After Alexander was struck down by the silver-laced staff again, Speerburn's men carried him off to the Dungeons. As strange and uncharacteristic it was of me, I didn't feel any real fear, or desperate worry for my brother.
I didn't plead with the King, or try to chase after his men as they took Alex.
I only felt disappointment. Disappointment in how he had entirely ignored my words earlier, in the garden.
Everything was going to be fine, if he had just listened to me! I had a solution to our family being held captive - Bron was going to help us. Yet he wouldn't even hear my words. He insisted that I needed to come back, no matter what I was telling him.
It didn't make any sense.
What did he owe the King? Why wouldn't he hear me out?
I voiced my burning thoughts as I stared at the doors, "Why was this the only way? Why does my brother believe that bringing me back here was the only way to save our family?"
I heard Speerburn release a heavy sigh from behind me.
I turned around to face him. "Tell me what the deal was. What did Alexander promise you?"
The King watched me.
No, he lazily admired me with a small grin. "Just when did you become so fierce, little Dove? Where has the quiet and polite Cross girl gone?"
I only stared at him.
Speerburn's cheek wrinkled as he smiled fondly, "Your brother knew my deepest desire. He knew what I longed for, who I was passionate towards..."
My heart sank.
"And he knew that giving her to me, would not only benefit his entire family, but also ensure that she have a long life of luxury and protection."
No. Alexander didn't.
Speerburn stood from his grand chair, and took slow steps towards me. "He was actually quite the negotiator, so desperate to secure his sibling's success and safety. And he was smart enough to know what it would cost him. Or who."
He reached forward, cradling my cold hand in his own. We both knew that he didn't need to say anything more.
The answer was clear.
Alexander had promised me to the King in return for our family's future, protections, and careers within the Kingdom.
My heart pounded in my chest at the revelation. I was shocked. I didn't want to believe it, yet it all made sense.
It's why he dragged me back here. No matter how much I begged him, pleaded for him to believe me. It wasn't about him trusting me, or trusting that I truly was Bron's Mate.
He needed to bring me back to Mainland to hold up his end of the deal.
A shaky breath left my lips.
"Go clean up, My Sweet, and rest. Tonight, we will secure your place in my Kingdom. The next time one of them take you from me, it will be treason. It will be the kidnapping of a Queen."
He stroked my hand with his thumb as he spoke, like the words should be comforting. But after being taken from my Mate and learning this new information, that bold and angry fire within me only grew.
I felt certain of my identity.
My eyes met the King's, "You've already kidnapped a Queen."
He held my eyes for a moment in a heated stare. After a pause, he scoffed lightly before waving his hand in the air. "Guards." He called.
They responded like cattle, coming when called. A group of tall armored men entered through the massive doors. I kept my hot glare on Speerburn as they stomped forward.
He did the same, matching my stare.
"Take my little Dove to her room. Have her prepared for tonight's ceremony at once." His voice came out emotionless.
"Yes, King." One of them uttered and came to stand by me.
Speeburn circled me with a lazy smile and sharp eyes, like he was observing a new toy. His steps angered me, how he leisurely walked, so sure of himself and confident.
A rough and dry hand brushed against my cheek, "Tonight, I will bond you to me forever. I will make you my Queen, and you'll remain by my side until our end."
My heart thumped in my chest. For perhaps the first time in my life, I stared at the person before me with as much hate as I could muster up within myself.
"If I should stay by your side until my end, then I'll spend every second fighting against you. I won't be quiet and I won't rest."
He only smiled down at me.
His prolonged silent smile fueled my fire, and I fought to urge to kick the man where it'd hurt most.
Finally, he spoke.
"You're confused and upset. This will take time." His hand grazed my chin before falling to his side. "But it would be wise for you to cooperate. I would truly hate to have to hurt Alexander."
The defiant look in my eyes only intensified.
Of course he'd use my brother against me.
He probably plans to keep Alexander in the cells forever, as a continuous piece of blackmail to enforce my cooperation.
The King nodded at his men, who quickly surrounded me, lightly nudging me forward. "This way, Miss Cross." One spoke.
