Prince Otis.

My hands immediately went up to my neck to feel my necklace around there too before a little sigh slipped out of my own mouth in realization. “I must have left it in the bathroom, it’s not a big deal mother” I said and moved to retrieved it from the single room that was connected to my bedroom.

And just like I had imagined, i found it lying against the bath tub and took hold of it before reaching to place it around my neck once again. My mother worried expression relaxed a bit before she came and stood before me, her hands going to grab both my hands.

“Iris my child, Remember what your father and I told you the day we had that necklace made for you?”

“You said never to take it off?”

“Yes and I can see that you have deliberately taken it off today”

“I’m sorry moth_” i began but my mother voice simply caught me off. “ _Iris, I need you to swear to me that you will never ever take that necklace off your neck ever again. Now promise me”

My lip parted slightly but no word made it out. I can understand why my mother was acting all giddy but asking me to swear because of my necklace is like making such a big deal out of nothing. It’s true the arrival of the Prince has gotten everyone shaken up but this? This was too much.

“Swear it to me Iris, just do it” Her voice came out once again and this time a lot louder than I have heard in recent times and I hurriedly replied. “okay mother, I swear never to take it off”

“Good. You better keep that promise for your own good” She warned firmly before letting my hands go. She sighed and walked towards the door and then paused before turning around to catch a glimpse of my face once again. “stay here alright? No matter what you hear outside this walls tonight is not your concern. Your only concern is to stay here and keep quiet “

I gave a small nod in understanding “Okay, mother”

Even though my mother was long gone. Her words still lingers in my mind as i sat down in bed but unable to sit still. My whole body was literally urging me to defile the orders given to me. Well, it’s not like i haven’t done it before. The day Logan was to be taken, I had to sneak out into the balcony to peep and today is just like one of those days.

What harm could a little peep cause hmm? All I have to do was hide behind the flower vase on the balcony and see who is about to be stolen from his family this time around. The least i can do was is see their face for the very last time.

With that thought in mind, I was quickly up and going as i slipped into the hall way and further into the huge balcony overseeing the rest of the house where the selection was being conducted just like always.

From the look of things, This year selection was no different from the ones I have witnessed before as young men and women stood in line waiting for their fate to be decided by some Prince who doesn’t even know their names or what’s like to be snatched from the people you love and love you equally. 

For the Prince, tonight was nothing but an auction event where he get to select what it’s fit to be decorated in his palace but to me and the families involved, it was a horrible sight as mothers and fathers cry out their eyes while their children are being taken away from them.

Most of the girls cried while the boys simply wear a look of indifference, trying to hold back their tears while proving they were indeed men but the slouch posture of their shoulders told a different story.

Tears stink my eyes before trickling down my cheeks like a water fall as the huge man could only be the prince began to move from face to face before grasping their cheeks roughly and examining them under his burning glare before proceeding to do same with the next person.

Anyone he deemed fit, he nod at before they are separated and move to stand by the right. That same routine went on for another twenty minutes or so before he paused and then turned to face my father.

“is this everyone?” His voice sounded more like a growl in my ears causing me to scoot away from the open and further into the chair shielding me.

“Yes, yes your Highness. That would be all” I heard my father’s voice struggling to answer to the best of his abilities.

“Hmmm” The prince said lowly before his head suddenly snapped at my direction just as fast, causing me to stumble backward and on to my bottom with a thud.

 Gasping in fright, I grab at my necklace with chill running down my spine as i lay flat on the floor wondering if the evil Prince had seen me or not. Another moment past by and no word was heard and I quickly rolled back on my knees, getting ready to crawl my way back to my room before anyone could see me.

Still down on all four, I continued to crawl away but paused abruptly when I ran into two pairs of boots standing in my way. I find it really odd just looking at the shoes because last time i checked, my father didn’t own a pair of boots and especially not those ones that are covered in dirty mud.

Deciding to do the needful, my eyes slowly moved upward before it finally settled on the grey pair of ones staring down at me, causing me to gasp at the sheer realization of who I could staring at.

**

The more I stared into those pairs of grey eyes that were greatly fixed on me, the more I realized who they belonged to. Those same set quickly went from their colors to a shade darker in a matter of another second as I continued to stare openly at Prince Otis himself.

His short brown hair was tousled to the front, giving him a boyish look that made him handsome yet dangerous at the same time. I couldn’t help but wonder if the man that was standing before me is the same one I have heard about because he looked nothing like the horrible tales i have heard about him.

The story i had been told about him was a far cry of the handsome man i was seeing now. All my life, I had thought him to be an ugly monster, a beast no one could dare look in the eye but right now, what am seeing is a completely different image.

