𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 (𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚!𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙭𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧)

Chapter Four: Proposal

"You...your wife, sire?" I repeated his words with his hand intertwining with mine from my side, pulling it up and kissing my knuckles with a small smile.

He walked backwards and pulled me to his arms, twirling me around and pushing me down with his other hands slithered around my back. "Shall we dance?" he whispered in my ear in a husk, pushing me back up.

My eyes were wide agape in pure shock. I was with the prince himself, dancing in the dark with his humming lingering through the air, striding side to side. He fluttered his eyes open with a smirk, stopping in front of the tall window with the moonlight shining so bright.

Nikolas stroke my face with a finger, taking my mask off as I blinked with a flustered look on myself. I looked down on the floor, trying to hide away my face. He touched my chin with his finger and lift my head up to his eye level.

"I caught myself a lucky one." he chuckled lowly, pushing me closer as I touched his hard chest. I could feel his breath inches from my face with a minty smell, his chest huffing for air after the little dance.

"S...sire, I think you've mistaken," I shook my head with a frown, pushing him away from me while I took a few step back. "I..I'm not interested in marrying you, your royal highness." I bowed my head in grief with eyes shut close.

"Oh why, my lady, why did you come here?" he asked with a step towards me, I looked up with my teeth digging on my bottom lip. "I was forced to come here by my mother, your royal highness." I replied instantly.

Looking into his blue, mysterious eyes, a mischievous smirk curled to his lips and took my hand with his. "Then I suppose...I was the suitor they were hoping for, yes?" he asked with a raised brow. I opened my mouth but no words form, it was like my tongue got twisted.

"You may execute me as you wish, your royal highness. But I will never marry you." I ignored his question, fully knowing what the answer is to his inquiry. "Ah, no, never, (y/n)," he spoke in disbelief while he leaned to my ear slowly, "It's not you who I will execute, it's your family," he whispered in my ear, his words sending shivers down my spine.

He withdrew back and clasped his hands, "Now! What do you say, darling (y/n)? Will you marry me?" he asked in a singsong as if what he just said before was normal. I was right, he was cruel and a crook!

"Are you threatening me, your royal highness?" I asked with dubiety hinting in the tone of my voice, "My, my, I underestimated you (y/n). Not only are you charming, but you also have the wits! You'd make a perfect queen!" he smiled in awe, taking each stride towards me while I back away with a perplexed look on my face.

"Your highness, there's a lot of eligible ladies out there. I'm sure you'll find a better one!" I said nervously, failing to keep my staggering tone dead. Nikolas snatched my hand and pulled me towards him, his hands wrapped around my waist.

"You're the only one I want, (y/n). Now choose, be my wife or I'll murder your family." he whispered low, with eyes that cut through me with a thousand of knives. I furrowed my brows and clenched my first, wanting to slap him across the face and get rid of that smug smirk off of him.

"May I think about it, your highness?" I asked, clenching back the thirst to yell. "Of course, (y/n). You have five days." he replied with a hushed, low laugh.

I held my chin up high and shrugged my shoulders back, trying to keep my composure still and mighty. "Then five days it is, your royal highness. I must take my leave now," I nod my head and turned to the door, hastily picking up the pace to get out of the dark.

I gripped on the iron doorknob firmly and looked behind me, "And what happens if I don't give you an answer in five days, your highness?" I asked, making him dart his eyes away from the window.

"Curiosity killed the cat, I see?" he raised a brow and stepped forward, putting his thump to his neck and did a swift motion across his throat, "Then they'll die." he replied with the look of amusement.

"I see." I nod in understanding, pushing the iron doors open and rushing my way out of the castle in a panic. My heart felt like it was going to burst in any minute like a ticking time bomb.

The tears blurred my eyesight, pushing everyone at sight to get away from this palace. Eyes laid on me, with different shapes and colors with a concerned or scornful look. I felt swallowed from the room as I heard Nikolas yelling out my name, "Until then, my dear (y/n)!" I heard him yell across the room.

The trumpets came to a blast, echoing throughout the ballroom as Nikolas spoke from the terrace. "Tonight was a special night, indeed as I had picked my future wife!" he announced in ecstasy, making me turn around and stop abruptly from my path.

He looked at me with a mocking smile as he turned back to the crowd with arms raised, plastering on a charming beam. It surprised me from how quick he was to change his demeanor, but also intimidated.

"May the future Queen of our kingdom live long."