Alliar

Lord Naxx Devié spun me around the dance floor with grace. He was a nice man, middle aged with a kind face and a gentle touch. We made little conversation as we danced. He was a noble man from the Kings Isle, the golden city. Here to represent their young King who was unable to visit as his wife was about to give birth to their first born. I smiled hearing the news. It was often, Kings left for a hunt when their children were being born – anything to get away from the bloodshed of childbirth. My own step-father Petar left for a month long hunting trip when Kaya was born.

The music came to a stop and I curtsied to Lord Naxx as he bowed low. "Thank you my dear, that was most enjoyable."

"Thank you my Lord." I smiled.

Someone cleared their throat behind and I quickly turned, my smile still holding on my face.

"Little Miss. May I have the next dance?" He was an older man, his blond hair receiving and his face wrinkling as he smiled. He held out his hand towards me and I took it without hesitation. He bowed low and placed a small kiss on my hand. My smiled died as soon he bowed and my eyes landed on the pair of black ones glaring at me. I had caught Jonathan's attention.

A shot of fear ran down my spine. He didn't appear too pleased. In fact, he looked the maddest than I have ever seen him before. His black crown sat firmly on his head and his hand rested on the hilt of a dagger hidden beneath his tunic.

Well, it's too late to back out now. I lowered my brow, narrowing my eyes and smirked at the King. I only saw his grip tighten and his lips push firmly together before the man in front of me straightened.

"It would be my pleasure." I smiled and accepted the dance.

We twirled and moved through the dance floor, not as well as my last dance, but most certainly not the worst I've suffered through. My entire body seemed to be on fire, though I was certain it was from the glare that was stabbing me in the back repeatedly. I knew Jonathan was watching me. I could feel his anger creeping up my spine like an un-scratchable itch. It was uncomfortable at best.

The dance ended and another eligible partner emerged from the crowd. I continued to dance with men I had never seen or met before while Jonathan watched me carefully.

I danced with the representative form Leece, slipping my little illy written poem into his hand as he guided me across the dance floor. A tap on my shoulder interrupted our dance. The Representative from Leece bowed his goodbye and quickly retreated from the hall – probably to examine my letter and devise his own way of passing on that information without detection. I turned to the man who had interrupted me mid dance – not a very gentlemanly move.

He was a very large man, tall and built and covered in hair. He had a balled head with a thick black bared around his face and brown eyes. His tunic was opened slightly revealing his chest covered in hair, as was his arms and his thick long fingers.

"Shall we?" He asked me, grabbing my hands instead of waiting for a response. I was a little taken aback by the audacity of the man. How dare he not ask for a dance and how dare he not even bow to me! His grip on my right hand was firm while his hand on my back held me far too close against him. I turned my head looking towards the thrones. My eyes searched eagerly for Jonathan. He was speaking to his Aunt and a few more of his guest, his back turned slightly to me.

The large brute dropped his hand on my back even lower to a much more uncomfortable level. "Excuse me." I said trying to step back from the man but he only pulled me closer. Quickly I scanned the guards in the room looking for a knight I knew. Horick, or Nicolai, but I found none.

The man leaned down and whispered in my, "I know you know how to please a man."

At that, I took matters into my own hands. Bringing up my heel I slammed the sharp point down into the man's foot, enjoying the screams of pain that left him. "Don't you dare - " I started to yell at him but was lifted off my feet and dragged to the other end of the dance floor. Jonathan spun me around and quickly started guiding me in a dance, his eyes on my previous dance partner.

"I had everything under control." I said through clenched teeth.

He didn't look down at me, only stared. His chin lifted high, his eyes dark and dangerous. It was a look I had learned to recognise well. It was the same look he had given me in the cell's when I called him a monster, it was the same look I received when I had angered him beyond comprehension. It was a warning, a threat. "Yes, I could see that."

"You doubt me?" I questioned, raising my arms and resting them on his shoulder hoping to gain more of his attention.

Jonathan turned his attention to me after sending one last glare in the other mans direction, his eyes softening only slightly as they faced me. "What are you doing?"

"Dancing." I replied like it was obvious.

He gave me a calculating look. My motives weren't missed.