Time in itself seem to stop only for a moment before a wide grin quickly spread across his face and he took a step closer and then leaned over to peered back at my confused face rather closely.

“well, well, well, who do we have here?”

I quickly struggled back on my feet and bow before the Prince who was staring back at me with great fascination in his eyes at this point. Before he could reach out a hand to me, both my parent hurried over and stood before me, almost shielding me completely from him.

“I’m sorry your Highness, please forgive me but she..she is not part of the selection” my father was the first to speak but the prince seem irritated by his talk as he quickly shoved them aside and moved towards me once again.

“Let the girl speak for herself. She look old enough” He growled, clearly annoyed by my father’s interruption.

His large palm grasped me by the cheek, before he turned my face upwards to look at him and my eyes moved by its own accord and looked up to stare into his compelling grey ones once again. “What is your name?”

I gulped down hard, my throat suddenly dry with dread. “Speak up human, I asked you a question. What is your name?”

“Iris, my name is Iris Monet”

A little smile seem to pull up the corner of his lips in realization at the sound of my name as he turned to face my parent once again who stood shivering by the corner. “Iris Monet. Did you hear that? I take it that the girl is your daughter?”

“Yes, yes your Highness” my father stammered in reply.

“Why then is she not part of the selection ceremony?” He growled angrily at the two.

“I’m sorry your Highness but she is ill and that’s why she couldn’t participate” My mother was the next to answer and i paled at the reply. If i wasn’t sick before, now i was truly sick from everything that has been happening that day. It was truly sickening to even be there in the Prince presence while my parent are forced to lie for my sake.

I was jolted slightly by the Prince’s deep voice once again. “Silence woman, I will be the judge of that and from what I have seen, the girl looks fine to me “ He said finally, his eyes raking up and down my trembling figure.

Looking up at the man, I realized he was tall, taller than the average man which gave him an edge over all three of us by far and well armed as well.

The prince was quiet for a moment, his eyes searching my deep blue ones carefully, causing my  breath to twist painfully in my lungs. I  had no idea what he was looking for but whatever he found resulted in a deep throaty growl as he then took two steps towards me and forcing me to take several steps backward, fear evident in my eyes as I trembled even more. There was no where i could run to, not while my parent are likely to get punished for trying to keep me away from that very madness.

 The look in both their eyes told me how much my disobedience was about to cause them and even worst, they are simply helpless against the Prince and his men who had rounded us altogether.

"Please your Highness, I can offer you more slave in exchange for her if only you will spare her. I beg of you”

“ And why would I spare this particular one. Is it because she is your child?”

With pleading eyes, my  father fell to his kneels with my mother huddle by his side as both my parent plead for my life to be spared. “Aside from the illness we spoke about, Iris is still underage. That's why she wasn't presented. Please give us one more year to get her ready" my father pleaded even more desperately with both hands clamps together in front of him.

Fresh tears stink my eyes at the pitiful state of my parent, desperately trying to cover up for my mistake. Not once have I seen my father begged and cried so much. Not even once and today because of me, he was down on his knees ready to do and say anything so I can walk free.

The first drop of tears to fall to the ground told me of my own pain. For my foolishness, maybe i truly deserved to be taken after all. It would be my punishment for such act of disobedience against them. They don’t deserve to suffer because of me. It was my stubbornness so I will face the consequence of my action tonight.

Before I could speak in my parent defense, the Prince beat me to it with his actions as he reached back down and grabbed my father by the neck. His feet almost came off the ground as he snarled at him through gritted teeth. “Do you think me to be blind or stupid, human” He growled as his grip tightened even the more, my father’s face turning pale almost immediately.

“no, no, your Highness. You are in perfect shape and I would never, ever think you to be anything less than what you truly are” my father managed to spill out.

“Then why do you insist on lying to me?”

My hands shook with rage, blood racing through my veins like hot lava yet unable to do nothing to stop him while my father is being assaulted and all for what? Because he begged for his child to be spared? The pain surging through my heart is enough to also  bring me to my knees as I dropped to the ground beneath his feet begging for my father to be spared.

“please your Highness, it was my fault. My parent has nothing to do with it so punish me instead, please” I cried even more.

His eyes seemed to take on a strange hue as he stared at my trembling form beneath his feet before he let out a growl and then released his hold on my father a little roughly before turning to face me.

Grabbing me by the shoulder, he pulled me back on my feet and a lot closer, the proximity enough for me to smell his breath. “So how do you suggest I go about your punishment, Iris”