"Once we're inside, it's important not to draw any attention to ourselves. We have a very short window to pull this off after we enter the palace. Lyonel, your team knows the plan?"
My eyes flashed over to the lead of our infiltration team, as I waited impatiently for him to confirm what we'd gone over what seemed like over a hundred times at this point.
It was just the three of us in the room—him, my father and I. In all his paranoia, the King was adamant about keeping the details of the situation limited to only a trusted few. It was almost obsessive, the efforts he went through to ensure that the utmost level of secrecy was upheld. But I didn't care. As long as the focus remained on retrieving my mate, I couldn't give two shits if he wanted them dressed in black cloaks or speaking in code.
"Yes, My King. My team is fully informed and ready at your go-ahead—"
"And the details regarding the...asset have been kept confidential?"
I rolled my eyes at his question and pushed myself away from the wall that I was leaning against.
"You already know the answer to that question because he's told you three times already. Now, it's past mid-day, and we've been sat in this room talking about the plan instead of fucking doing it."
I ignored Lyonel's uneasy expression at my outburst, which was most likely disapproval from disrespecting his King. Instead, I watched the so-called ruler, waiting for him to say the words that would put this entire thing in motion.
"Okay, fine." My father looked at me unsurely, before shaking his head with a sigh.
"Lyonel, tell your team it's time to go."
The red-haired man nodded and bowed in respect, before swiftly exiting the room. I made the move to follow but my arm was grabbed to make me pause.
"I know it will be hard, but you must not contact Primrose until after we have entered Cyprus' territory. She needs to behave as normal; we can't have him realizing our plan—we would lose our advantage."
He watched me expectantly, waiting for me to argue or refute his statement, and I was tempted to. But I knew that he was right. I wouldn't risk my mate's safety to satisfy my selfish need to hear her voice, I knew that I needed control.
"I know. I won't."
~
Primrose POV
I stood by the window with my arms wrapped around my middle as I watched the wind blow through the trees. I frowned, wishing that I was out there with them, feeling the breeze on my face, my skin, and my hair. I missed the fresh air, the warmth of the sun when she kissed my cheeks ever so slightly—I missed my freedom.
I sniffled, trying not to tear up once again as I caught my mind wandering down this dark path, I hated that this feeling was becoming familiar.
To make matters worse, I didn't even have my mate to comfort me. I couldn't reach him for some reason, it was almost as if I was being shut out like he was blocking me?
But why would he do that? Did I do something wrong? Is he upset with me? I know that my actions were careless, and it is ultimately my fault that I'm in this situation, but I can't have him upset with me. I can't be alone.
A knock on the door startled me out of my thoughts, and I jumped before quickly dabbing at my eyes which had become watery.
"C-Come in."
The door squeaked open and revealed the same girl from the night before who had brought my attire for dinner. Although this time, her hands were filled with a tray of food in addition to a simple pretty frock. My stomach grumbled as I was faced with many of my home's breakfast foods, my fingers twitching as I itched to run over and sink my teeth into all the beautifully ripened fruits.
"My Lord has told me to present this breakfast as a peace offering. He...he says that he is sorry for how dinner ended and would like for you to join him for a walk in the gardens."
My breathing faltered for a moment, as I desperately hung onto her last few words.
He was going to let me go outside.
My heart skipped a beat in my chest, and I tried not to sound too enthusiastic as I responded.
"O-Okay, thank you...t-tell him I said thank you."
The maid nodded and placed the tray on the adjacent bedside table, before offering a small curtsey to excuse herself.
It was hard, but I stayed in place with only a little bit of fidgeting as I waited for the door to shut behind her. But as soon as I saw it close, I was running over to the food and stuffed it in my mouth with a satisfied moan.
My stomach was also sated by the flavours, relieved from the previous pain of hunger. I don't think I've ever gone this long before eating, and I surely didn't want to again.
Quickly, I finished the meal and ran into the adjoined bathroom to shower and change into the dress that the maid had brought in.
It was very minimalistic, being pure white and stopping just above my knees, but I was grateful to at least be given a fresh pair of clothes every day.
Just as I was tying the sandals on my feet, someone knocked on my door again. But before I could even respond, it flew open, slamming against the wall.
"Let's go."
My heart jumped in fright at the intrusion, but my eyes widened in shock when I looked up and saw a familiar face staring back at me.
