A Crown of Thorns

Deadly Bets

Ryan's POV.

"You want me to play chess..?"

I was dragged out of my locked room before the sun was even up. The guards and maids not giving me any explanation. Just pushing me down unfamiliar hallways until we were in, what looked like, a king's study.
My mind was hazy from not sleeping and my body ached. Fighting and trying to get away was taking a toll in me.

"Yes, I do." Mikey smirks sitting down at a tiny chess table. "If I can remember correctly, you used to be very skilled at this game."

I take a seat willingly, to tired to fight back.

"I haven't played this since.." My eyes meet his, and a little pang of guilt hits me. I look down setting up my pieces. "...since I played with you."

"Well, how about we make a bet?"

"What kind of bet?"

He smiles moving the first piece of the game. "If I win, you have to kiss me."

"Ha um.."

"If you win, I'll let you out of your room." I frown as he takes one of my small pieces.

"Fine. But I have to say..." I mumble taking one of his white pawns. "I've never lost."

"Well, I've gotten better since the last time we played." He chuckles taking my bishop.

As the game went on o look at the board and my mind gives up. Every possible way of winning was blocked by the white pieces. I move my small pawn knowing his next move will be the end of the game.

"Check mate." He smiles standing up, leaning on the table. "You lost our bet."

"I have a fiancé." I mumble his eyes staring into mine, evil written all over his face.

"He's not here." My face falls  knowing I'm not getting out of kissing him.

"Just a kiss?"

"That's all I want." He walks over towards me pulling me up by my arms. "Come on Ryan, it's not that bad. We used to do way more than that."

"We were teenagers Mikey, I don't.."

"It's just a kiss." He smirks brushing something off of my shoulder. "Unless you want more. Are you still a needy bottom or.."

"Fine." I take his face in my hands foceing him to stop talking. The flashbacks being something I wish I could forget. "One kiss thats it."

He slowly puts his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I sigh running my thumb over his lips, before mine meet his.

I couldn't stop the flashbacks once I was kissing him. All the sex and the lies. Him somehow getting me to do things I never wanted to. Dragging me to the village just to get me drunk. Stealing things and blaming it on servants. Or making me take all the blame for the things when we got caught, causing my parents to be so disappointed. I never understood how he did it, how he put me under some evil spell.

The feeling of his lips on mine was like poison. I hated every second of this kiss. He wasn't Andy and kissing anyone else made me sick.

I pull away when the door opens, wiping off the horrible feeling.

"King Mikey" the guard bows. "A Spanish army has made its inside way into the castle. We need to get you to safety."

My heart sped up knowing Andy made it to Brooklyn. Knowing that this was the end of having to be here. My eyes wander to the fireplace tools just close enough to touch. I was going to have to fight to get away from Mikey, but fighting unarmed was not an option.