"Morning, sunshine. I see you're on time today. I guess guys are always the ones holding us back, huh." Elvina grinned at Oda even though she was respectfully looking down.
"Tell me about it." Oda mumbled.
"So, how are you feeling?"
"I'm still sore from yesterday to be honest"
Elvina laughed. "Careful with your words , this could sound wrong in so many ways."
Oda's cheeks suddenly turned a bit red-ish.
"Oh my gods. Did you really just blush on me?" Elvina raised a playful eyebrow.
Oda's eyes widened a bit and she cleared her throat to cover it up. "No. I did not."
"Look at that." Elvina kept smirking, amused. " And here I thought you were a fiesty bitch."
Oda now rolled her eyes in slight annoyance. " Bet Santos told you that. "
"Actually, he described you as an annoying, stubborn, sly little kid but I never told you that." She raised her hands up in defence.
Oda clenched her fists hard. "At least I'm not a coward. If I want to drag someone I do it on their face."
"Aha! Here it is. Feisty. Guess that shyness came from your inexperience to sexual activities? "
Oda blushed some more at that.
Elvina burst out laughing. "You're still young, blondie. And you aren't missing anything. I've been getting laid for a thousand years now, not a big deal, really. "
Oda bit her lip a bit. "Both guys and girls?"
"Anyone that can give you a good time." Elvina shrugged.
"Even Merlots too?"
Elvina smirked. "Actually, we've had a few slaves in the past. Worked for me."
Slaves. "Did you also own slaves?"
"Yup." Elvina smiled, amused.
Oda clenched her fist behind her back. "And..how did you treat them? "
"Why don't you find out yourself?" Her smile turned into a wicked smirk in seconds.
Oda's heart dropped. She blinked at the floor, trying very hard not to show weakness.
"What do you mean?"
Elvina chuckled at her reaction. She walked closer to her and cupped her chin, forcing it a bit upwards. "I mean that I convinced the king not to kill you and believe me when I say that it was extremely hard. Canton is as stubborn as it gets."
She lost all control of her emotions right then and there. Her eyes widened and she stayed unmoving, trying to process the situation.
"So, from now on, you will be under my full command. All day, everyday. " Her excitement could be heard from miles away.
"What..." She gulped. "What about Errot? Is he-- will he-- " her eyes stayed widened.
Elvina rolled her eyes playfully. "Your friend won't die. He's King Canton's possession now. "
Oda closed her eyes shut.
"Hey, look at the bright side. You both now belong to the King's close circle. Isn't that exciting?"
Oda pressed her lips into a thin line.
Elvina removed her hand. "Errot will be staying with King Canton while you will be staying with me. " She smirked and kept looking at Oda's frustrated expression, intensely. " Oh this is gonna be so.much.fun".
♛♛♛
This buzzing sound. No, not buzzing. More like, high pitched. It's ringing in my head non-stop. I feel like I'm an active bomb, counting down the seconds to just explode.
Why do I feel so damn heavy.
Why can't I move my body.
Where am I.
What's going on.
So dizzy. So exhausted. I think I feel pain. Or is it numbness? No, I'm pretty sure it's pain. Every single part of me is in excruciating pain. It's so insufferable that I actually feel nothing. Well, unless someone touches me. I feel like all it takes is a tender touch to shatter me. Break me apart. Rip me into millions of pieces.
Am I dreaming?
Why can't I open my eyes?
A sudden noise. A sudden knock. A fainted voice.
Two fainted voices.
A blur.
Someone is holding me.
Someone drops me.
I'm left there. I can't move.
Panic.
Despair.
Pain.
Someone touches me.
Talks to me.
A male voice.
I try to move my lips.
I can't.
Panic.
I feel so cold.
So scared.
So alone.
So disconnected.
Am I dying?
Is this what dying feels like?
I think someone is moving me.
I'm no longer laying down.
I feel like I'm in the air.
Dying.
I'm down again. Exhaustion starts taking over me. Sweet exhaustion. I'm dizzy. I'm so dizzy. Darkness is closing up on me. It keeps blurring my thoughts.
Black.
I think I'm asleep now.
