The Throne of the Four Realms ✔

CHAPTER 35 - Of Chaos

The King glared at him, "When will you learn to answer a question properly? I asked how do you know each other."

My rage spiked; the King was two-faced for sure. He was kind to strangers but not to his own son.

And I heard a dragon's roar from the amphitheater's other side making my heart thunder.

Ralph. The duel.

I spoke fast, hoping they would both see my haste, "I met the Prince accidentally at the Winter gala, Your Highness. Thank you so much for your graciousness. But I must go." The King dipped his chin at me, a signal for me to go.

"Eleni, wait," a hand at my wrist pulled me back. "I need to talk to you."

"Doran, I..." I turned to look at him, feeling uneasy as King Orlon's inquisitive eyes were fixed on our hands, "I have to go, please."

"Just stop running from me," Doran shut his eyes as his voice roared, "I've been looking for you all over the place, but you..." He took a deep breath. I watched King Orlon from the corner of my eyes, as he flicked his fingers and the guards around us took a few steps back.

I looked into Doran's eyes and saw a storm brewing in them.

"Were you at the Gemini Palace yesterday?"

I felt my knees give out under the intensity of his voice and the weight of his question.

"Why would you say that? Gemini Palace..." King Orlon spoke suddenly, his eyes wide, question directed at Doran but looking at me from head to toe.

Doran pulled me away from the scene not sparing a single glance to his father. His hold on my hand was rough, and I could feel his anger pulsating hard.

He dragged me to a secluded exit and with one jerk of his head, gestured a lone guard to leave us alone. He skittered away like a scared cat. If it were someone else, I would've been scared to death too, but not with Doran. Never with Doran.

"Enough is enough, Eleni. I felt like I was dying yesterday. And my path led me in the direction of Gemini Palace. But I thought maybe...maybe I was mistaken. There's no reason for you to be in Nova's Palace. I asked Serena, and even she didn't know. Do you know what you are doing to us? To me? Hell, I was even ready to go your other friend of the Autumn Realm."

I dared not look at him, tears on the verge to come out. Why did he have to go through all my wretched feelings? Why did he have to care?

He put a rough finger under my chin and jerked my face up. "Tell. Me."

My lips trembled as his brown eyes moved. He grazed a finger over the fresh scar on my left cheek and I winced.

"You are hurting but you still won't tell me." Doran's face was fueled with an emotion I could not name and for a moment I wanted to take a step closer to him. His smell was pulling me in deep, into the depths of comfort I was scared of getting used to.

"Who did this to you? Say the word..." He tightened his hold over my wrist. But he realized what he was doing and let his fingers loose, his eyes drooping low.

"Please, Eleni."

A sob broke free from my throat and I felt my body going limp. I was a human; how could I survive the burden of all these mixed emotions. I was afraid and more than anything tired. But in this moment, I just wanted to let go.

My knees gave way, as the exhaustion of the previous day crept in. But I did not fall down, for a strong arm encircled my waist. I wanted to unleash the unshed tears, as my head leaned onto Doran's chest on its own accord.