"Was I not doing it right?" I gave the most innocent look I could manage.

"What are you wearing?" His eyes scaled down my dress with arousal and distaste.

"A dress."

He rolled his eyes. "More like a rag."

I tapped his shoulder slightly. "I resent that."

"And I resent you." There was a fierceness to his eyes. "Go get changed."

We stopped dancing by the main door. "But I like this dress."

He took my hands off his shoulder and set them by my side. "I will drag you down the hall and make you dress as a temple servant if you don't start walking now." He spoke through clenched teeth.

I cringed at the 'temple servant' and spun, quickly, on heel, headed for my chambers. Once I heard the doors shut firmly behind I let out a sigh of relief and smiled brightly. Well that went better than I expected.

I basically skipped down the hallway and entered my room, my smile still wide on my face. I kicked my door shut and walked over to the wardrobe, opening the doors and looking at the small range of dresses. None of them really suit –

A hand clasped around my mouth firmly, the smell of dust, dampness and dirt filled my nose while another hand grabbed my waist firmly, lifting my feet off the ground. I tried to scream out but my voice was muffled by the hand. I could feel bruising forming along on my waist and my mouth from the harshness of this persons grip – A man was my guess, no woman had this much strength. I kicked out violently, my thoughts all scattering.

Help! I wanted to scream out.

I dug my nails into the man's flesh and kicked at his knees caps. His grip loosened and he let go, dropping me to the floor. I glanced up quickly. He was dressed all in black, only his hands and eyes showing – a light brown seeming red in the light of the torches. "You Little Bitch!" He flicked his hand as his trying to shake the pain of my nails drawing blood.

My breathing was laboured and erratic but I pushed myself up from the floor and made a run for the door.

"Help!" I screamed as I opened it ever so slightly, hearing as my voice started to echo in the empty hallway. I knew a shadow knight wouldn't be far.

The door slammed shut in my face as the man in Black in closed off my only exit. He made a clicking nose with his tongue as if scolding me. "Naughty girl" He spoke and pulled out a dagger.

I screamed louder than I had ever before and ran to the other side of the room – hoping to put some distance between us, some furniture as well. I started throwing furniture in the way. Pushing down my dresser to block his path and keeping the small rounded table between us at all times.

Sick of the time it was taking, the man grabbed the wooden chair and threw it, aiming for my head. I ducked just in time leaving the wood to shatter as it hit the stone wall. The man came for me, dagger at his side. I quickly spared a glance for my last escape - but there was none. He blocked my path to the door.

If I was going to die, then I was going to at least take this asshole with me. I quickly pulled myself to my feet and scrambled for a piece of broken wood from the chair. The man came closer and I tipped the table catching him off guard and making his attention waver. Taking my opportunity, I ran into him, pushing him onto the floor and pushing the sharp piece of wood into his throat.

Blood paused everywhere, gushing out as the man's body spasmed beneath me. His body still trying to breath as he choked on his own blood. I heard the door burst open and the sound of distant shouting, but that's all it was – distant. The only thing I could hear was the sound of the man gargling on blood, and all I could see was his brown eyes that once flickered red in the flame fade to a dusty brown. A boring dull colour that would be forever forgotten and over looked.

The life left his eyes as if it were never there to begin with.

Arms wrapped around me and hauled me up. "Don't look." Jonathan demanded me as he forced my face into his chest and tried to move towards the door.

It was too late. I had already seen enough.

It was all a blur. Being half dragged out of the room before they decided picking me up was just easier. Commands being yelled down the hall, people rushing back and forth. I couldn't focus on anything but how brown eyes could seem so alive one minute, and then so dull the next.

Before I knew it, I was being sat down in a large chair by a warm fire. Jonathan leaned down in front of me, his hands holding my head. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head no. Not trusting me, he started looking at my arms and every inch of exposed skin for injuries. "Is any of this your blood? Is anything stinging?"

Blood? I looked down for a moment to see my once beautiful blue dress now covered in a deep red. My stomach flipped. Pushing Jonathan out of the way I ran for the chamber pot and emptied my stomach of everything I had eaten that day. Tears streamed down my face and my head throbbed from the pressure and exhortation.

