Sacrifice

Rosalind’s POV
Why did I come here again? Right. To talk to Killian to let him know that the same way I had nothing to do with Cillian was the same way I could have nothing to do with him.
What we had was just attraction so I could let go of him now, I had to.
After I finished speaking, he didn’t seem surprised at all by my words, instead he looked at me and smiled. His smile sent shivers running down my spine.
Then he stepped into my personal space and brushed my hair away from my left shoulder and I froze as his fingers touched my skin. “Did I ever say I wanted anything from you?”
His breath moved over my skin and it took everything in me to not moan loudly and wantonly.
“I guess not.”
Killian dropped a kiss on my exposed neck and I trembled in his arms as he led me close to whisper in my ear.
“You have a lot of pride. Was it because I gave you a moment of my time? Someone like you is unworthy of me.”
What was it about this man that made me wet with the way he spoke to me even if it wasn’t what I was used to or liked? His fingers threaded in my hair.
His hold was firm and just on the edge of pain but the look in Prince Killian’s eyes belied his words. I was nothing to him but he would touch me just the same because I had piqued his sexual interest.
The knowledge of that gave me the strength to pull out of his grasp even if I would have wanted morning more than for him to hold me right at that point.
“I agree.” I gathered my resolve and widened the distance between us, uncaring whether or not it would reveal my fear of being so close to him because of how it would mess with my head.
“I love Cillian more than anything and anyone else even if we aren’t together anymore.”
Killian watched me. He looked at me as if he could see underneath my clothes to see me bare and vulnerable. He cocked his head.
“But Rosalind, those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.”
I didn’t follow.
“Meaning?”
Killian smiled and my thighs quivered. This thing between us was getting ridiculous.
“You can love Cillian and still be attracted to me. The same way I could fuck that lady and want you.”
The day replayed in my head without prompt and I shivered. He noticed my reaction and inhaled deeply as though he was savouring the scent of my arousal and my breath hitched at the intensity in his eyes.
“Besides, I don’t want your love, Rosalind. I just want to fuck you, own you, collar you.”
Dear reader, I ran the fuck away.
******
Cillian’s POV
The adjournment was over and now Killian and I would know the decision that had been made in regards to the selection.
Arthur looked like he was being forced to inform us so I held high hopes of the cancellation.
“After consultation with the High Priestess,” he began but I was already thinking.
The High Priestess? What could they possibly want with her? They would not have had to do this if they had agreed to simply send the prospective brides back home. They had a plan.
But going as far as involving the High Priestess was what made me uneasy.
The High Priestess is known to be in the direct line of power so as to be able to know the wishes of the moon goddess and convey them to us.
To not only know the wishes but some even said she knew what she thought but that was mere hearsay and blasphemy.
The High Priestess worked with the palace on a few occasions and usually in respect to events and celebrations. She also crowned the king, governor, and council members according to the wishes of the ruler.
Arthur’s voice brought me out of my mind.
“We have decided to follow the ancient tradition of the princess trials.”
I stood up suddenly, my chair falling to the ground. “Who do you think you are to decide on that? That tradition is outdated and archaic.”
It was difficult and raked in at least a few casualties and many many injuries.
“It is the decision of the High Priestess. It cannot be changed regardless of what our choices are.” Arthur said with an odd hint of pain in his voice.
Killian looked at me and I could read his silent comment on this. We were fucked. We would have to mate with whoever won the damned trial.
Rosalind.
********
Rosalind’s POV
When I woke up I wasn’t really sure that I was awake. It felt like there was this twine, this force in my belly pulling me in, luring me towards a place I couldn’t really recognize.
When I woke up – no when I realized where I was it was already late. I was in a dark room and I couldn’t quite remember how I had gotten there. I remembered leaving my bed, opening my room door then blank. But then again I wasn’t really sure it was a room because even my breath seemed to echo in this place.
Then I realised I couldn’t open my eyes. So the room wasn’t dark but I was blind. What a wonderful way to make up after being accused of theft. I tried to stand only to realize I couldn’t.
I was reclining or laying down on what felt like a cloud. A cloud that was keeping me trapped.
