"Nooo…" screamed Arthea.
"For heaven's sake Arthea, keep your voice low" King Richard requested.
With the barbaric incidents that took place, he lost every bit of his energy. His caged hands and swollen eyes conveyed the despair.
"If we want our innocent people to be protected from the wrath of that beast, the only option is offering him the Princess of Vrishnya" King Richard looked broken as he uttered the words.
"He is a Beast and all he is going to do is make Princess Alora his slave, he will have the maniac evil satisfaction of torturing humans. You can't trade the life of your daughter, believing in his word of sparing lives of innocent people" cried Arthea.
"Arthea, the Kingdom now barely has any man alive. The Kingdom Vrishnya known for its joys, fertile lands and blooming life now has dead bodies everywhere, the Castle is in flames, people are going to starve to death, the treasury is nil and the only way to be alive is to agree with the Beast's deal" King Richard felt heavy.
He was never this helpless in life, he has ran several expeditions in his life, he was hailed as people's ruler and protector of Kingdom, all of that vanished now and what remained is his dead son and his grieving daughter who lost her soon-to-be husband just minutes ahead of her marriage.
"Princess Alora won't be alive, she shouldn't be put at test" Arthea shook her head looking at Princess Alora grieving beside dead body of King Joshua, whom she would have married by now had the Beast not attacked their Kingdom.
"Princess Alora has to be his bride and that's final Arthea. However…" he looked away.
"What is that King?" sensing King Richard's apprehensions Arthea pushed him to speak up.
"You are now aware of our Kingdom crushed under his hands and the deal to make Princess Alora his bride and you might know where our Princess will end up if we send her with him" King Richard sounded too weak.
"That's what I am trying to say King Richard, Princess Alora won't be alive, he will knock her to death, don't do this to her" Arthea ardently requested.
King Richard forwarded his cuffed hands, taking Arthea's hands into his, he put Arthea in surprise.
It is not usual for Kings to touch their slaves, their position is at the feet of their masters. Though Princess Alora treated her as a friend, Arthea was always taught the limits and responsibility of Royal Slave.
Though a year younger to Princess Alora, Arthea was put through rigorous tests and taught every form of art present in the world that made her a ruthless assassin. She outsmarted trained Kings of several Kingdoms with her techniques and was the head person to the Royal Slave.
"I am here to beg you Arthea, I need you to do a trivial task for me, for us, for your Princess and for the Kingdom of Vrishnya"
"King Richard it would be my honor to leave my breath for my country and my Kingdom, that's what our Zender clan taught us. Our Blood was and will always be loyal to serve the throne. On behalf of my forefathers of Zender clan who has fought until their last breath to protect the Royal Throne, I give my word your Majesty, I am ready to do anything for the Kingdom of Vrishnya" pulling out the dagger with great historical value assigned to her from her forefathers, Arthea gave her word.
King Richard left a relieved sigh hearing Arthea speak. Yet he frowned, the creases on his forehead exhibit his worry.
What would frighten his Royal Highness soo much that he couldn't speak a word to his slave, was the question that haunted Arthea.
"The monster wants my daughter, who is Princess of our Kingdom. I promised him to make our Princess his Bride and you are going to be his bride Arthea, you are going to be Princess Alora from this very minute" he said it all in a rush of words not meeting Arthea's eyes.
Arthea's world collapsed in ashes, she understood why King Richard pointed at her and lovingly called her Princess Alora before the wolves, she thought it's for some safety purpose, where as the truth is something rather scary.
Arthea couldn't process anything she heard, did the King just manipulated her emotionally to be the Bride of Beast?? Ain't that a death sentence?
No Death never scared her, from the time she was given the dagger passed from her forefathers she was taught that Death was the only thing they should be ready to welcome. She would never hesitate to die for protecting anyone who belongs to the throne.
However the request of King Richard sounded too wrong, she couldn't digest King Richard trading her life for that of his daughter. She understood the bond of blood and love for the first time.
"Arthea, you are going to take vows with him only to destruct him. You are going to be swapping places with Alora only to kill him and put an end to his deeds. Only you are capable of doing that, end his devilish reign" producing a sharp knife out of his fold of clothes, small enough to be hid inside sleeves King Richard asserted.
"What if he finds out the truth? He is a Monster, not a baby to be deceived, what if he find out who really I am?" asked Arthea.
"All of us will be dead. But I'd prefer him to be dead, what do you say?" his accent was thick and tension was evident.
Arthea looked at Princess Alora, who refused to meet her eye, she is both physically and emotionally damaged to respond for anything.
Though Princess Alora doesn't want Arthea to suffer the ill fate she is destined to face, she was not brave enough to leave with the beast. She is not up for sacrificing herself for the benefit of her country people.
"For the Royal Throne of Vrishnya, for the people of Vrishnya, will the blood of Zender Clan do the small favour?" King Richard.
Arthea nodded her head gulping down her tears muttering to herself 'not a small favour'