I sighed. I couldn't bear it anymore. I'm not a timid girl. I've fought people in my 18 years of life, and I'm not getting scared of this pea-eyes man.
I glared at him. "What's your problem, Your Royal Highness?"
He didn't say anything and just stared at me with an expression of amusement. Why is he a miser?
Yeah, you must have thought that Meredia is a foolish woman. But even if she's foolish, she won't bear anyone pulling her down by her dress.
I squared my shoulders, refusing to back down. "You think you're so high and mighty just because you're a prince? Well, newsflash, not everyone is here to bow down to you."
Kieran's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice cold and sarcastic. "You certainly have a talent for stating the obvious. Do you have any other brilliant observation, or s this the extent of your wit?"
Oh, great, now he's royal jerk with a superiority complex. Someone get this guy a mirror so he can admire himself properly.
I rolled my eyes, determined to keep my tone light despite the icy tension. "You know, for someone who seems to think he's so above everyone else, you sure have a lot of time to waste on pointless staring contests."
Kieran's lips curved into a chilling smirk. "Perhaps I just find your attempts at bravado entertaining. It's like watching a mouse try to roar."
"Oh, I'm a mouse? What makes you think that? I'm not a mouse." I crossed my arms and leaned in slightly, challenging his icy demeanor with my own fiery spirit.
Kairan raised an eyebrow, his smirk never faltering. "You scurry about, making noise and flailing around, yet ultimately achieving nothing of consequence. Sounds quite mouselike to me."
Wow, he's really committed to this whole 'cold and heartless' act.
I tilted my head, giving him a sweet yet mocking smile. "And here I thought princes were supposed to be charming. Did you miss that lesson in royal school, or were you too busy perfecting your condescending stare?"
His eyes darkened slightly, the amusement fading into something more menacing. "Charming is for those who need to win favors. I, however, do not."
Ah, there it is. The ice king's true colors. Seriously, did he practice that glare in the mirror?
"Well, good for you," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'II just be over here, not caring."
Kairan remained eerily silent, his gaze fixed on me with a chilling intensity. The weight of his stare made me acutely aware of my blunder.
Great, Meredia. Why do you always have to overdo it with your mouth?
My eyes shot to his hand, which was now inching toward the hilt of his sword. The realization struck like a slap.
Wait... Wait... What!? Why is he reaching for his sword?
Panic surged as he drew the blade, the metal catching the moonlight with a foreboding gleam.
What the bloody helll!!!??? I am sorry what!!? I am sorry!! Waaahaaa!!!
I recoiled, desperately raising my hands in a futile attempt to shield myself. "I-I didn't mean it! I'm really sorry!"
Kieran's eyes were as ever, his expression an unfeeling mask. "Your apologies are as effective as a paper shield in a rainstorm."
Fantastic. I've gone from awkward escape artist to a hysterical mess about to be chopped into royal confetti.
He swung the sword through the air, the sharp swish echoing in the night. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist with an iron grip.
"Prince... What are you doing?" I asked, my voice trembling as I tried to pull my wrist away.
Kairan traced the scar where Meredia had cut her vein, sending a shiver through my body. "It's here... You cut your vein, right? I thought you poisoned yourself. What's this, huh?"
"I... I..." My voice faltered. I couldn't find the words.
Kieran's cold touch only deepened my dread as he pierced the point of the sword into the scar. I hissed, a sharp pain radiating through my wrist.
It's burning.
Tears streamed down my face, my resolve crumbling. "Ahh, it hurts."
"I know, Meredia," Kairan said, watching the blood seep from the wound with an unsettling calm.
He's going to kill me. I'm not healed completely. If he slices my wrist, I'II bleed out.
I struggled to back away, but his grip was unyielding. I forced myself to look him him in the eye, determined not to show my fear.
"Prince, let me go," I begged, my voice barely a whisper as I fought to keep my composure.
Kairan released my hand with a sharp jerk, the force so sudden and violent that I nearly thought my wrist would snap. I immediately clutching it, desperately trying to stop the blood that was seeping through my fingers, my mind struggling to comprehend end the danger I was still in.
He continued to stare at me, his eyes as cold and empty as the steel of the sword he'd just drawn. My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I realized the full extent of his power-he could have killed me, and there would have been nothing I could do to stop him.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, tossing it onto my palm without a word. The gesture was as indifferent as if he were handing me a piece of trash.
I quickly pressed the cloth against my wrist, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I tried to stop the bleeding. Tears blurred my vision, and my throat tightened with fear, my breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. My body felt hot, like I was on fire from the inside out, as the reality of the situation crashed over me.
When the blood finally began to slow, I crumbled to the floor. unable to stand any longer. My legs felt weak, my entire body trembling with the lingering terror of what had just happened. I looked up at Kairan through figure devoid of any emotion, any hint of humanity. There was no remorse in his eyes, no satisfaction-just an overwhelming, chilling reminder that I was nothing to him.
The cat-dog hybrid cooed softly, its tail wagging in slow, sympathetic movements, but its concern only highlighted the terrifying coldness of the man in front of me. Even a creature could sense my pain, yet Kairan remained as detached and unfeeling as ever.
"Stand up," he finally commanded his voice cutting through the silence like knife. "Let me take you back to your room."
I didn't dare defy him. My mind screamed at me to stay quite, to avoid doing anything that might provoke him further. Somehow, I managed to get to my feet, though every part of me wanted to collapse again.
He motioned toward the hallway. "After you."
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to move, to put one foot in front of the other. The weight of his gaze bore down on me with every step, the silence between us thick with tension. I could feel him just behind me, close enough that I could almost sense the chill radiating off him.
The creature followed a few paces behind, but it was Kairan who commanded my every though. I didn't know what he would do next, and that terrified me more than anything. His unpredictability was a weapon I couldn't defend against.
When we finally reached my room, he waited until I stepped inside, his presence looming over me like a shadow that wouldn't fade. I turned to close the door. but his voice stopped me cold.
"Have a good night, lady," he said, his words chilling, a final reminder of the power he held over me.
I didn't respond. I couldn't. I just closed the door, the sound of it shutting out the world a hollow echo in my ears. But even behind the closed door, I felt the weight of his presence, his power, his control.
I plopped down on the floor, unable to hold myself up any longer, and tears flowed freely down my face. The fear I had tried to keep at bay finally overwhelmed me, my body trembling with uncontrollable sobs. I pressed the handkerchief harder against my wrist, but the pain of the wound was nothing compared to the terror that gripped my heart.
Kieran's cold, emotionless gaze remained fixed on me, unyielding and devoid of any sympathy. The tears blurred my vision, but I could still see him standing there, tall and imposing, like a predator watching its prey. My breath hitched as I struggled to process everything that had just happened, the weight of it crashing over me in waves.
The silence in the room felt suffocating, broken only by the sound of my own desperate gasps. The man in front of me had no mercy, no kindness-only the cold, unfeeling power that he wielded without hesitation.
And all I could do was cry.