I tore my hate-filled eyes from Speerburn, and followed the men to the door. More Guards made room for us the walk out of the Royal Office, and then joined our sides. We walked in a cluster down the hall, armored men on every side of me.
I kept my eyes forward, not bothering to make nice with my new babysitters.
Instead, I tried to wrap my mind around what had just unfolded.
Part of me understood Alexander's reasoning. After my Father insulted the King in a group meeting, our family was threatened with exile. We would have lost everything.
I understand wanting to help our family....But, promising me away to a King?
A chill ran down my spine.
How could he go that far? How could he do something so extreme?
Perhaps a month ago or so, this news would have broken my heart. Sadness and distrust would have filled me, I would have been so confused by my big brother's actions.
But now? Now, I only felt hot anger towards his complete foolishness.
Even thinking about Alex trying to pawn me off like an item made my blood boil. So I decided to focus on something else, anything else.
My tired eyes watched the Guards walking slightly ahead of me. I turned my head and looked over my shoulder, where three were walking behind me as well.
None of them met my eyes. In fact, I noticed their gazes darting away quickly when I glanced at any of them.
I huffed, and turned back forward.
Finally, we came to a door where a small woman was waiting outside of it. She wrung her thin hands together nervously, before suddenly shooting her head up at the sounds of our steps.
Her large brown eyes caught my own.
The girl rushed forward, but suddenly stopped before the Guards. I noticed how she fearfully averted her eyes from them, and hesitated to come any closer to us.
"Miss Cross." A tall Guard beckoned me to her with a sharp jut of his chin. "Your servant."
I glared at the man, "I highly doubt that is her name." I said keeping my eyes on him.
I turned, looking at the girl. She met my stare with widened eyes, before muttering, "Minaya."
"Annabella." I replied with a small smile.
The Guards bowed all at once, like they were one unit. They turned, loudly stomping down the long golden hall we had just come from. Despite my watching them, I didn't miss the way the girl next to me harshly flinched at their sudden movements.
I watched them retreat and then looked back to her. She had linked our arms, and was nervously watching them too, waiting until they had fully turned the corner to meet my curious eyes.
She quietly cleared her throat.
"Miss Cross, it's an honor. I-I'm to help you prepare for the Cermony tonight." She explained, gently leading me inside the bedroom that we stood outside of.
We walked in and before I could respond, the sound of the door being locked echoed around us.
Her eyes caught my own as she lowered her hand from the large lock. She frowned as she pocketed the key. "I'm sorry... It's... It's just the King's orders. I have to do it."
I held back a scoff, but nodded. "It's alright, I understand."
"O-Okay." She exhaled, "What do you desire? Can I bring you some food? Or draw you a bath? You can also rest. But a bath may relax you the best before tonight..."
The girl began to hurry around the massive bedroom.
The massive bedroom, that was entirely covered in a pale shade of pink. Just like the party the King had thrown for me.
But it wasn't the fact that Speerburn had remembered my favorite color that bothered me. I was far more focused on Minaya, the petite servant rushing around the room as she gathered items for a bath.
She was small, out of breath, and sluggish.
I even noticed her stumble a few times.
Which was incredibly strange for a Werewolf. No wolf should be that frail. Was she ill? My brows furrowed in worry as I listened to her quiet, labored breaths.
"And this..." She took a shaky breath, "This is the dress our King has selected for you. For tonight's Ceremony, of course... Oh, and the shoes-"
I didn't bother examining the gown, but continued to observe her and she her tried to catch her breath whilst walking around.
Perhaps it was my mind overanalyzing, or even just desperate for something else to focus. Anything else, any sort of distraction from the severity of what was really happening.
And I was grateful for any distraction.
Minaya almost tripped over her foot as she took rushed steps to the tall wardrobe, "You may choose any of the heels here, or flats if you prefer..." She took another deep breath, " All of these are handmade and detailed, limited editi-"
"Minaya?"
Her big brown eyes met mine, "Yes?" She looked down at the large rack of shoes, "D-Did you see ones you like?"
I shook my head softly, "No... No, I just... Are you alright?"