Errot's eyelids slowly flattered open. He blinked just as slowly, exhaustion immediately catching up to him. His head and body felt less heavy today. His gaze fell to his hand and he tested his fingers instinctively to see if they could work.
He gulped and tried to adjust to his surroundings. After a few tries, he realised that he actually had no idea of where he was. It was a small room but definitely in the King's castle since the walls were painted by the colour of his heart. He was laying on a single, cold bed, no longer covered by satin. The room didn't have anything extraordinary in it but it did hold a small bookshelf somewhere in the corner.
Bookshelves. Errot was instantly reminded of King Canton's room that was full of them but he didn't remember this place being part of it. Maybe its another one of his rooms.
Maybe.
As if his nightmares came to life, King Canton and King Elian walked inside the room. Canton wore his usual cold expression while Elian was sporting a grin so big, Errot wanted to punch it away from his face.
"He woke up! How are you feeling, Errot?" Elian beamed.
Canton just leaned against the door, arms crossed and eyes stuck on Errot, examining him.
Errot turned his attention back to Elian. "Fuck you." He said in a small daze.
Elian laughed. "I think he's alright! Back to his good, old self."
"What's- what happened?"
"You don't remember?"
The moment these words fell out of Elian's mouth, Errot's brain started getting flooded with extremely unpleasant memories. He remembered every little detail, every little-or big- torment. He remembered spending a day and a half in that room, chained up to the wall like a wild animal. He remembered Santos' hands, weapons, those mechanical devices. That voice. That smirk.
Errot suddenly found it a bit difficult to breathe. He started taking a few deep, audible breaths. His heartbeat rose to the clouds, his eyes slightly widened. He felt like the world froze around him and he could only hear himself and his now ragged breathing. He could see Elian talking to him but he couldn't make out any words. His lips were moving and he tried to focus on that but he couldn't. He felt himself trembling now, a few tears strolling down his cheeks.
Elian grabbed at his shoulders and tried to shake him a bit so he could wake him up from his trance but all he managed to do was cause him a waterfall of tears. The sobs only intensified and he felt like he could might choke on them.
Elian stopped touching him. He turned to look at Canton and mumbled something to him. Errot thought he saw Canton rolling his eyes and taking his back off the wall, annoyed.
He got close to Errot and grabbed at the back of his hair hard so his head was steady and now facing him.
Errot didn't have the strength or the right mind to react in any way, he just kept crying uncontrollably as if it was the only thing he had the ability to do.
Canton sighed and brought Errot's face close to his, his eyes now capturing Errot's panicked ones.
"Errot." Canton said, his tone way calmer than it always is. Almost angelic.
Errot shook his head just a bit, unable to take his tearful gaze off his king.
"Errot, listen to my voice."
There it goes again. So peaceful, so divine. Errot finds it impossible to look away. He's stuck staring at the intense green of Canton's eyes, hanging at his every single word. It feels like he's caught under a spell and he can't do anything to break it.
"Calm down, love.."
Errot gulped, his head going completely blank, the only thing playing over and over on his mind is now Canton's words.
Errot just realised that he was no longer crying or trembling, his soul was peaceful again.
He felt Canton's grip on his hair loosen.
Panic finally left him alone. Errot's tears were drying on his cheeks when a tiny frown found its place into his face. Peacefulness wasn't the only thing he was feeling right now. A hint of lust is making his heart beat slightly harder and his eyes slightly hungrier.
Errot is losing himself, drowning into Canton's so captivating stare. Him being charming is an understatement. When did the king get so attractive, he doesn't know. He doesn't really care either.
Errot started slowly leaning in, needing to just get a small taste of him. Canton's eyes instinctively fell to Errot's lips and just as Errot was about to kiss him, he turned his face to the side abruptly and pressed his lips into a thin line.
Elian scoffed at the sight in front of him and run a hand through his hair.
Errot blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Canton got up from Errot's bed, hurriedly. He decided to sit on a chair a bit further away, his frame leaning a bit forwards and his arms on his legs so he could keep his body steady. His face was unreadable but his eyes held a bit of sharpness on them. Anger.
Errot felt startled, confused.
