Bound to the Throne

Chapter 3 - Kennah

"You poor thing," Martha says as she wipes off the dried blood on my face. The lines around her lips from age deepened as she frowned. Aric's ring left a small cut on my cheekbone when he slapped me. I hope the hit he took messed up his face as well, discoloring his perfectly tan skin tone with a deep purple. Thinking of the force behind the swing, I'd be surprised if it didn't. "I cannot believe the rebels chose tonight of all nights to stage an attack. It's a good thing Aric was there to defend you before being claimed by the same fate as his guard." She shakes her head, ridding the thought from her mind. I suppress the laugh that is climbing its way up my throat. Aric filled my father in on his heroic save. He told him how Carrin was killed by someone pretending to be a guard. He fought off the attacker and managed to get us to safety. He regained consciousness before someone found us, so nobody questioned it. They didn't even question how Aric managed to drag Carrin into the room with us. He wasn't scrawny by any means, but Carrin towered over nearly everyone.

“Have you been told any details?” I was instantly rushed to my room when we were located. I didn’t get a chance to discuss the matter with my father. If anyone knew something, it would be the servants. They are spread all throughout the castle day and night. If even one witnessed something, it would spread between them like a fire. It’s been hours and I need to know. It happened at my engagement celebration. It feels personal. That's why I'm so confused as to why I was left unharmed. If their plan was to stop the wedding, killing the bride would have accomplished that.

“They are saying that it’s an attack by the rebels. The same ones who preached to all the villages that those who play God should not be in power. The same ones killing those who do not revoke their support. They attempted to kill the Kings, but failed. The only casualties are the guards who interfered,” She explained while ringing out the cloth into the bowl of water. It explains why I was spared, but my gut tells me they weren't the ones here tonight.

I opened my mouth to explain to her how absurd that was. How surely there can’t be a group trying to free those who seek to kill their very kind. They're trying to free themselves, not add even more threats to their lives. I want to tell her about what I witnessed. To ask her about the possibility of Elves being behind it, but a knock on the door prevents it all. Martha heads toward the door to open it. I stand as custom when a guest arrives. "Hello castellan." She greets him. He nods his head in response before turning his gaze on to me. "Your father sent me to introduce you to your new guard. This is Laiken. He will be following you around from now on." I forget my manners as soon as I look at him. This man had to be sculpted by the gods themselves. His bright golden copper eyes lock onto mine. I'm sure he's waiting for me to say something. Something has to be wrong with me. I just watched my guard murdered, and now I'm staring speechless at his replacement. Then again, what do expect when you keep all men the same age away and then bring him in.

"Well, I will leave you to familiarize yourself with the princess' quarters. We are down in numbers for guards, so you will be responsible for all exits." The castellani directs his words to Laiken. I can't help but watch Laiken as he began to move around the room. This man is tall and sculpted. You can see every ripple of muscle in his arms. I didn't even notice that Martha had gathered her things. "Now that you have protection again, I really need to get back to the rest of my duties. I will be back to check in on you later." She gives me a warm smile and leaves. I stand awkwardly by the fireplace in the corner of my room.

"Why is there a chair in front of the escape tunnel?" He asks from the doorway of my bathroom.

"The lock on the bathroom side broke. I put the chair there to hear if it opened." I responded.

"You didn't think to tell your guard that it was broken?" The annoyance in his voice was enough to break me out of my fog.

"No. I'm so unintelligent that it never once crossed my mind." I spit with as much sarcasm as I can muster.

I can tell he's not used to people biting back. "So your solution to fixing it was an old-broken chair? You don't even have a lock on the bathroom door. Might as well just leave the tunnel wide open."

"I'm not even allowed to keep my comb in my room. You think I really have the tools lying around to fix it?" I think that I liked it better when the guards didn't talk.

I don't know if he accepts that as an answer, or if he's just done talking about it. "Let's go." He demands as he walks past me to the bedroom door. He reaches the door and turns to find me with my arms across my chest, unwavering from my spot. "I need to grab a few things to fix it, and I'm not letting you stay here alone to be killed on my first day."

I stormed past him, not waiting for him to close the door before leading me. I heard him mutter a curse before catching up. We don't talk the rest of the way. It's not until we're on our way back to my room that I break the silence. "I need to see my father." I don't wait for a response, and he doesn't give one. I knocked on his office door. I hear footsteps coming to open it. I look back at Laiken, "You might want to stay out here and guard the door. You know, since we only have rickety chairs to lock the doors." I smiled mockingly at him before stepping inside.

"Kennah." My father says without looking up from his parchment. I notice his once thick hair is turning white and receding. It makes it easy to see the lines running along his forehead. His tell-tale sign that he is enraged.

There's no point in small talk, so I get straight to it. "I don't think we were attacked by the rebels. They have always been random and messy. Whoever the attackers were today were far more advanced."

My father sat down his quill and looked up at me. "Have you personally seen the rebels attack?" The way he asked was not out of curiosity.

"No, but it has been evident in the reports. They focus on structural damage and death count. Only unarmed nobles who support the throne have been attacked. They are not trained, so they focus on the weak. They know that the only way they can hurt us is by stripping us of our support." His face shows that my efforts are doing little to sway him.

"I release what knowledge I want in the reports. Relaying every piece of information would lead this kingdom into pure chaos. You have been privileged by living here where you had no reason to fear the rebels. Now you need to accept it." He looks back down at the parchment. I know he means that as my queue to leave. I push. "What knowledge was held back?" I barely finished my question when he stood up and slammed his hands down on the desk. "Enough!" I'm sure his voice carried throughout the hall. "You have no place discussing this matter. You have one duty to this kingdom. You are days away from marriage, and you have yet to accept your place. I suggest you practice that now. Once married, Aric can decide to remove you from the throne for any disobedience. Learn to be grateful before you find yourself outside these walls. Now go."

I storm out into the cool hallway. Laiken follows without a word, or maybe he did. I'm too consumed with rage to acknowledge what is going on around me. I'm tired of not being taken seriously. I'm tired of being just a pawn. I'm tired of feeling that my feelings do not matter. I'm tired of it all. When we reached my room, I didn't give Laiken the chance to secure it. I opened my door to step inside, and then turn around to shut it in his face. To hell with the escape door lock. Someone sneaking through to kidnap me almost sounds like a relief. The real danger to me is within.

I popped open the loose wooden plank on the floor and grabbed a bottle of wine that I stored beneath it. I may not have any control over my life, but at least I can numb it. My father's words echo in my head on how I should be grateful. Grateful for what? I have less freedom inside this castle than those outside of it. As the final days before the wedding grow closer, I'm finding it harder and harder to suppress what I realized a long time ago. The throne is a place of evil. The kings had everything they needed to cast the protection on the land. They just wanted more power. Since I am my father's only daughter, they needed something to force me into it. They placed the lives of everyone on my shoulders. They knew unlike them, I'd put them first. Even at the cost of breaking my own soul to do it.