Realm Drifter: Cruel King

~Chapter Thirty-Eight~

Chapter Thirty-Eight; The Truth

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..."He wanted me."

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I couldn't believe I had fallen so far. I had gotten what I wanted, but it felt like I hadn't.

Angered, but in despair.

I glanced around the room, ballgowns of every colour and design lit up the Banquet Hall. The sound of music growing ever louder as people cheered and laughed at the glorious news.

I couldn't help myself, my eyes stealing a glance towards Lucianna who stood next to the King.

As soon as I locked eyes with hers, shock overwhelmed my body. She was smiling. Her face lit up in joy at the news she hadn't been chosen, in joy that her torment was over.

This entire time... she was playing us all. Acting submissive and spiteful, bitter and cold. Exactly what I thought the King wanted. But he didn't. He wanted a fire, he wanted someone with hope and emotions. He wanted someone he could hurt, over and over again.

And I had played his game like a fool.

A clinking was heard, the music immediately ceasing as the King cleared his throat, his fork tapping against his goblet.

"Now, now. Quieten down. That is not all for this evening." He spoke, a sinister smile creeping onto his face, unbeknownst to him.

My heart dropped, my hands going clammy as fear crept its way up my spine.

I wasn't the only one shocked, as a look of confusion spread itself around the room. Even the maids and workers were in confusion, glancing at each other for answers.

"This is, of course, not in the usual course of action at Banquets. Unfortunately, there was a turn of events yesterday when your dear future Queen broke one of our sacred rules." A quiet murmur broke out almost as quickly as it had been ceased.

Judgemental eyes staring up at me as I stood there frozen, shock overriding my body.

"Yes, our future Queen, Alannah, broke a sacred rule. The one person who is meant to be our guide. The one person who is meant to show us how we are meant to act. And she failed.

"She broke a rule and embarrassed our Kingdom, and as such, will be punished in front of her future people, to demonstrate that no one can escape the rules. Not even the Queen." He walked along the stage, his hand pointing at me as he viciously cut into me, his words sending floods of embarrassment and paralysing fear to dance through my bones.

"Quiet now. As this is her first offence, she will not suffer any true physical punishment. A public shaming, and twenty lashes, I deem this to be a worthy punishment. A warning." He spoke as if he was conducting his duty as a King, sorrowful but strong.

He gave a pitiful glance towards the crowd, a frown on his face before he held his hand out towards his Guard.

"The whip, please." His tone polite, thanking the guard as he received it.

"Now... beg."

I glanced at him, my brows furrowing as I analysed what he said.

"Beg?"

I barely finished the sentence before he brought the whip down, lashing my clothed arms with his full strength, ripping the dress from the force. Blood began to drip out, disguised in the dark red dress.

I let out a scream, my arms burning from the searing pain, struggling to move them to cover the blood, the pain immense.

"Beg! Confess your sins! Tell them what you did!" He screamed, lashing me again as I attempted to shield myself.

I couldn't stop the blood, my skin ripped open.

"I'm sorry!" I screamed, backing up but was roughly shoved forward by a guard. Lucianna had long been evacuated, chains locked around her hands as she was dragged away.

"Confess your sins!" Again, he brought the whip down, this time landing across my chest, missing my head by millimetres.

"I lied!"

"Tell them what you did in the trial! Tell them your sins!" He was unrelenting, lashing me after each sentence, the sheer force knocking me to the ground.

I had begun to cry, my arms shaking as I struggled to stand up, my body screaming in pain.

"I killed them. I killed them all!"

"More! Tell them the truth!"

I was screaming, but I couldn't feel it, the pain overriding my system.

"I killed them, dragged their bodies through the forest to present them! I hurt them!" My self-resolve had been lost, all my torment, all my agony resting on my shoulders. It caved in. Emotionally and physically exhausted, I couldn't stop crying and begging.

"Please, I'm sorry!"

"Tell them what you chose, tell them about the last trial." He had begun to lash me more, twice now as time grew on.

"I killed the little girl, I burned the village down. I chose to kill both." I wasn't crying from pain anymore, guilt knocking me to the ground as I sobbed for the lives I had killed.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." I couldn't stop, the room silent, the only thing that could be heard was my begging and pleading, and the lashings.

A wicked smile spread across his face as he screamed, "She killed them all, she killed villagers and children, she let hundreds die just so she could be Queen. Selfish. Vicious. Cruel. Inhumane. This will be your future Queen.

"This will be your future Queen, and she killed your people. Children, women and villagers. Daughters, sisters and future wives. She took them from you. This is all her fault."

The people couldn't handle it anymore, the reality that they had lost so many dawning them. The facade of the King seeking a Queen, and having that chance to be her had been so enticing, that had forgotten the odds. They had forgotten how easy it was to make a mistake.

And they lost them. They lost their little girls, their older sisters. They lost their crushes and neighbours. They lost the ones they loved, and they were never getting them back. They were gone forever and they could cry and scream all they wanted, but they were gone.

I had won, and they had lost. I was standing on the bones of their dead loved ones, and they only saw it now.

The guards rounded in, struggling to contain the mass of screaming villagers who pushed to get to me. Pushed to inflict the same pain they had felt. To inflict the same pain, that all those women felt.

The King had stopped lashing me, my frail form laying on the stage, weak and bleeding out. My arms long since caved in, no longer supporting my frame. I laid still on the stage, my eyes glassy with tears as I started in the hoard.

A single face stood out. Nila.

And I broke.

She was disgusted, the one person who swore to always be there for me, always be by my side, no matter what... was disgusted by the sight of me. The thought of me.

She gave a final looking, hatred staring down at me before turning on her heel and leaving.

Just like everyone else had.

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