Chapter 3. King

Lexcis Aeden

Why does it matter that there's a protest at The Ridge? Rebels got pushed back by a group called Mount Elffire. I focus on my work. I dislike everything. Throwing the blanket away, I head to the porch. It's annoying how the sun quickly warms my skin. Why would anyone want to live here? Why would someone want this?

Things were better back home. I was used to harsh, cold winters. Fighting until my body gave out became normal. Now, I just sit in a chair and talk about dull things. I try to maintain existing political ties and find new partners. It's wearing me out.

I hate here in Revia

"Good morning, Your Majesty."

Why is she staying here? I stay silent and keep going until the sunshine burns my skin. I try to love and enjoy it, but I can't. I prefer being cold.

"Why won't you come back to bed?"

I'm getting pushed. I try not to be rude, but I mess up. I really tried, but that's not how I am.

"Why don't you mind your own business? I need my own space. You should have left hours ago." This doesn't need explaining. She should already know. If not, she should've figured it out. We're not getting married just because we slept together once.

The girl, whose name I've already forgotten, looks down at me.

"Okay, then. You shouldn't wait for an invitation to join me. Leave now and don't come back."

I turn away just as she's about to talk. Downstairs, there's a pretty lake with fallen flowers. I wonder how many bodies are at the lake bottom beneath the flowers. When I hear a knock on the door, I want to jump off the porch. It might hurt, but not enough to die, which is too bad.

"Come in!"

I'm really frustrated with this.

"They'll arrive in an hour, Your Majesty," Laurence said.

"Who cares?" I replied.

There's no real smile on his face when he looks at me. Laurence is my teacher and probably my only true friend. He came with me from Aeden. He hates this place as much as I do, but he's better at hiding it. Because Laurence doesn't feel much, he's good at hiding everything.

"Okay then, tell me about this visit."

I start moving toward the bathroom to clean up. It's not like I need it. I always look good. I'm not bragging, it's just the truth. Many women have proven it.

"This isn't a visit, they have decided to stay here at court, forever and ever."

"You keep saying 'they' repeatedly. Did the deal go through? How many people did they send me to kill?" I find it amusing.

Some people from her family joined the ride. Guards tried to stop them.

"Oh. I hope it's not the first woman who comes down. I would have a harder time killing that one. She looks so innocent."

"Not her. The other one," Laurence said, pointing at the other girl who just came down.

I'm really hungry. Should I eat something before killing a woman who doesn't know what's going on? Or should I pay attention?

"I see. I didn't pay attention at the meeting last night. Why did we agree to this?" I asked.

"The Anonymous should keep away from us. They don't like this girl. If you killed her, they would hate you less."

"But doesn't she kill them herself? Why do we need to kill her if we can use her to kill our enemies?"

"No."

"No?" I raise an eyebrow at him. I believed she was killing our enemies.

He just says, "No."

"What if I don't want to kill her?"

"You need to. Because of it, her father and his family will get a better job. Most likely here in court."

"Why? This plan makes no sense to me. They might be able to kill her themselves. Why send her here? Why is killing one girl so hard?”

"Because to other people, it will look like you're sorry for hurting their family. People who are part of Anonymous will want to work with us to stop those other sick killers.”

I nearly laugh. He talks like we're not planning a sick murder right now.

"Okay, Laurence. I'll get it done right away."

"No!" He yells. "Not right away! Her family can't figure out it was you! If not, we'll have problems with her two crazy siblings."

I don't care. I just want to sleep. Also, I'm hungry, and it's really cold outside.

"Okay, fine. Is there anything else?"

Laurence walks in with a big smile. He's probably excited for me to deal with that family. He seems kinda mean, but I don't blame him. I have to admit, it makes me pretty happy too. There are many women here, but none of them are as wanted as... umm, what was her name again?

Shit. I didn't pay attention.

I think I’ll just call her my lady. After all, she is a lady. I really need to listen to Laurence more often.

We head to the front gates to meet my new guests. The guards are alert. I warned them to be ready, as this woman might cause trouble. They're with more people than I expected, and they seem really scared of her.

I get that she leads an army, but seriously? I've led more people than she has, more than she ever will. She can't be that scary. It feels good to see fear on the guards' and people's faces as I walk by. They must be afraid of me. Who do they fear the most? This strange woman or me?

I notice a carriage coming up behind me. The guards straighten up, and even Laurence changes his stance. A guard moves to open the carriage door. I can't wait to see my bride.

Yes, I've been told we should get married. At least, that. Then, when I kill her, everyone will pity their king for losing his lover. Someone else mentioned she feels she has to fight for my attention. It'll be fun to watch her try. That's not simple.

