The feared Crimson King

39. Moment of revenge

The King is enraged thinking that the one and only woman who he'd loved had betrayed him. She'd gotten what she wanted and somehow she and her country were winning this war even though just a few hours ago the odds were on his side. She was everything for him and she betrayed him. Left him looking like an idiot. She'd played him and he couldn't take it.

"Theodore!" She panted under her breath. Her dark eyes shimmered at him but she looked completely different. She was still the same woman but covered in blood and thinner than before. She'd probably killed one of his people he thought to himself. And he'd make her pay. He pulls the sword from his sheath and stormed towards her in rage.

This would be the moment of revenge. Alice was distraught by the situation and having the one who she was trying to save, charge at her, made her angry. All threads had ripped for her in that moment.

She lifted the heavy sword and leaned in to block his blade. Their swords clashed, and as did their hearts. How could King Theodore be so naive as to not think of his uncle being the one behind all this she thought. The King was strong and swift with the sword and Princess Alice was holding one for no longer than an hour but her rage left her charging.

Theodore pulled back his sword and brought it down on the princess from above and she quickly raised her sword horizontally above her blocking the blow just in time, making her hand bleed from holding her blade. The weight of the attack coming down on her was so strong that she had to dodge it while trying to block it.

She had no real chance at winning, but the anger of how many lives had been lost for something that had never happened made her fight.

In the meantime uncle Sermon had been standing at the side almost smirking at how well his plan was going. Theodore had explained to his uncle who his bonded was and what had caused them to fight. But the young princess had suddenly arrived, he had recognized her by her tattoo, and now he wouldn't even have to do anything. They were going to kill one another and all he had to do was watch as they did. How waiting had treated him fairly he thought.

The bonded royals eyes locked on another as their blades clashed once again, but the King had enough of her games. He turned the blade and and swung against hers so harshly from the side that it bended her hand outwards and flew to the ground. She grabbed her hand in pain he stormed her once again.

She regained her senses and dodged his blow making a loud clinking sound as his blade hits the stone floor. The adrenaline in her body was making her forget her broken body.

"I'm not the enemy!" She shouted. She'd have to make her standpoint clear soon or the King would kill her. She'd been stupid to engage a sword fight with him, she should be telling him what's going on.

He ignored her, rage evidently still consuming him. He didn't care what she had to say. She'd always lied to him before.

Picking up the sword he charges at her once again, making her back up until her back hit the wall. Fear overcame her as she knew that this would be her end. The blade came at her in slow motion and she couldn't do a thing about it.

Alice remembered her life briefly. How she grew up in her fathers castle with her brother and mother. And how she'd spent hours riding her horse. She remembered every so small memory that she could in the brink of a second as the top of the sword almost reached her throat.

She'd frozen and shut her eyes tightly. She waited for the pain to erupt around her neck and for her skin to be torn in two, but it didn't. Nothing was happening. She flickers her eyes open hesitantly only to find the sword an inch away from her neck. The King had hesitated.

He couldn't do it. He wanted to make her bleed and cry and suffer for what she'd done to him but he couldn't. He'd never hesitated before in taking someone's life but this was different.

He lifts his sword, takes a step closer and holds it firmly on her neck. The taste of blood erupts in his mouth as he had bitten his inner cheek to hard. A tear of rage and sadness runs down his cheek as he tries his best to finish what she's started.

He had to kill her. Her big eyes looked up at him startledly and he pushed the blade closer to her throat. All he had to to was pull it through. But he couldn't.

"Don't tell me, your getting cold feet!" Sermon shouted angrily. He emerged behind the young King.

"Your uncle is the enemy, not Lyria!" Alice croaked looking death in the face. If the moment of the Kings doubt ended, so would her life.

Sermon chuckles. "You can not be serious, little brat!" He spat, clearly unamused by her knowledge.

"What are talking about?" The King demands.

"Ser-" Alice starts but Sermon interrupts her quickly. "Isn't it clear?!" He mocks her loudly. "She's trying to think of a lie, just as she always does! She's tricking you! And your seriously hesitating?!" He tries to provoke.

Theodore grits his teeth lifting the blade up to her chin concentrating on how simple his task was. He.  Just. Had. To. Pull. It. Through.

Alice inhales and squeezes her eyes shut, bracing herself. Theodore buys himself time by asking, "How did your people get into the castle?"

Alice doesn't move a muscle as even swallowing could cause the blade to cut her, but she whispers, "the- those aren't my people, they're your uncles."

"SHUT UP! NO MORE LIES ALICE!" Theodore shouts at her a second tear rolling down his face, which he quickly wipes away with his sleeve.

That's when the wannabe Lyrian knights emerge at the door. There doesn't seem to be many left of them, as there are only three men.

That's when something clicked within Alice. Her last idea.

"Men! I, as the princess of Lyria command you-" She shouts. Theodore turns to her wide eyed. "Kill that man!" She screams before pointing at Lord Sermon. The King grabbed her collar and pulled her towards him aggressively. She shut her eyes scared of what's to come.

The men standing there had been told to pretend to be Lyrian. Naturally they would oblige their princess, but none of them moved. The stared at the her and then back at Sermon, who'd hired them. They knew if they killed him they wouldn't be getting paid.

Theodore understood what was going on. He was interested in their reaction. He saw what was happening, how Sermons men were waiting for orders.