Never Yours ✔️

Ch. 4

"Arysa, open the door!"

She sat on her bed, legs folded underneath her, facing the headboard. She barely heard her brother pounding on the door.

"Arysa, seriously, don't ignore me! Arysa, unlock the door!"

Silence rung in her ears.

"We need to talk, please."

His voice faded to a murmur as he spoke with someone else. After a moment it rose back to a shout.

"What do you mean the keys are missing?!" He swore angrily. "Well then, find them!"

Ashlyn sighed. His head thumped against the door.

"Don't block me out." He pleaded. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you. I'm sorry."

After several more minutes, she heard the thud of his boots on the tiles as he left. An hour later the lock turned and the door slid open. He came to her without the wisp of his breath reaching her ears. She did not hear the pad of his feet, only the quiet sway of his night black cloak. She felt his presence hovering over her, the weight of his eyes burning through her.

"I see your cousin replaced the guards I stationed outside your room with his own." He murmured.

His fingers ran along the edge of the bed.

"Have you hurt them?" Arysa's voice was emotionless.

Serden let out a cold chuckle. He crept closer. "Nothing your physician can't fix."

His fingers touched the side of her shoulder and she flinched back. His arm hung in the air between them. His snake eyes captured hers, ensnaring her and dragging her into his darkness. He reached towards her and she shut her eyes, clenching her hands around the bedsheet. He ran a lock of her hair through his fingers, his knuckles skating across the edge of her jaw. His heavy breath filled the tense silence that hung over them. Arysa didn't dare breathe.

"Lady Arysa-"

Serden pulled back sharply. A messenger boy stood in the doorway with wide fearful eyes.

"Lord Dreadroot-I-excuse my impoliteness-I saw the guards unconscious and I thought-" The boy stammered.

"It's quite alright." Arysa spoke softly. She stood and wrapped her shawl around her arms. "What is it?"

The messenger cleared his throat. His eyes lowered to the floor. "Lady, Lord, the court has been summoned."

Arysa's brows wrinkled. Serden's lips pressed tight.

"By whom?" He demanded.

"I do not know, Lord." The boy replied meekly.

"Thank you." Arysa said. "You are dismissed."

He bowed his head and left. Serden turned towards her, but Arysa stared straight ahead at the door.

"I don't suppose you know what this is about?" He murmured.

"I don't have the faintest idea." She responded.

Serden scowled and swept from the room. Arysa changed and fixed her appearance before following.

The court hadn't been summoned since the day war had been declared.

That had been a dark day, heavy with fog and the looming dark grey clouds of a storm, both visible and not. The outer villages had suffered raids for weeks by groups of criminals and mercenaries. Back then they didn't know who was behind it all, had no idea of the monster poisoning their king's mind while they occupied their thoughts with the recent famines and droughts. Demain spent most of that time out at the edges of the kingdom, hoping to catch the raiders in the midst of an attack and force one to talk. But he was smarter than that. The night before the court was summoned, three of their most prominent trade cities fell. They didn't hear about it until one of the refugees arrived at the capital's doorstep. The move was too calculated, too easily maneuvered, too organized to have been the work of mere raiders alone.