There was severe bruising around his eyes, jaw and cheekbones and he appeared unusually pale like he was ill or hadn't seen the sun in a while. I recalled that his name was Zachary, and I knew that he was the guard who had left the room door open when he initially came looking for me. I was surprised to see him here, especially with how things ended between him and Cyprus.
"Are you deaf? I said let's go!"
A surprised yelp passed my lips as he stormed towards me and grabbed my forearm to pull me up from where I was sitting on the bed.
"S-Sorry, I-I didn't r-realize..." I mumbled quietly as I stood timidly beside him.
It was silent for a moment as I waited for him to respond, or at least provide some sort of direction for where we were going. However, when that didn't come, I risked peeking a glance up at him but nearly flinched when I caught his penetrative gaze.
"Why are you so fucking jumpy?"
My hands shook as I pulled at my fingers, but I didn't reply; I decided that saying nothing at all was better than saying the wrong thing and risking being yelled at again.
Zachary was silent for another moment before sighing and giving my back a slight push.
"Just move."
I stumbled a bit as I started walking but quickly tried to regain my footing as he took long strides down the hall.
It was silent between the two of us, which wasn't necessarily good because I was uncomfortably aware of my heartbeat that was begging to be freed from my chest from how aggressively it was pounding against my ribs.
He was very mean and abrasive, and I didn't want to make a wrong move to upset him further. I could understand why he was upset though; I was certain that I was the reason for the injuries on his face. I seemed the be the reason for a lot of people's pain recently.
"Hey"
I looked up as he called out, and my lips parted as I realized that he was several steps ahead of me as I trailed behind.
"I-I'm sorry." I squeaked as I quickened my pace to catch up to him.
He only gave me a hard look before resuming his previous gait, forcing me to almost jog to keep up with him this time around.
The silence resumed, and it weighed down on my chest, making it feel like my heart was being pushed down into my stomach. I needed to start taking accountability for actions, especially when they only seemed to cause harm.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you..." I looked up at him quickly before casting my eyes away, too scared to meet his gaze. "It was my fault, a-and I...I only hid because I was scared, I didn't mean for you to get in trouble."
I looked down at my fingers once more, and I resisted lifting my hand up to my mouth as I desperately wanted to seek comfort in the familiar habit.
But when I realized that only my footsteps were lightly tapping against the marble I paused, my brows pulled together in confusion as I turned around.
"Are you seriously apologizing right now? You are apologizing to me when you've been brought here against your will and kept prisoner." He released an amused breath and ran a hand through his red hair in what seemed to be frustration.
"Listen, none of this is your fault. Cyprus is an asshole and so am I. There's nothing to be sorry for so don't waste your time. Now, let's keep moving."
I could only blink up at him, not really knowing what to say. It did relieve me some, though, to know that he did not hold me accountable for what happened to him.
A short while later, we passed through large double doors that were heavily guarded. I didn't have to look up to instantly know that we were outside; the scent of fresh air and the light breeze were so distinctive it was impossible to miss.
I closed my eyes for a second, a relieved sigh passing my parted lips as I relished at the moment, allowing my senses to be fully encompassed by the surrounding nature.
I stood there for a moment, trying to stretch out the feeling for as long as possible before it would be forced to end.
But, to my surprise, that prompt never came.
I opened my eyes once more and looked to the side, only to see Zachary watching me. His jaw was tense, and his brows furrowed as if he was thinking about something. However, when he saw that I was looking back at him, his expression resumed its stoic features.
"This way."
He gestured to the right, where there appeared to be a large garden of some sort. As we started to approach it, I could see that it was bordered by freshly cut hedges that stood several feet tall, with mesmerizing flowers of every kind planted meticulously all throughout its vicinity. There laid statues carved of stone that looked to resemble people, each of them intimidating in size but entrancing. My eyes rapidly flashed from left to right as I tried to take everything in, and truly appreciate its beauty.
"My Lord."
I looked to my left, catching Zachary bow slightly as someone approached. I didn't have to meet the eyes of said person to know who it was; my stomach was instantly in knots.
"Leave us."
The redhead glanced at me for a second before nodding, and walking away, disappearing behind the impressive bushes.
"Primrose."
I tore my eyes away from where I was watching to meet the intrusive gaze of my captor.
While I wasn't comfortable with Zachary by any means, I would've preferred him to stay to avoid being alone with this very scary man.
"Walk with me."
He waited for me to take a step, before he joined in my strides, leading the way as we started to maneuver through the garden.
"You're making things more difficult for yourself Primrose." He murmured as we passed by an especially large statue.
