"What do you get out of this?" Charred asked.
I buttoned up my shirt and looked over my shoulder. "Revenge. I told you that. What do you get out of this?"
I get your interest, Charred. As if he'd be interested in helping if I didn't do this.
"I get off," he chuckled.
I abandoned my shirt and turned around halfly. "Really? That's all you want from this?"
"What else should I want? We're already doing business with each other. This is a nice perk." He put his arm behind his head and smiled at me. "Look, you're what... twenty years old?"
"Twenty-one."
"Yeah, and I'm closer to thirty than twenty. You're young, and you're very pretty. What can I say? I'm all for vanity."
I snorted and shook my head. "I think you're the first to ever sleep with me just because you think I'm pretty. Everyone does it to gain something. Notoriety. Fame. Fortune." I met his gaze. "A country."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but what we're doing in bed has fuckall to do with what I want to achieve." He shrugged a shoulder and then wiggled, getting more comfortable.
"Consider my bubble burst," I snorted.
He sat up and walked on his knees over to me, draping his arms around me. "Don't think I'm not getting anything out of this though. I am." His hands ran over my chest and started undoing the buttons again. I leaned back against him and sighed contently.
"I'm definitely getting something out of this," he breathed in my ear.
"I can't stay," I said.
"Why? You have nowhere else to be."
"He'll be suspicious if I'm not back by the time he is."
"So? Fuck him." He unbuttoned the last button and slid my shirt off me.
Goosebumps spread across my skin, and I tipped my head back, resting it on his shoulder as he kissed my throat.
"He doesn't own you. You need to set some boundaries. I bet their revolution doesn't stand or fall with you being in your chambers at the right time or not."
"You try telling him that." I leaned forward, out of Charred's grasp. "You don't know what they did to me while I was in that room."
"No. I don't." He sighed deeply and put his hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, that was insensitive of me."
I turned towards him and nodded. "Let's just... Not talk." I leaned forward and kissed him, silencing him.
I slowly turned the knob on the door to my chambers. The door was pulled out of my hand immediately, and Aki pulled me inside by my hair.
"Where you've been?" he said coolly.
I wrapped my fingers around his wrist and tried to not cry out. "Nowhere!"
"Do you take me for an idiot, Quinn?" He walked through the sitting room and into the bedroom, throwing me onto the floor. He followed quickly, looming over me like a mountain.
"Huh? Do I look stupid to you?" He kicked me hard in the face.
"No, please, Aki, please don't," I cried and tried to shield my face. But I was already too late. My nose was bleeding.
He looked down at me and frowned. "What are you crying about? It's not like you don't deserve it. We have rules, you know. And you can't just disappear."
I shook my head and tried to crawl away from him.
"We're friends, aren't we? Isn't that what you always told me?"
"You've killed my sister. You beat me. You torture me. You just punched me in the face!" I growled back.
He straightened and frowned down at me. Then his expression turned cold. He slowly raised his fist, his breath growing heavy. His fist flew right towards my eye, and I saw stars. He kept doing it over and over. I couldn't focus on anything but the pain.
When he finally stopped, my breath was ragged. I had tried to scream. I think I did. But no one came to help me.
My eye was swollen shut, but I met Aki's gaze with the other. "Get out," I mumbled.
He rose from the floor, drying off his knuckles in his trousers before he left. He didn't even say anything, he just left.
My right nostril was clogged. The only thing sounding through the council room was me breathing. My face was on fire. My eye was no longer swollen, but the white in it had turned blue. It looked bizarre. I had big blue, purple and yellow rings around my eyes and my nose was broken. I had cuts on my cheeks and in my eyebrows.
The councillors didn't look at me as they discussed politics and new proposals, and I didn't listen. Before I knew it, someone was touching my shoulder. I looked up ant met Charred's gaze. He was the only one left.
"The meeting is over, Your Highness."
"Right," I said hoarsely. I staggered to my feet, and Charred grabbed my arm, steadying me.
"How about we go to my chambers for some tea, Your Highness?"
I nodded tiredly, and Charred lead me to the doors. They opened, and Aki appeared behind them. I looked down at the floor.
"His Highness is expected-"
"His Highness is having tea with me. On my request," Charred interrupted and walked around Aki.
"I need him."
"I think you can wait." Charred stopped and straightened. He was taller than Aki. And he was still holding on to my arm.
"I'm going for tea," I said and started walking. I didn't look back but just held on to Charred's arm, in fear of tipping over if I let go.
He opened the door to his chambers for me and closed it behind me as soon as I was inside. He sat me down in a chair and went to his washroom, retrieving a bowl and a washcloth. He gently dabbed my wounds with it. It soothed the burning sensation on my skin.
"What's your first name?" I asked.
"Islo."
"That's nice."
He snorted, his eyes not leaving the wound on my cheek. "Not as nice as Quinn."
"It's a weird name. Quinn. I think it was the only thing my mother was allowed to decide before she was sent away."
"You should cherish it then. A name is a gift from your parents." He kept the cloth against my cheek, taking my hand in his and putting it on my cheek, so I was holding the cloth myself. "I'm going to put a stop to this, Quinn."
"Don't. He'll end you."
"Do you know how I joined the council?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Everything. I was voted in. By the people. Now, what happens if I just disappear? The one man, the people voted for?"
"They'll be mad," I murmured.
"Yep." He smiled half a smile and got me to remove the cloth. "You should've put something cold on this immediately after. It would've helped with the swelling."
"I'll remember that for the next time."
"You better. I want you to stay pretty."
