The Marriage Game

In Which Zora Attempts Friendship

"I'm not lying, Declan. I'll marry you." Camila took a shuddering breath in. "And my brother's dead. If you make this deal with me, you'd be the king consort."

"Not the king?" Declan hadn't moved. He was as still as a statue. His hand clenched tight around the doorknob, his body tense, as if he was ready for a fight.

She pictured Alex the way he'd been an hour ago: flour dusted across his shirt, specks of brownie batter on his hands, his blond hair askew. Every time he glanced over at her, his eyes lit up, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

But he wasn't worth losing her kingdom.

"Not the king. But you would have power. Besides," She tried for a smile. It came out halfhearted, a faint twitching of her lips that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm pretty great too."

Declan looked at her. For an instant, she saw something like pain flash across his features. It vanished quickly.

"I'll think about it," he said. Quickly, as if he couldn't stand to be in the room with her any longer, he slipped out the door.

Camila leaned back into the chair. Her hands shook, adrenaline and fear rocketing through her veins. She closed her eyes, focused on her breathing, and tried to listen to her surroundings.

It was eerily quiet. She wondered if the walls were soundproof, meant to keep prisoners from overhearing any plans. Her breathing sounded strangely loud in the silence. Without Declan or Zora, it was lonely. Almost claustrophobic.

She leapt from the chair, desperate to move, to remember the strength of her body. She paced across the room. Her feet drummed quietly against the tiled floor.

Was Declan right? Did she always give up everything to keep Alex safe? Images flashed through her mind: agreeing to stay quiet when Declan held her hostage, letting him into the ball when Declan' threatened to expose Alex's secret, and just now, when Declan had been ready to kill him- 

Her toe clanged into the wall. Camila clamped her teeth together to keep from screaming. She was backed into a corner, with no way out, and it wasn't fair. She missed her parents. She missed not having any responsibility.

She missed Alex.

Goddess. What if Declan accepted? What if her people paid the price?

Camila paced to the metal door, then back to the window, then back to the door again. She darted around the chair in quick, nimble steps. Since removing the silver bracelet, her reflexes felt unnatural, almost inhuman.

Someone knocked on the door.

Camila sighed and slumped into the chair. No one came in. "Hello?" she tried.

"Hi." Zora's clear voice cut through the silence like a knife cuts through butter. "I'm not supposed to come in. Apparently, you're dangerous." She snorted, as if the very idea was insulting.

"Yeah? What's going on out there?" Camila asked. Maybe she'd get lucky and Zora was secretly working for her parents.

That was realistic, wasn't it? Camila sighed. Maybe she was going insane.

"I, uh, really shouldn't talk to you about that." The words were oddly stilted. "Hey, what's your favorite TV show?"

"What?"

"We're bonding. What's your favorite TV show?" Zora's voice was strangely high-pitched. Almost as if she was nervous.

"Um, Downton Abbey?" Camila said hesitantly, not totally sure she wanted to bond with the sword-wielding criminal.

"Really?"

"What?" Camila moved to the other side of the door. "It's a good show."

"Yeah, but you're a princess, which means you're practically living in the stone age already. Why would you choose a historical drama?"

Camila could practically hear Zora's scowl. "Because I like it?" she muttered. "Fine. What do you like?"

"Anything with blood. The more, the better."

"Lovely."

"I can give you recommendations if you like."

"No, I think I'm okay."

"There's this one scene, in Game of Thrones—there's princesses in that, so you'd probably relate—where a guy crushes another dude's skull with his bare hands. It's fantastic." Zora said, with obvious relish.

"I'm sure it is." Camila sighed. "Hey Zora?"

"What? I don't do small talk, so cut to the chase."

"...I don't think we watch the same types of shows." Camila sat down, staring blankly at the sleek, silver door. It seemed to glare back at her.

"Oh." Zora's voice sounded small. Quiet. Still terrifying, but undercut with a slight hint of sadness.

Camila clasped her hands together, thinking. It was probably best to avoid gaining another powerful enemy.

"You know, I think your sword's pretty cool," she offered. The door offered no response, but Camila heard an excited yelp from the other end.

"Really?!" Zora said, her voice echoing through the room. Camila imagined her eyes widening like a cartoon character, her jaw dropping straight to the floor. Zora whispered, "Sorry, I'm quiet. I'm good. I call it Deathbringer. Pretty cool, huh?"

"That sounds... very accurate." Somehow, Camila found herself chuckling. "Hey. Um. Do you mind if I ask- What I mean to say is-" The words stuck in her throat.

"He's alive."

"...You mean Alex, right?" She didn't want false hope.

There was a soft sigh on the other end of the door. "Assuming he's the vampire guy, yes. He's alive. Hey, I saw this show where a vampire guy got brutally murdered. Kind of looked like your buddy too. Do you-"

"No. Thanks Zora."

"You're welcome!" she chirped.

"And Spoon? The dog, I mean." Camila asked.

"Oh, we wouldn't kill the dog. We're not evil. She's cute. We gave her a bar of chocolate because she loo-"

Camila shot to her feet. "What?!"

"Just kidding." Zora laughed. "I was going to say she looked hungry. Finn went down to the store and bought her some nice, organic dog food. Oh, Declan's back."

Camila winced. "Was that a joke too?" she asked hopefully.

"Sorry Cami. Can I call you Cami? I'm going now. Bye!"

"Um. Bye?" There was no response. Zora must have already left.

Camila walked to the window and looked out at the street. When Declan came in, she didn't want to be seated. It made no tangible difference; he was still the one holding her captive, but it made her feel better. More confident.

The night sky stretched across the horizon, a black carpet blanketing the city and the surrounding forest. When she was younger, her father had tried to teach her the stars. Looking outside, she didn't recognize any of the stars. She'd never taken to the lessons, preferring training and her mother's stories at night.

The door slid open. It scraped gently against the tiles, a soft noise that grated on Camila's eardrums. She didn't bother glancing over—she sensed Declan the moment he entered the room. His proximity set her nerves afire.

"Camila," he said softly. "We need to talk."

Thoughts on the chapter? Will Declan say yes? Was anyone worried about Spoon? Thoughts on Zora? 

Thanks for reading!

-Harley