make me stay.

thirteen

♜

"let go of me!" i snarl, tearing my arm out of the guard's grip. he seems unfazed as he takes a hold again, continuing to escort me down the hallway. another guard was on the other side of me, one which was surely a lot stronger than me so on his side, my arm stayed put. "i said, let go!" i say again, stumbling between them as they both walk with fast, long steps. 

at the end of the hall, the guards turn and push open a set of double doors, bringing me inside. the room is cold, and already occupied with six men.  the five of them stood around a large wooden desk which had been placed in the middle of the room, in front of four large windows that covered the back wall. mercer sat in the chair at the desk, facing me. they all turned their heads in our direction as we came in. the guards marched forward, pressing me down into a seat on the other side of the desk. i twisted in their grip, sending both men the angriest scowls i could muster as they tied both my ankles to the legs of the chair with thin pieces of rope. they were tied tightly, but the width of the rope were almost offensive. 

"absolutely not!" i hissed, kicking my feet as harsh as i could out in front of me. it didn't help much, and in the end i was tied to the chair. mercer nodded towards the guards, and with a slight bow, they both left me there. in the room with manics. 

"maire-grace," mercer began, meeting my frantic eyes. 

"untie me," i said, glaring back at him. "now," 

"unfortunately, i can't do that as you will run away again," he replies calmly. in his hands, he held a file, and some other papers it looked like, but he only placed down on of them on the wood surface beneath him. 

"well, obviously." i frown at him. "i don't want to be here. now, untie me." 

mercer took in a deep breath, suddenly turning his head towards one of the men with a slight frown on his face. i followed where his eyes went, seeing how one of the men had turned towards him, moving his hand in the air as if he was talking but no sound came out. the room was completely quiet. i let my eyes glide over the rest of the party, noticing how they all seemed lost in thought, all except mercer and the man moving his hands. i frowned deeply, until remember how bexley had told me the king, including his men, were able to do things that would seem absurd to most commoners, including talking in their heads with each other. i couldn't remember the word she had used, but i was almost sure that that was what they were currently doing. 

"stop that." i suddenly said, and every single head turned back in my direction. "talk out loud if the topic includes my name, please." i cock my head to the side, almost like a challenge and mercer nods, taking in a deep breath. 

"no." he then says, before focusing back to the man he had been talking to. "i don't think she'll choose to stay, but the choice will be hers." a frown deepens on my forehead as he speaks, and i suddenly notice what he is holding amongst the papers in his hands. 

a letter. 

a white envelope with my name written on it. 

maire-grace cain written in cursive letters on a white envelope, and i knew exactly what it was. 

my letter. the letter. my life was written in that letter. 

"it has passed midnight." mercer then said, looking back to meet my eyes. "happy birthday," his eyes were soft as he spoke. i hadn't even known it was midnight. i was officially eighteen. my life was officially written, and planned for as long as i would live. my stomach felt hard, like had someone tied it into a knot, while my heart sped up, trying to get blood towards the issue.