NOT THE KING

Kill them all!

Those three words filled me with dread completely. I couldn't think, couldn't even breathe! It suddenly felt like I was being suffocated even with this cold weather. Somewhere, I could hear my family scream for help but it sounded distant. I couldn't hear anything apart from the blood roaring through my ears. I looked up at the king who didn't even look bothered or appear to be moved at all with my family screaming and crying for help. Instead, he just stared at us as if we were nothing but an inconvenience to him.

"You monster!" I gritted out glaring at him angry unshed tears starting to glisten in my eyes.

One of the guards made a move to step forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword but he was stopped by the King who raised a hand to halt his movement. "Looks like you've got something to say, thief!"

"Oh, I've got plenty!" I continued to glare at him. All those years of living under his merciless rule, treating us mortals as nothing more than the scum of the earth, maltreating us, and forcing us to give even though we do not have much made me angry. At that point, I didn't care about anything anymore.

Not the death threat that was looming over my head, not the whimpering of my family, and surely not the way the king was staring at me with those empty green eyes. I was going to die anyway, so fuck it and fuck him!

"Well then, let's hear it!" The king commanded me.

I smirked at him, "You think you are so high and mighty, don't you? You sit high on your throne and think us mortals beneath you like just who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Aneesa!" Mirabel's warning tone sounded behind me but I ignored it.

I stepped closer to the king, "What exactly makes you so different than us? Your royal status? Your wealth? Or is it the immortality? Ah, it must be that one!" I said in realization, "We humans are so disposable to you, we die easily why do you live on forever? Must be nice, having all that power but guess what, since I'm going to die I am just going to say this anyway. You are nothing but a real piece of shit!" I finished and spat on the ground in front of him.

My family drew in a collective gasp as they stared at me, their faces ashen with horror. The king merely arched a brow up at me while I waited to see what he was going to do this time around. Strike me down? Stab me with his sword? Transform and shred me into tiny bits? Okay, somehow the last one sounded a bit terrible! I thought to myself. I didn't show it though, instead, I continued to glare at the king who stared at me, even his guards waited to see what he was going to do to the insolent mortal girl who dared to look the king in the eye and spit on the ground where he stands.

Then the strangest thing happened, he smiled! The king smiled at me then it turned into full-blown laughter. At this point, I didn't know what to do. He was laughing, his huge shoulders shaking with deep laughter.

"Uh, Corion? You good?" The guy in a leather jacket asked.

Corion? Who is that? I asked myself with a frown as I stared at the king who still had a smile on his face.

"In all my life, no one has ever dared to speak to me like that and even if they did, they never lived long to take their next breath!" The king who they called Corion informed me.

I frowned at him, Corion! That's not the name of our king. I don't know much about the royals and I try as much to stay away from politics and royal gossip but even I know the name of the king is King Aspen. Now if this guy isn't King Aspen, then who the fuck is he?

"I'm sorry but who are you?" I asked unable to keep the look of confusion away from my face.

The cloaked figure stepped forward and when it spoke it was in the voice of a woman. "My, my, my Corion, and here I thought you were famous among the women."

"Not all of them!" The other guy snickered as he stared at me.

The guy they called Corion snorted in response. "She doesn't look like a woman to me." He said and I felt my cheeks grow hot in embarrassment but I didn't let him see it.

"You are not the king!" I stated.

"No, he isn't, that's the King's brother. Prince Corion!" Grace said from behind me.

I furrowed my brows deep in thought. "So the ruby I stole didn't belong to King Aspen?" I muttered to myself still confused. Garrett you lying son of a bit_

"Ah, so you admit to stealing the ruby?"

I glanced up at Prince Corion who stared at me with a perfectly raised dark brow. "I might have seen it."

Prince Corion snorted again in response before he stepped closer towards me. I instinctively took a step backward at the proximity but still forced myself to maintain eye contact, "So here's the deal thief_" He started staring at me and I don't know if I was imagining it but I think his green eyes blazed brighter, "The ruby you stole belongs to me not to the king and I'm going to need it back. I'm quite fascinated with you so I'll make you an offer you can't refuse_"

Fascinated? The prince was fascinated with me, the fuck does he think I am, his fucking plaything? That thought made me narrow my eyes at him in anger as I listened to his so-called offer.

