Where could he find something that was Zillah's weight? God his stupid plan surely drove him into an everlasting hole this time.
Yet that wasn't the thing that occupied his mind, it was the woman standing sluggishly behind him.
He felt mixed feelings; an anger rising at her for manipulating his body to do as she pleased. Never in a million years would he leave anyone who needed help, yet she snatched his choice. That... that was going to be hard to forgive.
"I knew you could be cold, I just never thought I'd have to experience it" Aloysia huffed blatantly, hands poised on her hips.
She did feel guilty, but stuck true to her actions.
Liam stiffened. "I never thought I would loose control of my own limbs and abandon people I care about, but I guess I had to experience that" he retaliated, head poking over his shoulder as he crouched; delving deeper into the main cupboard.
He added harshly. "You took away my free will and are complaining about the silent treatment? Thats rich"
Aloysia swallowed at his tone. She'd never once seen him mad.
"I did what I had to, did you want to die?" Aloysia asked, annoyed at his attitude.
"No, but I also didn't want to leave, yet did I have a choice? No."
Only now was the real anger surfacing from him, previously too busy to even think about it.
Aloysia's breath flew from her lungs, annoyance replenishing it's empty space. She did not want to do this, did not want to mindlessly argue; not when escaping was priority.
But she could not just brush this under the carpet.
She saved his god damm life!
Liam arose from within the cupboard, sighing heavily and clasping a great metal pot in his arms. His face remained crinkled in stress as he opened his mouth to speak, but no words escaped off his tongue.
"Those guards were going to kill you Liam! Kill you!"
Aloysia's voice strained, obviously clueless as to why the Prince hated her for getting him to safety.
"What do you not understand? Why is this so hard for you to grasp?!"
Liams shoulders pulled back, hands shifting his hold over the pot. His words sent shivers. "Trust, Aloysia. This works both ways. And right now, you have lost that trust from me"
What was happening?
"No, this is not a matter of trust- but capability" she spat. "And the lies, the deceit... I have reasons people like you wouldn't understand"
Liam poked his tongue at his cheek; his stare cold. "Well, 'people like me' wanted to make sure you were alright"
She didn't need a babysitter.
"But now" he turned toward the door. "I don't care"
That was the button pushed.
While stepping closer to block his path, she frustratedly stomped her foot on the floor; a wave of dust buried in the surface of the floor awoke, sending a ripple of power through the kitchen.
The entire castle shook, vibration echoing throughout the walls.
Liam clutched the wall near him at the magnitude of the force repelled from her.
He looked up, brushing a loose strand away from his sweat stained face as his eyes...
Shimmered only fear.
Aloysia retracted.
What did she just do? Her eyes shone in mortification of her own actions...
"I- I'm sorry" she stuttered, moving cautiously away from him; blinking intensely, almost as if a single touch could kill him.
Yes she was angry, but she could never hurt him.
Aloysia stumbled backward, overwhelmed with things she could not control; fearing her own body as she rammed her back into a wooden table.
She groaned in pain, the harsh edge digging into her spine.
The shear fear in those eyes came nothing close to those nightmares dancing behind her own crimson orbs.
She could have killed him...
Aloysia was not afraid of her powers magnitude.
No.
That was no problem...
But the fact that she had barely an inch of control over it...
That is what shook her bones to her very core; scaring her quivering soul awake at night; haunting her.
That blast...
That small rage...
Could have done far more damage to her own racing heart than structurally...
And take the lives of people she cares for.
"I am so sorry Liam" Aloysia whispered, hand trailing up her arm slowly; her eyes, falling to the floor in shame.
Liam didn't respond, breathing accentuated at his caution and adjusted his footing.
"I put you in danger here, and I never once thought of your own feelings"
Liam sighed. "I put myself in the danger, and wasn't given the chance to get myself out of it"
It was as if her intake of air ripped at her lungs as she strained to lift her head; golden hair cupping her face as she did so.
"Do you know how weak that makes me feel?"
Their gazes met.
"I am not entirely incapable that I need to be taken care off" He spoke calmly, slightly shaky but soon drawing to silence.
So much left unsaid dangled on a fine line between them, setting ablaze at the tension smothering their throats.
Why was it so hard to speak?
Was it a big deal?
"I just had to make sure you got out alive, I have no idea what would've happened if I didn't"
Her eyes closed, eyelashes feathering against her cheek at the sincerity of her own words.
Liam had no response, he was always so befuddled by Aloysia, never knowing what she'll do next or how she'll act. She truly had many sides to her that could appear in an instant; yet he would always uncover something new.
Whether it be beautiful or ugly.
His mouth remained shut.
Did Liam forgive her? Was he overeacting? Why was everything a life or death decision?
Death.
Zillah.
He sprang to life at the thought of why he travelled to the kitchen in the first place; to save someone.
Yes. He was capable enough to do that at the very least.
"I have to get back to Zillah" he stated, worry underlining and without another word spoken, bolted through the arch way along with what he came for.
