She stood up and went back to the kitchen to inform krysia what she was about to do but didn't find her. She shrugged and decided to tell her later after she was done. She didn't know what was going to come out of the prince's mouth so she didn't want to raise anyone's hope. Not even her own.
She was walking in the front of the large hall when two maids walked up to her.
"Maybe this will teach you both how to keep your mouths shut". She smirked. As she was about to lash her, she said something that made her heart jump. "Your cousin or whatever, is about to be killed. Or should I say..beheaded?" They both giggled and walked off. At first, she thought they were joking but when she saw the head maid coming over with a sad expression, she ran to her and asked if it was true.
She didn't answer her. She just brushed her shoulder down slowly.
Zora was on the verge of crying,she couldn't hold back her tears. "Where is she?"
The head maid didn't answer.
"I said where the hell is she?!" She shook the head maid's shoulders hardly and glared into her eyes.
"I can't tell you. You'll get into trouble". She answered softly.
"Trouble? Just because I don't want to get into trouble, I should let someone die? You know me too well zarinna".
"Zora.. Zora..zo--" She called after Zora who ran past her as she rubbed her tears off with the back of her palm. Zarinna sighed and walked off, knowing she had tried her best for her.
Zora ran through the buildings and cursed the palace for being so big and confusing as she cried. She didn't give up, she kept running and praying they hadn't touched her yet.
She lifted her dress up to her knees and tied a knot because it was preventing her from running as fast as she wanted to.
Just as she was about to run to the back of a building to check if she was there, she heard someone crying. It was krysia!
She turned and followed the sound. Has her head been cut off?...no no it was impossible for her to cry with her head off her neck. Were her hands cut off? Maybe. But what did she do? Why would they want to punish her and cut off her head?
She knew there was only one person who was behind this. It was no other than gyenk. That bastard!
She raced angrily to the large place the sound was coming from and stopped. Just like her heart stopped. Tears of anger streamed down her face as she watched krysia been whipped. Krysia screamed at each lash and her dress was soaked with her own blood. Her hands were tied above her head and she was twirling above a burning fire that started burning her dress little by little.
"Krysia!!!!" Zora screamed as she started running towards her fake cousin. Towards the reason she was still in the palace, towards the reason why she was still alive, towards the reason why she kept striving to survive in the cruel world she found herself.
She got to her and pushed the guards whipping her away.
"No! Zora please leave! Don't interfere in this. They'll punish you too!! Please leave!" Krysia cried but Zora wouldn't listen and she knew it.
More guards came and held Zora back as she scattered the firewoods underneath krysia.
"Let me go! You monsters!" She struggled to get out of their grips but they....too powerful. They pushed her to the ground but she was quick to stand up on her feet again. The guards grabbed her and held her down. Her knees on the ground.
"What is going on there?"
She heard that stupid calm monster's voice and shot a glare at him.
He walked closer but stood many feet away from them. "So it's you again. I saw it coming".
"Monster! Is this how you treat women! You animal!!" She screamed and in a second, she was slapped across the face by a guard. She winced in pain as she tasted her own blood. "You can do better". She glared up at the guard and before Zora could blink, another one landed on her face, sending her out of the guards arms to the floor.
She coughed and could feel blood dripping from her head. She stood up weakly and staggered forward a little, wiping the blood from her head. The guards wanted to hold her again but the prince stopped them with just a raised finger.
"You're all animals. Animals with red horns and black hearts. You don't deserve to be called humans let alone you being a prince." She said out, each words coming out silent enough for the prince to hear. "I know you think you have the world in your hands. You can behead anyone anytime you want. You can make orders even if people under you aren't comfortable with it. You only think about yourself. You're selfish. You're a murderer and not worthy of a prince title".
She glanced at krysia who was rolling above the scattered fire, begging her to stop talking. But she wasn't done. She just started.
"Just put yourself in the positions of the people you pass death orders to. What if you're the one getting beheaded over a little mistake? Or what if it was your mother who was hanging over there, getting beaten wi...."
"Enough!! That's enough wo...."
"No it's not!!" She caught the prince off completely, taking everyone by surprise. Who dared? "I'm not done gyenk so just shut up and listen to me!!" She pointed a finger angrily at him. He had pushed her too much..way too much and she didn't care if she was going to die. She had to say her mind first and no one was going to stop her. She wasn't only fighting for krysia, she was fighting for everyone. She knew whatever krysia was being punished for was not her fault. The prince was just looking for someone to mess around with. She hated him. She hated him with all her heart.
The prince moved closer to her and closed the gap between them. His brows arched in confusion and curiousity.
Zora didn't move. She stood gallant and shot death glares at him as he moved closer.
"What did you call me again?"
Zora snorted, wondering what he was pulling at. "You can ask the dogs you call your guards". She lashed and walked towards krysia to untie her. But she didn't go too far, the prince held her and pulled her back to him.
"Get your hands off me!" She jerked her arm away and looked up at him disgustedly.
"I said what did you call me again!!" He yelled, authority dripping in his voice as he hoped he would scare her.
"Hey! Don't think you're the only one who can scream. I'm not scared of you! You can get yourself a microphone and try next time".
"Do you think I'm joking?"
"Do I look like I'm laughing?"
"I've had enough of you."
"So what? You're going to order them to kill me? Come on! That's what you're good at right? I'm not scared of death. I've gotten rid of them since I came into this world so go on".
The prince clenched his fist in anger and wondered why he wasn't doing anything to the woman who had been disrespecting him since they met. She had never once honored him as a prince and he wasn't doing anything about it. What was she?
At first, she brought a tea his mother loved making and now...now..he wasn't sure maybe he misheard but she called him the name his mom used to call him when she was angry and confused. Even Ansel didn't know about the name. It was only between him and his mother. How did she know? Who was she? Where was she from? Why wasn't he reacting everytime she nagged and treated him nothing like a prince.
He had so many questions for her and hoped she'd answered because he couldn't threaten her, it'd only make matters worse.
"Get into my chamber". he ordered.
"You..."
"Now!" he reminded, trying to calm my nerves.
"Mr prince. I'll only answer you if you let my frie...er cousin go. If you won't let go then I'm not. You can killed the both of us".
She sighed and glanced at her cousin. "Let her go". He ordered the guards who started untying her immediately.
She looked at her cousin for last time and stormed off as he followed her behind. That was when he noticed her dress was tied up, revealing her smooth legs.
What kind of human was she? So weird.
.
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