Was he really about to kiss the one person that he hates more than his own self? The person that killed two innocent people and ordered for someone to literally leave him unconscious? That enslaved him? The person who doesn't care about anyone else except from his own self? The ruthless king who has done way more crimes than he could think of?
He was frowning again. He turned to look at the two kings next to him and then he started examining his own body that must have been full of bruises and wounds.
It's not.
"What? I was tortured..where- " his eyes widened. "How long have I been unconscious?"
Elian started laughing again, this whole situation probably amusing him. Canton on the other hand wasn't even looking at him anymore.
"Relax, kid. You were asleep for twenty four hours. Nothing more, nothing less. And about the results of your torment. They are only inside your head now, not your body" Elian smiled widely.
"How is that possible? I saw them, I felt them. I-"
"And I removed them." Elian is now grinning. " Remember that bullet wound on your shoulder? Normally, your arm would be hanging around a sling for months but you were just in the minimum amount of pain for like..a day."
Errot furrowed his eyebrows. "I was medicated."
"No, you were healed. I'm a healer, Errot. Now, you will probably feel a bit heavy for a day or two. Slightly tired, down. Other than that, you're brand new."
Errot glanced at Canton, gradually getting even more confused than before.
Canton was still looking away. He was being awfully silent.
"If you're wondering why would that asshole go in such lengths for his slave, he just wanted to keep you alive. Despite his clear orders, you were actually dying." Elian pointed out when he saw Errot looking at Canton.
Still. Canton remained emotionless, speechless.
He then decided to look at Errot again. Errot looked away from him in an instant, afraid of getting compelled again. But then again, was he really compelled? What was happening?
"If in two hours you aren't on your feet again, serving your King as you're supposed to, I will make sure to kill you myself. " Canton said, his harsh tone alerting him.
Elian smiled. "He won't." He mouthed at Errot.
"I saw that." Canton clenched his jaw.
Elian's eyes widened. "how the fuck?" Pause. "My apologies, no swearing when children are around."
Errot and Canton both rolled their eyes almost in sync.
"I saw you moving your mouth, Elian. So, nail it shut before I make you. "
"Oh." Elian raised his eyebrows playfully.
Canton closed his eyes, rubbed a bit at his forehead and eventually let a small groan out along with a mumbling nonsense about headaches and stupid people.
Elian chuckled at that and watched Canton walk out of the room and closing the door shut behind him while yelling "two hours" at the same time.
Errot laid back at the bed and tried to put his thoughts in line.
"You're welcome, handsome."
Errot then snapped his eyes at Elian, his gaze angry. "I didn't thank you for anything."
"So rude. I saved your life. " Elian grinned.
"You ruined my life! You fucking betrayed me . " Errot clenched at his sheets tightly.
Elian started sucking at his bottom lip. "Errot did you know that you are the only Merlot I have filed since the moment you took your first breath? All this time, those eighteen years on their entirety, you were closely monitored by my team and I. I knew you would eventually try to escape Merlot Blood before the thought had even crossed your mind. My angels unfortunately didn't manage to get to you on time, meaning before you got shot."
Brief silence.
"I knew you would want to go to Ink Blood and I acted surprised on purpose. I didn't agree immediately, that would make me seem suspicious. No? "
"Wha--"
"I knew Canton wasn't going to kill you. I knew he would let you into his castle and then confront me. It was way better for him to learn that from me and not you. I know my ways with words. I knew what to tell him. You didn't. Now, torturing you .. well, that was a minor inconvenience you had to endure anyway. "
"Minor inconvenience?" Errot scoffed. "I almost died, Elian! "
"Almost." Elian grinned again and then rolled his eyes playfully. "From all the things I just told you, you just got offended by two insignificant words? "
Errot cupped his face with his hands and exhaled deeply.
"I know it's a lot to take in, Errot. You've gone through a big amount of shock these past few days and you only have two hours to rest. " He started walking out of the room. "You should take a nap."
"Elian. Who exactly am I?"
Elian turned to look at Errot with a smile on his face. "You are Errot White."
"but-"
"See you at the party, handsome. " Elian winked and left the room as well.
♛