CHAPTER SIX

"It is what I have said." I confirmed, with a prominent smile, he decided to stay, and I can see the flames of determination in his eyes.

"Where will he stay, a house in the city?" Senya seemed baffled at the sudden declaration.

"He can't, and who would this be?" He gestured toward Isla who stepped forward.

"I am told to stay as well." She curtsied to the prince.

"This wasn't our agreement." He mutters in my ear, his hand still on my back.

"Actually your Highness we never had an agreement, that was with my father not with me." I gathered the ends of my dress.

"You can't be serious, what is he going to do, tame the dragon's that live here, there isn't any," he rambles on.

"Actually, I'm a doctor as well, I can keep the two of you healthy." Barinor cut in.

"There see, everything works out." I turned to face him directly and patted out the wrinkles in his white and rose gold tailcoat.

"-But," I cut him off and turned back around to Barinor. "Don't forget to pick up our luggage at the abandoned carriage, I don't want my mother's portrait to be stolen from thieves." 

"That won't be necessary, as soon as I found out what had happened I sent some of my people to collect them, I assure you your things are in great hands." Senya says with a guaranteed smile.

I don't trust his 'people', I felt uneasy letting strangers collect my things. "I'd like you to go anyway, you're more intent on keeping something like that in good shape." 

"Of course princess," Barinor smirked at my refusal toward the prince and mounted his beautiful steed, which is obviously Glydor.

I walked to the dragon in small strides and placed my head on her nozzle. "Be a good girl would you?" I whisper tentatively.

With that the dragon snuffed in a way to agree and they took off soaring back into the blue abyss.

"I think I shall retire to my room for a bit," I say with a sigh.

I didn't want to spend any time with the prince until I had to, I had a long day so far.

"Unfortunately, Princess," I scowled at the use of my title, and then he continued. "You will be staying in my, I mean our quarters tonight, we are to be married after all." A sly tone slithered into his voice like a venomous snake.

"Our wedding isn't until tomorrow, why would we share rooms before we wed?" I questioned in disbelief.

He looked down at his shiny black shoes as the citizens began to gather curiously, he looked back up at me with a smirk.

"Well you see, I'd like to get to know my bride a little bit before our wedding." He placed his hands in his pockets as he looked at me over, humor in his stance.

 "I have heard some rumours of your departure, it entices me." He purses his lips then licks them trying to hold in a smile.

'He finds what I have done funny?' I thought to myself.

I looked over at his stance, then returned my attention to the gathering crowd. 

I swallowed hard at my nervousness, I then grabbed onto his arm and began to turn him towards the door, but before I spoke I took a glance at Isla and Aris then back at Senya. "Okay, we can talk, just...not here." I gave him a pleading look, Senya nodded.

"Follow me," he whispered in my ear.

He took my hand and I followed him into the castle. 

We walked down the corridors and passed the big knight statues, I placed a hand touching the porcelain looking pillar curious of what it felt like, it was cool and smooth.

Finally making it to the large spiral staircase I picked up the skirt of my dress with the hand he wasn't holding.

"Where are we going?" I asked him finally, stopping halfway up the first set of stairs, his unoccupied hand holding onto the railing as he faced me as I stood one stair underneath him.

He looked at me before answering. "You said you wanted to go to our room, so we can talk there."

His hands were warm and a bit rough, but it felt nice holding his hand.

I blushed thinking about it, but reminded myself just who Prince Senya is, Mave's words Echoed in my head once more. "He treats his women worse than he treats his people."

I made a vow that I will not fall for the prince even if we were to be betrothed tomorrow.

I continued to follow him up the stairs leading to another hallway. 

Everything including the walls seemed to glitter like some sort of stone.

'I wonder if our room overlooks the courtyard like the room I had at home; correction, the place that I was born. The only thing that still has that connection to that place was my brother and he banned me from Erena, I know they shun me. I'm completely banned from their kingdom now.' I was in a daze as I continued to follow blindly, as I interpreted everything in my mind.

I came to my senses as we came to face a black door with golden trimmings, I looked around for a moment, I noticed how this is the only door that was the color of darkness, in a way it comforted me.

Senya let go of my hand placing it on the door knob as he slowly turned it as if he was creating something enticing of that sort.

Pushing the door open with his hand and arm flat against the door as he slammed it loud against the wall behind it, making me jump at the loud thump.

