Broken Queen

Chapter 12: Pity is for the weak𖤛-𝚅𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚊/𝙰𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚊-𖤛

"You killed my parents."
I grind my teeth at calling the King and the Queen my "parents" but it seems appropriate right now.
He looks at me. His face is as blank as stone.
"I had to."
He looks down at the floor where Camila's body lays. His brow is furrowed and his hands are clenched into tight fists. He's thinking. No. Remembering.
His knuckles are white with pure rage. The longer he stands there silent, the longer he looks like he's fighting his past. And losing. His breath turns rigid.
I am no longer afraid of him but for him. I, however, cannot fight his battles. I can only watch him squirm like an ant burning under a magnifying glass. I can't even imagine what could have happened to make him kill the king and queen. I reach out my hand to him.
"Stop."
I pause and put my hand back at my side. Is that directed at me or is he desperately asking his thoughts to end.
"I don't need your pity."
Now I know he's talking to me.
"You should be grateful for my pity, if anything you should be pitying me for what you've done."
He laughs. It's a low, quiet, sad sound..
"You don't know? Do you?"
"Know what exactly?"
Before he can answer, another loud pounding comes from the door.
"What's going on in there!"
It's joe.
Silas curses under his breath.
"Great going princess, because of your bloody scream we have been caught."
The door pounds again, and Silas curses once more.
"SILAS."
Joe's voice booms from behind the door, making me shutter.
I need to hide. "The closet."
He motions to the wooden door next to us and I scramble to open it.
The room smells of a rotting skunk,
or a dead body.
I quickly open the door and try to control my heavy breathing.
The smell is intoxicating.
A small crack in the door allows me to see Silas open the door.
"You know we have rules here."
Joe heaves past Silas, and I cover my mouth in an attempt to muffle my breaths.
"Just had another client."
A grin crosses Joe's face, subsiding the anger that had been there moments before.
He grunts and grabs Camila's dead body.
"This is the last time. My customers are getting angry."
Silas smirks. "Give this one to the chefs, they've earned it."
Joe grins and reaches for the door. "They're serving the special tonight."
The wooden door shudders when Joe closes it, and I sigh of relief.
Silas opens the closet door with a grunt.
"We need to leave."
"No, duh."
He pinches the bridge of his nose and I smirk.