A weapon
A weapon
Aribella POV
Mother nature seemed in tune with my emotions. The clouds moved in rapidly, casting somber darkness over the castle.
I stared at the rippling surface of the pond, hoping to catch a glimpse of color, but yet again, I was met with a darkness that felt like a living, breathing entity.
“I’m confused,” I practically choke on the words.
“Mael has convinced my father that you managed to seduce Kaelar with the promise of sexual relations if he keeps quiet about who you really are,” Rhory didn’t dare look at me, his face a stony mask. “Kaelar has spent the last three days in isolation in the dungeons.”
“What?!” birds fly away from the nearby trees. “How long have you known?”
When he doesn’t respond, I grip his arms, spinning him towards me. “How. Long. Have. You. Known.”
“Since yesterday morning.”
Yesterday morning…
I collapsed to my knees. I spent twenty-four hours in isolation in those dungeons. The unforgiving darkness twists your mind. Shadows come to life, feeding off your fears.
“Get on your feet, Aribella,” Rhory once again, is a mask of stone. “We are being watched.”
“What does it fucking matter, Rhory?” I snap. Kaelar has been suffering for days because of me. Because of choices that I made. I pushed and pushed until he let me in, and now he’s paying the price.
“Aribella,” Rhory finally turns his face to me, “Get up. Now.”
His tone leaves no room for argument, and I slowly rise to my feet, “I fucking hate you, Rhory Whitehall. I hate you and your stupid Kingdom. I hate Mael for being a flaming piece of shit. I hate your father for being a monster. I hate Mikko for all he’s done,” Rhory grips my arm, firm but not painful, “That’s enough,” he spats through gritted teeth. “You don’t understand what this offer means. My father has the legal ground to hang you both per the law, and you choose to act like a damn child, falling to your knees.”
My eyes widened at his angry rant. In all my time here, I’ve yet to see Rhory truly angry, but what shocks me more, is why he’s angry.
I rip my arm from his grasp, stumbling backwards, “You have been thrown to the wolves, almost murdered on multiple occasions by your own blood, and used as a fucking pawn, and this…. THIS IS WHEN YOU FINALLY GET ANGRY?!”
Rhory grabs me again, his hands gripping my shoulders and shaking, “You don’t get it,” he hisses. “I have to be angry. I don’t have a choice. I’m going to lose someone very important to me either way, and I’m furious,” his hazel eyes appeared a shade darker. “Kaelar is like a brother to me, and you… You are like a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m faced with an impossible decision here, and I’m trying. I’m desperately trying to find a way around it and the only thing I’ve figured out is that there is no way around it!”
Rhory’s words seep beneath my skin, and slowly, his fingers uncurl from around my arms.
He’s acting like a good dog that’s been cornered. His tail is between his legs, and the only thing left to do is snap at the people who care because he feels like that’s the only way.
He turns back towards the pond, his body stiff, “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.”
I stood beside him, our shoulders nearly brushing. The warmth of his skin soaks through his suit jacket, warming my chilled skin.
“I’ll do it,” I whispered, and I felt the very moment that his breathing halted.
“Kaelar wouldn’t want you to make that decision.”
“Kaelar is one of the most selfless men I’ve ever met.”
Rhory lets out a huff, “He was just a broken boy when we met… Like me. We came from different backgrounds, but our desire to please the one person we looked up to created a shared interest. Did you know he didn’t speak for the first two years?” he chuckled softly. “I didn’t know if he ever would until we were sparring one day and I nicked his skin for the first time.”
My heart breaks for young Kaelar. Swallowing down his emotions after what happened to him. Living in silence for two years before finally opening up.
“If you don’t get him out of there,” I angle my face towards the looming building at the castle’s rear property line. “I will march in there myself, and I can assure you that he won’t be the only person I free from that hell on Earth.”
“My father will surely release him upon hearing your agreement. Hell,” Rhory finally turned towards me. “He might even through a celebratory party.”
My teeth grind together with enough force to crack a molar. Johnston looks at this as though it is a punishment. He wants me to die on the front lines, if not have me killed while away from Rhory and Emrys’s prying eyes, but what he doesn’t realize is he’s given me the opportunity to get stronger.
To become a weapon.
“I hope he does,” my eyes continue to study the glaring building in the distance. “It’ll be the beginning to his end,” I grin, finally turning towards Rhory. His eyes slowly widen when he sees the look on my face. “Killing your father will become my ultimate goal.”