Not be king# 13

When they got out of the forest, the woman had fainted. It was the burst of speed he supposed, her human body must not be used to it.

The moment he had gotten out, he had dumped her without a care on the ground. All thoughts of her forgotten as he tried to deal with his family, his people and responsibilities. He wanted to step in as King again, he knew his father was doing a very good job, but Constantine could simply not be replaced.

For the time of his imprisonment, his family had left, and he had found even in madness and hatred- something unable to watch his people perish.

Trapped under the ground, his will and stubborness had forced him to give life to the land. The Earth beat to the sound of his faded heart. The ground pulsed with the power of the blood drying up in his veins.

Now that he was back, he wanted to see his land again, to take his place as king. However, he knew he had no right to do that. Lost in his madness he had killed more people than he could count; destroyed families, orphaned children.

How could ge expect their allegiance? Their trust and service, when they had seen better than anyone else, the monster he had become?

He hated it. Only weak men turned bitter at sorrow, and allowed it to overcome their mind and judgement. It disgusted him when he remembered how his people had rejoiced at him being alive when his mate had died, only for him to wake up a murderer.

He was an abnormality. A freak of nature. What had happened with him simply wasn't natural. When a mate died, the other died with them. Two halves of a soul, they left this plane for the next- together.

Two hearts stopped beating at once, and two lovers took their last breath together. Except when Alina died- he had lived.

How?

No one knew, except that he hadn't followed her, and to this day some part of believed it was because he did not love her enough.

If he did, how could he have gone on without her? The world was dark for him, their was nothing left for a Romanian after his mate, and yet he had refused to let go of this tortured existence.

He was hardly stable and attacking his brother was proof enough of that. He didn't understand why he did it, only that he should do it. There was eagerness for the blood shed, hunger for the kill.

And he had been terrified for the second time in his life, when he faced the monster that lived in him, not because of its evil, but because somewhere in it , he could see himself.

He coudn't pretend he didn't remember those kills. Couldn't ignore that he had enjoyed them.

And now as he stands before his people, he feels bile rise up in his throat. Shame singes his body like fire, and humiliation prevents him from meeting the crowd's gaze.

After a tense 10 min break, he looks up at them. He sees sorrow, pain, relief, happiness; but not in one gaze does he see anger and contempt. He moves then. Like an acrobat walking a thin rope; vary of falling to death.

A woman moves towards him first, her hand skimming lighting over his chest, a man follows, with a graze to his arm. The crowd parts and hands run over his body as he walks through it.

A sign of acceptance.

Of happiness and relief.

He feels them. Every man woman and child on his land. People he doesn't even know, never met, and would never recognize, he feels them.

And they feel him. And so when he looks up at them to announce his decision, he sees knowledge glimmer in their eyes. They look at him, wanting him to say it out loud.

Wanting him to say,

He would not be king.

______________________________________________

Katie is losing her mind. The women would simply not let her leave, nor would they tell her where she was and why she was there.

Except for the really big room, she has no idea of any of her whereabouts. This was kidnap, which meant she had to get access to a phone and call an emergency hotline.

"Miss, please. Sir just wants you to stay here"

She didn't reply. Honestly, she doesn't care who has brought her here or why, her only concern is getting out and to safety.

The door opens then, and a woman walks up to her. From the look of it, her manner and attitude would say she was a person of power.

Not a mistress, but perhaps ths head of the domestic staff.

"For a fragile human, you seem to have created quite a fuss"

She doesn't reply

*Look, they just want you to stay here"

Katie decides to say nothing again. She doesn't need anymore attention than she already has And arguing with her will achieve nothing. She has to get a way to call for help, and that too fast.

***

A call for help seemed much more difficult to make than she expected, about 3 hours have already passed without success,and she is loosing hope.

Until she sees a murmur run through the staff. Hushed words are exchanged right before someone opens the door to her room, and talks to one of the girls standing guard.

She can leave. There is no more need for her to stay.

The King has dissappeared.