The King's Poison

35

Anna

I quietly slide from the covers, trying my best not to wake Henry up. I never thought I'd see the day where I woke before he but I guess there was a first for everything.

I slip on my dress before lifting my gaze to his placid body. He had mumbled something under his breath.
Good. His eyes were still closed which meant he was still asleep.
My heart raced with anger as I observed his features. His words kept replaying in my mind.

Catherine is dead.
Catherine is dead.
Catherine is dead.

The thick air of the room suffocated me. I had to get out of this room, away from the monster that was Henry.

I burst through the doors trying to find the only other person I cared for.
Thomas.

I looked for him in the kitchen, the tasting room, and my secret garden but he wasn't there!

It was only when I passed by the large windows in the hallway that I saw his bright brown curls.
He was by the tree where Catherine and I always lounged.

My feet ran as fast as they could take me.
Faster and faster they went until I meet him at the tree. He looks up as he hears me approach and I see him with tears in his eyes.

He knew.
That meant everyone knew.

"One time ..." he struggled to find his words through his tears, "Catherine told me that through every dark night, there's a bright day after." He forced a lazy smile into his lips.

"Really?" My voice shakes as my own tears start to fall, "All she told me was a withered blade was once green" I teased, making him laugh.

"Anna—" Thomas comes to hold my arms.

"I didn't believe her whenever she gave me her words of wisdom because I didn't think they could ever reach a girl like me? I mean how could they?"

Thomas rubs my arms trying to calm me. My words were coming out ten miles an hour.

"Anna..." he tries to steady me but I couldn't help it and collapsed in his arms, crying and screaming.

He lets me cry. I don't know much time passed but it seemed like I cried for hours. I lift my eyes to watch him, my head was in his lap. "I want out Thomas. I don't want to do this anymore.
He's crazy.
He's mean.
He's the devil incarnate. He killed my friend! My best friend"

"I know. I know" Thomas sighs, wiping the tears from my cheek. He was silent before looking to the horizon.

"You don't have to if you don't want to Anna.
I should have never asked you in the first place"

"But what do we do now? I still want to kill him...but not by seduction" I admit.

"I don't know Anna." He stares into my eyes. We were both at a standstill.

"Anna..." he whispers, running his warm palm against my cheek. Closer and closer we come until we embrace.

I knew I shouldnt have done it.
Catherine would have never approved it. But I was scared.
We were both confused and sloppy. Excited but fearful.
Our tongues danced with a fervent intensity as we deepened the embrace.

I break and stare at him before realizing what I had done.

"I...we shouldn't have done that Thomas" I whisper, standing app before running away.

"Anna!
Anna wait!" I hear his voice behind me but I didn't dare look back.

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