Princess Thief [✔]

10. The Second Day

"I will see you tomorrow, Carline."

***

I was wandering back along the hallway. Most visitors should have been back to their chambers by this time. I reached mine and saw Xenon standing right in front of my door.

"Princess."

He bowed. I did not know how long he waited. I hadn't seen him since we arrived. Xenon was not able to enter the hall since only the knights of Deliora were stationed inside.

"What is it? It was not like you to stay all night at my door, Xenon," I said, the corner of my lips rose.

Teasing Xenon was really one of my bad habits. I regularly enjoyed it unscrupulously every time he tried to retain a reserved expression like now.

He cleared his throat before replying, "His majesty requests your presence."

That froze my smile. Damn it.

I was so caught up with being a princess and being a thief that first and foremost I was that man's toy.

I clutched my gown. "Then, lead me to him."

Xenon walked ahead of me and I had my head down as I convinced myself in a soundless whisper. You will be fine, Carline. He will not do anything. We are not in Ezriel. He will not dare expose his nature.

Father prided himself as the best deceiver on how he could play everyone in the palm of his hand. Our kingdom had a reputation that was why we were feared. We were ruled by countless mad kings in the past and Father was praised as the only sane ruler. That was why Ezriel was able to flourish more in his hands.

He acted as a wise king but he was the sickest among all. There were no enemies that had seen his true face that lived to tell the tale. They didn't die with just simple death, it was brutal and heinous. Faces that could not be set apart anymore, scattering limbs that you won't even know whose was it and could never be pieced together once more.

Color drained from my face as my body unconsciously shuddered. I should have not reminded myself of those memories I witnessed with my own eyes.

We arrived at the door and I swallowed a deep breath. Once opened, a hard slap welcomed me. He must be so enraged that he even hit me in front of Xenon and it was even a place that could not be covered.

Father yanked my hair, hauling me towards his room, and slammed the door. A kick pushed me to my back and I fell to the cold tiled floor. My hands quivered as my breath hitched from the suffocating presence of Father and his fiery temper.

"Good evening to you, too, Father," I muttered a response as I stood up.

"You, monster. I told you to be good!"

His yell echoed across the room before another slap landed on my cheek. He roughly held my face and forced me to look at him.

"You expected you could escape from me just because we are here?" His eyes were swirling with emotion and his lips lifted in a natural manner that looked angelic but it was definitely not.

It was the face of my fear.

"Don't ever think of leaving using these people with you. You will never be able to. You are your mother's murderer. Your life could never compensate for hers," he spat as his nails dug deep enough to hurt but not to scar my cheeks.

Mother's blood-stained face delved into my mind after his crazed words.

"Make sure you don't get close to anyone or else... You know what will happen, right?"