Unwelcome Guests

"Your Majesty," Arthur and Julia Ryvetsky bowed as they entered the room where Meredith and Krillien were having tea. Meredith had sat on the couch where Krillien once was as he moved to the singular chair in the middle of the long end of the table.

"Ryvteskys," Krillien smiled. It was a smile telling them, 'oh, you came? Without my invitation?'

"We are here as our daughter is about to get married without our knowledge." They smiled as they glanced at Meredith who avoided their gaze by sipping her tea.

"Oh? Did she need to inform you?" Krillien leaned on his chair as he rests his head on the palm of his hand, his elbow propped on the arm.

"Why, it's courtesy, Your Majesty," Julia spoke, a tightening hand on her shawl that wrapped around her shoulders, covering the tears and holes of her clothes. "We did not even receive an invitation of your engagement. We had to hear from our neighbors that His Majesty was to be wed. To our daughter no less."

Krillien let out a chuckle, making them turn their towards him. "She is your daughter?"

The parents furrowed their eyebrows. "Of course, she's a Ryvetsky. My daughter. Our daughter." Arthur spoke.

"Then answer me this," he stood up and walked over to them as they shrunk, his figure towering over them. "How can someone still be their parent right after selling off their child?"

Meredith's eyes widened, her heart raced as her hands shakily moved to grip her arm, trying to calm herself. He knew about that? She thought. Her vision darkened as it shook. She thought… she thought no one would know. How did he know?

The two parents awkwardly smiled, trying to stay calm as their lips quivered. "What do you mean, Your Majesty? We could never sell off Meredith like that—"

"Her Highness," he corrected. His voice firm as he spat those words out of his mouth. "She is the future Empress. Mind your words."

The two glanced at each other. "Er, yes. Her Highness. She is our daughter how could we ever sell her—"

Krillien drew his sword to their necks, his ruby eyes glinting as if he wished to draw their bloods—he wanted to draw their bloods from his sword. "You dare lie to me?" He said as they watched them cower from his sword. He hadn't sliced their heads and yet they acted as if he already did.

"Your Majesty!" Meredith shouted from behind, her voice cracking as she ran up to them, pushing Krillien away from her parents. "What are you doing?!"

Krillien's eyes widened, glancing at the other two who quickly touched their necks, trying to feel for their lives, if it was still attached. Blood dripped on Arthur's neck, the blade sliced shallowly onto it as Krillien was pushed away.

"I am getting rid of liars." He said through gritted teeth, pointing his sword at them.

This man is crazy. The two thought, starting to regret the decision of coming here. It hadn't even been 30 minutes since they stepped foot inside this room and now their lives were on the line.

"Enough. Liar or not, they're not your family." Meredith stood in front of the two, extending her hand in a defensive stance, as if to tell Krillien not to touch them. "I cannot allow you to… kill them."

"They are disrespecting the royal family—"

"And you wish to kill another family? Yours wasn't enough?" Meredith's voice cracked. She could feel Arthur and Julia's eyes dart on her.

"What are you saying, child?" Arthur's shaky hand was placed on her shoulder, telling her to stop. "Do you wish for him to actually kill us?"

Krillien lowered his sword, his eyes glancing to three, each taking a look at them. Family. They were still a family? How come?

He looked at Meredith then. He heard the report Aurelius gave him. He could practically hear the cries she screamed when her mother abandoned and sold her to that brothel. And yet here she stood in front of them, defending them with her life. Did they treat her that well to deserve such treatment? Or was Meredith just that type of person?

It didn't matter. There were liars in front of him, unwelcome guests who didn't deserve to set foot in this palace. Not as a guest and never as a family.

Looking at them, there was no reason for Meredith to do this. What was there to save but treacherous people who did not care for her? Their daughter? Their child?

He did not understand why she didn't beg for their lives to be taken away. And yet here she was, about to beg for their lives to be spared.

Meredith gulped as she watched Krillien's silence. His head was lowered, his eyes darkened. His ruby eyes glinting like freshly poured blood. Blood that he must have spilled multiple times before.

His eyes darkened as he slashed the throats of the king… then the queen… then the crown prince… his brothers. All dead.

She remembered that story when news broke out of Krillien's ascendance to the throne. Was this the same look he looked at them when he slashed their throats? When he didn't think twice to kill all of them? Was he about to look for another wife to wed after all this?

Meredith held her breath and closed her eyes. She was prepared. She knew she spoke out of line to mention them. There was no reason to. There was no reason to defend these two who continued to claim to be her parents. But how could she let them die when her siblings are waiting at home?

Meredith felt a hand on her arm. Krillien yanked her to his side, her body landing on his as he pointed the at the two once again.

"Leave." He said. "Before I regret to not take your lives again. Never return. She is not your daughter anymore."

Julia and Arthur grabbed each other and quickly left the room, no goodbyes. Nothing. That was the only thing they needed to hear; their footsteps as they left the palace.

He sighed. "I see where you take your confidence from." He glanced down at Meredith who was looking down. She let go of his grip and moved away.

Krillien licked his lips and let out a breath. "I did not know that you didn't want them killed…"

"You knew?" She finally said.

"Knew?"

She looked up, her eyes quivering as it met his. "You knew about the brothel?"