I don't know much about this girl. She only mentioned having two brothers and being in charge of a group called Mount Elffire. That's great.

The first person jumps out of the wagon rather than stepping out. He hits the ground hard, but quickly gets up. Adjusting his clothes, he puts his hand on his sword. The guard tries to help the woman, but the big man pushes him aside to assist his sister. They seem really possessive, not even letting a guard help.

They might be either sick or very cautious, maybe both. The woman smiles at her brother with joy. Possessiveness runs strong in this family. That's interesting.

Everyone else has left, and it seems this is the girl, right?

She's not what I expected. I don't know what I thought it would be, but she's wearing a light pink dress. It fits snugly and has flowers on it. It's only when she starts walking that I realize this isn't her. She doesn't walk like a boss or a general. She's confident but not so much that she could kill someone right away. Still, I don't think she's weak; her fierce look tells me otherwise.

They walk up to me, and they bow. They don't really care about me. "Your highness," the man says.

"My lord, my lady." They look unhappy and don't want to be here. They could have stayed home. I don't need more guards.

"Where's your other sister?" I ask.

He laughs and says, "She likes dramatic entrances. You will see her."

Nice. She's a monster and a narcissist, like me.

"Let's go inside."

I stay as Laurence leads them in. Waiting is awful. How long do I have to wait?

The sun is scorching, and I hate it. Revia is nicer, but Aeden was where I had freedom. I was a chief of staff, fought in battles. But after the royal family died, my dad sent me here, and it's not as peaceful as it seems.

He wants me dead, maybe enjoys it. That's why he doesn't help the protests. I don't get why he hates me. Maybe because I refused the crown and chose to fight. Now I'm stuck on a throne I don't want.

I've been here for nearly two years. The heat still bothers me. I spot someone outside the gates. I make the guards open them. She's there, sword in hand, looking at me. No doubt, it's her.

She wears brown and black armor, like soldiers wear. It's tough and protective, like clothes with built-in weapons. Unlike her sister's dress, she has pants. Brown leather wraps around her body, and black leather protects her chest. Her long black hair is wild and wavy, making me want to touch it. She smiles at me, but I can tell she's mad, even though it's meant to be cute.

Being a gentleman, I smile back, but I notice her eye twitch a bit. It seems like it might be fun.

Ignoring my guards' warnings, I walk up to her. They're ready with swords, and others point guns at her, but it feels rude. I think I can handle it.

"No need," I say once more.

I stand in front of her, and she stares into my eyes. The hate doesn't faze her; she seems used to it.

"You won't bow?" I ask.

She smirks, "Why should I? What's the point?"

This is going to be fun.

"I'm your king. You're my subject."

Being king is handy now, even though I don't like it. If my guards weren't close, she might've tried to kill me. She grips her sword, probably thinking of plans. She doesn't fight for my attention, but she already has it. Killing her seems interesting, imagining the surprise on her face. I don't hate her yet, but not liking her is pushing me to it. Her attitude and pride bug me. She's too much like me, and I can't stand it.

"King?" She mocks, examining me in my blue and gold suit. I think I look good, but she disagrees. "You're just a fake, a puppet. Your dad is the artist. What's up with him? Does he really miss you?"

She's unbearable. I really don't like her, but I won't show how mad I am. That would only make her enjoy it more. Even though we just met, she knows how to make me mad.

"Alright, let's leave, my lady," I say, offering my arm, but I know she won't take it.

She grimaces. "It's either Chantel or Raven. Don’t call me your lady because I’m not. Really, it's not that hard to remember."

Raven? She is an illegitimate child?

That makes sense. When I see how angry she is, I can't help but smile. Surprisingly, she's easy to annoy, and that makes me happy.

"Whatever you say, my lady."

"Call me that again and you'll lose that pretty head of yours."

I move toward her, and she points her sword at me. My guards step forward, but I signal them to hold back. I keep walking until the edge of her sword touches my chest. Like before, I run my fingers along the sword. She watches closely, her bright eyes catching every move. She has a small smile, maybe not even realizing what she said. I take her in—her long hair brushing against the sword.

"Pretty, huh?" I take a deep breath, enjoying the way she looks up at me. We lock eyes, but now she narrows hers and stops smiling. "Well, if it makes you feel better, you're not so bad yourself, my Ia-"

The sword presses further, almost hitting me. I laugh, enjoying it even more. I don't like her, but her actions are interesting. This will be a fun little test, something to do here in Révia.

"Relax, my lady, there's plenty of time. No rush." She rolls her eyes when I wink.

She puts down the sword, and I offer my arm, but she doesn't take it. She walks around me in a circle, examining me.

Alright, that's fine.

I can’t wait to kill you, my lady.