She furrowed her thin brows, "Miss Cross?"
The young woman stared at me in confusion, waiting for me to elaborate. "You just seem very out of breath, is all." I said. "Perhaps you should sit down for a little?"
Her worried face relaxed, "Oh... No, please. I'm fine." She smiled.
I returned the small grin. "Are you sure? Maybe we can stop? Or just sit for a bit?"
She hesitated for a moment, seeming unsure. I felt a bit of guilt, calling the girl out in such a way. But I didn't want her to continue rushing around, not when she was clearly struggling for breath.
She looked so thin and pale.
Minaya wrung her hands in front of her, eyes anxiously darting back and forth from the floor and then up to me. I had clearly made her uncomfortable by stopping her duties.
"Um..." I glanced around searching for a less active task for her, "Oh! Uh....Will you help me brush out my hair?"
Her eyes brightened at the suggestion, "Y-Yes! Okay, yes. Let's do that."
The girl quickly got to work, pulling out random serum and oils, along with two different kinds of brushes. We fell into a comfortable silence as she expertly worked through my tangled locks.
After several minutes of quiet brushing, her breathing slowed, steadying out into a normal pattern.
Then, she filled the silence.
"They put her into a sleep when I was ten."
I glanced at her from over my shoulder, confused at her words. "Sorry?"
Minaya smiled softly, not really meeting my eyes. "My wolf."
My stomach dropped.
I turned my head back, processing her words and staring ahead of us as she continued brushing. Together, we settled into a silence again until she continued.
"I-It's just... It's why I'm a bit slower, is all. A bit weaker." She began to rub some sort of oil into the roots of my hair with a sad smile. "My Father owed the King money. The kind he could never return. To cancel out his debts, it was decided that I would work within the Kingdom for the rest of my days..."
I blinked my eyes several times, not letting the growing water fall.
"... I was too spirited. Too playful, and it made carrying out my duties difficult. My wolf side was dominant, and had trouble with authority. But I still need to work off the debts. So..."
Minaya quietly trailed off, letting her soft voice fade out.
I didn't know what to say.
What could I say?
I only reached over my shoulder and rested my hand on her own. Her busy fingers stopped suddenly, hesitating, before wrapping around my own and tightening.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you. I can't even imagine what that was like." I replied in a tight voice.
And I truly couldn't imagine it. My mind couldn't comprehend what it'd be like to have an entire piece of you, just ripped away.
Silenced.
How do you go on after an entire piece of your being had been stolen from you?
She nodded her head with a small, forced smile. "It's okay... I'm just a little smaller, weaker." Her grin grew, "Before, I was the fastest wolf around! I could outrun my Uncle and cousin. Everytime!"
Minaya grinned a genuine smile at the memories. I tried to mimic it, but struggled to. "Really?" I asked.
She nodded happily and continued telling me little stories about her childhood, before the King ordered the end of her wolf side.
As Minaya brushed my hair, laughing at old memories, my heart broke more and more.
How could speak so casually of such abuse?
Even more anger boiled up inside of me as my sadness for her fueled that fire. Speerburn was no King.
Taking away people's wolves? Making sneaky deals and taking advantage of people? Even exiling his own brother, the rightful King and tricking an entire society?
My anger grew. It grew for the people like Minaya, the ones the King had stepped on.
Alexander tricked. Minaya silenced. Otis beaten. My brothers and my Father tortured.
Bron, betrayed.
If my Mate didn't come and kill his brother, I'd find a way to do it myself.
"-iss Cross?"
Minaya's quiet voice pulled me from my thoughts. "S-Sorry, yes?"
She eyed me curiously before smiling, stepping to the side. "I've finished. If we leave your hair in these twisted braids for a few hours, you'll have lovely curls for the Ceremony tonight!"
Despite my vengeful mood and the seriousness of what was happening, the girl's smile was infectious. I found myself calming down a bit as she happily explained more details about her plans for my hair and gown.
I sighed and nodded, trying to mirror her grin, "Thank you Minaya. Perhaps I'll rest for a bit now."
