Constellation

Chapter Five

I'm lugged into a throne room and shoved onto the ground beside a throne. I sneer at the woman and she smirks. The door slams open and I see the man that I was trying to get away from in the Oraculum. "Someone has stolen three of my tarts!" The man screams in anger. He's handsome, but I can tell that his ego has enlarged his head a bit. Figuratively of course.

He walks into the room and asks each of the frogs, "Did you steal them?" Each of them responded no. I see that one looks a bit nervous, after a few seconds of the man in red staring at him, the front breaks down, claiming he was hungry. I shake in terror of what might happen to me as the guards drag the frog away. 

The man in all red walks up to the throne and sits down. I ignore his eyes and continue to shake in terror. "Drink!" He yells and I flinch as a fish comes over and holds the glass up for him. The woman comes back up and smiles, "Your majesty?" The man smiles and holds out his hand to the woman, "Illiana Stayne, you knave. Where have you been lurking?" Illiana kisses his hand and looks deep into his eyes, "Majesty, I have found the Oraculum." Stayne takes the Oraculum and opens it up, letting the Red King look at it. 

"That? Looks so ordinary for an oracle," The King said with distaste. Stayne points to something, "Look here, on the Frabjous Day." The man sneers, "I'd know that tangled mess of hair anywhere. Stayne, who is the woman you have brought in?" I freeze, still avoiding his eyes. 

Stayne groans and grabs my hair, yanking my head to look at the Red King. I gulp as the King smiles, almost psychotically. "Andromeda. My soon-to-be queen. How is your stay so far in my castle?" I release a shaky breath, "I was taken from my brother and thrown at the bottom of your throne. I'm not exactly doing so peachy." The Red King chuckled, "My dearest queen. You'll do fine here. You are sure as hell not going to my brother. You're mine." 

Stayne sneers at me, "Your majesty, why do you need this ugly woman? You have me." The Red King sneers at Stayne, "Idiot! She will be my queen! You will accept it! Now tell me what Alastor is doing to my darling Jabberwocky!" 

Stayne gulps, "He appears to be slaying it." The King snarls, "She killed my Jabber-baby-wocky?" Stayne leans forward, "Not yet, but it will happen if we don't stop him." The Red King sneered, "You better watch your place Stayne. You will never be my queen so deal with it. Find Alastor, Stayne. Find him!" 

Stayne leaves the room, not before giving me a glare. I gulp as the King walks forward and cups my cheek with his hand. "Hello, my love. I know that you'll find happiness here. I'll plan everything for the wedding, don't worry about anything." 

I gasp and stand up quickly, "No! I do not wish to marry you!" The King snarls, "I'm afraid that you don't have a choice. You may not marry my brother. You are mine! Now, call me Ian my love." 

I teared up, "Never!" I ran out of the throne room and down some halls. "My love. You can not escape me!" I heard Ian call out as he followed me. I breathed heavily as I ran around a corner, only to slam into something and fall to the ground. "Ah, you look so beautiful. My father and mother were wrong to betroth my brother to you. Do you think that this is the first time that we met? No, we all met you on the day of my coronation. Only for my father to give everything to my brother Maverick. The throne. Their favoritism. Even you. You were supposed to be mine. No matter how many glances you two exchanged, no matter how many nightly walks in the garden you two shared. I was glad that you got along with my brother, only to find out that you favored him completely. I was furious when I found out, but I couldn't be mad at you, you were beautiful and you still are. Everyone favored Maverick, but I wasn't going to let you. Then my parents found out that I was going to make you mine no matter what, so they wiped your memory, made your age twelve years old, and shipped you off to the topside. I know who you ended up with. Alastor. The champion for my brother. Do you think that you're part of his family? No! You are an Underlandian! You are meant to be my queen!"

I gasp at what King Ian said, that would explain why I don't remember anything before twelve. Why I somehow ended up on Kingsleigh's doorstep. I screamed and fought Ian as he dragged me into a room. "This is your room and you will stay here until you agree to marry me!" 

I laid down on the bed, sobbing and hoping that Alastor was safe.