The forsaken Princess

8. Blood Drop

The next couple of days the King kept his promise. Amelie was with the Queen from dusk till dawn making sure that Viola had everything she needed. They spent their days in the gardens, where Viola rarely saw the gardener. When she did she waved to him and he bowed in a rather hectic manner before resuming his work.

It was odd to Viola that he seemed so uncomfortable around her but she was happy about being able to spend time with Amelie all day. The king had gone to bed after she'd fallen asleep and left before she woke up, leaving the sheets undone letting Viola know that the King had been there overnight.

Viola had just begun walking a lap around the garden with Amelie in the morning sun when a knight came to fetch the queen. To her surprise, the king had summoned her.

When the queen entered the massive throne room with the knight and Amelie she looked at the King who proudly sat on his throne awaiting her. Viola could never tell what he was thinking but to her, he seemed amused as she stopped by the stone stairs and bowed gracefully as she'd been taught. 

King Archer looked past her at Amelie and the knight waving his hand thoughtlessly, "Leave us."

Amelie and the knight bowed and hurried out of the hall. The King raised his voice making it echo across the large hall, "All of you, leave us."

The knights stationed next to the king's sides and at the edges of the halls began leaving the hall. When the large wooden doors finally closed a thick layer of silence fell into the room, as the king looked down on her.

He looked at Viola whose crown matched the golden jewelry that decorated her arms, hand, and neck.

"You actually look like a queen with that crown on, even though it's all just a play."

"You actually look like a king even though you have no idea what you're doing," Viola countered even though she was fairly sure that he was doing a good job. The King clenched his jaw, "Come."

Viola made her way up the stairs towards the empty throne for the queen next to the king. Before she could walk past the King he grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him, making her lose her balance and landing on his lap.

She tried getting up by pushing herself onto the armrest of the throne but King Archer slithered his arms around her waist and shoulder pushing her back down onto his lap.

"Don't fight me on this," the King whispered playfully.

Flustered by the sudden closeness Viola turned her head away to avoid letting him see that the blood was rushing to her face again.

"Just, tell me what you want," Viola mumbled.

"Well, I was getting pretty bored here all on my own and I thought maybe my Queen would grace me with her presence," the mocking undertone in his words annoyed Viola further.

Viola reframed from reacting seeing how it amused him.

Annoyed by this the King's voice grew demanding, "Look at me."

Hearing his change in tone Viola complied and turned her head sideways to face him. Their height difference made it so that even though she was sitting on his lap their faces were now on the exact same height. Viola tried leaning away from him but the King tightened his grip on her waist as he began leaning in. Viola's heart jumped a beat. Something in her wanted to lean in and press her lips onto his but at the same time, she wasn't sure if she'd ever wanted to kiss the man that took her father from her. 

Archer hovered his face close to hers seeing her stiffen up, so he used his fingers to lift her chin up.

At that exact moment, Violas' memories replayed the scene of the King grabbing her face and screaming at her that she shall become a slave after having overthrown her and her family. She remembered his painful grip on her chin and the rage in his eyes from that moment.