I froze, staring into Eloive’s anguished eyes. His pain cut through me like a knife, and I released my grip on the bottle, letting it fall to the ground.
Eloive sank against the wall, sliding down to the floor, his body shaking with sobs.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I didn’t understand.”
Eloive looked up at me, his tear-streaked face filled with despair. “Nobody does. Nobody cares.”
“I care, Eloive,” I said softly, kneeling down beside him. “I may not be able to change the circumstances, but I promise I’ll be there for you. You’re not alone.”
He let out a bitter laugh, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. “What good is it to have someone by my side if I can’t be with the one I love? They’re forcing me into a loveless marriage, Crinka. They’re taking away my freedom, my happiness.”
“I know it feels like the world is closing in on you right now, Eloive,” I said, my heart aching for him. “But we’ll find a way. We won’t let them destroy your happiness.”
Eloive looked at me, searching my eyes for any glimmer of hope. “How? How can we fight against the king?”
“We’ll be smart, Eloive,” I said, my voice filled with determination. “We’ll do whatever it takes to secure your happiness. Love should never be a pawn in their political games.”
He took a shaky breath, his gaze meeting mine. “But what if we fail? What if I’m trapped in a loveless marriage for the rest of my life?”
“We won’t fail,” I said firmly. “We’ll fight tooth and nail, Eloive. And even if the worst happens, I promise you this: I’ll stand by your side, no matter what. We’ll find a way to make your life worth living.”
Eloive’s eyes softened, and for a moment, a flicker of hope appeared. “Thank you, Crinka. Thank you for believing in me.”
“I believe in us,” I said, offering him a small smile. “Now, let’s get through this together.”
As we sat there in the dimly lit hallway, I knew that our journey wouldn’t be easy. The path ahead was filled with obstacles, but I was determined to face them head-on, for Eloive’s sake. Together, we would navigate the treacherous waters of palace politics, challenge oppressive traditions, and fight for the freedom to choose our own paths.
Love, they say, has the power to conquer all. And I was ready to prove it true, even in the face of the ruthless king and his iron grip on the kingdom.
“I’m going to bed,” Eloive said, rising. “I need to sleep this off.”
“Okay. Take your time,” I tell him, watching him leave.
“So you’re doing both uncle and nephew now?”
Cocci.
“You stalking me now? You know, you kind of remind me of my uncle Cocci.”
“Lemme guess,” he said, walking closer. “Sleepy Joe?”
“How do you know?”
“I don’t give away my secrets so easily. I think we are more alike in that manner.”
“I don’t have secrets Cocci. You know that.”
“Everybody has a secret Crinka. You just don’t know yours.”
“And you do? What do you want from me Cocci?”
My heart raced as I stood face-to-face with Cocci, his words echoing in the dimly lit hallway. “Revenge.”
The air grew heavy with tension, and I could sense the danger lurking in his presence. But I refused to let fear consume me.
“I won’t be a pawn in your revenge, Cocci,” I declared, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. “I don’t know what I did…”
Cocci’s grin widened, revealing a glint of malicious intent. “You don’t know what you did? Crinka, my lover is dead because of you but none of that matters now because you’re going to die.”
Without warning, Cocci lunged towards me, his movements swift and calculated. I barely had time to react as his hand gripped my wrist, forcing me into a defensive stance. He was strong, his grip unyielding, and I struggled to break free.
“Let go, Cocci!” I shouted, using all my strength to resist his hold.
He chuckled darkly, tightening his grip. “You’ve always been resourceful, Crinka. But your resourcefulness won’t save you now.”
With a sudden burst of energy, I twisted my body and managed to break free from Cocci’s grasp. I swiftly stepped back, readying myself for the next move. But before I could react, he launched another attack, his movements fluid and precise.
I fought back with every ounce of strength and agility I possessed, dodging his strikes and countering with my own. But Cocci was a formidable opponent, skilled in combat and fueled by a deep-seated rage. His blows were calculated, and each one landed with a force that sent pain coursing through my body.
As our battle raged on, I could feel my energy waning. It became clear that Cocci had the upper hand, and with each passing moment, my chances of victory diminished. The realization hit me hard, but I refused to give in. I fought on, fueled by the determination to not die but that didn’t take me anywhere.
Now I’m here with his hands enclosed around my throat. “Kill me. You’ve broken my nose, injured me and reduced me to nothing, so go ahead and just kill me. It’s what you want isn’t it?”
“No. Killing you would mean killing Sia. And I love my brother so much that I wouldn’t dare send him to his grave. This doesn’t mean I have forgiven you.”
With that, he disappears, leaving me alone in the hallway.
“You should have just killed me,” I whisper, sinking down to the ground. “It’s not like I’m living anyway.”
“Crinka?”
Sia.
“Took you quite long,” I cough out as Sia crouches before me.
“I’m sorry…I just..”
“Enough. Enough of the excuses Sia. I already know what you’re going to say and I don’t want to hear it. Now leave me alone so that I can die in peace.”
“I didn’t cross the forest with you just so you could die Crinka,” he says, before slitting his wrist. I raise a brow. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like? Now, drink up,” he says bringing his bleeding wrist to my mouth.
“Fucking hell! I’m not drinking your blood Sia.”
“You’ll heal faster.”
“I don’t want to. I don’t want to heal Sia.”
He scoffs. “I’m not going to let you die Crinka.”
“Are you just saying that because you also don’t want to die?”
“What are you talking about? Crinka, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have created the bond. So stop being childish and take what I’m offering.”
“Fuck off.”
“Crinka…”
“I thought you would wanna know who hurt me.”
“I know who hurt you.”
My eyes widen and I struggle to comprehend Sia’s words. “You know who hurt me?”
“Yes, Crinka. Cocci did this to you, and for that I’m going to make him pay.”
“You’re not going to kill him are you?”
He remains silent. “Sia, you won’t hurt him.”
“Why? He hurt you Crinka, it’s only fair if I hurt him.”
“No, it’s not. You won’t touch Cocci. He was only exacting revenge.”
“He fucking broke your nose.”
“It’s healing. Sia, it wouldn’t be fair if you hurt Cocci simply because you didn’t hurt Ruarc when he hurt me. You’re not touching Cocci, do you hear me?”
“Fine. I won’t kill him,” he says.
I raise my brow. He sighs. “Fine. I won’t kill him or touch him. Happy?”
“Very,” I reply, smiling. “Why didn’t you come sooner to save me?”
He smirked. “I thought you said you could handle him?”
“Fuck you.”
“Thinking of it, we haven’t had sex in a while now.”
“Oh sorry, I didn’t know it was an everyday affair.”
“You know,” he began, tracing my lip with his thumb. “We haven’t been able to spend quality time together since the ceremony so I’ve been thinking,” he paused, drawing a line down my cleavage. “How about you and me go shopping?”
I didn’t expect that.
“Shopping? With me?” What are his people going to think?
“Yeah. If you don’t want to go, then we won’t go.”
“Of course I want to, but what would your people say Sia?”
“I don’t give two fucks about their opinions. We’ll have lunch and then we’ll leave, okay?”
“Okay.”