Chapter Seven
R aven
I woke up with a start, my heart beating at a rapid pace. Sweat poured down my face and drenched my clothes. I sat up, pushing away the heavy black comforter, rolling my legs over the bed. I looked around the room. How did I get here? I glanced down and saw that I was still in my rain soaked clothes. I frowned. I would need to do laundry after this.
I removed myself from the bed and walked into the ensuite. I pushed the red and black shower curtain back and turned on the hot water. Slowly, I stripped, peeling away the clothing one by one as it stuck to my body like glue. Once I was completely naked, I peered at myself in the mirror.
Dark circles framed my eyes, and my black hair was a stringy, clumped mess. My skin was pale. I looked like fucking death . I could probably pass as the Grim Reaper if I wanted to.
I shivered and decided it was time to get in the water. I flinched for a split second before my skin warmed up to the heat. The beads flowed from the shower head and my shoulders sagged in relaxation as the motion pounded out the stress. I stood there for what seemed like hours before I finally used my coconut body wash, then shampooed and conditioned my hair. Once finished, I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around me. I ran through the motions as I got dressed and tried to make myself presentable.
I walked out of the ensuite and glanced at the clock. Somehow, I had overslept. It was eight in the morning and I should’ve already had Julianna ready for school. Once dressed, I rushed out of my room and down the hall to my daughter’s room.
I opened the door and frowned when I walked through. Her pink and white butterfly bedroom was void of any children. I walked back out and closed the door, heading towards the kitchen. I passed a few guards on the way and they gave me a blank nod. The estate had very long hallways that had bedrooms on either side. The Queen’s quarters were on opposite sides of the estate from the King's quarters, but if I were ever to marry, we would be in the same room.
Finally, I made it to the kitchen. Helga was cooking away making breakfast and Father was sitting at the table with a paper in his hands. Julianna was nowhere to be seen.
“Well, if it isn’t Sleeping Beauty,” Father said rather sarcastically.
“Where’s Julianna?”
“She’s already been dropped off at school. You're failing miserably at your tasks, Raven.” My bottom lip trembled briefly, but I shut it down quickly. I wouldn’t show him the lingering pain he caused with his insults. I was surviving. He wouldn’t be able to control me forever.
I had to once again lock my emotions away when I was near him so his insults couldn’t affect me the way he wanted. I took in a deep breath and released it, relaxing my body in a way that the toxic environment couldn’t reach my inner walls. Once I was ready, I took a seat next to him at the table.
I could win a Grammy and he still wouldn’t be impressed. There was no pleasing this man. “Not all of us can be perfect,” I muttered under my breath, hoping he could sense the indifference rather than the battle I was fighting on the inside.
"I heard that," he said with a deep chuckle.
I frowned. What was up his ass this morning?
Helga placed a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon in front of me with a glass of chocolate milk. My favorite.
"Here you go, dear," she said in a soft tone. She was one of the sweetest people around, and we were damn lucky to have her.
"Thank you," I mumbled as I shoved a forkful of eggs in my mouth.
Father looked at me and shook his head.
"What?" I asked, as I swallowed down the eggs with gulpfulls of milk.
"Just like your mother," he muttered. It was as if he didn't want me to hear it, he spoke so low. But I did, and the pang in my chest was back.
Helga placed a plate in front of him and then set another plate across from me. I glared at the spot in front of me and raised a brow at Father. "Are you expecting company?"
He placed his paper down and grabbed a piece of bacon. He broke off a piece with his teeth and chewed. "Don't be coy, Raven."
I lifted my hands. "I'm not being coy. I'm just trying to figure out why you're being so damn secretive all of the sudden."
"Sorry I'm late," a deep voice replied, making me freeze as I held the piece of toast to my mouth.
My eyes widened when he took a seat across from me. The toast lowered back to the plate. I was sure it was just a dream. There was no way in hell Zeke was sitting in front of me. I wanted nothing to do with the asshole.
