point where the front legs were off of the ground.
"I'm under the impression that you have powers. Ice powers, if I'm correct," I looked at the king, my eyebrows furrowed as I waited for him to try and make any sense at all. "Have you met anyone who wasn't one hundred percent Slifnian?" He started, and I shook my head slowly.
"If I had, I wouldn't have known it. Why would anyone announce that they were born from the enemy's seed?" I questioned, and the king smiled, using only half of his mouth to do so.