Another short drabble, prompted by and written for a friend

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"I was wondering if you've been avoiding me."

Panicked, Ebony whipped around to face the direction from where the voice had come from, the long trail of her vivid red dress twisting around her ankles.

Kalmin stood in the doorway of the dark room where she had taken comfort in, that creepy smirk on his face and his crown sitting elegantly upon his head. His eyes traveled up and down Ebony, admiring the gown and the amazing job the servants had done to make Ebony look like... well, a queen.

"The dress suits you," Kalmin said simply, finally meeting her eyes as he slowly nodded. "You look so stunning, I could scarcely bare to take my eyes off of you during the coronation."

"Uh, yeah, congratulations about that, the whole becoming King thing." Ebony stammered, fiddling with the red string tied tightly around her forearm.

"Thank you, Ebony," Kalmin took a step forward, the door soundlessly shutting behind them, leaving the two with only the light of the bright full moon shining through the window. The shadows danced across the young monarch's face as he drew closer, making Ebony's heart beat faster as she desperately tried to create an excuse to escape.

"Why were you hiding in here? I was searching for you at the ball," He chuckled, an ominous sound to Ebony. "I've been saving my first dance for you, you know."

Ebony forced herself to smile, adjusting the elaborate skirt of her gown nervously. "Oh! Um, well, I felt a little uncomfortable in that huge crowd with no one I knew, and all these girls kept on glaring at me like I had killed their kittens, so I figured it would be safer for me to just- just get out of sight."

Kalmin only hummed in response, his focus on the red string secured around Ebony's arm. Something in his eyes intensified as he inched closer, so Ebony quickly strolled over to the other corner of the small room, hoping that he'd take the hint. Then again, he never did.

She turned her back to Kalmin, playing with the flowers in a delicate vase. "So, um, now that you're King and all, do you think you could speed up the process of me getting released? I know that my friends are worried sick, with me not being able to communicate with them and-"

"They were jealous." Kalmin interrupted. Ebony could practically hear the smirk return on his face in his voice.

"Excuse me?"

"The girls, who were glaring at you earlier," He clarified, his voice coming closer. "They were jealous of you."

Ebony let out a tense laugh, refusing to humor the newly-crowned ruler by turning around. "Why would those noble girls be jealous of me? I'm just the prisoner who get lucky enough to get invited to the Coronation because the guards had to keep an eye on her somehow. By the way, they aren't doing a very good-"

"You were chosen as my bride and they weren't." Cold breath blew onto her neck.

Ebony's blood ran cold. She spun around to face Kalmin, who was trying to lean forward as close as he could. She backed away, hands in front of her. "Bride?" She demanded. "When did that happen, because I sure don't remember."

Kalmin motioned with a hand towards the red string fastened around her arm. "You were presented with the red string, and you accepted it and tied around your arm," He explained, speaking very slowly as if he was talking to a child. "By taking a red string presented to you during a coronation of a new ruler and attaching it to your person, you consent to be the sovereign's intended one while also announcing your engagement."

"What?" Ebony's voice cracked. "No no no, I- I didn't know! No one told me about that! I don't want- I don't even like-"

"You still need more convincing, Ebony?" Exasperatedly, Kalmin rolled his eyes, but soon fixed his attention back onto the frantic girl, fixing what he must have thought was a charming smile on his face, but actually looked like a snake about to devour his prey. "You know how I feel about you."

"No, I don't! Listen, can't you just-"

"You're perfect," As Kalmin edged closer, Ebony took another step back before her back hit the wall. "Everything I want in a wife, all wrapped up in one, exquisite package." He reached out to brush a stray hair behind her ear, and in response, Ebony shuddered.

Ignoring her discomfort, the young king continued. "You're beautiful, and I can't seem to stop thinking about you. Can't you see, Ebony?" As Kalmin leaned in, Ebony placed her hands in front of her, trying to form a barrier. "We were made for each other," He whispered, the crazed look returning. "Made for you to be at my side as my bride, my wife. After all," He chuckled. "Where would a king be without his queen?"

"Please stop," Ebony pleaded, trying to push the persistent boy away to no avail.

"Give me one reason," Kalmin said, putting a hand on the wall next to her head. "Why we wouldn't work, so that I can set you straight and make you see the light."

Freezing, Ebony hesitated before speaking. "You make me uncomfortable, and honestly, even if you didn't, I'm just not interested."

Kalmin raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "That's it?"

Face hardening, Ebony replied, "Look, no means no. You need to back off."

Lowering his face to Ebony's, who tried to squirm away, Kalmin murmured darkly, "Let me convince you otherwise..."

With no other opinion left, Ebony did what she had been restraining herself from doing the entire time.

She punched him in the face.