My eyes never saw a man more of himself than the figure in the shadow of the dimmed chamber then. Pain stroke against my body as if restricting me to my bed and almost made me force my muscles to work after getting poisoned.
His silhouette I couldn't mistake, the crown prince, the enemy I sworn to kill. My breath sharpened like a blade.
"What do youwant?" the question slipped harder than I intended. He lifted his head, almost like a servant with softened eyes with rounded orbs, "You almost died...", he brushed his eyes over the outline of my face as if caressing it.
"Shame it didn't work..." I pinched but couldn't spit it out louder, thus murmured. He looked still, not at my eyes but everywhere. He felt hollow, tired. Fury on him could have been much easier to handle.
"I didn't order them to hurt you." he stated silently.
"And I am supposed to believe that draped in royalty, you refuse to drip outblood? [I gently frowned. ]
A faint smirk tugged his lips, gently leaning forward he replied: "You have seen nothing, Elara!"
Hearing my name in his voice, felt unreal but I didn't inquire for where he sourced my name from, Morwenna must have sold my name too!
His hands reached for the jug beside the bed, every muscle asked for an attack to be landed straight under his skin but he fearlessly poured a glass and set it on the side table again.
No touch.
No demand.
No command.
Just a service. I hated the confusion already.
My father didn't deserve to die! [I snapped]
No father does.. [he looked sorry and attacked, dropping his head down the shoulder.]
The way the words came out of his mouth made my heart coil, for a whims, it seemed that he was hugged by loss too. Nevertheless, I couldn't soften up.
"You are a liar!" I snapped again, rage all over my face, frown ruling my forehead.
"I saw your eyes in the hall." he stated, "You wanted to kill me."
His voice didn't accuse me, didn't allege me but they questioned my soul.
"Maybe I still want to!" a whif escaped with those words. A whif of alter, of unsurety, of something I never expected.
"If you wanted to, wouldn't you have tried again already?" he pulled his hands back and leaned in front of my face, closer. "I ain't your enemy."
"No?" my voice trembled as more air gasped out through my vocal cords, "Then why prison me?"
His hands hovered beside my waist, probably not to touch but to measure, every inch of my body felt like a nightmare, he noticed my discomfort and pulled away saying, "To keep you alive or Maybe you will not be in this position for long, you will have a huge promotion." he winked as he looked done with me.
I resented, my mind resented with full authority over my body, but not my heart.
I resented that my heart stuttered.
I resented the strange softness in his gaze.
I resented the strange idea that my revenge was going to be disoriented.
But because he was not a monster, he was not a beast but a mystery creature. One thing I knew for sure that he was neither a beast nor an angel.
Escape.
My only goal felt a wall away from me. However, my only target was also one wall away from me. How tragic! A wall stopped me. When I knew I would kick the wall broken, I suddenly seemed to know that it was not the right time.
The clasps on my wrist previously lifted above my head were released. Maybe that love striken prince did it. He perhaps thought that poison could tame me. He believed wrong. I brushed my fingers against the impressions on my wrist due to the locks and slid down the bed.
The balcony door was left open. Poor guards thought, prisoner like me, wrapped in lace wouldn't be a threat.
Fools.
The cold air caressed my face as I opened the salon doors of the balcony. Beneath the railing, there were rooftops, a fall deep enough to shatter human bones , unless calculated with precision.
The wind lifted my hair, urging me to jump forward.
Glare--- I am coming----I swear.
My breath steadied. One foot on the railing, the world spun below me.
Then---
A hand clamped onto my arm.
Not firm. Not soldier like but firm, unshakable.
"What are you doing!?"
"Caelum..."
Ofcourse again. Fate. The sick idea of its humour.
"I would rather die chasing freedom, than live breathing your air.", I sput, his grip was still unshakable above my elbow.
"Elara, this fall will for sure kill you.", his eyes pleaded.
"You think I want to live and serve your queen like coward Caelum", I was harsh as I hissed.
"You think I serve her because i want to? You think I am free?", anger flew into his aura as soon as I accused him like that.
I froze, the railing beneath my feet trembled. His grip loosened and walked to my wrist where it turned into a caress.
"THE QUEEN WANTS YOU DEAD, ELARA!"
"And I am doing everything to keep you alive." His fingers reached the nape of my neck pressing the spot where the poison had kissed me.
"You were one step away from death...", his eyes shifted to the wall behind me as if seeing the future. "Of course, I wouldn't let that happen."
For a second. I questioned my instinct. I questioned my abilities, my disabilities, my weakness and strength. Finally realising the end of it, I let my body jump into his embrace which he accepted with open arms and shoulders. He lifted me and landed me on the bed again.
It felt nothing but betrayal. My heart never lied to me, but today it did. Traitor. The fun of fate always finds a execution ground. But the most curious spot was: My enemy was not the potential enemy.