Anastasia Lucendent Adela

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When we arrived at the castle I dismounted the horse on my own, my head held high even as two Night Hunters take my arms in their hands. Holding onto my biceps tightly, they forceful guide me through the doors as I were some simple prisoner.

  Beside me, my brothers were dragged with more forceful measures than I. It was quite unnecessary, and I catch Alex wince as he is shoved forward in an uncomfortable position. My face heats with anger, and I pull against the Night Hunters grips. "Release me at once!" I grit out, but my order is met with no response.

  Once in the center of the throne room, the nights circled my brothers and I as if were would try to run. The two Night Hunters who had escorted me in still had their hands on my arms, their grips almost painfully tight.

"I demand you let go of me!" I yell in an unladylike manner. I yank one arm away, but the guards come in closer and I pull away my other arm as I attempt to knee the Night Hunter away from me. How dare they all handle the royal family in such a way?

  I could already feel bruises forming from their tight grip on my upper arms, and although my eyes were slightly red from tears I stared at them with a steely glare.

  "I apologize, Your Royal Highness, our intentions are for your well being." The knight's voice is emotionless, not the slightest hint of an apology in his tone. His reflective helmet hid his own face from my vision, and I stared at my own reflection.

  I still had the face paint around my eyes like a decorative mask, but they only reminded me of Magiano. Magiano.

I need to talk to him.

  How could he not tell me it was him all along? Why was I stupid enough to kiss a tribal boy I had met hours before? Why did this rebellious act make giddy butterflies explode in my stomach?

How could he break my heart only to steal it right back again and attempt to put it back together? Was my heart in too many shattered remains to be fixed?

I push the guard away from me in disgust, stepping towards my brothers and eyeing the Night Hunters beside them to dare push them around again. My fingers curled into fists. "So you think of me like a runaway dog? Excuse me, sir but I am your queen. You need to show more respe-"

  "Anastasia," boomed my father's voice, interrupting my angry accusations. "May I remind you, that you are not the queen yet." His voice is hard, his gaze stony and fierce. My mouth opens and closes from surprise, and I lower my head at the disappointment in Father's voice.

With a side glance of a glare towards the Night Hunters, I approach the thrones with my brothers beside me.

Father's expression is chilling and guarded, but Mother's eyes are red and puffy. Her gaze remains trained on her hands folded neatly in her lap, most likely to keep her tears from prying gazed.

  "Thank you Night Hunters, but I can handle my own children from here." Father addresses the knights without taking his eyes off me, and I watch as the guards snap to attention and bow at the waist. Then, without another word, they file out in a military styled line. Their footsteps fall into a rhythmic sound of clanking armor, and only the most trusted of the royal guards remain in the throne room to stand at attention at all the doorways.

Once the Night Hunters have finally filed out, Mother leaps from her throne and runs down to us. We stand in frozen surprise, meeting her embrace with tight hugs of our own. She kissed each of our cheeks with salty wet lips, and cups our faces.

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