The girl nodded, stepping away. "Okay. I'll come back in two hours to help you prepare." She smiled brightly.
And with that, Minaya hurried out the massive oak doors. I didn't miss the sound of a lock following her retreat.
My smile fell as the echo of her footsteps faded away. I found myself blankly staring in the mirror, hands grazing the long blond twists Minaya had crafted. My eyes went back to the door.
I wasn't stupid enough to try to escape.
Firstly, I'm a human entirely surrounded by Werewolves and Royal Guards. Secondly, where would I even go? My family is now in Otherland. And if I did somehow manage to run off, how would Bron find me?
Despite my growing anxiety, I felt certain that he was coming. I felt certain that I was somehow going to see him again, soon. I was afraid, angry, and nervous, but I knew that Bron was planning something. I didn't doubt that at all.
And lastly, I knew that I couldn't bring myself to abandon my brother here.
My stomach twisted at the thought of Alexander. Of what he had done, of him now in Speerburn's cells. I was still so shocked at his deal, so taken aback, but I knew I couldn't just leave him.
Was he okay?
He must be feeling so angry. So betrayed. He really trusted the King.
All of this work to ensure he held up his end of the foolish deal, only to be taken advantage of.
A heavy sigh left my lips.
I slouched in that chair by the window, feeling every emotion I could think of. Mostly, I felt stuck. My only real option here was to wait for my Mate.
I tried to distract myself by fiddling with one of the many flowers crammed into the glass vase before me. Just like the room, they were all different shades and hues of pink.
I frowned, twisting one pink Rose around in my fingers.
Somehow, Speerburn had ruined the color for me. I've found myself preferring a specific light blue much more lately, anyways.
I rested my chin on my hand and stared out the window. The sound of drizzling rain calmed me, and I zoned out for a bit, my mind anxious for stillness. The only comfort I felt, was the fact that Adam, Anthony, and my Father were in Otherland and out from Speerburn's reach.
I was just about to stand. I was just about to leave the small table, curl up in the bed, and beg for sleep to ease my mind for a while.
But a strange sound stopped me.
A soft sort of rustling echoed from the glass vase. I froze, hands still bracing the table as I was in the middle of pushing myself up.
The rustling continued, and my eyes followed the sound, locking onto the flowers.
What in the world...?
One lone flower, the one I had been touching, spun in circles in the glass vase. My wide eyes watched in wonder as it twirled around, bumping into the other Roses around it.
Hesitantly, I raised a hand. I slowly crept closer, to touch to seemingly alive flower.
My hand clasped around it, stopping it's chaotic spinning. I raised it up to my face and out of the glass to examine it closely.
"Annabella?"
"Ah!"
I practically jumped out of my skin in surprise, dropping the Rose to the ground with a thud.
I held my chest, gasping and shocked as I stared at it on the floor.
"Wha...?" I panted out before inching closer again. My hand raised the flower just as before and I waited.
"-lo? A-Annabella?"
My eyes widened, "Otis?!"
"C-Can you hear m-me?"
A shocked laugh left my mouth. Otis's voice was quiet and muffled, yet unmistakeable. He was calling me through the flower, just as he had done in Ny-ell's home a few days ago.
"I can!" I answered, still shocked that I was talking to a plant. Well, to my friend, through a plant.
"Good. L-Listen, I'm casting a P-Portal to bring you b-back, okay?" He spoke quickly, seeming rushed and anxious.
I nodded my head frantically, "O-Okay... Where? I'm stuck in a bedroom in Speerburn's Castle..." I told him.
"I'm going t-to need you to g-get to the Dungeons, A-Annabella. That's the o-only place I can c-cast it, because that's w-where I was last time." Otis's usually soft voice came out firm, "Get to the c-cells and you'll s-see it appear!"
"Get to the cells...." I repeated, nodding to myself. "I can do that. I'll find a way."
I thought of Alexander and Minaya.
"Otis, is it possible to bring others through the Portal with me?" My breath brushed the petals of the Rose.
