ZARA'S POV
He aimed the arrow at me, it was so sudden, that I didn't have time to react.
"What are you doing?" I asked, shivering in fear. His eyes were dark and I knew he wouldn't hesitate to shoot the arrow at me.
"Princ... Lia yelled but was immediately cut off by Jamie. He use his hand to cover her mouth stopping her from exposing my identity.
Theon and Jamie stood helplessly, watching. They couldn't come close because it might just make the man angrier and he would decide to shoot me.
Why did I even leave the palace in the first place? I could have just stayed there and faced the arrogant king, Instead, I choose to leave, and now I'm in trouble.
Mustering up the courage, I decided to ask him what he wanted.
"what do you want?" I asked boldly, but deep down I was scared. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared.
"You seem bold for someone, who has an arrow pointed at him, you ask me what I want, you should have just backed down earlier and chose to lose like the others did, but no, you decided to challenge me instead, now it's too late, I need to put you in your place.
Now I know why the other men lost so quickly, it was because they were afraid of him. Before I could say another word, he shot the arrow at me. I tried dodging, but the arrow still hit me on my chest.
Lia immediately rushed to my side, while Jamie and Theon, fought the man.
Lia held me, as I moan in pain. I felt a lot of pain, where his arrow pierced me, and felt my eyelid closing.
****
I woke up, with a stinging pain, and shrieked. I found myself in a familiar place that looked like the palace. wait, was I in the palace.
I was in the king's room. I touched where the arrow had pierced me earlier, and it had been removed and wrapped with a cloth.
I twired my head to look around the room and found the king sitting on a stool, and staring angrily at me, making me jump in fear.
" I see you are awake, runaway princess," he muttered, angrily.
Can't he be a little nice to me seeing my condition?
He stood up, taking a slow stride to the bed. Crouching down to my level, he gripped my chin very hard, making me wince.
"Don't think that you are safe because you were shot by an arrow, instead you just got yourself in more trouble with not just me, but also the council members," Carl muttered.
How can he be so heartless, I was going to be his wife, so he should at least show a little concern, but no, he looked like he was enjoying seeing me in pain.
"And you didn't only get yourself in trouble, but your guard's also," he said, standing up, and I looked at him.
What did he mean by that?
"What do you mean by that, where is Lia, Jamie, and Theon, what did you do to them?" I asked worried.
"Don't worry, they're still alive, but locked up in the dungeon, they helped you escape from the palace and also failed to protect you, so they will also be punished," Carl said, giving me a devilish smile.
"Why are you doing this, they didn't do anything, it's all my fault, I forced them to go with me, so you should punish me instead," I murmured. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I held them in. I won't let him see me cry.
"Let them go please, I will gladly take any punishment you give me," I pleaded, I really didn't want my friends to be in trouble. Lia was my best friend, and I also saw Jamie and Theon as friends.
Even if Jamie and Theon could take staying in the dungeon, I knew Lia couldn't, she was not used to such hardships.
"You know, you are very reckless, princess. you may look smart, but you are not, you do things without thinking. Do you think if anything happen to you, I would care? no I won't, and I would also cut off my alliance with Azrael and take over it or better still let the enemy take over it," Carl muttered, without emotions.
He doesn't have a heart, just like they say. I can't believe I would marry a man like him, I really have bad luck.
"I'm only doing Azrael a favor by forming an alliance, so don't think otherwise. once your wound is healed, you will face punishment," Carl muttered, walking out.
I watched his retreating figure and sighed. He's so bad, heartless man.
I needed to look for a way to save my friends, I thought. But first I needed to see Carl's mother maybe she would help.
I tried standing up from the bed but winced when I felt pain in my chest.
I laid back on the bed, feeling frustrated. Carl was right, I act with thinking, now I put my friends in trouble.
I let the tears I was holding fall, but immediately wiped them when someone walked in.
It was Gwen, she had a smirk on her face, as she walked to my side.
"I wish you had died instead, but I'm still happy seeing you in pain, I can't wait for you to be punished, I hope they behead you," Gwen muttered, but I did answer her. I couldn't waste my voice for some like her.
Lia was right, after all. the woman was no good. She kept on blabbering nonsense, and I got tired.
"Guards, guards," I yelled, and two guards came rushing into the Chambers.
"Take her away," I ordered, and Gwen looked shocked, she probably didn't expect I would do something like that.
The guards came to Gwen's side, pulling her along.
'You bitch, you act all high and might, just because you are getting married to the king, how dare you call the guards on me, let go, do you know who I am," Gwen kept yelling as they dragged her away.
"What do you think you are doing? Carl's angry voice thundered.