Once I had stopped, Jonathan gave me a cloth to wipe my mouth and a small cup of water. "All done?" He asked as if he expected me to be sick again.

I nodded once. I didn't have anything else to throw up. He helped me to my feet and steadied me with one hand as his other pulled at the laces on my dress. Stripping me of my blood soaked attire he pulled a shirt over my skin and then wrapped his fur blanket around me to keep me warm. I sat down by the fire, so close I could feel my skin burning – but I did nothing to stop it. The pain was a welcomed feeling in my numbed state.

I watch the flames flicker from red to yellow. The red glow reminded me of the red in the man's brown eyes and I felt like throwing up all over again.

"Here," Jonathan held a silver cup in my view. "Drink this, it will help."

I gently took the cup and stared at it. Warm water, steaming slightly, with herbs mixed in. "It will stop the nausea." He promised.

Jonathan sat in the chair across from me, his knees lightly bouncing next to mine. His head rest on his hand as his eyes watched me carefully take a small sip of the tea.

I took a deep breath and continued to watch the flames unable to focus my mind on anything other than the colours. "I can't stop seeing his eyes." I shook my head trying to rid my mind of the mental picture. "The way they turn lifeless and dull in an instant."

"It's not the first man you've seen die." Jonathan reminded me referring to the night the camp was sent on fire and attacked and he had killed many right in front of me. I had even shot an arrow at someone myself.

"Yes," my voice was silent and weak. "But I did it. Up close, I stabbed him in the neck, I watched his eyes turn dual and I watched as the life left him. The Life that I took."

Jonathan leaned forward, placing his hand gently on my knee and using the other to direct my face towards him. "You shouldn't." His eyes were almost begging me to believe him. "He tried to kill you."

I dropped my eyes, struggling not to cry.

"And, you did him a favour. If I got my hands on him," His tone filled with anger now. "Then he'd be dead ten times over, and a hell of a lot more pain – " He caught himself seeing my grave expression. I gave him the same expression as I did that day in the cell, when I had thought him a monster. "Don't look at me like that." He warned - I knew he hated it.

I shook my head. "How can you do it? Don't you worry he has a family? Children who would die if he doesn't return home?" I felt hollow thinking of the life he had, children he may have depending on him. What if he had a daughter all alone in some forest shack starving through the cold spring nights. I shuddered at the thought.

"I don't think about that." His voice was low now as if he were only just now considering the possibility. "They try to kill me, steal my crown or hurt the people I care for then they deserve what is coming to them. Simple."

"Not it's not simple." I meet his gaze again, challenging his ideals. "How can you have no remorse?"

"I've learned. You will too."

"I don't think I ever want too." I turned to face the flames again.

"No one ever does, but they all do, eventually." He went silent for a few moments, lost in thought I guess. "I do have a conscience."

I turned to face him, a little surprised by the tone in his voice. Soft, soothing, almost pained. "I remember them all. Sometimes their nameless faces, but others, I knew well. The first was a boy, young. He must of only been about fifteen. It was my first real battle and he came whaling at me with an axe." He looked down at his hands unconsciously. "I had stabbed him in the stomach without even thinking. It wasn't till he was chocking and struggling to breath that I saw how young he was – the same age as I was." Jonathan looked so pale in that moment, his eyes a haunted black still looking at his hands like they were foreign and not a part of him. "I couldn't stand watching him suffer so I took my dagger and I slit his throat."

I could feel the guilt radiating off him in waves. He carried everything with him. "I've condemned people to death who were later proven innocent. I've done a lot of things that live up to the name Reaper King. But when I feel I guilty, I think about the lives I have taken that have done good. The traitors I execute to save thousands of innocent lives."

As if catching himself, Jonathan turned to face him like he suddenly realised I was still there. He snapped out of his memories, his eyes returning to normal. "You shouldn't grieve for this man. He tried to kill you. It was him or you."

I nodded to him unsure of what to say. He stood from his chair and held out his hand towards me. I took it and let him gently guide me to my feet and over to the bed.

I got comfortable under the covers and closed my eyes, slipping into a light sleep. The flickering of brown eyes haunting my dreams.

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