The Second Son

Chapter 17

I was practically dragged by my arm down the hallway. The guard's hold was so tight that I could feel a bruise forming. But I barely noticed because my heart was pounding out of my chest with fear of what ever was waiting for me in the queen's room. There was no one to protect me from her wrath anymore. She could slit my throat and have her guards throw my body in the woods and no one would be the wiser.

When we reached her door in the guest wing of the castle, the guard knocked. The queen instructed him to come in and he opened the door and pushed me through before closing the door behind him. Great, no witnesses. I looked at my surroundings. I tried to see if there was anything within reach that I could use to defend myself. But that was probably a terrible idea. I could cause more trouble for myself if I did anything to harm the queen. I was a sitting duck.

My eyes finally landed on the queen. She was sitting at a vanity with her back to me brushing her hair. I could see her face in the mirror smiling at me. She knew what she was doing to me.

"You think you're so smart don't you. First, you bewitch my son. And then you trick my husband into thinking you're some kind of savior. But I know better. All I see is desperation from a pathetic piece of dirt. I will not let you sink your claws into my family."

There's so much I wanted to say. But the calmness in her voice was scaring me more than the raving lunatic I dealt with earlier. She had regained her senses and I was terrified of what she had planned for me. She got up and turned to face me.

"You know, Emily, I'm a very powerful woman. I can make things happen. I can make it look like your aunt and uncle are responsible for my husband's sudden illness. I can have them arrested and tried for attempted regicide. Do you know what the punishment for that is? They'll have their heads cut off. And their lands and titles will be stripped away. Your cousins will be left with nothing. And it will be all your fault. Is that what you want to happen?"

I fell to my knees. I would do anything to protect my family. Whatever she asked, I would do it.

"Please your grace! My family has nothing to do with this. Do whatever you want to me but please, I beg you, don't hurt them." I was crying at this point.

"You really are pathetic. If you want to save your family, you will push Henry away. I don't care what you say to him as long as he doesn't know I put you up to it. I want him to forget you ever existed. I want him to think of you as a mistake. I have plans for his future and they most definitely do not include a bastard girl from the South. And you will stay away from my husband. In fact, after you ruin your relationship with my son, I want you to disappear. I don't ever want to see your face again. Do I make myself clear?" She was looking down at me with a crazed look in her eyes. I had no doubt in my mind that she would follow through with her threats if I didn't do exactly what she said.

I dropped my head into my hands and sobbed. For the millionth time, I questioned how I got myself into such a dangerous situation. I nodded my head to let her know I would do what she said.

"I need to hear you say it, Emily," she barked at me.

I looked back up into her eyes before selling my soul to the devil.

"I will do it. I'll end things with Henry and then I will disappear for the remainder of your stay here." My heart was breaking. Even though I had only known Henry for a short time, I was starting to really fall for him. But saving my family was more important than my broken heart.

The queen smirked down at me and I felt sick to my stomach.

"Good girl. You keep up your end of the bargain and I'll keep up mine. Now leave. I don't want to look at you anymore." She turned and went back to the vanity to continue brushing her hair. I managed to stand back up and quickly went to the door but before I could yank it open, the queen's voice stopped me.

"I expect you to take care of this tonight. Or your aunt and uncle will be in chains by morning." A sob escaped me before I could get through the door. Once I was out in the hallway, I ran. I ran down the back staircase, through the kitchens, out the backdoor, and towards the woods. I was hyperventilating by the time I stopped. I collapsed on the ground in a heap. I touched the cool earth to try to calm myself down. It worked enough to get my breathing under control. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the noises around me. I heard the wind blowing through the dying leaves, there were birds chirping and the sound of flowing water. I opened my eyes and realized I was in the same exact spot that I had met Henry that first day. The stream where he had stopped to water his horse was a few feet away. I somehow had run all the way to the edge of my uncle's lands.

How ironic that I would end up in the same place that all my troubles began. I didn't regret anything that happened with Henry. He made me feel things I had never felt before. He had made me actually have hope about my future. But things had gone so horribly wrong in the last two days. I had to put aside what I wanted, and do this for my family. After everything they have done for me, I owed it to them.

The sun was starting to set and the world looked peaceful and beautiful. I had to think quickly. What was I going to tell Henry? I needed to think of something to push him away for good. And I guess I could go stay with Alva for a while until the royal family went home. Thinking of Alva reminded me of Catori and her prophecy. According to her, if Henry and I didn't stay together, a great evil would befall the kingdom.

I looked up to the sky and screamed out of frustration. I had to let Henry go. The oracle's prophecy was vague whereas the queen's threat was explicit. I just hoped Catori had been wrong. Or maybe what she dreamt wasn't as bad as she seemed to think. It was all too much. I had too many lives on the line and it was more than one person could bear. I laid down on the ground and curled up into a ball. As I laid there sobbing my eyes out at everything I could lose, I heard a horse galloping in my direction. I knew who it was and I felt sick about what I needed to do.