The forsaken Princess

8. Blood Drop

Viola panicked swatting his hand away roughly and using all of her strength trying to push him away and trying to create some much-needed distance between them. Confusion was written on the Kings face plain as day.

She yanked at his arm around her waist clawing into it, making the king slowly loosen his grip as she hurried into a panicked stance away from the king.

Stepping away backwards from the throne Viola miscalculated where the stairs began and stepped into thin air making her heart stop beating in panic as she fell down the stone stairs. Time seemed to slow down. Without even thinking the King lunged forwards grabbing the Queen's arm and pulling her into his chest as the two of them tumbled down the staircase in an embrace.

Landing at the bottom of the staircase they rolled over once more before Viola landed on her back falling out of the King's embrace and him landing on top of her on all fours.

Viola ripped her eyes open, ignoring the pain in her head and in her elbow as she watched the King who leaned over her. His face was scrunched up in pain, having taken most of the damage trying to shield the Queen.

Having hit his head on one of the steps king felt lightheaded as a sharp pain made his skull feel like it was going to burst.

Viola wasn't sure if she'd understood what had happened and she felt paralyzed, watching the King who was clearly in pain. A red drop rolled past his left ear and onto his cheek before dripping onto Viola's face.

"Are- are you okay?" Viola asked, her voice shaky. The King finally opened his eyes and immediately saw the drop of blood on her face.

"You're hurt?" The king panted sitting upright before shouting. "GUARDS!"

Immediately the door swung open and two knights hurried into the room along with Sir Malik.

"GET THE DOCTOR," he roared across the hall, making one of the knights run off to go find him.

"Your highness! What happened?!" Malik shouted as Archer reached to his head and then looked at his hand covered in blood.

Viola got up panicked by the sudden commotion and the sight of the bleeding king. Slowly the reality of the situation hit her. She didn't mean for this to happen. She felt guilty for causing him to fall down the stairs as well.

"I swear to god," Sir Malik turned to Viola shouting at her, "If you pushed him I will make sure you regret it!"

Viola shook her head, "I, didn't mean to-," the muttered trying to grasp a thought in between her feeling of guilt and the pain that she felt.

"Your highness, tell me what happened. Are you okay?" Malik demanded clearly panicked and unsure of how to help his king.

"Shut up, Malik." The King muttered annoyed by the drama he was causing, "She slipped and I tried to hold her but ended up falling myself."

Malik nodded frantically looking back to the door and his king who now had blood running down his neck. "The doctor should be here any second now." Just as Malik said those words the old man and the knight came running into the room.

Out of breath the doctor that Viola recognized because he treated Amelie knelt down next to the King. "I will begin treating you-" king Archer interrupted him by lifting his hand and pointing it straight at Viola.

"Treat her first."

The doctor nodded, grabbed his bag, and scooted over to the Queen where he began unpacking bandages and ointments.

"Archer, she's clearly fine but you are bleeding," Malik argued with the King.

"It's going to take a lot more than a few steps to hurt me," the King talked back, "and out of all people I'd expect you to know that the best."

Malik nodded understanding what the King meant.

Viola answered a few questions the doctor asked, looked at her elbow and her head, and explained that she was very lucky and that she would probably not need any treatment. Viola thanked the doctor who then turned his attention to the King who'd been carefully watching her this whole time.

"Viola," the king's voice was stern, "I want you to go back to the chambers and rest there. I'll have the knights escort you."

One of the knights handed the Queen the golden crown that had slid off after her tumble and began walking her to her room.

Back in the chamber, Viola spread out on the large bed groaning. She felt stupid. She didn't want the king to jump down the stairs and get hurt. She didn't need him to save her. She felt like she owed him and that bothered her. 

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That evening Archer was about to enter the royal chamber when a thought stopped him as he reached out to push it open.

Her face from before, when he tried lifting up her chin. It had plagued him all day. He'd seen it immediately, the very moment her eyes widened. It had been fear.

She had feared him and his touch. He hated that. He enjoyed watching her playfully fight his attempts at wooing her but he hated that look of fear.

It made him feel like an animal. Besides not liking her because of her family line he had grown fond of her touch and of her sarcastic comebacks. But he hated that look on her face along with her panicked way of trying to distance herself.

The knights accompanying the King to his royal chamber had patiently waited as the King spaced out in thought in front of his door. One of them finally mustered up the courage to speak up, "Are- Are you alright, my king?"

Archer shook his head trying to snap out of it. "Good night," he said ignoring the question,  pushing open the door only to swing it back shut.

He recognized the queen sleeping, in her bed and quickly turned to catch the door before it slammed shut. He quietly closed it, before sighing and going over to her bedside.

He watched her as she peacefully dozing, he reached out wanting to stroke her hair. Before he did he pulled his hand back.

He had to know why she was scared. Had he hurt her without realizing it? Had he pushed her into doing something she was truly scared of? He plopped down on the side of the bed, brushing his hand through his hair.

The sudden shift in weight on the bed awoke Viola. She blinked seeing a large dark figure sitting by her bedside, making her shriek as she sat up and pulled her covers close in surprise.

King Archer sighed at her response, "Why are you scared of me?" His voice was softer than usual.

Viola blinked in confusion trying to figure out if he was joking. "Well, because it's really dark and I didn't hear you come in, and come to think of it I was dreaming of some animal so when you just sit there suddenly it's kind of surprising," Viola mumbled. "Not that," the King groaned, "I meant back in the throne room."

The almost lighthearted conversation from just a moment ago suddenly took a very serious turn. Viola had only just awoken from a long afternoon nap and now he wanted to know about her feelings?

For once the King wasn't staring at her expecting an answer but was instead staring at the ground, almost dreading her words.

Viola contemplated on denying her fear but she saw no point in it. The fact that she was taking her time answering made the king restless as he started folding and unfolding his hands over and over. He couldn't look at her. 

"It," Viola tried ignoring the lump in her throat that made it hard to speak, "It reminded me of when I first turned down your offer of marrying you."

The king's eyes widened ever so slightly as he remembered. It made sense to him. He had not cared in the slightest how he treated her after she'd turned him down.

"It was like I was thrown right back into that moment after I'd lost everything and it scared me," Violas spoke so softly that it was barely audible.

"Viola," the King whispered, "I'll never do it again..."

There was anger in his voice but it wasn't directed at the Queen. He was angry at himself.