Chapter eight

Raven’s Pov;

The princess let out a shuddering breath and for the first time in my life, I saw true terror in her eyes.

She fell to her knees.  “No… Please… Don’t do this.”

The king did not acknowledge her plea.

“Guards,” he called. “Escort the princess back to her quarters. She is not to leave until further notice.”

Two armored guards stepped forward, trying to grab her, but she yanked herself away from them.

“Please, Father,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I’ll do anything. Just don’t make me marry that beast.”

The hall was silent. Even the guards stationed along the walls shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting between the king and his daughter.

The king did not respond immediately. He merely stared down at her, his face devoid of emotion. He had always been cold, but this… This was something else.

I had seen the princess  in many moods…furious, bitter, cruel. But never like this.

It was nice seeing her like this and it almost made me laugh.

The king finally glanced at me. “You! Ensure that everything is prepared.”

My mouth felt dry. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

I bowed deeply, stiffling a smile as the guards grabbed her arms.

The moment the guards touched her, she exploded.

“Let me go!” she shrieked, thrashing wildly. One of the guards lost his grip, and she lunged forward, her nails clawing down his face, leaving angry red lines across his cheek.

The other guard cursed and wrapped his arms around her waist, hauling her backward, but she kicked viciously, the sharp heel of her shoe colliding with his shin.

“You bastards! Let me go!” she screamed.

The king merely watched, unimpressed.

The queen, however stood up, as though she was bored of everything.

She let out an inhuman sound as she wrenched herself forward. But the guards were stronger. They yanked her back, twisting her arms behind her.

She let out a ragged breath, her chest heaving, but she didn’t stop fighting. “I won’t do it! You hear me?” She turned to the king, her voice breaking. “You’ll have to kill me first!”

The king’s expression didn’t flicker. “You are dismissed.”

She screamed as the guards dragged her towards the door. “No! No, I won’t go! You can’t…YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME!”

Her voice echoed through the chamber, but no one stopped them.

I held my ground, standing still as she passed me. But just as she reached the threshold, her gaze snapped to mine.

And then her rage shifted.

“You,” she hissed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

I didn’t flinch.

Her eyes burned into me, filled with hatred so sharp it could cut through flesh. Then, as if she had found a new target for her fury, she spat at my feet.

“You enjoy this, don’t you?” she snarled. “You love seeing me like this.”

I didn’t respond.

Because she wasn’t wrong.

The guards dragged her through the doors, her curses and screams echoing down the hall until they faded into silence.

The room remained still for a moment.

The king exhaled, rubbing his temple as if she had been nothing more than an inconvenience. “Prepare for the ceremony,” he said lazily, waving a hand. “She will come to her senses.”

I bowed low. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

As I turned and left, I couldn’t help but think about my future.

I had to write the examination, but I wouldn’t be able to do it if the princess decides to take me with her after she got married.

I walked quickly back to her chambers and the moment I stepped inside, the doors slammed shut behind me.

I barely had a second to react before something sharp came flying toward my head.

I dodged, and the metal candlestick shattered against the stone wall.

“YOU!” Ellie shrieked.

I straightened slowly. The princess stood in the middle of the room, shaking with rage.  Her hair was disheveled, her gown torn at the sleeves from her earlier struggle.

“You just stood there,” she hissed, her voice trembling. “You stood there and watched while he sold me like a cattle!”

My jaw tightened. “What was I supposed to do?”

She glanced at me for a long time, her expression filled eorh surprise and anger. I had never talked back at her. After a while, she lunged at me and the next thing I knew, her palm flew across my face. My head snapped to the side, pain shoting across my cheek, but I did not fall.

She hit me again. And again, Each slap harder than the last.

“You stood there and let them drag me away like a dog!”

I could taste blood in my mouth. But I remained standing. I had survived worse.

She was panting now, her chest heaving. Then she grabbed my hair.

A sharp yank forced me to my knees, my scalp burning from the force.

“You liked it, didn’t you?” she whispered, her nails digging into my scalp. “You enjoyed watching me beg.”

I met her gaze, breathing through the pain.  couldn’t take it anymore. At that moment, I didn’t care about anything, all I thought about was that she was going to eventually kill me if I didn’t do anything and I was going to show her that I wasn’t scared of her.

“Yes.”

She froze. Her grip tightened in shock, her face twisting. Then, with a growl, she shoved me backward.  “Get out! You are fired! Get out!”

I hit the stone floor, but I didn’t cry out.

She ran a trembling hand through her hair as she paced around like a caged animal. Her lips parted, and for a brief moment, I saw something else beneath the rage.

“I won’t marry him,” she muttered. “I won’t.”

I tried to sit up, but my entire body was in pain.

She turned back to me, eyes blazing. “You will find me a way out of this.”

I wiped the blood from my lip. “And why would I do that?”

Her nostrils flared. “Because if I have to suffer, then so will you.”

A cold smile curled on my lips. “I’ve been suffering my entire life, Your Highness and you just fired me.”

She screamed in frustration and grabbed another candlestick, hurling it against the wall.

Her breathing was ragged, her hands shaking violently.

Then, suddenly, she laughed.

“I will never marry that monster,” she whispered, mostly to herself. “I’ll kill myself first.”

I didn’t say anything, I just managed to get myself up and wobbled out of the room. If she wanted to kill herself, i wouldn’t stop her, because I knew her, she was a coward, she wouldn’t be able to do it.