Kingdom Dawning

Chapter Fourteen

His shirt was untucked and white hair was a tousled mess; Arksel stood in front of the bright flickering flame with a book in one hand and a glass of dark liquid in the other. Something about the way he stood slightly leaning to the side with his back curved slightly made him look younger, less uptight. I hid my hands behind my back the second I saw him. 

"Fawn are you not enjoying the lovely ball?" Arksel may have looked relaxed, but his voice was still as strict as ever. 

"I just felt the need to get away. Crowds make me anxious," I said, clearing my throat. My body felt jittery, and the smell of warm oak filled the air. How was I going to get Arksel out of here and away from the bomb in time?

"I never liked parties; they are silly to me. This one celebrating my father's death and my uprise," he oddly didn't seem in grieve about his father's death. After all, Arksel was the only one to know how evil his dad truly was.

"I guess when you put it that was the point of the ball does seem strange," My brain raced for a way to get him out of this room. "Wouldn't it be even stranger though for a king to miss his own coronation ball? You are the whole reason they are here after all," When I spoke, he slowly turned to look at me. His dark eyes locked onto mine then slowly traveled down my body. 

"You look good Cyra," he almost seemed to purr my name. It felt odd to hear him call me Cyra and not Fawn. He seemed to ignore my suggestion to leave the room altogether; I had to try harder. 

"Why don't we go to your room and get you all dressed up to attend the ball," I took a step closer to him.

"Are you inviting yourself into my bedroom Cyra?" 

"No, no, I-" I was cut off by him laughing. His laugh sounded like music in the quiet book-filled room.

"I am just joking, that is too out of character of a dark king, is it not?" He set down the book on a glass table and ran his gloved fingers over the grant that encased the fire. "I never like the title dark king, even when my father held it. Though how else are you supposed to lead a group of people who know nothing other than darkness? Our subjects live a world of hate so we must rule them as such. That was my father's first lesson to me," He swirled his cup around a bit. His eyes seemed focused on the twirling fluid. When he spoke, he didn't seem to be talking to me in particular.  

"I am guessing you, and your father were close," I said without thinking; we needed to get going to the ballroom. Not have a friendly conversation about his dead father. "You should tell me this on the way back to the ball. I think that would be great," 

"Why in such a rush to get back?" His eyes were back on me. 

"I just would hate for you to miss out on your own party, I mean you only have one coronation!" I said in a bubbly cheery voice to hide how nervous I was in this moment. 

"Do I make you nervous? You eyes are shifting around the room very quickly," He began to walk over me, and I took a step back. If he were to see the thing I was hiding behind my back, it would all be over. "So I do make you nervous." He raised a silvery eyebrow at me.

"I just haven't felt good a-and I don't want to give it to you, that's all" I was a terrible liar, the fact that I hadn't gotten caught was a blessing. He walked even closer to me. He was much taller to me, so when he was a few inches away, he had to tilt his head down to look at me. 

"Why are you the way you are?" he asked. 

"Excuse me?"

"You're too pure for Vinick, when I look at you I see nothing but kindness" He cupped my cheek with his hand. The leather of his glove was smooth against my skin.