He grinned and shoved a piece of bacon in his mouth. The nerve of this two faced-
"We went over this already. Zeke is to be staying with us indefinitely."
Not if I can help it. "But-"
"That's quite enough. Now eat up, we have a meeting in twenty minutes." Father finished up his meal and left the room. I assumed he went to his office to prepare for whatever meeting he arranged, and I was already regretting it.
Being King of our country was something he didn't take lightly even if it meant sacrificing his own daughter's happiness. When I imagined myself as Queen, I expected things to be elegant, full of life and love. Just like the way things were when Mother was alive, but that went out the window when he was left alone to rule. Why did she have to die and leave me?Everything became fucked up the minute her last breath left her. We all died a little with her and I believed that I died a little more each day living this nightmare.
Our kingdom didn't run like normal ones did. There was a lot of fucked up shit that went on behind these walls. Granted, Father was a good man to his subjects for the most part, but to me, he was an asshole. And to Julianna, grandfather of the year.
Zeke sat across from me in silence, stuffing his face and getting pure amusement out of making me uncomfortable. If I hadn’t been so in love with the man who stole my heart, Zeke probably could’ve squeezed his way in and we would’ve been happy. The problem was the man who held my heart captive. It was him and only him. No one else would do. So while I felt a little guilty for being a cold hearted bitch to Zeke, I couldn’t help it. Not without
"What the fuck are you staring at?" I snapped.
He spit out his orange juice and bursted out laughing. "You're no ordinary Queen, are you?"
I scowled. "You're no ordinary King, either." I leaned forward and linked my hands together. "Tell me Zeke, what’s your endgame? We both know it's not me." My lips tilted up at the corners.
He smirked and moved his plate out of the way, leaning over the table. A dark grin morphed onto his face. "Don't worry, sweetheart, you'll find out soon enough."
He left a stunned me sitting at the table in silence trying to figure out what the hell his game was.
NOT MORE THAN THIRTY minutes later, I was surrounded by people I didn’t give two shits about. I yawned and picked at my nails as five parliament members took their seats in front of the King.
“Are you sure this is a good idea my King?” Craig, one of the older members, asked.
Father scoffed. “Of course it is. Why the hell wouldn’t it be?”
Another member opened her mouth, adding fuel to the fire. “For one, we don’t know this Zeke fellow. Two, what exactly happened in his last country? Are you sure you want him ruling beside your daughter? There could be severe ramifications...”
Father slammed his fist down. “That’s enough!” He sat back in his seat and frowned. “I’ve already thought all of this through. I understand your suggestions and concerns, but...I am King and as such, I have the right to do what I think is best for the kingdom. My kingdom. Zeke is fit to take my place as King.”
I rolled my eyes. No Father, he wasn’t. There was only one true King and he didn’t want anything to do with me or the kingdom.
“Queen Raven, do you object?” James, a younger member of parliament asked. I was surprised he had the nerve to ask me that question. It would only piss Father off more. At that, I smirked.
“Of course I do. You all know my thoughts on this. There is only one person that I will happily take as my King, and you know damn well that man isn’t here.”
They all nod in agreement. Slade had the approval of everyone in the kingdom. He was a hard ass for sure, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t the perfect fit. He was strong, steadfast with an iron fist and would protect anyone he trusted and loved. If things were different and Mother was still alive, we would have been able to rule together. He would have stayed.
“With all due respect fellow members of parliament, this is my daughter we’re talking about. As such, I know what is best for her. Much to her dismay, Prince Zeke is what’s best for her.”
I frowned. Actually, you don’t know what’s best for me. You never have. I opened my mouth to protest but he gave me a hard, silencing look. “Now, what other orders of business should we attend to today?”
“Your Majesty, there has been some illegal migration to the left side of the border. These people have been detained, but they are all suffering from injuries. They’ve claimed that the King of Slovoka is doing away with any form of government and the conditions to live and have a life there have grown incredibly harsh.” Another young member of parliament, I couldn’t remember her name, stated.
