They took me to a ridiculously comfortable room, big, fancy, and so soft I almost forgot I was technically a prisoner. Almost, they left Sabrina behind bars, though, despite my begging, all my pleas hit a brick wall of indifference.
The moment my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light but, of course, peace never lasts. A knock on my door yanked me from my sleep, and I dragged myself to open it, still groggy.
Standing there was the blond guy from yesterday, Stone.
"The King wants to have an alone time with you," he announced, and just like that, any remnant of sleep evaporated.
"What do you mean an alone time with me?" I asked, I didnt know want I did wrong or have they figured out about the key
"I am not supposed to answer that" he said, putting his hands in his pocket
"What about Sabrina?" I asked, my voice sharp with worry.
Stone didn't answer, instead, he avoided my gaze.
"Where is she?" I pressed, my patience wearing thin, I didn't like the look he was giving me
His polite smile soured into a frown. "Safe."
Not good enough.
"I'm not going anywhere until I see she's fine," I said, crossing my arms.
He let out an exasperated sigh, muttered something under his breath about stubbornness, and left. A moment later, he returned with the guy from yesterday, the one with the deadly voice and he did not look happy.
"What part of 'you have my word' do you not understand?" he growled.
I scoffed. "The part where you kidnapped me, forgive me for not considering you trustworthy."
His jaw ticked, but instead of arguing, he turned to Stone. "Go get the girl."
Stone nodded and disappeared, returning with a tired-looking Sabrina.
"Sabrina!" I rushed to her, wrapping my arms around her as tears stung my eyes.
She hugged me back and whispered, "I'll be okay, just, don't do anything stupid."
Too late for that, but I nodded anyway.
"Good luck," she said softly before stepping back.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. Time to get this over with.
The plan was simple: hear the King out, agree to whatever he wants, and in return, demand our freedom. Easy-peasy, oh, and one more thing, keep the key hidden.
Which, speaking of, yesterday I had the brilliant idea to stash it in my pants. Not exactly the best hiding spot, but my options were limited, what could possibly go wrong?
"Before we go to the throne room, you need to look presentable," the grumpy guy from earlier said, eyeing me like I was some kind of feral creature. He even scrunched his nose, and honestly? That was rude.
Not that he was wrong, three days without a bath had me looking (and probably smelling) like a dumpster.
He led me through yet another set of double doors, smaller than the King's, but still unnecessarily dramatic.
And then, wow, just… wow.
On the other side was a breathtaking sanctuary of light and color. Sunlight streamed in, making the entire place sparkle. A small waterfall cascaded into a crystal-clear pool, its waters reflecting the surrounding flowers in an explosion of color. It looked like something straight out of a fairytale.
For a second, I just stood there, mouth open like a fool.
"Be ready in ten minutes," Mr. Grumpy announced. "If not, I will drag you back myself."
I turned to argue, but...poof, he was gone.
Okay, I was definitely getting used to the whole disappearing stuffs these people kept pulling.
Checking to make sure I was alone, I stripped and stepped into the pool.
Instant relief,
I closed my eyes, letting the water soothe my aching body. For once, I didn't care about dungeons, disappearing Kings, or weirdly good-looking kidnappers, right now, it was just me and this tiny piece of paradise.
Eventually, though, reality called, with a sigh, I stepped out of the water, only to find a towel and a light blue gown neatly placed nearby.
Okay… creepy.
Did someone sneak in while I was bathing? Or had it been here the whole time and I just hadn't noticed?
I glanced around, but the area was as empty as before.
Deciding not to think too hard about it, I dried off and slipped into the gown, it fit perfectly, hugging my body in a way that made me feel oddly regal.
Before I could admire it too much, Mr. Grumpy reappeared, looking as impatient as ever.
And just like that, we were on our way to the King.
The walk was long, full of endless twists and turns. I was starting to wonder if these people had an inbuilt GPS or something.
Desperate for distraction, I tried starting a conversation.
"So… what's your name?"
Silence.
I sighed, not surprised
After a few more minutes, though, he actually answered.
"Richard."
I blinked. "Oh, cool, so..."
"Don't question me, child," he cut me off, voice sharp.
I flinched, child? He was definitely one of those immortal types who looked young but were secretly ancient.
We finally arrived at the throne room, and I was greeted by the King's familiar face once again