The Deal Maker [Book 2]

Chapter 3: The Sin

Laurie's P.O.V

I sat at my bedroom window humming a strangely familiar tune that I had come to enjoy. Waiting. I knew that today was going to hit hard. 

"Are you okay...?" I heard a familiar voice ring behind me. I turned to my side to see him. My fiance.. Conner. I tried to smile for him. He wasn't who I ideally wanted to marry. I didn't have much of a choice. Though this wasn't terrible... I didn't mind it too much.

My gaze went down to my hand that held Joel's ring that he gave me. I sighed deeply knowing I wasn't thinking rationally.

Joel wasn't the path for me..

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"... I'll leave you be.." Conner said softly gently kissing the side of my head before leaving. 

I stood up and started singing softly to myself. I hated this. I hated all of this shit. I wanted to go find a place to be alone right now. But I couldn't. I had to see someone today.

"Your highness, He's here." I heard a guard say to me snapping me out of my thoughts.

"O-Oh... Send him in... P-Please.." I asked softly messing around with my necklace that was my mothers before mine. A simple moon sign.

I heard the door open and I saw him. I asked for Matthew to send him to me, we needed to talk without any distractions. 

Joel walked into the room his hands done up in chains and his usual smile was replaced with an anxious look.

"Nice of you to bring me up to the main level... You highness." He said his voice lacking the usual confidence or sweetness. I bowed a bit before looking up at him. He let out a deep sigh looking down at me. "What..?"

"I... -I don't want anything bad to happen to you..." I said softly.

He let out a laugh. It wasn't one of his warm laughs, or a laugh that brought joy. It was quite an aloof laugh. "Its a little late, for that isn't it Laurie." He said, his voice ringing through the emptiness of the room.

"... You have a choice... You return to your kingdom and-..."

Before I could continue he cut me off before I could finish my sentence. "I'm not going back to the living hell I had been in for 18 years. Thank you for that kind and respectful offer, but no. I'm not going back." He said his voice and expression both grim.

I didn't want him to stay, but is that worse then sending him back to his home?

"If your trying to give me a choice to not get hurt because I'm a mere mortal. Your wasting your time. A real friend doesn't leave his friends. Or put them in danger." He said his last words of course aimed towards me. "So go ahead and kill me, torture me with the rest of the townsfolk, but I'm not going anywhere." He said his expression speaking for itself as well.

I couldn't speak. I didn't realize that he knew what was going to happen to the rest of the townsfolk. I sighed softly, before pulling off his ring offering back to Joel.

He took it back with no complaint and turned towards the door to walk back to the guards.

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"Wait...!" I cried rushing forward grabbing onto his arm tightly. Instead of trying to push me back or fight away from me he just froze up. Looking down at me his eyes showing pain. "What?" He said his voice not quite matching his expression.