Sneak Peek of Poisoned Throne
Death…
It’sfunny how you never think you’d ever wish for it to take you, but then you’re put through hell. Sometimes, it’s the only thing you end up wishing for because it would bring you peace. That’s all I want these days because the life I’m currently living is one that no one should endure as a teenager.
It’sfunny how life can change in the blink of an eye and your reality becomes something you never dreamed of.
Thesting of the whip against my back brings me out of my thoughts and a scream rips out of me. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve had so far today. AllI know and feel is the pain of my torn skin as blood drips down my back from the force of her hits.
“Where is it?” she asks for the millionth time.
“I already told you, I do not know who they are, or where the papers are!” I hiss as another lash of her whip catches me.
Rightnow, she has me in the middle of her torture room with my hands attached to the cuffs she has hanging from the ceiling. She cuffed my legs as well, and I’m standing here in my panties. It’s easier for her to leave marks and bruises on my skin.
I’msubjected to her humiliation almost daily and I wish this torture would just end. She should just kill me and end it because if I ever escaped from here, I’d come back and kill her. She deserves nothing less.
Iknow someday, my wish will come true. I just have to bide my time and wait for the perfect opportunity. Another scream rips out of me when she rains down more lashes. My entire body aches. I don’t know how long I’ve been in this room today, but it feels like it’s been hours already.
I’mon the verge of passing out when my mind goes back to the day my life changed, and I ended up in this situation with my horrible stepmother ruling over me.
Numb…
That’s the only feeling I can comprehend as I make my way into the church. I don’t remember the last time I was inside of a church, but I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that this would be the reason I’d need to enter one again.
AllI want to do is cry because of how unfair life is and because my heart shattered the day I got the news. Why did this have to happen?
I always thought of him as someone who was invincible, even though in the back of my mind I always knew someday we’d get to this point. Even from a young age, I knew the life we lived wasn’t a normal one. Nothing is impossible, and no one is invincible, as today proves to be.
I make my way to the front of the church and sit in the first pew. This is where I’m expected to sit as the daughter of VladimirRomanov. I’d rather be away from all the people that will be here, but because of expectations, I need to be the perfect daughter. For the first time in my life, I hate these expectations.
IfI don’t go along with these expectations, she’ll make my life a living hell like she’s done this past week. How has it only been a week since tragedy struck my family again, when it feels like an eternity has passed?
RavannaRomanov… the devil in disguise.
God, how I hate that woman, and this past week, she’s shown me just how much she hates me as well. Today, I left the mansion early because I couldn’t stand to be in her presence any longer. How can one week change your life so drastically? My childhood house no longer feels like a home and it’s all because of her.
My heart hurts so fucking much. I want to scream and rage at him for leaving me, but there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. My mind wanders, so I don’t have to think about what’s about to happen. I look around the church. It’s beautiful, though I can’t really bring myself to appreciate its beauty right now. What’s about to happen isn’t beautiful.
Death…
I guess it’s beautiful depending on who you ask, but when it comes to one of your own, it’s just depressing, and you’re left with nothing but pain. A moment later, I hear the quiet chattering from the people arriving. Time sure flies when your mind is being bombarded with a million different things at once.
It’s been over an hour since I’ve been sitting here and the knowledge that it’s getting closer to saying goodbye has me on edge again. I never thought I’d have to do this at such a young age. I thought we’d have years ahead of us, that maybe one day, he’d be able to play with his grandchildren or something. I never thought it’d be today.
How do you say goodbye to the one person you loved unconditionally and the one who loved you for the entirety of your life? I feel that familiar pang in my chest at the thought I’m an orphan. I have no one else in this world.
Life just got complicated and I’m not sure how to navigate the new system. I have a stepmother, but she’s made her disdain for me quite clear, and I’m inclined to say I feel the same about her.
When she married my father, I thought he would get another chance to find happiness, but she was just a snake lying in the grass, waiting to strike. I never knew the extent of her hatred for me, at least not until this past week.
My anxiety is through the roof. I’m not sure what else she has in store for me, but I know it’s not anything good. Right now, my dress is covering the bruises she’s given me, so yeah, life won’t ever be the same again.
A slap to the face, a punch to the gut...
The malicious glint in her eyes says that there’s more to come. More of what, I’m not sure, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to survive this new life I’ve been thrust into. I push those thoughts aside. I need to focus on the fact that I’m about to bury my father.
