What is Love?

Secrets

Please don't kill me for this chapter. This has been my plan since the very beginning of the book.

NICHOLAS

After Krysti stormed out of my office, I slumped in my seat. I wanted to regret ever taking Van's advice about asking Diana out that Valentine's day. I wanted to regret not just retiring and letting Alonzo take my position as King. But alas no matter what I wished I wanted. I couldn't imagine not feeling the undying love that I felt for Diana and most of all....our unborn child. A single tear drew down my cheek.

"Boss! We caught an intruder trying to sneak into the weapons room!" I shot my head up to reveal a random guard.

"Have I not specified to everyone that you are always to knock?!" I stand up abruptly startling him and causing him to back up a few feet.

"I'm s-sor-rry sir. I was not aware of the circumstances of my actions." He says trembling under my gaze. I swipe the tear off my face.

"Take me to this intruder." I simply say. I need to do something to get her off my mind and I guess an interrogation is the best way.

"Yes, sir." He straightens out his posture and leads me to the dungeon, where the prisoner awaits.

As I enter the dungeon and see the torture area all set up, I see Benjamin tied to a chair.

"So you're the one that decided it was a good idea to march back in here and steal from me. As if I had no clue that it was you and your brother that were spying on me in the first place! Why did you come back?! And what were you doing the weapons room?!" I ask him wrapping my hand around his throat threateningly.

"I was ordered to retrieve the Queen's poisened daggers. She said they were placed in that room." He rasps out. It sounds like he was beaten to a pulp before tied down.

"Someone explain why he's injured and practically incapable of speaking!" I shout at the men surrounding the dungeon.

"H-he gave us a hard time and we needed to wound him so we could restrain him, Sir." One of the men stutters, not looking me in the eyes. I soak in this bit of information and when it still doesn't satisfy my mood, I shoot him in the head.

"Let this be an example to all of you! Never under any circumstances are you allowed to wound a prisoner beyond the point of interrogation! Now, the rest of you that are still breathing, please untie and bring the prisoner to the medical wing." They all nod and mumble the words "Yes, Sir." Or "Yes, your majesty."

I grind my teeth in aggravation. I hope Benjamin will serve as a good way to get my fiance back in my arms. Otherwise he'll meet the same fate as the guard who is now food for the rats.

As I begin to climb the stairs, someone in one of the cell's catches my attention. I walk over to the cell block with my hands behind my back. As if I was inspecting something that inspired curiosity.

"Who are you?" I ask him. I don't always know every person that winds up down here. But for some reason this man got the better of my curiosity.

The reason why I was so interested in him was for 3 reasons. One being when I came down here, he did not try to beg for freedom nor did he scream curses in my direction. He was simply staring with a blank look in his eyes. Reason two being he had many tattoos running along his body. That's what caught my attention at first. And reason three being one of his tattoos looked fairly similar to one that Mica has on her back.