Bound to the Shadow Prince

Chapter 4: Warden

I climbed up onto the last branch, seeing my window to my room still blissfully opened. I was beyond late, but it had become hard to leave that little safe haven by the ocean and even more so when the mysterious individual had come upon me.

He had been the first person in my life to have listened to my deep thoughts about the night and the Dark Kingdom and appeared to care about my words. Despite being High Princess, rarely did I have someone care about my words as he had.

Carefully, I reached over and pulled myself into my room. As I stumbled in, a hand grabbed my upper arm, lifting me up and to my feet.

My heart stopped when I looked up into King Torrin’s dark eyes. I glanced behind me to the open window and back to him. I opened my mouth for an explanation, but I had none. He pulled me to the bed and sat me at the edge.

“Where were you?”

Again, I glanced at the window.

“Out.”

He folded his arms, scowling down at me. “I am to assume your father doesn’t know what you do and where you go.”

My silence confirmed it.

He laughed. A low rumble that vibrated the space between us. “I knew you were too defiant to not have a mind of your own. Which is dangerous. Where were you?”

I felt infuriated.

“You do not have authority over me, at least not yet. You are not my king.”

He held my gaze. “Not yet. But you will be mine. And as mine, I intend on marrying an alive bride. It’s dangerous past the castle walls. How far did you go?”

“That is none of your business.”

He hauled me to my feet, pushing me to the wall, pinning me against it. His face was mere inches from mine. He slowly smelled my neck.

“Salt. You were by the ocean.”

I wiggled underneath him. “If I was?”

“That’s too far, especially at night.”

“I was safe.”

I momentarily thought about the conversation with my stranger. Safe truly was an abstract word.

“Not with them around.”

“You mean vampires.”

Hatred flashed over his features as well as fury. In that moment, I truly became terrified of any vampire that crossed his path.

“They will kill you. They are demons roaming our land like rats.”

I wiggled again, but I could tell Torrin was enjoying my fruitless struggle.

I whispered, “Let go of me.”

“You will not go back.”

“I can do what I like,” I quickly retorted.

He let go of me, taking a few steps away, accepting my challenge. King Torrin went to my door and whistled. Minutes later, servants entered my room with a bed frame and mattress. King Torrin directed the bed to be right under my open window.

“Wait, what are you doing?” I directed my question to the servants who silently did their task.

I whirled on Torrin. “What are you doing?”

“You refuse me?”

“Yes! This is my room. My personal space.”

“I cannot guarantee your safety if you are sneaking off to the ocean.” He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me to him, lowering his voice. “You threw the challenge, Princess. Or would you rather I slept with you in your bed?”

With his other hand not holding me, he pulled off my dark blue shawl, exposing my undone hair as it fell over my shoulder and back. I tried pulling away, but his grip held me tighter. He ran his fingers through my hair, dislodging blades of grass from it.

I jerked away from him and out of his arms. Pushing him further away.

I turned my back towards him as I walked into my closet, closing the door behind me. In the dark, with only the light streaming through the cracks of the door, I quickly undressed and pulled my most modest nightgown over myself. I braided my hair, feeling uncomfortable tingles glided over me when remembering his touches.

Slowly, I opened my closet door and saw him seated on his bed watching the door.

“Turn your head, so I can get my robe.”

“Are you not dressed?” His eyebrows raised.

My face flamed. “Of course I am.”

“Then there is nothing to fear in my presence.”

There was much to fear. I quickly ran to my robe, throwing it over myself. Torrin watched the scene with obvious amusement.

I said, “I will be talking with my father about this.”

“After I inform him of your escapes.”

“This is not proper. We are not married yet.”

“And your father won’t be worried about your safety?”

Once Father knew what I had been doing, he would no doubt put a guard on me at all times even at night. So was Torrin any different from a guard? Father needed Torrin, needed this marriage. He would side with Torrin and justify the means of it.

My frown deepened as Torrin’s lifted. He knew he had won this little battle.

He said, “Have you ever met a vampire?”

“No.” I had not.

“They are the undead. They reek of death as their skin holds a palish gray glint. No blood runs through their veins, so they feed off of the living for their nourishment. They suck every ounce of their victims clean until nothing is left but a shriveled up body. They hunt at night and use the darkness to cover their dark deeds and dead souls. They are monsters, a plague intent on wiping out human existence. But I intend to kill them first.”

I involuntarily shivered imagining pale corpses feeding off beings roaming the land. The Dark Kingdom. With that image, I crawled into bed dreaming about them climbing over the walls of the castle and penetrating its defenses until these corpses with sagging skin and black eyes made it into my room. As I thrashed about in bed, one got on top of me, its decaying flesh dripped onto my skin as I saw bone lying underneath. It bit into my shoulder, taking my soul.

I woke up with a start, lying back down on my bed closing my eyes. A warm hand touched the side of my clammy cheek. My eyes flashed open. Torrin stood over me. His finger moved to my hair, wrapping a strand in his finger. I rolled away from him as I sat up, pulling the blankets up to my neck.

