16. I watch as my friends slowly die

Warning: no one dies in this chapter. Unfortunately.

Song: Blueberry eyes - MAX & SUGA from BTS (Note: this is in no way what Anthony is feeling at the moment)

Anthony, who is currently contemplating where his life went wrong

I currently had two options.

Either I sleep with the princess. Which, I had no intention of doing.

But I did-

The answer. Is-

I don't understand you! She's literally perfect-

She murdered the love of my life!

Look at her curves!

She's a-

You have. No proo-

I don't care! I'm not sleeping with her! I'd rather sleep with Thomas than her!

Satan gasps. How. Dare you insult her like that?

Do you understand then? How much I hate her?

You have no justification!

I hate her! She killed the love of my life and because of her, I have to live an unhappy life as an unhappy man! If she didn't exist I wouldn't even be in this hell-hole of a court; following the whims of a woman who wants me dead!

She saved your life-

She pities me! She only does it because she sees me. Just as everyone else does. An easily manipulated pawn to use in this game of chess I never, wanted, any, part in!

.....God help you.

I hate her.

Out of all the mortals I've possessed over the millennia. I've never met a bastard as idiotic as you.

I'll gladly take that as a compliment.

I could feel his glare on me. Whatever. I'm going back to hell for a bit. I can't stand you right now.

"Have fun," I murmur as he leaves my body.

"Anthony, did you say something?" The princess shouts from across the room. When I don't answer she walks towards me. At this point, her servants had changed her into a white silk nightgown that hugged her curves and made no effort for modesty. Hence her wearing a robe over it.

Still. I had to give her maid some credit. Even now, it was hard looking her in the eye without my thoughts drifting to places I didn't want them to be. Especially with her.

She was a little spoiled child who'd probably never even heard of the slums let alone seen one. Even though Valoria has one of the biggest slums on the continent.

"Your Highness." She calls from beside me.

I close my eyes and bite my sneer. "What."

"Did you say anything?"

"No! It was just you and your immaculate hearing skills!" I snap.

She blinks, shocked at my outburst. Honestly, I'm surprised too. She breaths in as if reining back her emotions before looking down at the white marble floor, which looked gold in the reflected candlelight. She gulps. "Right. Well." She walks off back to her seat across the room.

Shit. I made her mad. She's probably gonna tattle to her mother now.

Shit.

"Hey," I say.

"Hmm?" She spins around to face me. Seemingly innocent. Of course, I knew better than to trust a murderess.

"Please do us both a favour and don't tell your mother."

Tilting her head in confusion she responds, "about what?" Her eyebrows furrow as she peers at me. Trying to calculate what I'm talking about.

"What I just said. I'm sorry. Don't tell your mother."

Her face contorts into a you-really-think-I'd- do-that-? look.

I give her a yes look back.

She laughs a short, bark of a laugh as she smiles at me, "I understand that you think I'm a spoilt ass bitch who just has everything handed to her on a silver platter," dark blue eyes stare up at me with such ferocity I feel my knees quaking. "But if life has taught me anything. It's to never expect people to clean your mess up for you." A fist grabs my shirt and pulls me down. I still haven't taken my eyes off hers. Perhaps, it's because they're so captivating. Perhaps, it's because I'm too scared. But, in that moment I knew, I could never possibly look upon those eyes in love.

Fear.

Only fear.

She releases me and turns on one heel. Sauntering away as if nothing just happened.

I gulp.

*****

"Bryon for the last time!" A red shrieking Lady Eleanor throws a pillow at Bryon. "You are not sleeping in my bed!"

"Why not milady?" Bryon, who had joined us a few minutes after Thomas and I had come in, had promptly taken his shirt off because we were all shirtless at the time, and chosen to situate himself in the princess's chambers for the night, flirtatiously inquired. "Is it because you fear that you.... won't be able to resist me?"

Crash. "No! Absolutely not!"

He smirked and his amber eyes gleamed as he looked down at her flushed form on the floor. The chair she had been on had tipped over and she glared at his towering self as she made an effort to get up.

She sniffed as she dusted herself off. "I wish you would drown."

He laughed haughtily. "Oh, and I wish you would wear fewer clothing-"

"Alright then! Bryon!" Thomas clamps Bryon's shoulders, his pink and green blanket (yes, it's his now. Lady Cora said it smelt too much like him to be used as her blanket now,) swoops behind him like a luxurious cloak. "I think it would be quite adequate if you slept on the floor with me."