"I want you here because I care about you—I want to give you the love that I wasn't able to."
He looked down at me but I avoided eye contact, focusing on distracting myself with our surroundings.
"You could have a nice life here. It's quite peaceful, and our territory is rich in land. I know that faeries appreciate the outdoors. If it is companionship that you want when you are 20 and 1 I will allow you to select a mate of your choosing."
I bit the inside of my cheek at his words, not wanting to make any sound of disapproval as he suggested that I engage in a false pairing when I was already bonded with my fated.
Regardless of how beautiful this garden was, or how many flowers he had on his land, I would never be convinced to accept my imprisonment. And perhaps I'm being mean, but I certainly did not want to get to know him—in fact, I wish that I had never met him at all. None of this sounded nice, rather it was frightening. I did not want this to become my reality.
"You've been silent Primrose, what do you think?"
We had stopped walking as we stood in what seemed to be a rather closed-off area of the garden, with a small fountain in the center.
My heart raced as he addressed me, as I knew that anything I said regardless of my intention could possibly set him off.
My lips parted open and then closed, as I struggled to come up with a response to his proposition.
"I-I..."
I trailed off as I saw him frown, his brows furrowing as his eyes glazed over slightly. I released a shaky breath, grateful for the distraction which appeared to be a mind link, perhaps from someone within his circle.
Only a moment had passed before I heard footsteps approach us, and I turned my head to the right only to be met with the sight of Zachary. However, my eyes widened, and I took a step back as I saw that he was holding a sword that hung dangerously at his side.
"Take her back to her room and stay there with her. Wait there for further instruction."
Zachary nodded and we both watched as Cyprus stormed off, disappearing around the green hedges that lined the corner.
Wasting no time, my arm was grabbed, and I was dragged in the opposite direction that Cyprus went.
"What's going on?" I asked in confusion as we walked with pace back towards the palace.
I didn't receive an answer; instead, my arm was gripped harder as we rushed through the halls. My head whipped behind me as I saw guards running past us, with the servants scrambling to move out of their way.
"W-what...?"
We turned a corner that was eerily quiet, and I started to slow down, giving some resistance as Zachary tried to continue pulling me forward.
"Stop. Please, just let me go. They're here, aren't they? Please, let me go, you can say that I ran away, please."
My words got caught in my throat as it closed up from the tears that were threatening to spill. This was my chance, possibly my only chance to leave and escape this nightmare. The thought of missing this window of opportunity was enough to put me on my knees and make me a snivelling heap of misery. I wouldn't be able to bear it.
I yelped as I was pulled closer to his chest, his nostrils flaring as he looked down at me.
"Listen, I already got in shit once for not following protocol, I won't make that same mistake again. If this is the Royals, I can promise you they won't get far; they probably just tipped off the patrols. All these measures are just a precaution so don't let yourself get distracted by false hope."
My shoulders dropped as his words tore into me, darkening my brightening spirits as just for a moment, I imagined myself leaving this place.
Sullenly, I let him guide me again, offering no resistance this time as we maneuvered through the palace on the way back to my room.
However, just as we approached the end of a hallway, we were cut off by two masked men. They were twice as large as Zachary and clad in the same attire, it took me only a moment to realize that their uniform was that of the royal guards.
"Give us the girl."
My head flashed up at the redhead, my eyes pleading as I quietly begged for him to release me.
He appeared weary, obviously put off by the intimidating nature of the men standing before us, but my heart leaped as I felt his grip loosening. I didn't give him the chance to make up his mind as I ripped my arm from his grasp and threw myself towards the two guards where I was pushed gently behind them.
It seemed like Zachary had only just processed what happened, as he unsheathed his sword in a slightly delayed reaction and flashed it between both men as he appeared to be debating what he should do.
The guard to my right made the move to pull out his own sword but the second man placed a hand on his shoulder to pause his movements.
"Leave him, we don't have time to waste."
The guard nodded in understanding and released his hand from the weapon, instead placing his focus back on me as he took my hand and led us away from the scene.
Out of curiosity, I looked back just before we rounded the corner, to see Zachary staring right back at me, offering a slight nod in my direction.
"You have to focus, My Lady. Getting in was easy but leaving is going to be difficult. By now, they would have doubled the guards at every exit and lined their border with more patrols. You need to follow our every instruction without hesitance, can you do that?"
My heart pounded against my chest as I nodded, the current situation becoming more real with every syllable that passed his lips.
