Allerleirauh

Chapter 15

15

A knock on the door jolted me awake. Sitting up, I peered around the sunshine filled room. I must have slept into the late afternoon. Myriah sat up in the chair she had been resting in and lifted a finger to her lips. Cautiously, she rose from her seat and motioned for me to stay where I was with a flick of her wrist. I responded silently with a quick nod as another knock echoed around us. She crept towards the door and opened it warily.

“The König wishes for the princess Aurelia to visit him in his chambers.”

It was Lord Haven’s voice in the doorway and I shivered. I wished I could tuck myself deep beneath the blankets of my bed and disappear.

“The princess is ill, Lord Haven. She will not be able to attend to the König today.”

“The König requests that Aurelia join him no matter what state she is in,” he snapped.

“I’m sorry, milord,” Myriah sniffed back haughtily. “She will not.”

Myriah began to close the door, but the room echoed with the sound of Lord Haven’s hand smacking against it. He peeked into the room to stare at me. As soon as I saw his gaze, I understood that Lord Haven knew of my father’s deed. He had been a part of what had happened. Lord Haven’s sins were the same as my father’s.

“You will come to your father. You were told to do so,” Lord Haven growled through gritted teeth as Myriah continued to try and force the door closed. He braced his hand against the wood. I scooted back against the headboard of my bed.

“Did you not hear me?” Myriah gasped as she pushed against the door. “The princess is ill. She will not go to the König. You can tell him his deeds have sickened her. He only has himself to blame.”

Lord Haven’s eyes drifted to Myriah. Perhaps he was shocked to know I had spoken the truth to her.

“It’s too soon to claim child, if that’s what you’re insinuating,” he said with a dissatisfied frown and Myriah snorted.

“You best hope the König gave no such devil’s child to his own daughter.”

Lord Haven glared at Myriah.

“The princess will not go,” Myriah repeated forcefully. She didn’t allow Lord Haven to say another word. Instead, she succeeded in slamming the door, pushing him out at last. I could feel the tears stir to life, but Myriah shook her head as she studied me. She managed to share a warm comforting smile from across the room.

“None of that. We must be strong.”

I gave a small nod and wiped the wetness from underneath my eye.

“I just don’t want to be strong,” I confessed softly. “I feel as though I don’t know how to be. Not after . . .”

“Aurelia, there will come a time in your life when you’ll face things you don’t know how to face, people you will not wish to see, and things you’ll never want to do, but you’ll have to. And this my dear, is one of those things. You are strong, and you must believe it. No matter how small you might feel now, you must not let anyone strike your heart with fear.”

“And what if he comes back?” I asked with a trembling voice.

“What if he does?” she asked with a scoff. “We can answer the door and then, we can simply close it. If the König decides to barge his way in, he’ll have to get through me first.”

I was fearful of what my father could do, just from witnessing him myself. I tried my best to keep my fears at bay as Myriah pulled me from bed, and curled my hair into a small, low bun. Just as she finished, the door startled us again, a pounding louder than before rattling the hinges.

My breath caught in my throat. We both turned to stare at each other. Myriah lifted her hand, motioning for me to stay in place as she apprehensively edged closer.

“Yes?” She called out curtly, and a knock came in response.

“Yes?” Myriah tried again and my father’s loud, “Aurelia!” echoed back.

I knew from the fury intensifying in his voice he was not pleased. Myriah’s eyes asked me silently if I was ready for her to open the door. I inhaled as much as I could and nodded.

I saw my father in an arrangement of furs and gold in the doorway. His eyes searched the room, finding Myriah and then me.

“You did not come when I asked for you.” His words were not a question, but an angry accusation. I had not obeyed.

“She is ill, Your Majesty,” Myriah interjected but my father did not acknowledge her.

“I told you I would call on you and I expected you would come,” he said sternly, taking a step into the room. His glare burned into mine. I shivered but I stood.

“Perhaps I did not wish to see you,” I tried to find my voice as I continued to hold his gaze. “After how you soiled me.”

“I did no such thing,” he interjected with a haughty laugh as he slammed the door behind him. Myriah took a step towards him, but with the swing of his arm he pushed her out of his way.

“Away, woman,” he growled. “You keep your nose out of my affairs.”

He pointed his finger towards Myriah, locking his gaze with her. There was a tense moment until he turned his attention back to me. He grabbed my wrist with his fingers, and pushed me back down into the chair behind me. A jolt of fear struck me like cold water with his touch.

“I told you I would call for you,” he said angrily. “But I suppose now that I am here, we shall share our glorious news with your servant as well.” He grinned as he looked between the two of us. “In a fortnight, Aurelia shall become my bride.”

His gaze drifted back to mine as though he were daring me to object. He smiled more proudly when he realized I was not going to. My father leaned in towards me and brushed his lips against mine, just as I tried to push him away. With his hands around my wrists, he tugged me forward, closer, and press his lips against mine more firmly.

“No!” Myriah’s hands were between us in an instant.

I fell back against the floor just as I heard the impact of my father’s hand against her cheek.

“Insolence!” He shouted and pushed Myriah back, until she was eventually pinned against the wall. My heart raced as I pushed myself up on my elbows.

“Perhaps I’ve shown you too much mercy in the past. Perhaps I allowed you to get away with too much. Today, that changes.” His hands lifted to her throat as he began to squeeze. “You will no longer wait upon Princess Aurelia or step foot in the palace for that matter.”

He struck her again, the slap of his hand echoing in my ears. My voice filled the room with my pleas for him to stop, to release her, but he ignored me. I pushed myself up from the ground and pulled on his arm but he pushed me away with a growl.

“You’re a proud cow,” he snarled, glaring at Myriah. “I shall send you out of the palace just as I should have done long ago!”

Myriah’s glare did not falter as they stared at each other. The red imprint of his hand on her cheek deepened in color. I tried to push myself to stand again, but I saw Myriah raise her hand by her side. Be still. My father turned to look at me and pointed back at Myriah; a snarl on his lips.

“Do you wish to keep this pig, Liebling? To have her dress and tend to you?”

I glanced at Myriah, waiting to see if she’d give me direction in what to say next, but her stare was locked upon my father.

“I wish to keep Myriah at my side,” I admitted softly as tears rolled down my cheeks.

I had never seen my father so enraged. The curve of his lips turned into a sneer. Slowly, he pulled his hand away from her neck.

“Indeed, then there is only one way to ensure Myriah’s wellbeing,” he said as lifted a finger at me. “You must agree to marry me.”

Myriah shook her head at me, her eyes begging me to refuse. But I could not risk the chance in losing her. I needed her with me. I could not face my father alone. The dresses. I quickly began to search for words. I knew what I needed to do.

“Let me come to you, father, with a compromise.” I suggested softly, gathering my courage to continue. I walked towards the door, wanting nothing more than for him to leave. Jerking it open, I gestured for his departure. “I shall come to you before supper with my proposal.”

I gave him a small, courteous bow and left no room for further discussion. I hoped my promise would be enough. He shot a glare filled with poison towards Myriah.

“She speaks as though she were my Königin already,” he said, sounding strangely satisfied. He sauntered back towards me and the door. He lifted my chin with a strong finger and a smug smirk.

“My Königin.” The words were nearly a beast’s snarl as he spoke them.

I jerked my chin away. The swift rhythm of my heart reverberated in my ears as I prayed he would leave without another word. The moment the door closed behind him, I let out a soft sob and Myriah’s hands were immediately around me. She brushed my hair from my tear-stained face and stared into my eyes.

“You know what you need to do.”

With a dip of my chin, I agreed. I knew I would have to face my father again, and buy myself time to escape.