larger man who’d broken the bedroom door.
“Unless you want to end up like your friends upstairs—headless—I suggest you tell me which one of you decided it would
be a good idea to attempt to violate my consort,” Nicholas spatted with venom.
The two older females' faces dropped as they looked at me. When their eyes moved back to Nicholas, they attempted to
make themselves even smaller by lowering themselves more.
“Sire—Majesty—we…we did not know,” said the older woman as she addressed Nicholas.
Tears streamed from her eyes as a devilish smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He played with his now bloodstained
sword, twirling it in front of them as he contemplated his next move.
“My king,” I addressed Nicholas as I eyed the younger girl. “I don’t believe all these women are to blame. The younger
one, she brought me food and clothing, I don’t think she had any idea.”
The youngest one shook with fear. Tears ran down her dirt-stained cheeks, creating cleaner paths on her skin. She could
have only been around twelve years old and likely sold to this tavern. The only other option was that one of the older women
was her mother. But either way, she shouldn’t have been here.
“Were you involved?” Nicholas' voice shook the building as his anger grew. He directed his question to the younger one.
“N-na-no sire—king—no. I ain't never done nothing to her highness,” she said to him, struggling to form words through her
terror.
“I don’t believe you, but if her highness chooses to, then you may leave, too.”
“My king, could I ask one small favour?” I asked softly.
Although I was still in shock as I tried to keep my legs from falling out from underneath me, I didn’t want to see the girl run
outside and into the cold. I could not picture her surviving all on her own.
Wetting my lips, I raised my eyes and met his, “May she come with us? I’m sure I could put her to good use.”
His eyes narrowed on me with a questioning look. I held my breath as he simply nodded at one of the guards who then
escorted the girl out. I assumed he escorted her to a horse or possibly the carriage to come back to the castle with us.
“My annwyl,” he said, turning to face me slightly. I was taken aback by his new name for me. Annwyl? He’d only ever
called me princess or Ornella. I wondered what it meant. “Do you have any qualms if I rid this world of these criminals?”
Was he truly asking me permission to kill these people? I didn’t think he would need anyone’s permission as the king did as
he pleased. But then again, were they all involved in my attempted assault? Perhaps they took note of my jewellery and
assumed if I could be subdued they’d rob me while those men did worse. The thought of murdering people turned my stomach,
but I knew if these people lived they would continue spreading their evil. Their deaths would be the lesser of the two options.
“You may do as you see fit, my king.”