She comes to sit in the pew next to me, though she keeps some distance between us, which is perfectly fine with me.
“Good afternoon, everyone. We’re here today to pay homage and to celebrate what was once the life of VladimirRomanov…” the priest starts, but it’s too much to bear, so I tune him out and concentrate on the numbness taking over my body. I haven’t shed a tear since I got the news, and I don’t know if that’s normal or if something is wrong with me. I do know if I start crying, I’ll never be able to stop. I have to be strong.
I still haven’t come to terms with the fact that it’s my father lying in that casket at the front of the church. How the hell is this happening? Life is just so unfair… but you have to be prepared for anything when it comes to life in the Bratva. At least that’s what he used to say.
First my mother and now my father, though with my mother, I never got the chance to know her. She died when I was just a few months old in a car accident, so I never knew her.
Today has been a cloudy day, but suddenly there’s a burst of sunlight that streams through the window that’s at the front of the church. I look up through the veil that’s covering my face, the one I used as a barrier between me and everyone here today. I hope it’ll keep them away because I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone.
The light lands on the casket and directly on me. Is that a sign? DoI take it as one? That my father is letting me know he’s fine and supposedly in a better place? Who the hell knows?
The church is packed with people, and I know it’s not because they really care. It’s because they want to see if he’s actually dead. My father was a man people feared because he was ruthless when he needed to be. What would you expect from the don of the RomanovBratva, though?
Most of them are here to see what information they can get regarding my father’s empire and who will take over. Fucking vultures, all of them.
When the service is finally over, I’m the first one out of my seat, heading to the door. I need some air right now. As discussed with my stepmother earlier, I know I can’t leave yet since I have to stand at the door with her while we listen to everyone give their condolences and what not.
She comes to stand beside me a minute later without saying a word. Why would she? She thinks speaking to me is beneath her. In a few years, I’ll literally have more power than she could ever dream of, and she thinks I’m beneath her? What a fucking joke.
This week, my eyes have finally been open to the snake that’s been living with us all along. I’ve had a bad feeling all week. Something bad is on the horizon, and I’m sure it has something to do with her. I’m only seventeen, so I know I can’t take her on, especially not on my own.
She’s now being seen as my caretaker, so people will follow her. I can’t do much about it, seeing as she’s older and I’m not the head yet. They probably think she has my best interests at heart, but I know she doesn’t. If she could pull the wool over my father’s eyes for so long, I know she’ll be able to do that with everyone else as well.
For the time being, I can’t trust anyone besides myself. It didn’t take them long to switch sides and start following her orders. I let out a quiet sigh, knowing the worst is yet to come. I just hope that whatever it is, it doesn’t break me.
People pass by us one after the other, saying how sorry they are for our loss, yada, yada, yada… I hate this part because I’d rather be anywhere but here at the moment.
But then that would be a disservice to my father, and I would never want to disrespect him. After all, I loved him dearly and now I have no one, and no, stepmother dearest doesn’t count. I have a feeling she’d much rather I was out of the picture.
This was never how I envisioned my life going, though I knew from a young age it would never be an easy one.
“Let’s go,” is all she says to me as the last person leaves the church. That’s the only words she’s said to me the entire day. Oh well, there’s no love lost between us.
We walk out of the church and down the steps toward the two limos parked in the front. The drivers open both doors and I slip into mine while she slips into hers and then we’re off. I’m actually glad I don’t have to ride with her, because it gives me a moment to get my thoughts together before we get to the cemetery. Small blessings, I guess. That’s all I can hope for right now.
I just stare out the window the whole ride there and thirty minutes later we pull up to the cemetery.
As soon as I step out of the car, the skies open, and the rain starts pouring. IfI was a superstitious person, I’d be inclined to believe that was an omen for bad things to come.
I lift my head up and let the rainwater wash over my face for a few moments before walking toward where the casket is laid over the open grave, waiting to go in.
The priest starts the last prayer and for the millionth time for today; I get lost in my head. The memory of the last night I spoke to my father resurfaces in my head.
“Tell me a story,” I say as I lay on the bed next to my father. He’s been sick for a few weeks now and he’s been getting worse as the days go by. I know he’s just trying to stay strong for me.
“Which one? Your favorite?” he asks.
