Whisper in the Dark

Chapter 14

Adult Content 18+

"Father I did as you asked of me."

"I know son." The king answers.

"Did you have your men follow me again? How could you do that to me? Don't you trust me?" The betrayal of his father should not surprise him but it always does.

"I am not sorry for my actions Perseus. I know what love does to a person and how you let your guard down. I also know that love will cause you to feel like you betrayed Marina. You didn't. She cannot give you an heir so she has failed her responsibility. You cannot take the throne without an heir." His father is stern in his response.

Perseus feels the anger rising in him. His father has no regard for the feelings of others.

"Did you ask yourself if I even wanted offspring? What if I do not want offspring and what if I do not care that she cannot have any children? Did you ever stop and ask yourself that?" Perseus does not care that the disrespect towards his father can be heard in his voice.

His father stops with what he was doing and turns to his son abruptly.

"My kingdom will not go to a man who is too weak to make decisions like this. You cannot sit on MY throne without an heir." He stresses his words. "You will be the strongest leader we have ever had and our people will evolve with you. There will be none like you before or after. I did not sacrifice everything I did for my son to be weak. You will take Vaneska and her bloodthirsty throne down once and for all. She will pay dearly for what she has done. Our kingdom is behind you and want wrath for their loved ones as much as we do. SHE WILL DIE!" He growls the words that the entire building shakes.

Perseus tries to control his anger towards his father. He may be weaker than what he was due to their mother's death but he is still the most powerful in their realm. He will destroy his son if he dares to disrespect him again. Perseus turns to leave before he loses his temper with his father. He did not even want the throne or anything that his father was forcing on him. He wanted revenge for what Vaneska did but he did not want it at the cost it came with. Was it then even worth it if it came at such a prize? He knows that all their followers wanted her blood as bad as his father. He was just starting to question if it was even worth everything they have done so far. Before he could reach the hall his father calls out to him.

"Do not let your judgement be clouded by your love for Marina. I do not care that you want to be with her but you will have an heir to succeed you and once that child is born you will realize that no amount of love replaces the protectiveness you will feel. We guard our offspring with our lives. Check up on her and then get to the girl. You cannot let anything happen to her."

"Father, I appreciate your concern for me and letting me go to Marina, but why do I need to watch the girl? Can't one of the guards do it?"

His father looses his temper and stalks towards his son before speaking through gritted teeth. "Because she might be carrying your heir and my grandchild. She is of more importance than you think." His father shoves him into the hall way before turning on his heel.

"I said go!"

Perseus is immediately annoyed. For a moment there he thought this crazy man was showing some compassion, but yet again his father kills the optimism in him. Why does he have to be so consumed by his hatred towards Vaneska and what is so important about this girl. It did not matter really to him. He quickly walks away when he has regained his composure. He was going to Marina, screw the girl. He will get to her when he gets to her.

Perseus quickly walks down the long corridors before reaching the end. He jumps off the ledge into the water and quickly glides through the water to the other side of the island where Marina lived with her family. He adored this woman. She was beautiful to him and she had a heart of gold.

He quickly swam into the underwater cave beneath the building protruding out of the side of the cliff. Descendants of royal blood were able to breathe above water and would live in the cliffs above the shoreline. Marina was the daughter of his father's cousin. His father's cousin was a brute of a man and not very well liked. He did, however, have a soft spot for his only daughter between all his sons. He showered her with affection and gifts. She was everything he was not and that may be why he treated her with such care and respect. She had a kind heart, respect for everything around her and she did not let her wealth or beauty get to her. She stayed humble. Everyone adored her but stayed away because of her father's dominance and jealousy over his daughter.

He quickly ran up the stairs, excited to see her. He slowed his steps when he neared the door. Her father was not to know that they were seeing each other. He wanted her to marry a land walker instead. He was not, however, aware of the two seeing each other secretly. His father's cousin did not like his own family in the least bit. He forbid his children from having any s****l relations with the other royals. He still believed that he should have been the rightful heir to the thrown and was bitter about this.

He knew his way around Marina's home so well by now. He quickly slipped past all the guards into her room.

"Perseus!" She ran into his arms as soon as she saw him entering through the door. She was expecting it to be one of her brothers. "You shouldn't be here!"

"I know but I had to just see you. My father is busy with his mad plans again and I just needed . . ." She hugs him quickly knowing he just needed comfort.

"There, there, my love. I know how he can be, actually how all of them can be." She scowled at the fact.

"It isn't long anymore then we will run away together and they can fight their own filthy battles. I will have no part of this feud or the war raging against Vaneska." He looks at her as she says these words and lays his head against hers again.

"We will soon be free." He says these words to her but a pang of guilty sprang up in him and eats away at him. How could he have done what he did and still profess to her his love. He loved her so much but his father had such a compelling way and he feared him deep down. He feared mostly for her life as his father isn't bother with her or her family or what happens to them.

"I need to go before someone sees me. I will see you soon." He says quickly before peering out of her door and slipping into the hallway.

~~

"Ugh, this is a lot harder than what I thought." Soraya says as she is scrubbing the floor of the tavern.

The girls have started their work at the tavern. The owner is sweet and enjoys the company of people. He likes to flirt with every woman he encounters as well, including the girls. His wife caught him groping Alexa. His wife on the other hand is not as much a people person and immediately took a dislike to the girls due to her husband's flirtatious ways. She has loaded their workload to a point that their hands have started to blister. The girls worked themselves to the bone trying to prove themselves. They couldn't be without work. Each day they would get their pay and if they did good they might stand a chance of getting the room of the girl who worked there before. At this point they ahd nowhere else to go so this had to work.

"Hopefully the bell will sound soon for us to go wash and get out of here. I am so exhausted and I think I am going to sleep like a log." Alexa says to her sister as she stretches her back.

"Ditto!"

"Oh, do you have time still to chitchat?" The grumpy old woman quickly says to the girls.

"No, ma'am!" Both quickly say to stop her from adding more work to their already heavy laden workload.

"Oh sweetheart, do not work the girls so hard on their first day." Her husband coos behind her.

The girls just roll their eyes and continue to clean the floor.

Finally the bell sounds and they jump up to quickly put away their things and get out before the grumpy old woman can hand them any more work.

"Finally! I feel so filthy!" Alexa just laughs at Soraya.

The girls quickly go to the river to wash. Soraya has been having difficulty entering the water and has been trying her best to hide her terror after what happened. She keeps wondering if he might be lurking in the water. Will he be able to sense her if she goes into the water. Regardless, she needs to wash as difficult as it is and if she remained in the middle of the group she might just feel a little more secure. She enters with her clothes on and pretends that it is because she needs to wash them as well. Soraya does not want anyone to see her nakedness. She feels disgusted by her body and what he has done to her.

Soraya washes quickly and gets out as soon as possible. Alexa just frowns at her sister and floats a bit on her back.

"Why are you in such a hurry? The water is relaxing and so soothing after all that work today. enjoy it a little more."

"No, thank you. Something might just be in that water. I cannot see through it so no." Alexa just shakes her head at her sister and goes under water to wash the sweat out of her hair.

"Hurry up! I want to go eat and then straight to bed. I am exhausted."

Alexa quickly washes and gets out. They hurriedly go home with the hopes that Ritro will be waiting with something good to eat. Nothing so far has been appetizing here.