Bryon simply smirked before nodding, "alright," as he walked off I could literally see the laughter in his eyes as he walked off, exchanging looks with the princess who stood against a wall, arms crossed and grinning at her friends' antics.

The fact that she thought her friend being embarrassed was funny was something I would gladly have questioned.

If I still wasn't shaking from our last encounter three minutes ago.

I clean up my own messes.

Did she though? I had no idea.

Though, I had better things to laugh at, at the moment. Such as the idea of anyone sleeping with Thomas.

Poor Bryon was in for the night of his life.

I wonder how many bruises he'll have in the morning. I, for one, would be sure to count.

Poor. Poor. Bryon.

From her place across the room, the princess yawned and began her walk toward the door beside me. To her - our bedroom. I grit my teeth as she stopped beside me.

"I'll be going to bed now." They all turn to her voice. Which commanded and demanded attention just by being spoken. A perfect queen.

It drew me back to the complicated standings of most courts, just like this one. Most of the time, monarchs didn't rule their own courts. They were simply puppets in the place of a far more powerful force. In this court, no matter how much of a force the queen was. No matter how many people she melted in her rage. Her daughter still handled the grand council and spoke on her 'behalf' in public events. In the end, the real queen of this chess game was the woman I was to marry. And though because of this, I should be more careful to not anger her. It only made me hate her more.

The fact that if she wanted. She could get away with anything.

"Good night." They all unanimously called back.

Once the door had closed, all the conversation seemed to die down. An empty hole was left in the once vibrant room.

"Anthony, who are you sleeping with?" Thomas asked.

I look at him. "Do not. Think. For a minute. I'll be sleeping anywhere near you tonight. Not after last time."

I watch as his body shakes with laughter as Bryon looks between us. "Wait. What happened last time?"

I smile. "Oh. You'll find out soon enough. "I pat his shoulder. "Don't worry."

He blinks in confusion as I walk away into the darkness of my bedroom.

All the candles had been snuffed out and though the faint scent of roses still hung in the room, clinging to the red velvet curtains and bedsheets, the night was cool. The windows had been opened to let the moonlight in and I leaned against the cool marble pillar as I watched the princess take a pillow and blanket from her closet. When she spotted me, she only honoured me with a glance. She took the blanket and pillow and proceeded to walk past me to the doorway.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll sleep with my brother tonight."

"Why."

She sneered at me. Her eyes gleaming with contempt as they beseeched me. "I'm not sharing a bed with a man who despises me."

"So you hate me also?"

A heavy silence passed between us. The room was dark though I could feel the tension radiating off her little body. "I gave you a chance to prove to me that we could get along today."

"And?"

"Two years." She says.

I blink. "What?"

"I'll keep you for two years-" she turns to me "- then you can do what you wish with your life."

I furrow my brows. "So we'll divorce after two years?" It was a good offer. Far too good. She was up to something. No one in the world could be this merciful. Especially to me.

"Yes." I peered at her. Two years. It was all she was offering. Then freedom. Freedom from her. Everything.

But-

I smirk. Of course. I understand now.

"Very well." I step closer to her so that the only distance between us is the blanket and pillow she's holding. "But I have terms as well."

Her eyes narrow into slits. " Those are?"

"After this divorce. I want none of my court or people embroiled in yours. And...."

"And?"

I grin. "You will give me your name."{1}

** In Aresia and Borelis there is such a thing as a slave trade. People can become slaves to their masters by giving them their names. By giving them their name, the slave hands over all rights and freedoms to the master and is completely at the master's mercy. Property.

Titles and such are all given to the master also.

One may ask, how does one give one their name?

Well, my friend. That is the magic of it.**

Her eyes widen. "Never."

"Then you will be chained to me for all eternity."

"I would be chained to you no matter what if I gave you my name!"

"So?"

"I would rather be your equal than your slave!"

"Ah but that's simply it. You will never be equal to me no matter what."

"Why the hell not!"

"Never," I whisper.

"Is it because I'm a woman?!"

"Oh. No." I laugh. " I like to think of women as far more superior than men. The reason is simple. You're human."

Her eyes almost pop out of her sockets as she drops her things. She falters onto the ground. The shook hitting her like a sledgehammer in the stomach.

"Wha- How did you-"

*****

Vote to find out what he means.