"Give me the ruby and I won't kill you all!" Prince Corion informed me with a small smirk on his face which caused the scar to stretch wide.

I scoffed at him in disbelief. "Well here's the thing, your Royal Highness Sir, I do not have the ruby with me and yes I did steal it but I sold it for some gold coins because your brother, the king decided to increase the tax payment and my family is starving!" I decided to just tell him the truth.

"You sold the ruby?"

"Yes!" I affirmed. I seriously don't get why the ruby is such a big deal to him. I mean he was a prince, I'm pretty sure he can get any other fine piece of jewelry if he wants to, so why was he so obsessed with this ruby?

Prince Corion scoffed before he walked past me and before I knew it he had my mother in a death grip by her hair.

"NO!" I yelled out just as my mother released a small sob.

"No, Mother!" Grace and Giselle yelled thrashing against the guards who held them.

I turned to look at Prince Corion, "Let her go!"

"You are really in no place to ask anything of me, little thief!" Prince Corion said grabbing my mother against him.

I nodded my head at him in understanding, "Look, just let her go, she knows nothing about this!" I said my gaze shifting nervously to my mother who was still sobbing.

Prince Corion smiled at him and this one was filled with pure menace. "Oh, I know that, I just thought that what you need is a little motivation, now where is the ruby?" He asked and I saw long black claws wrapped around my mother's neck.

One wrong move and he would claw her throat out which meant instant death for her. I needed to be careful and play this carefully, I thought to myself as I raised my hand in surrender. "P…Please!" I pleaded, "Please just let her go!"

"The ruby!"

"I will look for it!" I yelled out, "I swear to you, I will look for it so please just let her go! Please!" I pleaded, my chest beating with each word.

The prince looked like he was about to say something but the woman with the cloak hood stepped forward and whispered something in his ears. I couldn't hear what she said but I assumed it was about me because Prince Corion's gaze flashed to mine. He then let go of my mother who crumpled to the ground, catching quick breaths.

I was about to go to her but the prince suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Hey!" I protested as he yanked my sleeves up.

"These markings…" Prince Corion murmured.

Shit! I had forgotten about that! I tried to tug my wrist out of his hand but he held on tighter. Seriously, what was his deal?

"Where did you get this?" He whispered so low I could barely hear it.

"I…I got it from the ruby."

Prince Corion raised his head to look at me and my breath caught in my throat at our proximity. I held in breath, careful not to breathe too much in front of the prince. Thankfully, he let go of me and turned to face his companions.

"We need to leave, the ruby is utterly useless now even if it's found. There's nothing here!" Prince Corion ordered.

I released a breath of exhale and rushed to my mother on the ground but Giselle pushed me away. Frowning, I stared up at her only to find her looking at me with a look of contempt on her face.

"You almost got us killed!" She hissed at me her voice dripping venom, "How could you?"

She was right about that! It was my fault that the prince and the royal guards were here, they almost died because of me! "I'm sorry!" I apologized.

"It doesn't matter anymore, just stay away from us!" Gizelle said as she hugged Mirabel tighter in her arms and pulled her up.

I watched her helplessly as the three of them left and entered the house, Grace shooting me helpless looks as her sister locked the door. Guess I was going to be sleeping in the barn with Spirit then! I muse as I make a move to go into the barn.

"Oh no, not so fast!" Prince Corion said causing me to stop in my tracks.

I turned to gaze upon him with a weary look on my face. "What again? You already claimed the ruby is useless to you, so the way I see it we are done here!"

"And you think you get to walk scot-free after stealing from me?" He asked with small amusement as he crossed his arms behind him.

The gods forbid you to be merciful for once in your spoilt sheltered life! I thought to myself watching as the Prince's lips curled slightly as if he had a good idea what it was I was thinking. "Well the, let's have it!"

"You are coming with me to the castle!" Prince Corion announced.

What the?