“Go.” But even my voice sounded weak. I involuntarily trembled at the image of the Dark Kingdom.

Torrin sat at the edge of my bed, which made me very uncomfortable.

“Bad dream?” He asked softly.

I nodded.

He leaned towards me and I leaned further away.

I said, “You have done your job in ensuring my safety over the course of the night. My lady’s maid can help me. I am sure you have already instructed them not to leave my side.”

Torrin leaned back and stood. He dipped his head before exiting the room.

My lady’s maid helped me dress in a navy blue dress with white designs along the bodice, sleeves, and hem. After securing my hair into an updo, I was escorted from my room to breakfast.

I near ran into Miralia arms. She pulled me to her, shaking.

“Isadora, I was so worried when you didn’t come back and King Torrin refused to leave your room. He interrogated me. He yelled. I am so sorry, I was terrified. Are you hurt?”

I wrapped her in my arms, calming her. “No, I am not hurt. And he did nothing but growl. I am well, no more fretting.”

She nodded against me despite I could still feel her soft trembles.

“Come, show me what Cook has made for breakfast.”

After dishing out food at the breakfast counter, we seated ourselves next to Mother.

Mother took a bite. “You made quite the ruckus last night, Isadora. That does not bode well with your responsibilities as future Queen. A Queen does not sneak off.”

I took a sip of my water.

“Yes, Mother. Yesterday was a bit of a shock for me.”

“A Queen never reacts to situations. She assesses and acts demurely in every circumstance.”

Mother always acted collected, which bothered me the most growing up. I wanted Mother to show some sort of passion or interest, instead she always displayed a face of perfect finesse and indifference.

“You are right, Mother. I will do better.”

Knowing compliance was better than speaking out, I accepted her advice and silently ate my breakfast.

Miralia smiled and her eyes brightened. “Father has decreed a ball in a fortnight for your birthday as well as your…um… betrothal. Invitations are to be sent out today. Shall we go see whom they are being addressed to?”

I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. I used to find wonder and excitement in the balls. But now that my fate had been sealed, I didn’t know if I cared who attended or not. But to be in Miralia’s sunlight, I threw on a smile.

“Yes, let’s shall.”

As we whispered gossip in the hallways about one suitor or another for Miralia who had been invited, I paused as the sun started to set, feeling the yearning to go watch the sunset by the ocean and watch as one by one the stars began to shine. I knew the North Star would already be out. Already, I was questioning which constellations I would be able to find that night.

“I hope your thoughts are staying within these castle walls tonight, Isadora.”

I jumped at King Torrin’s voice so close to mine. I had not seen or heard his approach.

Miralia quickly curtsied before turning around and quickly disappearing in the hallway. I knew Torrin made her scared and anxious. I only wish I had an excuse to follow her.

“You may have weaseled your way into my room. But you will find you are not capable of caging my thoughts as you have done to me.”

He lifted my hand into his, placing a quick kiss to it. “No, but your physical presence by me is all I require. For if you are near me, you are safe.”

I extracted my hand. Truly, a ridiculous word: safe. One person's version of it did not make it another’s.

“I was wishing to watch the stars come out over the ocean.”

“Ah, I thought we had agreed you would not venture out again.”

“There was no agreement.”

He took another step and I took another step backwards until my back hit the wall, forcing me to get stuck in a corner of the hallway.

“No slip-ups, Isadora. You know how easy it would be to take over this little kingdom of yours. I have now traveled through your land and already scoped out every inch of the castle. I know where everything is. Your strongholds, your weak links, which villages and cities to take over first. Fildira can be mine in three days. Your parents will be exiled or locked away. Your sweet, timid sister Miralia, I wonder what imaginations I can come up with for her future.”

I scowled and grabbed Torrin’s lapel, pulling him closer to me, and only became more infuriated when Torrin appeared pleased by my reaction.

“You leave Miralia alone. We will marry.”

“Then kiss me.”

I blinked, thrown off by his command. He put his hands on either side of me, pleasantly waiting.

He said, “Show me you intend to become mine.”

My breathing quickened. I had actually never kissed anyone before. I shifted underneath him. His brown eyes observed my discomfort, which only deepened his gratification.

“Our agreement does not include anything physical.”

“What do you think is part of marriage if not for the physical? I do require an heir.”

Blush immediately rose to my cheeks at what he was implying - something I was completely innocent in.

He put his hand around my neck and drew my head towards him. I put up resistance against him, but he was far too strong, and I was far too pinned in the corner.

He pressed his warm lips to mine. Slowly, grazing his lips against me, before deepening the kiss. His thumb ran along my cheek as his body came closer to mine and I couldn’t scrunch my body any further into the corner.

Despite my discomfort, a tingling ran over me. One I had never experienced before. I had never been kissed and there was a part of it that caused a new sensation to rumble through me.

Torrin pulled away, smiled, and left, heading to my room. I wiped the kiss from my lips, scowling. We were betrothed, and he was soon to become my husband, but that didn’t mean I was his.