“Yeah, the one about you and Mom,” I say. I’ve always loved listening to their story and how crazy he was about her from the moment he laid eyes on her. I hate the fact I didn’t get the chance to get to know her, but I knew about her and that has to be enough.
“Once upon a time, the king of the Romanov empire went to a party the Roths were throwing. It was a boring fucking party, but as soon as he saw SophiaRoth, he knew she was his,” he says.
“Did she know she was his?” I ask, giggling because I know how this story goes.
“Nah, she resisted at first, so naturally I had to steal her away,” he says with a straight face. “But it didn’t take her long to realize that she was meant for me just as I was meant for her. Less than a year later, she was pregnant and when she finally gave birth to our baby girl, it was the second-best day of my life. Our baby girl was the most precious and beautiful thing that ever graced the face of this earth,” he says.
I look at him with a smile on my face. “I’m glad you two had an epic love story. I just wish I had gotten to know her.”
“You’ll always have a part of her in you. Know that she was brave and fierce, just like you are. She gave as good as she got and wasn’t afraid to put me in my place when I annoyed her,” he says with a fond smile on his face.
He then pulls me into him and gives me a kiss on the forehead before looking at me with a serious expression on his face.
“I’m not sure how long I have to live,” he says. I open my mouth to cut him off, but he silences me. “Shhh, sweetheart. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I need you to be prepared in case something happens to me. Know that no matter what happens to you in life, you’re a Romanov and they always survive, no matter what life throws at them.”
Tears form in my eyes. I can’t fathom a world without him in it. He leans over and wipes away the tears from my eyes before giving me another kiss on the forehead. I’ll never admit it, but I love it when he does that. It always makes me feel safe inside.
“If anything happens to me, know as soon as you turn twenty-one, the Romanov empire belongs to you, no matter who’s running it at the time. I’ve added some clauses that no one knows about and they’re to keep you safe. You already know how our family tradition works,” he says, and I nod.
“What do you mean, though? Is there something I should know about?” I ask.
“Your stepmother… something’s not right. Anyway, listen, I’ll take care of that. Don’t you worry about it,” he says.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Dad? I can help you if you need me to,” I tell him.
“Yes, I’m sure. Just promise me that if you ever need to run, you’ll get in contact with my lawyer in London. Only you and one other person know about him, and you need to keep it that way. If you ever need to go to him, he’ll know what to do.”
“Why would I need to run?” I ask, confused. He’s not making any sense right now.
“Something isn’t right, baby girl, and I need to get to the bottom of it. I can’t say much right now, but just know that if you do have to leave for any reason, come back once you turn twenty-one to claim your empire and kill anyone who stands in your way. Baby girl, this empire was always meant to be yours.”
WhenI came out of the memory of my father telling me that story for the last time, I looked back over to his casket and told him exactly how I was feeling, even though I knew I was lying.
“I hate you for leaving me with the devil herself,” I say before bending down to lay the rose on his casket as more tears pour out of me. I place a kiss on my fingers before placing it on the casket and say my last goodbye to the only person I had to call family.
WhenI rise to my feet again, that’s when the pain in my stomach resurfaces. LikeI said, this week has not been an easy one. My stepmother has finally shown me her true colors.
They lower him into the ground, and all my grief bubbles back to the surface. I don’t think I’ve ever been in this much pain before and it fucking sucks.
I didn’t have any other family. My father was the only family I had and now, even he’s gone. Most of his family was wiped out when I was just a child, and we haven’t spoken to the other half in years. I’m not even sure whether they’re still alive.
My mother’s family disowned her when she stayed with my father after he kidnapped her. They must not have liked my father, because from what I know, they’re just like us, though not as big or as powerful. TheRoths are a prominent family in Germany and they didn’t make all their millions by being strictly on the right side of the law.
I mean, if they were, my father wouldn’t have been on their guest list for the party they threw when he first saw my mother. I let out a sigh. There’s no use thinking about things I can never change.
“Goodbye, Daddy, I’ll forever keep you in my broken heart,” I whisper before getting into the car to get ready for the ride back home.
AsI walk out of the cemetery, I think back to the last words my father spoke to me. They were so unclear; I have no idea what I need to do right now. How the hell do I know if I should run or if I should stay?
I have four years until I can truly and fully claim the Romanov empire as mine. Four years before I turn twenty-one. I just hope I can survive it.
I just wish I knew at the time I wouldn’t get the chance to run…