Stalemate | A Rise To Power

𝘈𝘶𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘺

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Audrey was woken by someone shaking her. Her eyes opened to see Theo, one of the two guards who had been appointed to her. She hated him already with his pudgy face and meaty hands. Looking at him reminded her of the books she had once read with ugly, cruel villains with few morals and a tendency to be cannibals.

"Get up, kid," Theo said, yanking her by the sleeve of her shift as he got more frustrated.

She tripped and ended up on the floor. With a hiss of anger, she forced herself up using the bedframe, but Theo kicked out his foot and she tripped over it, hitting the floor again. Autumn did not stir from where she was curled up, sleeping on the bed.

"Sorry, I didn't realise you would trip," Theo apologised, fake sorrow on his face.

Get up, Audrey heard a voice in her head say. She knew it belonged to Thomas. You are not a wimp. Father made sure of that. Do not disappoint him and, most of all, do not disappoint me.

She glared at him and rose to her feet, summoning the fire burning inside of her. "I'm a princess. Don't address me like I'm some chambermaid."

Theo snorted. "You ain't nothin' anymore. Some Northerners still see ya as the true heir, but mostly..." He grinned. "You don't exist."

She turned pink in anger but decided not to humour him. "Why do I need to be up?"

"Get dressed. You have twen'y minutes."

Audrey watched him reach the door before taking out the knife she had swiped from his belt while she was tripping over his outstretched leg. She aimed it at his back, imagining the metal slicing into the flesh, cutting his skin open and leaving him to bleed out in her bedroom. The thought was scarily tempting. How hard could throwing a knife be?

She exhaled before she tucked the knife under the mattress instead. Alika entered shortly after and set up a bath covered in silky rose petals. Once the maid had left, she sat in the water, letting the water lap against her body as she stared into space.

She wanted to drown in the warm water. To slip away into a blissful oblivion where nothing would hurt her again.

She climbed out of the bath and let Alika dress her and wind her hair into a braid.

"I'm sorry," Alika said.

Audrey frowned. "You didn't do anything."

"That's what I'm apologising for. What... King Landon has done to you. I—I am sorry, Audrey. I really am."

Audrey blinked, surprised by such a direct comment. "What... what has he done?" She was suddenly afraid of what the maid thought of her.

"I... never mind, my lady."

"Tell me," Audrey said, more sharply.

She stayed silent for a moment, but a glare from Audrey made her relent. "You didn't shed a single tear for Edith. You stared at Giovanni as he was hung. And the king looks at you like you're so..." Alika took a breath. "Interesting."

What? When it had come out of Ethelind's mouth, Audrey had been able to deny it. Ethelind was a liar who did anything for her own gain. But for Alika to say it made the words have more weight.

He killed his father and shows no remorse, yet he came in and poured me water, then knelt in front of me, she thought, then shoved it away. No. Don't think about him. You will have to kill him.

She gritted her teeth. "Why was I woken so early?"

Alika shook her head before leaving the room, slamming the door shut. Audrey watched her go, feeling her heart thumping against her chest in anticipation.