Chapter Twelve
My eyes fluttered open and I found myself once again in the same cell. There was a tray with food and some water on it. I groaned as I tried to reach it. My legs hurt badly. The blood dried off and looked crusty. I reached for the water and gulped it down not caring if it was poisoned or not. After finishing drinking, I grabbed the piece of bread and swallowed it down without chewing it properly.
Even though I got something to eat, I was still starving. My stomach hurt and made weird noises. I huffed out and stared at the cell door. I guess a few minutes or maybe even hours have passed. Soon a guard would appear and escort me outside to hang me in front of the whole kingdom. As if the unisverse heard me I heard some rattling noises. The door opened and a centaur was standing in the door frame. I willingly stood up and went over to him. He looked confused at my action, probably thinking that I would put up a fight.
I was kind of glad. I didn't have any pressure anymore on my shoulders. I would just die. It may be not the best way to die since it's going to be painful but at least I would be dead. Even if my honour and pride is damaged.
He tugged me outside and we walked along the famous hallway which I saw multiple times already. He escorted me outside and I saw it. My death. The rope was already attached to the joist ready to have my neck snapped.
We walked towards the crowd which was forming. Multiple centaurs stood there shouting at the guards to start with the hanging. A red haired person was dragged towards the rope and my heart sank.
"Ophelia", I cried out. Her head snapped towards me and I could see fear in her white eyes. She struggled in the hold of the centaur as he carried her to the rope. I ran towards her but soon got stopped by other guards which were forming a wall. I couldn't get through them. They all looked towards a tent. I looked over and saw both king's sitting there with slight smile on their face. The piercing dark grey eyes stared into my soul and I felt the urge to go to him.
I shook of my thought and concentrated on the red haired girl. "Do not hang her! She didn't do anything", I pleaded. The guards seemed unfazed and continued dragging her to the rope. "Kill me first please", I cried out. They all ignored me.
I fought the guards which were stopping me from getting to my friend. I didn't want to shift in front of those people. My ability to shift should stay a secret for the moment. I punched the guards but they didn't even budge. Frustration and anger clouded my mind and I turned around and ran towards the crowd. I slipped inside the crowd so the guards couldn't reach me easily and made my way to Ophelia. I got to the tribune and climbed up. Ophelia was shaking. She was paler than usual and her skin began peeling due to not being hydrated. I reached for her but a guard shoved me off the tribune making me fall onto the dirty ground. A loud thud was heard. I groaned out loud touching my head and feeling a warm liquid. "You bastard", I whispered. A growl got me out of my thoughts. The shouting from the people stopped and they all eyed the king who growled. Slowly I stood up and dusted the dirt off my body and climbed the tribune once again.
"Hang me instead of her", I demanded. The guard looked confused. Not knowing what he should do. Before I could open my mouth again, I felt a warmth behind me. The king stood behind me and inspected my wound. "Let go of me", I sneered. He didn't stop and continued touching my head. I shoved him away and he looked flabbergasted. His once dark grey eyes turned even darker in a matter of seconds and he snarled at me.
"Don't tell me what to do", he growled out. I crossed my arms and my eyes squinted. My focus was once again on Ophelia. She was trembling. "Let go off the girl", a deep voice said. The guard which was holding Ophelia released her and she stumbled into my arms. I hugged her tightly and patted her back to try and calm her.
"I'm here", I whispered into Ophelia's ear. We never stopped hugging each other in fear to be separated again. Even though I met Ophelia's two weeks ago she went from being a stranger to a very good friend. I didn't want to loose her like this. She deserved to be happy. She deserved to swim in the sea. She deserved to live a peaceful life.
A cough interrupted in our reunion and we both stared at the king in front of us. He tapped his foot against the ground of the tribune and his arms were crossed, making his muscles appear even bigger.
"You come with me", he commanded. I blinked multiple times trying to comprehend what he just said. He wants me to go with him? "No."
His eyes got dark again and his chest heaved. He was getting angry or maybe even just annoyed. "You belong now to me even if it disgusts me to have you, fairy." I didn't know him but the way he just said those words. They hurt. It made appear a weird and uncomfortable feeling in my chest.
Ophelia tugged at my arm and I looked at her. She was worried. She wanted me to explain why this stupid man wanted me to come with him. I wanted to give her answers but the problem was, even I didn't know what the king wanted. Maybe he found out about my secret mission. He surely wanted me to blackmail my kingdom but they wouldn't even look my way and just let me rot. But on the other side, how would he even know it. I never told anyone about my mission. Not even Ophelia knows the reason why I'm illegally in Idzor.
"I will not leave her side", Ophelia stammered. He looked amused at her try to sound confident and without any fear. "If you wish."
My mouth gaped open at his sentence. Why was he willing to let her come too? Was he selling us to some of his werewolfs as toys. So they could chew on us or maybe even worse. Pictures of the buff werewolf flashed across my mind making me visibly shake. My throat dried at the memory. Why did I had to think about that. It felt like thousands of needles began poking my throat. I was experiencing a panic attack. I gasped for air but my head felt heavy and I slumped into Ophelia's arms. She slapped my face lightly trying to keep me awake. "Yana?". I looked at Ophelia as she called me with her nickname for me. I looked around but couldn't focus on anything.
A big hand stroke my head and instantly I felt my panic attack going away. I looked at Ophelia and could her eyes which held worry in them. She stood up and gave me her hand as a support. Before I could even thank her for her support two guards came and put a sack over my head and we got carried to what seems a carriage. The centaurs behind us shouted. They were sad, that they couldn't witness a hanging.
I got thrown into a carriage and bumped my head. I wanted to put the sack off me but I struggled with it. "Help", I cried out.
"Get me out of this."
"Hello?!"
"Please!!!
"I can't—bre—breathe."
The sack was then ripped off me and I met the same dark grey eyes. I shuddered as he stared at me with the sack in his hands. "Hah. Hilarious right?", I said nervously with a weird grimace on my face. He huffed out and put the sack back on my head. I sighed in frustration but knew to not bother and just let him be an ignorant and selfish king.
This was going to be a long ride...