Leaving Aloysia alone in the kitchen, watching the empty space with a searing scar, that now hovered over a newly damaged heart.
~
Stumbling at the shift of walls, while gripping a nearby wall column; was a king born of wrath topped to the brim with lies, anger, and failure; for he had just been informed of his daughters escape.
What added insult to injury was learning the Prince had aided her rescue.
It was as if salt was being burned and scratched on his iris every-time he envisioned it; the Prince must have caught on...
Knew he would have to escape with his life, for if he came to him at his request, the heir to the throne of the Southern Kingdom would have lost its next monarch...
His mind was roaring, to which the kings body hung loosely; unresponsive due to the castle quivering around him.
Dust fell like rain from above, coating them in a layer of ash and filth as the castle shivered.
The rumble did not last long, but it sure left an imprint.
He soon regained his footing not long after, orders already barking away from his mouth, "Ensure the soldiers stationed outside is on high alert! Tell them to apprehend them all- but kill the Prince"
All servants that had the unfortunate luck of remaining in the hall at the time of the quake backed away, avoiding eye contact with the delusional King.
The servant closest however, obliged by rank, responded in fear; the same fragile female who had attended the Prince just a week ago.
She bowed in respect slowly, yet it pained every muscle as she declined her head; this was not her Queen, not the mistress who she gladly served.
Swallowing her pride and judgement, she arose heavily, feeling intense disgust and fear; only to leave the room guilty at still following the kings order to awaken the surrounding 'troops' that she knew, outnumbered the Prince a dozen to 1.
The king had them placed there for backup the day Aloysia had been chained and dragged viciously through these very halls -in case anything happened- and he despised the fact that he actually had to use them, because... ohhh noo, she was uncontainable.
Those chains were never manacled hard enough; never strung tightly enough-
~
"Liam! Oh thank the gods!" Zillah screeched.
Dust coated her hood as it cascaded down her clothing with each movement, the floor beneath her disappearing under a blanket of dust as well.
"What in the depths of hell- was that earthquake?" She asked, face perplexed and shaking at the sheer magnitude; in fact, surprised the castle still held together.
Liam gulped.
Aloysia...
He couldn't- wouldn't... tell her.
But why was it so wrong, what was so shameful about it? Yes she was powerful, yes she could carve through mountains with her bare hands, but would she ever harm him intentionally?
"I have no idea", he breathed, the lie rolling of his tongue effortlessly. His face scrunched to hide any faltering that alluded lies.
Zillah raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced.
Liam took that as an opportunity to not waste time chatting and hurriedly rush over with a great cooking pot in hand; careful not to alert docile guards behind those oak doors that he swore were etching closer.
She glanced down at him as he approached, crouching near the pressured mine.
Her body was sweating profoundly, having to remain silent, so not to trigger the death wish lingering outside; yet contain an emotion of fear as his hands worked near the plate.
One wrong move...
He reached for it-
"Please tell me what you are going to do!" Zillah whined, delivering a sharp burst, her voice shaky from the image relapsing in her mind of her body being blown to pieces.
"I need to know" she gulped, the swallow stinging her throat, "for my own sanity"
Liam retracted his hands, peering up at her strained face; her crimson eyes panicking.
This was not a toy, this was real dangerous explosives that could bring the castle crumbling.
He chose his words carefully, being concise and calming as he spoke.
"I want to slide this pot onto the mine as you remove your foot, but keeping the same pressure applied" he stated, looking at her in re-assurance.
It was a fake expression to keep her from breaking down, as in reality, he had no idea if this was plausible, it's risks entirely out-weighing the positives.
God he wasn't even sure how he would do this by himself? Liam groaned internally, running a hand through his hair; he needed assistance, a second pair of hands.
~
Aloysia still remained motionless, trapped in a standing slumber that was completely conscious in the kitchen; eyes dialated and wide awake; breathing steady and level as she listened to her heart buried within that tainted soul of hers cry...
She hadn't moved an inch.
Why did it have to be her? No matter how many times she would scream that question to the everlasting void, she would gain no answer back; no whispering of the winds embracing her ears; no signal to even symbolise her question was heard.
And each time, it hurt.
And each time, after every kill, or deed that caused harm one way or another, she would have to convince herself it was not her own mind controlling her body most of the time.
The assassin part of her was the stone, the power, the swiftness were all 'gifts' from its treacherous nature...
But the skills, the stealth, the aim and slice was all hers. She owned ever ounce; leaving nothing to the credit of that stone.
She was only an assassin because she had no choice.
Had to keep it happy, so when she killed, murdered, stole life, it was someone who deserved it.
Even now, after years of training in her hollow, locked rooms, she felt guilty; always did.
No witnesses, that was another rule to many of her killings, but sometimes, it liked to show off.
Sighing deeply and brushing her emotions to the side, Aloysia began her ascend toward the double oak doors where she knew Liam had gone; but where danger lingered too, and she had made a promise...
To protect him.