Calamity Falls | Wattys 2019

XII

Reinard's eyes grew wide in a combination of shock and fear.

Leopold looked genuinely shaken. Not only was his mate a demon, but she was also the daughter of the Demon King. She was an actual princess, and he tried to pull the king card.

"You're a freaking princess? You are the demon princess?" Leopold asked in disbelief.

"I denounced my title when I hid from my father," Calamity clarified.

"Why did you hide from your father?" Leopold asked abruptly.

"Now is not the time for that. Besides, that is a tad bit personal, King Leopold," Calamity responded.

"Please don't go back to addressing me formally." Leopold whined as he rushed over to Calamity. He got on both knees and grabbed her hands. He looked into her eyes soulfully. "I'm sorry for being ignorant. Please do not be mad at me!"

"We are on official business, which means official titles. You are a king, and I am still just a soldier. We must be professional in public. Please respect at least that much," she explained with a sigh.

"But I don't want to my dove. You are so much more than that. You are my queen and will be the Queen of the Wolves someday."

Calamity took in a sharp breath.

You will be Queen of the Dark someday. As my heiress you need to be affluent in all things. Stop acting like a child.

But I am a child daddy.

No. You are the Crown Princess. It's time you started acting like it.

"I don't want to be Queen! I can't deal with it! Not again! I won't do it," Calamity began hyperventilating and ran from Leo. "You can't make me! I don't want to be prim and proper. Let me do what I want!"

Reinard stood up and rushed over to her. "Calamity calm down! Calamity, nothing is going to happen."

Calamity threw herself into his arms. "Reinard! Don't let him take me! I don't want to go back. I can't do it again! I can't go back to that room. The darkness, not the dark again. I can control my fire now! I don't need to go back! Reinard... please... don't let him send me back... not again... I can't go back again."

They slumped to the floor, a huddled heap on the ground. Calamity shook with fear.

Leopold was terrified. What did he do? He didn't understand what happened. She never acted like this before.

"What-what did I do? I-I didn't mean to. Is she okay?" Leopold panicked.

Reinard rubbed her back soothingly. It had been a while since one of her episodes. She always began to panic. Hyperventilating was a common symptom too. He had never seen her cry though. He had tried to get her psychiatric help, but she could never really open up about her experiences. He knew that her father and his training were a large source of her trauma.

"When she was younger her father had an odd way of 'training' Calamity for succession. He would call her horrid names. He would shove her off into a pitch black room when she wouldn't do exactly what he wanted, when he wanted, and how he wanted. She hates the idea of being queen of anything. When she feels like someone is trying to force her into a role that requires any kind of political or polite training, she goes into one of her fits like right now. Sometimes her breathing is abnormally fast. Though you will never see her cry during one of her fits."

"Crying is weakness," Calamity piped up quietly from behind Reinard's arms.

Stop crying.

You're so weak.

How could such a disappointment come from me?

I didn't raise you to be weak.

Crying is weakness.

Calamity shoved her face further into Reinard's chest.

"He can't touch you anymore Calamity. I'm here. Your mate is here. We will protect you," Reinard attempted to console her.

"Calamity," Leopold cooed gently. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you dove. I would never force you to do anything you didn't want."

Calamity lifted her head enough for Leo to graze his knuckles against her face softly. Shameful awareness enshrouded her face. She moved away from Reinard and Leopold.

"I'm sorry, Highness. I acted in such a disgraceful way in your presence. I feel ashamed for acting in such a childish way and throwing a tantrum." Calamity stood up and walked away from them. She got to the door and heard Leopold shout out her name. She sprinted out the door and down the hall.

Calamity went to the only place she could release her anger, the gym. She didn't even put her gloves on before she gave a poor punching bag the beating of it's life. The chain holding the bag snapped. She walked over to the wall and banged her head against it. She put both hands against the wall and put all her weight into leaning in that spot.

"Why did you follow me?" Calamity asked Leopold, who stood in the doorway. She wrapped her hands around her abdomen and laid her head against the wall. She shut her eyes in a sore attempt to shut out the rest of the world.

"I was worried about you. You seemed upset. I think this is the second time I've seen you kill one of those things," he gestured to the punching bag.

Calamity bounced off the wall and walked in front of him. "Spar with me."

"Calamity you know I can't hurt you."

"I just want you to try. Please, I need to fight someone equal to my fighting ability, and you're the closest it's gonna get."

"You think you can take me?" Leopold asked cockily.

"Of course. I am obviously the superior fighter," taunted Calamity.

"We'll see about that," Leo accepted the challenge without even realizing it. "What are the rules?"

"No powers. No shifting of any kind or to any degree. No weapons. All hits are legal. The first person to submit loses."

"What do I get if I win?"

"Is victory not enough?"

"I'll be more motivated if there's something to gain or lose," Leopold tried to convince her.

Calamity sighed. "What would you like?"

"A kiss. It's a simple request."

"A kiss? Why would you want that?"

"Would you rather I ask for sex?" Leopold smirked at Calamity's blatant disgust at the suggestion.

"Fine then. One kiss. No more. I'm fairly confident I won't have to give it. When I win, I want you to be my obedient dog for a day," Calamity said confidently.

Leopold scowled, "That's ridiculous, Calamity. I can't agree to that!"

"Then no deal," Calamity threatened. "We'll fight without any stakes, which means you have no chance of getting that kiss."

"Okay fine," Leopold conceded at the thought of never getting to kiss his feisty little mate.

"Great. We start in five minutes. Bring your big boy pants because I won't hold back."

"Likewise."