TRAPPED

THE NEW KING

ERIC

"Baby, do you still love me?" I asked Shalom, scared that she would now see me differently.
"Eric, you know that you're my first love and I’ll always love you. but you are holding my family hostage, how could we be together after all this?" she asked me and sniffed, wiping her tears away.
"baby I didn’t know they were your family and I promise am not gonna hurt them, but you have to meet me halfway, you have to know that your father is being stubborn, he needs to give me back the crown" I tried to reason with her.
"Am so sorry Eric, I know that what happened to your father and your family was really cruel but please don't kill my family, please Eric" she begged and held on to my shirt, sobbing on my chest
No matter how much I may have wanted Liam to pay for his actions I knew I couldn’t put his blood on my hands, I didn’t want to lose Shalom.
"I just want my throne back, am not gonna kill him. But promise me you won't leave me after this" I requested of her
"Is this what you meant when you said that you would give my father a king for a son in-law?" she asked and I nodded  "I love you Eric and I understand why you did this, its your birthright but please do it without bloodshed" she said and I nodded
"Stay here please I'll be right back" I told her and walked back to the throne room.

"am baaack!!" I smiled at Liam and he just frowned  "you know you have a really beautiful daughter your majesty, I mean damn, she looks really sweet, I bet my men will enjoy her, they're dying to have a taste of her" I said and I saw his eyes widen, bingo! Found his weak spot.

"you wouldn’t dare, I will rip you apart limb by limb" he threatened and I just chuckled
"tell me where the crown is and I will spare her"
“Liam I swear to you, if you let these men touch my daughter I will never forgive you, I will leave and never look back" Kira warned him and Shalom's brothers also started speaking up, telling him to just give it back.

"show me my daughter, I want to see that she's okay then you can have the throne which you don't even deserve, which is not even yours" said Liam harshly and I nodded then instructed one of my men to bring her.

I hated using Shalom like this but at that moment it was the only thing I could think of. Joshua entered with Shalom who looked around at her family then at me.
"Your daughter is here, safe for now… Give me back what is rightly mine and no harm will come to her or the rest of your family "I spoke and looked at Shalom who's eyes widened with realization as she caught on to what I was doing.

"Daddy please just give it back...I just wanna go home "she cried and went to sit by his side then wrapped her arms around him.
"The crown together with the seal and golden staff is buried in a box in the garden " Liam finally revealed and I instructed my men to go there immediately. "You have what you want, now let my family go ". Liam demanded
"Have patience, as soon as the crown is resting on my head my men will escort you out of this palace and back to your kingdom ". I told him and looked at Shalom, hopefully she wouldn't see me differently after this. And what about her family?  Surely they wouldn't be in support of our relationship after being held hostages, but I would cross that bridge later, hopefully they would be so grateful to have their lives spared that they will even accept me.

We only waited for thirty minutes and Joshua burst in triumphantly holding the crown as more men came to the throne room, Joshua went down on one knee then bowed his head and presented the crown.
"May you live long young king" he said and the other men followed suit.

That was the most overwhelming moment of my life and my hands were shaking slightly as I got the crown and put it on my head, surprisingly it was heavier than it looked. With the crown on my head Joshua handed me the golden staff then pinned the royal seal on my chest. I really couldn't believe it was happening but as I saw all my men bow down and look at me proudly I knew this was real, I was king, I was going to take over where my grandfather had left off.
"You got what you wanted now release us at once!" Liam demanded fiercely, even though my grandmother and the elders had advised me to kill Liam and his sons I couldn't do it.
"Joshua, escort our royal guests back to their kingdom "I said and he came closer so that they couldn't hear us.
"How do you want them to be killed?" He asked me
"Change of plans, don't harm them"
"What?.. But my lord ..."
"I know what am doing.. Just take them back to their home and let everyone know there's a new king on the throne, tomorrow we celebrate ".I instructed
"Of course your majesty "he said and gestured to his men to untie everyone and escort them out. I so much wanted to ask Shalom to stay but I knew it was too soon, I had to give her family time to recover before telling them that I wanted to marry her.

The entire night was filled with merry making as the people started celebrating the victory, my grandmother and my mother arrived at the palace early morning and they were angry with me.
"How could you spare them?? Liam will retaliate " my granny said angrily

"No he won't, can't we just stop killing each other and have some peace with our neighbors? ".I asked rhetorically and my mother rolled her eyes.

"I really hope you will not regret this but for now we have another issue "granny continued

"Which is? "

"You need a queen and heirs as soon as possible " she said and I couldn't help smiling

"Don't worry, I already have a queen "

"Really? That's wonderful, who is the lucky maiden? ".she asked me

"Princess Shalom "I said and my mother dropped the glass she had been holding.

"You're joking right??.. Is that why you spared them?? She will be your downfall, they will use her to destroy you just like her mother destroyed my son ".granny couldn't even sit still.

"Shalom isn't like that, she loves me" I said defensively
"Blood will always be blood, her family will always come first.Mark my words, she will be your downfall "said grandma and she left the throne room.
Could she be right??.