Journey

Chapter Sixteen~ The King

I woke up to a noise. I looked over to the clock, it was midnight. At first I thought it was Sengen snoring. I looked over to his cage. He wasn't in it. I sat up and looked around my room. There was a silhouette of a person by the door leading to the Kings room. My heart leaped in my chest. Big black figures moved behind the person.

The figure moved towards me. I opened my mouth to scream, but it was trapped by a hand. My heart skipped a beat as a voice asked, "Did you sleep well Annabelle?"

I looked up at Raymond in horror.

He was on top of me preventing me from escaping. I couldn't see anything around us. It was so dark. I could see a few minutes ago from the moonlight, but now-- it was pitch black. His green eyes glowed in the darkness that surrounded us.

Green? Raymond doesn't have green eyes, they were brown. This must be a dream. I struggled under his body. My hands pushed up on his chest. He lifted his hand away from my mouth and grabbed my wrist, "Be quiet or they will hear us Annabelle."

"What if I want them to hear me?"

"Well, then I'll have to punish someone for your actions," he whispered.

He leaned in ever- so- closer. His eyes flickered to my lips for a second. I took that second of distraction to escape from under him. I bucked at him with my hips.

He grunted and rolled over. The darkness moving with him. What the hell? He cradled his stomach and I made a break for the door. I grabbed the handle and turned it harshly. It was locked. I was going to turn around, thinking of another plan of action, but I was too late. There were hands on my shoulders; they slammed me into the wall. I gasped as my skull made contact with the door. "Where were you planning on going," I could feel his breath on my neck. His lips grazed the skin of my neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist. I cringe away from him, gripping his arms and digging my nails into the soft flesh. His breath was hot on my neck as he laughed.

"Anywhere away from here," I said.

He turned me around. "And leave Reth down in the dungeon," he said accusingly.

I didn't say anything just looked up at him with a death glare.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," he said. He pushed me against the wall softer this time. I tried to push him away from me, but yet again my attempts were in vain. He pushed me harder into the wall. He leaned his body into mine forcefully. His lips were on my collar bone. His leg in between my thighs.

"Why am I ruining the mood," I let the words fall from my lips effortlessly. I didn't even try to hide my disgust.

He just laughed. His hands ran along my sides and stopped on my hips. I looked around, realizing the darkness was gone around Raymond. I reached over to the table next to us. I grabbed a candle holder. It's blood red candles darker against the moonlight. I was about to hit him upside the head when his hand shot out.

He pinned my arm to the wall. He looked at me, searching my face. "What were you planning on doing," he asked. His brown, almost black, eyes now full of fury. Brown again? What was happening to me? I stared at him in silence.

He smiled, I winced.

He pulled my hand towards him, and placed a light kiss on my white knuckles. His eyes never left mine as he slammed my hand into the wall. I dropped the candles immediately. I gasped as the pain shot through my body. My knees buckled and I fell into him. He laughed and held me to him. The pain in my hand was unbearable. Undoubtedly broken.

He twirled us around in a circle. I was starting to blackout. I slumped in his arms. He dragged me to the bed. His eyes following my curves. I felt his lips on my forehead before a different, peaceful, darkness pulled me under.

I woke up the next morning in bed. I remembered the events of last night and yanked the blanket away from my body. I was still in my dress. I looked up at Sengens cage. He was in it sleeping soundly. Where had he gone?

I winced as I tried to pick myself up with my hand. I looked at it. A few of my fingers were bruised and most of my hand. I rotated my wrist, it wasn't broken, but a few of my fingers were probably, and in more than one place.

I tried the door again. It was unlocked. I noticed something on the edge of the bed. I walked towards it. There was a beautiful, yet simple blue dress laid out on the bed. I picked it up. A note fell to the floor.

I leaned down and grabbed it. It said:

I'm glad to know that you will be staying with us..When you wake come to the dining hall. I believe you know where it is.

~Love Clara.

I slipped on the dress and looked at myself in the mirror. It revealed a lot of my chest, it must be Savannas. I pulled it up to cover just a bit more and fixed up my hair. I braided it and wrapped it around into a bun. I looked down at my hand, "Guess I'll have to wear gloves." I grabbed a silky light blue pair and put them on. I hated wearing gloves, but I needed to cover the dark purple that was spreading on my hand like wildfire.

I roused Sengen. He didn't wake easily. He reluctantly woke up. I gave him something to eat. Then I opened the door and peeked out. Scanning the corridor before I walked out. I looked at the Kings door, hoping he wasn't there. I picked up my pace and headed towards the stairs.

I used to slide down the railing in the summer palace when I was a little girl. The memory made me smile, but it didn't last long. I noticed someone standing at the end of the stairs. It was a guard. I glided down the stairs. " My Lady," The guard bowed, "I'm here to escort you to the dining hall."I smiled, although it didn't reach my eyes. hooked my arm through his. I looked around for Haley.

Wait...

Haley. Where was Haley? I was the only one who could see her, but where was she now? Maybe I was crazy and she was a figure of my imagination.

He lead me through a few doors. He stopped in front of a door. There were gold plated dragons carved into it. The dragon of the King. All of the doors had to be changed from lions to dragons once Clara married Raymond.

The door opened loudly and I was announced, "Lady Annabelle Maria Easton!"

I walked in with my head held high. Clara stood up, so did Raymond. His eyes skimming me up and down. I curtseyed; it was a quick movement. Raymond smirked and sat down.

Clara rounded the table and held me at shoulder length away from her. "I'm so glad you decided to stay with us," she said enthusiastically. Clara was unusually happy. This also wasn't the moody Queen I knew.

"I'm glad I did as well," I said trying to match her enthused tone.

"Raymond told me you decided to stay here instead of going off with that man," she said. A hint of disgust hidden beneath the joy in her eyes.

I glanced at Raymond. He was watching me. "Yes," I said.

"Come, join us," she said leading me to a chair next to Raymond. My stomach fell to the floor.