Crowns and Daggers- Completed

Nine.

I kicked the wall gently. My brown boots shaking under the pressure. Okay. Maybe it was gently. It definitely wasn't full force though. 

He actually apologised last night. It took him 10 years. But an apology is an apology right? Or was he just apologising for the sake of it.  

I really needed this practice with Bash and Percy today. I needed to clear my head. It was so filled with thoughts I didn't want in there. Thoughts of him. Tainted with blood red anger. 

Did he really think an apology would undo all the hell I've been through the past 10 years? How much he fucked my life up? How I can never be alone anymore. And not because I'm unsafe, because my parents think I'm going to give myself to any man I'm alone with. 

"Princess Anastasia." I lifted my head and crossed my arms. 

"Christopher." He looked me up and down, smirking. 

"Waiting for someone?" 

"My brother." He stood back against the wall opposite me, crossing his arms like my own. "We're going riding." 

"Where to?" 

"What's it anything to you?" He shrugged. 

"Just curious."

"You're short on words today." I snapped. "Cat got your tongue Charming?" 

"I guess you could say that." He looked me up and down slowly. "So I hear the marriage talks with your father are going well. Prince Louis is very interested." I smirked. Good. 

"Well I can't say I blame him." I tilted my head. "You'll be glad I'll be out of the way soon then." 

"Hardly." He scoffed, standing up. "You can't stab me if you're not around." He got closer to me and I stepped back. Well I tried to. Windowsill. I used my hand to keep myself stood up, pushing my hand into my pocket and grasping my knife as he leaned against the podium, looking at me but he was facing the wall he had just been stood against. "Get your hand off the knife Ana. I'm not going to touch you." I didn't. 

"Not a chance." 

"You really carry it everywhere with you?" 

"When you're here? Yes. Always. Can never be too sure what you're going to pull next."

"I don't think Louis is going to like such a strong woman. I've heard things about him. His men too. I wouldn't trust him." I furrowed my brow slightly. 

"And why should I believe you?" 

"Because he will hurt you." He turned. His shoulder on the podium but both his hands in his pockets. "And I'm the only one allowed to hurt you." 

I tilted my head. What had come over him the past 2 days? 

"Are you drunk?" 

"No." 

"I think you're drunk." 

"I'm not drunk Ana." 

"You definitely are. You were drunk last night too. When we danced." I swallowed a lump that was gathering in my throat that I didn't know was there. "And you're just telling me this now, about Prince Louis, so I end up a lonely spinster so you can spend the rest of your life laughing at me. None of this is about me. It's about you. It always is." 

"Ana-" 

"You need to leave." I moved back, stepping to the podium. "Sebastian." I said and sure enough Bash's head appeared around the corner. "Please can you make sure Christopher has some food and water so he can sober up before his journey home." I turned my back on them both, walking away. 

"Anastasia." He grabbed my arm, pulling it from my pocket and stopping me from walking any further. "I'm serious. He's no good. Tell your brother to speak to Adrian. He'll know who it is." Bash pulled him off me, practically throwing him back against the wall. 

Sebastian looked at me and I nodded that I was okay. 

"What's going on?" I looked up at Percy who was stood beside me. 

"Nothing." I turned back and stared into Christopher's eyes as he looked back at me from where Bash was walking him to the nearest guards. "He said you should talk to Adrian? About Prince Louis?" 

He looked as confused as I did about the whole thing. What did he know that no one else in this place did? And why was he telling us now?

"What's going on with you two?" Percy spun me around and we started walking in the opposite direction to Bash. He'd catch up. "You looked confused after your dance last night. Not a little confused, really confused. Conflicted even."  It wasn't the slowest pace we were walking at. We both wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. 

"Nothing's going on. Something's going on with him though. He hasn't been as rude the past 2 days. Maybe me cutting his throat actually got through to him." I was thinking out loud. Spit balling what could have caused the change. No matter what it was, I didn't like it. It made him unpredictable. I didn't like unpredictability. I liked to know what was coming next. So I could plan my next move. Especially with him.

"I'm sorry. You cutting his what?" 

"Oh calm down. It was nothing. Barely a paper cut." 

"You-" Percy sighed but it was also tainted with humour. "Why does he want me to talk to Adrian?" 

"Something he's heard. He said Prince Louis wasn't good. That he was going to hurt me. That he's heard things about Louis and his men." I looked at him as we stood in the cold January air. "I don't exactly trust Christopher Percy. You know that. But there was something in his eyes. They looked different. I think he was scared for me. About what would happen if I do marry Louis." I sighed with Percy who gave me a single nod. 

"Okay. I will speak to Adrian and see what I can find out. Don't worry about it. I'll hold dad off until we're sure and I know more information. You're not marrying anyone that's going to hurt you. Because if you kill them, we can't marry you off again." He smirked, lightening the mood. "Now come on. We're not talking marriage prospects today. We're riding and I'm taking you down with my sword." 

"Not if I take you down first."