All Hail The King' s Bride; Book One

Chapter Five

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, days into weeks and weeks into months. His majesty promised he'd be back in a month however four months had passed and yet there was no sign of him. It was as if he simply forgot, or he changed his mind in the end.

For a moment, I thought I'd finally escape, but he gave me false hope, and now I'm basically stuck here. I boldly canceled my plan of escaping with Estella on my twenty-first birthday, not knowing this day would come. So much for hope. 

"Rena! Rena!" Edward shouts, jolting me back to reality. "Are you now deaf and mute? I've been calling you for a while now."

I flinch at his voice, my heart racing. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I was—"

He cuts me off, his eyes narrowing. "Save it. Follow me, I need to talk to you."

I follow him without another word, wondering what he could possibly want now. We head to the outdoor gazebo where he stands, his back facing me, hands clenched into fists.

"Mia and Tia, are they really at our aunt's place?" he asks, his voice tense as he finally turns around. 

"I-I—" I hesitated, my throat dry, remembering how those two brats begged me—of all people—to keep their secret. What's even more surprising is that they mentioned the only way any word should get out about their whereabouts is if they didn't return after three days.

"Come on! Answer me! you were the last person they spoke with!" He demanded, grabbing my arms tightly.

"I-I can't tell you" I blurted out, wincing at his grip. "They made me promise not to tell anyone."

He releases his grip but then snatches the bracelet my grandma gave me before she passed, right from my hand.

"This means a lot to you, huh?" he sneers, drawing his knife. "Tell me, or I swear I'll rip it to pieces."

My heart skips a beat, and I feel a surge of panic. "Please, don't," I plead, stepping forward with outstretched hands. "That bracelet is all I have left of her."

"You should have thought of that before keeping secrets," he snaps, tightening his grip on the bracelet. "Now, tell me where my sisters are!"

"They're in Beige," I blurt out, unable to bear the thought of him destroying my grandma's bracelet. She was the only one who kept my parents from selling me off whilst alive. How could I possible allow him to destroy the little I have left of her. "They knew your parents wouldn't let them go, so they made up the story about visiting your aunt in Orlan."

"Damn!" He throws my bracelet to the ground and slams his fist against the column. "Are they going to the festival?"

I don't answer him. Instead, I hurriedly pick up my bracelet, inspecting it for damage.

"Did you hear me?" he snaps, his voice rising. "Are they going to the festival?"

"Yes," I whisper, still focused on my bracelet. "They wanted to see it, no matter what."

His eyes blaze with fury. "You should have told me sooner!" he shouts, taking a step closer. "Do you have any idea how much danger they could be in?"

"H-how would I know," I stammer, clutching the broken pieces of my bracelet. "Except for the market, I'm not permitted to go anywhere else."

 "Don't act smart with me," He growls, turning away and pacing angrily, "We need to find them before it's too late; be prepared we are going to beige."

"We," I repeat, fidgeting with my fingers, "I can't possibly accompany you. They are not my sisters, and your parents would never permit it."

"They need not know," He adds. "I will ready a carriage, and we shall depart tonight."

"But I have no desire to go to Beige; as you've said, it's dangerous," 

"You will join me, willing or not," he snaps, his jaw tightening. "Had you spoken sooner, my sisters would not be at risk."

"What risk? How are they at risk?" I demand, my heart pounding as I take a step back.

"Quiet!" he hisses, glancing around with a fierce look. "It's not your concern. Just be ready tonight. Not a word of this to my parents, understood?"

"Yes," I whisper, feeling a chill run down my spine.

"Good." He dismisses me with a turn and a dismissive wave. 

Thank you for reading the fifth chapter of my story.

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