Crowns and Daggers- Completed

Three.

Cold and misty. A miserable change in weather. Though it had been muggy and the sky had been heavy with fog this morning anyway. But right now the dampness in the air was gathering on the wooden balustrades to the balcony above the main entrance through the palace gates. This was typical weather for early January. 

I stood beside my mother as we watched their horses and carriages pull in. I sighed and my mother nudged my arm. 

"Any misbehaviour from you whilst they're here Anastasia-" 

"I don't intend on seeing any of them for a second longer than I have to. Don't worry." I kept my face straight. No matter how much I wanted to roll my eyes. I couldn't. Not when they were here. When they were here, it was pretty smiles and soft, slow movements. Exactly what was expected. Misbehaviour led to me being shipped off to a house in the middle of nowhere and as much fun as that would be right now, I'd be under even more watchful eyes with the sisters than here. Here was always the better option. Always. No matter my distain for it. 

A footman opened the carriage door and I tried not to snarl as Christopher and his brother stepped out of the carriage. Their prissy little uniforms as they stood staring at us made me sick to my stomach. Even from here his face was making me angry. It wasn't irrational. 

We used to get on really well. Some even penned us to be married. If we were still that close we would be. But then he waited until we were alone. I was 9 and he was 11. He kissed me as I was brushing my horse at the time, and ran away, telling the whole court I'd kissed him first. 

The rumours it caused were inexcusable. I was sent to the nunnery for 18 months. 

A year and a half I spent, reading verses from a book I couldn't stand. Wearing bland itchy clothes with no social life, boring food. I was 9. NINE. I was a child. I came back and vowed I'd never go back there. I'd been on best behaviour since. 10 years. Of not a single slip up. Well there was the one. But I blamed it on the guard. And as horrible as that was that he lost his job, I was not going back there. I spoke to him after and he understood. I'd been able to convince my father to go easy on him. He was alive. That's all he was grateful for. 

"Face Ana." I looked at my mother who had a smile plastered on her face. I sighed and put on my own, looking down upon them. My parents turned to go and welcome them in, Percy following behind them.  

I didn't move. I didn't want to go welcome them. They weren't welcome here. He wasn't anyway. I didn't want him here. 

He stared at me, bowing as I stood staring at him, my smile disappearing with my mother. My grip on the wood tightened. Nails marking the soft wood. God I could pull an arrow right here shoot him straight between the eyes. Watch him bleed out and his body twitch until it was lifeless. I smiled at the thought. Ah. Heaven. A place I definitely wasn't going, if it existed. I turned dramatically, walking back into the castle, slowly down the 3 stairs. 

"You're smiling?" I looked at Sebastian as he rose from his bow. 

"Am I?" I turned, slowly walking down the hallway towards the staircase that would take me to the entry way. My smile didn't leave.

"You are. But it's not a fake one." Sebastian was behind me slightly as we dawdled. I wasn't in any rush. 

"I'm picturing me pulling an arrow back and boom." I put a finger in the middle of my forehead histrionically. He chuckled behind me as I lifted the front of my dress and started down the stairs. "Don't worry though Sebastian. I've got my knife." I turned as we reached a landing halfway down. He looked at me and I put my hand to my hair so he knew where it was. 

Sebastian had quickly become a confidant over the past 6 months. We still held it professional. I didn't like him like that anyway. But I trusted him entirely. I knew he wouldn't spill my secrets. He wouldn't have the chance. He knew I'd deny them with every last breath. 

He stayed there on the landing and I continued, putting my hand in Percy's as he helped me down the last few stairs. I smiled at him as he walked me over to my parents. Just in time. They were coming in. 

I was in between them now, mother and Percy. This tended to be how I stood when he was around. With one of them on either side of me. Percy and mother, mother and father, Percy and Bash. Any combination of the 4 of them worked. And they tried to never leave us alone together. But sometimes, not very often, but sometimes, I'd leave. Or I'd be in the library, or garden. He'd show up.  And only venom would spew from his lips. 

I didn't know what his problem was. He started this. Stupid boys. Placing kisses on people without their permission. 

Percy knocked my arm subtly, tilting his head and giving an exaggerated smile. I scowled harder. Lowering my brow like a child as the doors opened. And then it fell. My scowl. Turning into my beautiful smile. No one outside my immediate family could tell when it was a fake smile. Percy could. It made him chuckle every time. 

Like he was now as I turned to face the boys. His shoulders were moving in my peripheral vision, lightening the mood.

They walked closer and started conversing with my father, a shake of hands before he turned to Percy, shaking his hand. Then my mothers, kissing the back of her hand. Mine were behind my back. I didn't like him touching me at all. Percy's eyes were burning holes into the side of my head. I tensed but quickly dropped my hands around to my front. 

"Anastasia. The pleasure is mine." He hissed. 

"Christopher." I nodded as he took my outreached hand. The kiss he placed on my hand was more forceful than my mothers had been. He knew I hated it.  God I should slit his throat right here. His blue eyes were burning into mine, not moving for the whole time his attention needed to be on me. Slowly, I pulled my hands from his, returning it to my side. 

Slowly my father began speaking to his brother, Stephen. Stephen was a little younger than Christopher. He'd be 17 now I think. If my maths was correct. I looked at him as he spoke with my father. Yeah 17 seemed about right. 

"Come. Let's eat. I am sure you're both famished from the journey." My father took off with the 2 new boys and my mother, leaving me and Percy alone. 

"Well that was awkward." I turned as he spoke and smiled. "I could feel you wanting to slice him open again." Percy knew me too well for his own good. We slowly set off following after them all. 

"Don't worry Ana. I want him dead too." His arm brushed against me gently and I sighed.