"Y-Yes—watch out!"
I screamed as one of Cyprus' men came charging towards us, his eyes pitch black, and claws elongated as he tried to tear into the neck of the guard that was holding me.
Swiftly, the royal grabbed the arm that was reaching to mortally wound him and he swiftly bent it back, a loud crack reverberating throughout the empty halls. The man cried out but was quickly put out of his misery as the royal maneuvered him into a headlock and just as quickly broke his neck.
"Let's keep moving."
My eyes were wide as he took my hand once more and pulled me past the man who now lay on the floor, stiff and unmoving.
My stomach churned in sickness, and I tried not to linger on the image of the guard or the sound of his bones breaking so easily at the will of someone else.
Rose, baby don't worry. Everything's going to be okay
My breath hitched as a deep voice sounded in my head, and my eyes watered in relief.
Azy. Where are you? I'm so scared
Don't be scared. I have to go but I'll be with you soon
Azrael? Wait—
I let out a short scream as 3 other men came towards us, although this time all with swords. The royals wasted no time in unsheathing their own, and the fight was quickly over as all 3 men lay bloody and impaled on the marble floor.
I felt numb as I was pulled to move again, the scent of blood assaulting my senses, lingering even as we entered a room much further down. It appeared to be a banquet hall and had a few doors lining the walls, appearing to lead to other places.
"Where are the rest of them?"
"I don't know, they were supposed to be here."
My hands shook as I watched the two guards argue amongst themselves, and I didn't take it that we were in a good situation.
"Fuck, we can't just stay here."
"I know."
"They were supposed to be here."
"I know!"
I whimpered at the yelling, causing both heads to turn toward me as if they only just remembered that I was there.
They looked at each other for a moment, appearing to be having an internal conversation before looking back at me once more.
"Forgive us, My Lady. We were expecting the rest of our team to be here, this was supposed to be the meeting point. Since they're not, it's going to make things a lot more difficult. Arryk is going to leave and scope out another way to exit or hopefully run into someone from our team to discuss the next course of action. I'll stay here with you to ensure your safety."
My bottom lip trembled as I nodded in understanding. Things didn't seem to be going according to plan but I tried not to dwell on it, knowing that if I did, I wouldn't be in a condition to do anything.
"O-okay."
The man who I now knew as Arryk bowed his head slightly and left through the door we had entered.
"I will scan the rest of the area now; this room is large so there are many weak points."
I stayed silent as he walked away from me, and I watched as he walked to the opposite end of the hall right by the large windows that spanned all the way to the ceiling.
Only after a few moments did I move from my standing position, and I wandered, aimlessly toward the doors to my right.
I trailed my fingers along the wooden crevices, my fingers slipping between each ridge as I tried to ground myself in touch and feeling to maintain my sanity. However, as I approached the third door, I paused as I heard voices.
I turned around to make sure that the guard wasn't near and breathed a relieved sigh when I saw him on the opposite end of the room, seeming to be fiddling with a stone on the wall.
Focusing back on the door, I pressed my ear against it. My heart caught in my throat at the familiar voice that I heard.
Wasting no time, I threw the door open and ran inside only to stumble to a stop at the sight before me.
"You're supposed to be in your room!"
For once, I couldn't even hear Cyprus' voice, nor was I affected by his anger. I couldn't process anything at all as I stared at my mate.
I lost myself in his eyes, the two colours just as pretty as I remembered even while my vision was blurred with tears.
Although my heart clenched as I saw the bags underneath them, and a certain emptiness that was not there before. He almost appeared like a shell of himself, like something wasn't there, something that used to be—even while he looked at me.
I sobbed as I took a step forward, but I shrieked in protest as my arm was grabbed and I was pulled further away from my mate.
"No!" The deepest part of my soul cried out in despair as I reached out towards Azrael, as the royal guard tugged me back.
Like something snapped inside him, Azrael's eyes flashed black, and a loud, thunderous snarl shook the room as he lunged toward us.
I screamed as fire shot out of his hand, and soon another scream intertwined with mine as the guard was, or I assumed to be, burned alive.
Some of Cyprus' guards took a step forward as if to neutralize the threat but I was suddenly possessively embraced in his arms, tingles shooting up my spine and pulsing at the crevice of my neck where my mark laid.
My legs shook as he held me, and I clutched at his shirt, nearly taking it off just to feel more of his skin against mine.
He growled and bared his teeth at the surrounding men, almost daring them to make the same mistake as the first.
"Mine."