Father told me it was best to be on a first name basis with the members of parliament because they would always have the back of their King and Queen if they acknowledged those of a lesser fortune.
He sat back in his chair and scratched his midnight beard. His gaze met mine briefly, and he nodded. “Right. James?”
The younger member looked up from his notepad. Amber eyes wild and on full alert. “Yes, Your Highness?”
“See to it that you escort the Queen to the jail. She will meet with the illegal detainees one by one, and decide what type of judgment they shall receive, if they receive any at all.”
I sucked in a sharp breath and released. Another test. When would I ever be done with these ridiculous tests?
James’ gaze met mine in a look of approval. I nodded to acknowledge him, but didn’t say anything further.
Father wrote something down in his notes and looked up. “Anything else we need to discuss today?”
Every member shook their heads. The King’s lips tilted at the corners. “Perfect. Now, if you’ll excuse us, the Queen and I have further matters to discuss.”
The members nodded, stood up and took a bow or curtsy in front of us and left. The only person that remained in the room was Anna, Father’s advisor and confidante.
“Anna, please arrange a meeting with Zeke in thirty minutes. We need to discuss wedding plans and set a date.”
Her eyes widened for a minute, but she responded, “Yes, my King.”
She left the room and I swallowed the giant lump in my throat.
“Don’t make me do this. Please, don’t ask me to marry him.” My heartbeat quickened as I moved closer.
He looked up from the notes on his desk and frowned. “It’s what’s best for Amenida, Raven. Sometimes we have to push our own happiness to the back of our mind so we can make sure that others are happy.”
I shook my head and paced the length of the hardwood floor. My fingers gripped my hair. I’d been doing that my entire life. Making sure others were happy. Making sure he was happy. I went through Hell with him and it still wasn’t good enough. Why couldn’t I have the one thing I desired? The one thing I wanted?
“Stop wearing holes in my damn floor.”
I looked up and glared. "No. Fuck you," I spat.
His brown eyes darkened. "You will do what I tell you to, Raven."
I placed my hands on my hips. "The hell I will!"
He slammed his fist down on the mahogany desk and rose to the terrifying height that gave me nightmares as a kid. That still gave me nightmares. I shivered. I closed my eyes and breathed. I wouldn't let him do this. I was a Queen and I was strong enough to run Amenida on my own, so why didn't he think so? Why did he have to sell me to the highest bidder?
I opened my eyes and met his furious ones. "I have waited patiently. You said he was coming back for you and Julianna, but he hasn't. It's time to move on, daughter, even if that means you have to be forced into it."
My heart rate sped up and my mind ran wild. Forced into it? No one was forcing me to do anything. I came back to the same question, how was he my father? What kind of parent did that to their kid? I missed Mother so much, but when Father did shit like this, it made me wonder what she ever saw in him.
I opened my mouth to interrupt, but he cut me off. "You will walk down the aisle in a white dress, and you will rule this kingdom with Zeke at your side, or there will be consequences. I am too old to be doing this on my own anymore. I want to retire. I need help and so do you. Discussion is over."
Tears rolled down my face as I looked into his eyes. At one point, I was Daddy's little girl. The man who stood before me was no longer the man Mother loved. That man died before she passed. In his place was a weak, dangerous man willing to sacrifice his own daughter and granddaughter in the name of money. Power.
I turned away from him and opened the door. I looked back over my shoulder and met his gaze once more. "I guess I'm no longer Daddy's little girl, huh?"
A pained look flashed across his face, but I ignored it. I stepped out of the room and slammed the door shut behind me. A hiccuped sob escaped my throat at the thought of telling my daughter her daddy was never coming back, and that she was gaining a new one. I slid down the door and cried for a broken childhood, and the man who stole my heart and never gave it back.