He gestured his free hand forward, gesturing that I go first. "You first."

His once kind aura turned dark, almost angry, I complied and walked in.

The room was nice, red silk linen laid perfectly over the mattress a black duvet with red swirls through it making it look soft as cotton.

Senya slammed the door closed again behind him this time making me spin around my face , nearly touching his chest, making me back up.

I quickly swallowed the lump in my throat as all warning signs in my head went off. 'Danger! Warning! Tread lightly!'

"What the hell is going on, and don't you dare try to lie to me." His once kind chocolate eyes turned into daggers of anger.

"Which part, bringing my friends with me or or burning half my father's kingdom to the ground?" I didn't mean to sound like I was making a joke out of the situation but that's exactly what it sounded like.

He began to stalk towards me forcing me to back up against the wall, he slammed his hand beside my head and stared angrily into my eyes before he answered. "All of it." 

My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest, it was beating hard, and I became breathless. 

I turned my head at how close he was to my head.

"I was angry," I felt the burning sensation of fear and tears welling up into my eyes.

"Why?" He prolonged the end of the question.

"My father killed my mother, and forced my brother and I to watch." I swallowed the hardness in my throat trying to keep my bearings.

"When?" His voice softened a little and his hand became a fist and leaned in closer.

"When we were just children, but then he forced me to come here and I wanted to look like my mother one last time." I stared over his shoulder as I spoke, I couldn't look him in the eye. "My brother didn't like it, so I burned it down and forced everyone to see who my brother truly was." I finished and waited for his response.

"Who is he?" I looked at him then, it's not a secret anymore and if he was to be my husband he will find out sooner or later.

"He's a magic user." 

"Like a witch?" His eyes furrowed, confused.

"Yes." I finished.

He backed away and began to pace around the room wiping his mouth as he placed then stopped and faced me again. "So you're telling me you're a witch, I mean a magic user?" 

I tightened my hands around some fabric of my skirt worried what he'll do when I answer. "I am."

"Are you dangerous?" He asked, walking up close to me.

"I can be, if I'm not careful," I admit, placing a hand on the pendant. "-But I'm not dangerous to our kingdom if that's what you're asking." 

He tipped my head up a bit looking me very closely in my eyes, and we stood in silence.

He now knows my biggest secret, I was expecting for him to yell at me to hit me, do something but instead he wrapped his arms around my waist and placed his head in the crook of my neck.

I was speechless, my arms limply at my sides as his arms were tightly secured around me, his large body slumped over for a long hug.

When he finally took my hands in his he looked at me with a sad look on his face.

"Thank you for being honest." He then placed his lips against my forehead, kissing gently, but held my head to his lips.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" I asked as we got apart.

"Should I be?" He tilted his head in confusion as he placed a stray hair behind my ear.

"Well no, I." I began, there was a sudden knock on the door cutting me off, Senya looked upset to cut our conversation short,he backed away and faced the doorway.

"Who is it?" Senya called out, and the door opened, it was a guard.

"Your Highness there was an ambush while they were gathering the princess's things." The man came in adjusting his helmet.

"Why are you telling me; go tell my father at once!" Senya ordered pointing back toward the door as his voice echoed around the bare walls.

"We have but they told us to go to you on this." He says looking behind him as if there was someone standing behind him.

"Was anyone hurt?" He then asked, understanding it's now up to him.

"Yes sir," he says fidgeting.

"How many?" 

"Well you-" the guard barely had time to speak, as he nearly jumped out of his own armor.

"How many were there!" He yelled the question louder this time making both I and the guard jump.

"All of them, Sier." He answers while stuttering, that's when he puts his head down shamefully.

I placed a hand on Senya's shoulder before he said anything else, he held it for a minute as he watched me carefully while I stepped forward to the guard. "Are they able to be healed?"

That's when the guard took off his helmet to show his balding head and lowered it to his chest. "No, I'm sorry princess, they're all dead."

The stumpy looking guard's eyes were glued to the floor as his eyes filled with large pools of tears, as it fell you could hear the loud splash as it hit the floor but none of us paid much mind to it.

It felt like a bullet through my chest, not even an hour here and people are already dying because of my actions.

"Wait if they are all dead how do you know any of this?" That's when I turned to Senya as the thought made its way into my mind. "Where's Barinor?" My voice panicked and my hand again went to the pendant around my throat.