"W-What? No!" He answered quickly. "No, this P-Portal is going to b-be a weak one. I'm still healing f-from..." He trailed off, "From the Guards in Mainland. I-I can o-only cast a s-small one." Otis spoke hurriedly, "One that can t-transport one, maybe two p-people. Not three!"
My stomach fell at his words.
"This P-Portal will o-open and close q-quickly. It w-will have no limits b-because I don't h-have enough strength... S-So, I s-suppose anyone c-could come through. But n-not three!"
I nodded again, trying to take in all of the information Otis was giving me, "Okay..."
There was no way I was abandoning Alexander here, in the cells. Speerburn would simply torture him until I came back, just like he did my Father and brothers.
And I couldn't leave Minaya.
I couldn't. The young girl looked so scared of those Guards, and had already revealed to me that she wasn't here by choice. That, and she didn't look well. She appeared so weak and sick.
If I left them behind it would haunt me.
"Okay...." I breathed out slowly. "Okay, just cast the Portal."
My friend hesitated for a long pause. His voice came out clearly suspicious, "B-Bella...? Who else a-are you with? W-Why did you a-ask about thre-"
"Thank you, Otis." I spoke quickly cutting him off, "Try to cast it within the hour!"
"Did you reach her?" A deep voice sounded in the background.
My heart suddenly leapt in my chest and I clutched the flower tighter. His voice caused a swarm of emotions to bloom inside me. A shaky breath left my mouth, "...Bron?"
"Y-Yes, I'm with the K-King..." Otis replied.
Little butterflies grew in my gut. "B-Bron's there?" I asked, hopeful.
"Y-Yes. He's r-right here, listening."
I slowly sat back down into the chair, hands locked around the Rose in an iron grip. "Can... Can I talk to him?"
Rustling and movement sounded from the flower, as I waited.
"Bella Grace."
Relief flooded me at the sound of his familiar voice. I closed my eyes, basking in the sound of it. His voice alone had such a powerful effect on me, even goosebumps even rose on my arms . God, I missed him.
"Are you hurt?"
I shook my head quickly, "I'm not, I'm fine... Bron, is my family with you? Are they there in Otherland?"
"Yes." He muttered. "They're being treated for their injuries and wounds now."
I cringed.
Of course they'd be severely hurt after such time in Speerburn's cells... My mind reminded me of just how bad Otis's injuries were days ago.
"Bron, please take care of them. Please make sure they're okay for me, alright?" I pleaded.
"You will see them soon. Go to the cells, Annabella. Ask the Guards to see your brother. There is one Guard who is smaller than the others. Orange hair, and skinny. He's weaker, so ask him enough and he'll crack under pressure."
I nodded my head, even though he couldn't see it. "I-I will...."
A pause of silence filled the space. My throat tightened in emotion. It had only been two - three hours and I missed him. I hated being taken away from him.
"Bron...." I whispered into the petals.
His voice came out quieter, "I know... Soon."
I closed my eyes.
"Go through the Portal, Annabella." His voice came out firmly. "All you need to do is get to the cells, and walk through it."
"I will." I lied.
The strange humming vibrating off of the Rose stopped, quickly fading out all at once. Otis mentioned that his magic was limited.. I lowered it from my mouth, placing it on the table.
Otis would cast a Portal in the cells within the hour. A Portal large enough for only two persons.
A heaviness weighed down my chest.
If Minaya stayed here, she'll be over-worked for the rest of her life in this Castle. And judging by her weak frame and paled skin, it wouldn't be long until she'd break.
If Alexander stayed here, he'd be tortured for answers. Just like Otis, Adam, Anthony, and our Father. I was so angry with him, so burned by his cruel deceit, but I couldn't abandon him here.
But if I stayed here, I'd be Queen.
I wouldn't be tortured, or overworked as a servant. I would hate it. Everyday I would hate, but I would be safe. Healthy. At least, until Bron comes for me himself.
A shaky breath left my lips as my mind spun. Only two can go home, to Otherland.
And my decision was made.
——— • —————— •——————— • ——————- •
Hello, Hello.
Again, forgive me. For I am merely a ✨shitty author who sucks at updating✨ But thank you for reading another chapter of the story, A Curse of Goodness!
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