Or was this some kind of scheme made up by Adelyn to make up for her disgrace at the hands of Killian?
Why did stuff like this happen to me again?
Then I heard a gentle feminine voice that came from everywhere and nowhere at all.
“Welcome to the Princess trials.”
What? What? The Princess trials? How was this possible? Everyone knew the Princess Trials had been discontinued after the death of King Jordan’s destined mate over a millennium ago almost immediately preceding the rise of the witches
At that time it was customary for all women who wanted to marry into royalty be it as a destined mate or an arranged mate to partake in the trial. This ensured that the queen was strong enough to rule our people even without her mate.
But that was in the past. Far far into the past. And even if it wasn’t, I could never have qualified for the call of the trials. The call was only for people of eligible bloodlines. I was an omega. A full-blooded runt. I would never qualify.
The disembodied voice continued to speak.
“Congratulations on your selection. You are here to compete for your position as the crown princess.”
Fear filled my body. What if this was for real? What if I got punished for taking liberties for a position that wasn’t remotely mine to hope for? I began to struggle but the chair/lounge/bed didn’t let me up.
“You will undertake four trials to showcase your suitability for the throne by the most important attributes of a princess; Knowledge, Willpower, Honesty, and Wrath.”
I was not a noble or a royal. I shouldn’t hear these things that were far above what someone’s my status had a right to know.
“Each test is unique with different rules depending on what section it is in.”
However, I couldn’t. What could I do but listen?
“To be a princess is to acquire far more than your scope of comprehension. Power always comes at a cost. The tests have been made to be as safe as possible with disqualified people being eliminated but within the game, death is likely to occur if you do not heed the warnings.”
Death? Knowing the stories was one thing, Malia, who I had heard most of them from was an old senile woman in the districts. For all I knew it could have been her usual mad talk. But being here now, I knew for sure that this wasn’t a joke.
I could die here. Wherever this was. No pressure.
My heart raced and my palms sweated.
“Let the games begin.” The voice announced cheerfully.
I would have pinched myself to check if I was awake but I was wrapped up so securely that I couldnt attempt to do that.
Then there was silence and another voice spoke up.
“The first forte is Knowlege. For this category, you do not need your sense of sight. The rules of this category include: There will be only one question per candidate and each question is different for all the candidates. You must answer your question in the designated time period or you will be disqualified. You can not use any extraneous material to answer the question posed to you, this will lead to disqualification. You must also not use any bond or pack link to cheat. The last rule is that there are no wrong answers to this test. However, all people who fail the test will be disqualified. ”
My heart raced. This was actually happening. For real. And what the hell did there were no wrong answers but people who failed were disqualified?
Before I could fully digest this fact, my question was asked.
“What is the most important attribute for a leader to have?”
I didn’t know. Usually, it was definitely bloodline, connections, and social status but in here I had a feeling that things were very different.
Then I wondered if I could just flunk out. Say gibberish and hopefully be returned to my room with no fuss. Then I would be safe before we got to a portion where my life would be at risk.
No. Anything worth doing was worth doing well. That was what Anna always said when we had a particularly tough day with lean pickings. We would laugh with half-empty bellies about how inapplicable it was. And how eventually life would make sure you had nothing worth doing.
It had been a joke but now I would make it a reality. I would push as far as I could because people like me didn’t give up.
I thought of Cillian. I had given up on us too easily. I had changed who I was before the palace to adapt. No more. Once I got out of here, I wouldn’t let palace politics dictate what happened between us.
I would give it my all. My resolve made, my mind began to dissect the question to the best of my ability.
What made a leader good? Cillian and Killian were leaders, what made them good leaders?
I recalled Cillian saving me, Cillian going for those dates despite what lay between us to appease the council, his people. I thought of Killian killing those men, Killian ordering my execution, Killian outsmarting Adelyn.
I knew what my answer was.
“Sacrifice. The leader must be willing to sacrifice all he has for the good of the nation.”
Cillian had been ready to give us up for the sake of the kingdom. Killian had sacrificed whoever he was underneath that tough exterior to be a heartless person thinking that made him a better prince. Two brothers with two different perspectives on life
There was an extended silence then…
“Congratulations, you have advanced to the next round.”