Hunted

Chapter 10 ~ Ryker

"Oi, Ryker! The queen's looking for you! Quit sulking about your princess and come out here already!"

Damn this killer and their fake dagger. Damn Aria for getting herself framed. And damn Hugo for knocking on my door when I clearly don't want to talk to him.

"Ryker, I swear to the gods if you don't come out here right now, I will kick this door down and make you pay for the damages!"

I grumbled and stomped up to my door. "What does the queen want? Make it fast."

"Hey! I'm just the messenger, I have no idea what she wants." Hugo scoffed, putting his hands up.

"Whatever. Where is she?"

"The main parlor. Best not to keep her waiting,"

I rolled my eyes, walking out of the suite. What could the queen possibly want with me now? I've already fulfilled her request by escorting Aria to the ball. Does she think I could've had a hand in Ambroz's death? Am I walking towards my downfall?

"Ah, Prince Ryker. I'm so glad you made it," the queen said.

"The pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty. You wanted to talk to me?"

Queen Seraphine's face twisted into a serious expression. "Yes. As you know, my beloved son was murdered at the ball, by his own sister, no less."

I gritted my teeth. "I am fully aware of that, Your Majesty. Please accept my condolences. He will be missed."

She nodded, wiping a tear away. "Thank you. The kingdom and I appreciate everything you've done over the past few days," she paused, "I had a conversation with the royal advisor and captain of the guard about Princess Aria. She escaped, as you know, and as much as I hate to admit it, she is too clever for the guards. We need someone who is also trained in magic."

I clenched my fists, knowing where this was going. "I'm sure there are many people in this kingdom who have been blessed with that gift," I stated.

She smiled. "That may be true, but Aria is powerful. Too powerful. We need someone whose magical abilities exceed hers. Someone like you."

"You want me to hunt Aria down?" I asked.

"I know I'm asking a lot of you, and I will understand if you refuse. But you are the best choice for this mission. More than qualified,"

"But what do I get in return?"

She thought about it for a moment, "Well, with Ambroz dead and Aria a fugitive," she said, "I am going to need an heir. Someone to inherit the throne."

I stared at her in shock. Was she willing to give up her whole kingdom to someone she barely knew? Imagine if she knew that I killed her beloved husband. What then?

"I am aware that you have your own kingdom to run, but think about it; combining our two kingdoms? You could be the most powerful king in the realm,"

She had a good point there, and what better way to get more power than to take the kingdom of my nemesis? I smirked.

"You've got yourself a deal."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Great news, mates!" I said, walking into our suite. "We're going on a little adventure!"

Jax lifted a brow. "What are you on about?"

"Yeah, weren't you sulking in your room a few minutes ago? You literally threatened to kill me! What's got you so cheery?" Hugo asked.

"The queen entrusted me with a special task," I smirked. "We're going princess hunting."

Hugo gave me a smug look. "Excited to see your love then?"

I glared at him. "Trust me when I say Aria has absolutely nothing to do with this. I'm in it for a much larger reward,"

"And what would that be?"

"That, my friend, is a secret,"

Jax snickered. "He was probably promised Aria's hand in marriage,"

I ignored him. "Pack your bags. We're leaving in ten minutes."

"Why so soon?" Hugo groaned.

"Again, he probably wants to see Aria as soon as possible," Jax teased.

"Quit making jokes about that Jax. They're getting old. Now pack light, we'll be doing a lot of walking."

~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm tired, can we stop here to take a rest?" Hugo complained.

"We stopped thirty minutes ago, Hugo. Grow up." Jax said.

"Thirty minutes? It feels like we've been walking for days!"

"Will you shut up and quit complaining? I can't track Aria's magic with you talking!" I scolded.

We went on for a few more minutes when I suddenly felt a hint of magic in the air. The magic felt familiar and powerful. It had to be from Aria.

"Wait here. I think I've found something,"

While Hugo was silently cheering for joy, I stepped towards where I felt the magic. It was a barrier, but not too strong for my magic to break it. I placed my hands in the air and slowly felt the invisible wall disappear. Too easy, I smirked. That little princess was so predictable.

I walked through the bushes and heard a voice. "Who's there?" a girl demanded.

Aria.

"Show yourself before I throw this fireball at you!"

I laughed internally. She couldn't kill me even if I didn't curse her. I waited until she had her back turned to reveal myself. It would be so easy to grab her and turn her in, but where's the fun in that?

I quietly made my way through the bushes, smirking. "Hello, Princess,"

She turned around, startled. She clearly wasn't expecting me.

"Out for an evening stroll, aren't we, love?" I mocked.

She glared at me with fire in her eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I shrugged. "I'm a prince. Helping damsels in distress is what I do,"

She laughed. "Like I need any help from you of all people,"

"You're right, I'm here to turn you in,"

She summoned a dagger to her hand. "And what makes you think I'm going to let you take me?" she stepped closer, and I took a step back. "I may not be able to kill you, but I can hurt you,"

I gulped. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"What? Scared I'll slit your throat?"

That made me smirk. "Trust me, princess, you slitting my throat is the least of my concerns. In fact, I'm quite open to that idea. Along with a few other...activities,"

She pushed me against a tree. "You're disgusting," she said, putting the dagger against my throat.

If I said that the tension wasn't there, I'd be lying. Our faces were inches apart; I could feel her hot breath against my neck.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I whispered. "Do it,"

She put the dagger closer to my throat. Why couldn't I grab her?

"I don't have all night, princess," I taunted.

She looked at me with something in her eyes I hadn't seen in a long time. Passion. My mind went back to those nights in the castle, where she and I would sneak around and whisper promises to each other. Promises that we broke a long time ago.

Before she could say anything else, I grabbed her by the face and kissed her.