I snorted and leaned back in the chair. "Is it weird I don't even think about that anymore? I used to think about it a lot. It was one of my biggest worries in life. Now all I think about is how I don't want to be in pain anymore."
He took my hand in both of his and gave it a soft squeeze. "Listen, I'm not gonna pretend everything will be fine tomorrow. So you have to be strong. Can you be strong?"
"No," I whispered and closed my eyes.
"Quinn."
"I'll try." I opened my eyes again and tried to smile.
"All we can do is try."
"Quinn. Quinn, wake up."
I inhaled deeply and looked back over my shoulder. "I told you to leave, Aki."
"Yeah, I know that. I fucked up. I know. I've got something for you."
I turned on my back and gently rubbed my eyes. They were still immensely sore. I pushed myself up in a seated position and sighed deeply.
"Aki..."
"Just open this." He put a wrapped present in my lap.
I didn't even wanna argue. I pulled the silk paper off to reveal a box of salted caramel filled chocolates inside.
"Your favourites. I'm trying to apologise."
With chocolates? He thought chocolates would make this all better? I looked back up at him, completely baffled.
"Try one. It's from that little shop, you know? The one on the corner."
I couldn't do anything but open the box and look at the flowershaped chocolates inside. I slowly picked one up. I loved these. And now they were utterly ruined for me. I moved my arm, so my hand was over the edge of the bed and let go of the chocolate.
I picked up another and looked him straight in the eye, dropping the chocolate on the floor.
"You're being childish."
"You brought me chocolates?" I said with a shivering voice. I picked up another and threw it at him. He pulled his hands up to shield his face as I threw another.
"Look at my face, Aki! Look at my fucking face!" I pulled my nightshirt off, showing off the scars on my chest from both the explosion and from the torture. "Look at my body! Look what you did to me." I stood on my knees on the bed and shoved the rest of the chocolates off it. "Now get out! Get out!"
"Quinn-"
"Get out!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
His hand shot forward, and his fingers wrapped around my throat. He pulled me forward, so I was inches from his face. "I tried to be nice to you. And this is how you repay me?"
"Fuck you!" I croaked and tried to remove his hand. He raised his other hand. "Fucking hit me!"
He shoved me down on my back, his hand still around my throat. His other hand slowly lifted and then it flew right towards my face. I saw stars and had a hard time focusing on anything than the pain in my face. Then he punched me again and I blacked out.
I was staring at the ceiling. Tears were running down my cheeks, but I couldn't feel anything.
"They were talking about how the state of the country has never been better than it is now. We're doing great things, Quinn. And you're a part of that." Aki smiled at me from the chair next to my bed. "Everything could be so amazing if you would just open your eyes to it."
I didn't answer. I didn't want to answer. I just wanted to disappear.
A court physician dabbed my fresh wounds with cotton, holding a bowl of water to dump them in. The water had turned blue long ago already.
I used to love Aki's eyes. How they were so black and cold, but despite the coldness, he was so warm. Now there was no warmth, as he just sat there, looking coolly at me. Even his smile was cool.
"I know I'm harsh with you, but I only want you to understand."
I met his gaze as he leaned forward a little.
"Kill me," I whispered.
"What?" He frowned.
"Please kill me."
He sighed and rose to his feet. He walked across the bedroom and stopped by the door. "Think about it, at least. And stop being so dramatic."
Dramatic. Yes, I was just being dramatic. Dramatic Quinn. That was me.
Aki left the bedroom with the physician, and I sat up.
I'd show him just how dramatic I could be. If I hadn't been pretty, this would have never happened. If I had been ugly and no one had ever looked my way, I couldn't have invited him into my bed. Or maybe that part didn't matter. Maybe it was only the fact that I was a prince that mattered to him.
I stumbled to the washroom and grabbed the sink, looking at myself in the mirror.
Fuck this.
I slammed my forehead into the mirror, and it broke, cutting me in the face. I did it again. My head hurt so badly, but I didn't even care anymore.
"Quinn! What are you doing!?"
Someone grabbed me and hauled me away from the mirror.
"No!" I screamed as someone got me down on the floor, pressing my back to their chest.
"Quinn, calm down."
I shook my head and tried to fight my way out of his arms, but Islo held me back.
"It's okay, Quinn. Calm down. Don't hurt yourself."
"I don't wanna live anymore. I can't do it. I just wanna die," I cried and finally relaxed against him.
"I know, Quinn, I know. Come on. Come. We'll go to my chambers and get you cleaned up." He hauled me to my feet despite my protests and got me dragged to his chambers. He put me on his bed, even though I was bleeding all over the white pillow covers.
He disappeared and then reappeared with the bowl and washcloth from last time. He cleaned me up in silence, very gently picking shards of glass out of my face.
"I need to get out of here," I whispered.
"I know," Islo said softly. "I'm not sure it's possible right now. They've upped the amount of guards in the stronghold. We'll figure something out, though. We'll figure something out."
"Promise me." Tears were burning in my eyes.
"I promise. We'll figure something out. This can't continue." He very gently brushed my hair out of my face. "Sweet boy, just rest now, okay?"
I nodded and then tears spilled out of my eyes again. "He... He hurts me."
His expression turned cold first and then furious. "You're not going back to your chambers anytime soon, Quinn. I promise. I don't care what he says, you're staying here."
I sat up and circled my arms around him. I just needed a hug. It almost didn't matter who it was from, I just needed a hug. Islo didn't object, he hugged me back and stroked my hair. I needed someone to just take charge, and Islo did that.