"You look very lovely." King Blakesley smiled sickeningly.

"Thank you." I replied in the most fake cheerful voice I could.

I had to keep up my act because he would be able to sense if I was getting snippy with him.

King Blakesley wore a black suit with a black button up underneath the open jacket. His shoes were so polished that I could see my reflection in them.

"Dinners on the balcony." He gestured for me to hook my arm through his as he walked us there.

I wanted nothing more than to jerk my arm away and slap him across the face but I couldn't. I had to refrain from anything that would put me in danger.

He led us through his chamber but instead of taking me to the terrace on the first floor he walked us up a white marble staircase to a second floor.

On this floor there was a large room with a few red leather couches and a beautiful crystal chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. A set of french doors led out to another balcony, this one a little cosier than the other.

Think vines of green ivy covered the outside walls and balcony wall while painted ceramic pots held bushes of red, white, and pink roses.

A round table with a cream table cloth rested in the middle and two matching chairs were on each side. Three candle sticks were lit and placed in the centre and red rose petals surrounded them.

King Bkakesley detached his arm from mine and went to pull out a chair.

"Have a seat."

I complied and sat down and adjusted it to my liking as he sat down across from me.

"So tell me El, how have you been enjoying your stay here so far?" He asked, a dazzling smile illuminating his face, as if the candle light wasn't enough.

"It's alright." I answered, partially honest.

"Theo expressed to me the idea of getting you something to entertain yourself during the day." He went on.

I bit my lip and shrugged lightly.

"What would you like?"

"Books maybe. A journal? A radio? Just something with noise." I answered.

He nodded before pulling a device, similar to the one Shay gave me, out of his pocket.

He pressed the button and moments later a servant in a black suit came through the balcony door, a tray of glasses and water and colourful bottles in his hands.

The servant arranged them on the table before scurrying off.

King Blakesley smiled at me once the secant left.

"How would you feel about some champagne?" He winked.

"Champagne?" I questioned.

"Alcohol." He chuckled.

I froze. I had only ever heard of alcohol. The only thing I knew about it was that it was a drink only the Untouchables were allowed. It was supposed to make them relax and feel good. The possession of alcohol or any other forbidden substance, except by the Untouchables, resulted in ultimate punishment, or in other words death.

But no one ever talked about that.

"El?" The Kings voice poked back through my ears and I jumped as I came back to my senses.

"Oh um, sure. Thank you your highness." I could not refuse his offer, it's not that I wanted it but I was scared of what he would say if I didn't accept.

He smiled ever so charmingly and began to pour us both a flute of the golden champagne. When he passed me my glass I watched as he took a small sip and I did the same letting the slightly sweet yet bitter and fizzy liquid wash down my throat.

"How does your first taste of alcohol feel?" I looked up to see King Blakesley watching me with an engrossed expression.

"Fine." I answered almost too bitterly before returning my glass to the table.

"So I know you must be curious as to why I have asked you to come have a private dinner with me but the answer is simple, I want to get to know you better." He let his smile take over again.

"Haven't all of your government assistants told you everything there is to know about me? I'm sure you did a background check the moment after you chose me to be your personal servant. Probably checked my attendance records, my ration list, where I worked and who I worked with." The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them and the moment my lips closed I felt dread unfurl throughout my body.

I was dead. I knew it, I was dead.

I closed my eyes and squeezed them shut tight but moments later a laugh filled the silence.

When I opened my eyes I saw the King before me with his head tipped back and laughter shaking his whole body. His blue eyes shine with amusement and his cheeks were tinted pink.

"What?" I asked seriously.

He let his laughter come to a stop before he answered still chuckling a little.

"Of course I did all those things, I'm not stupid. But I want to know about your personality not what items you had on your ration list."

"Oh." I said and looked away.

From where we sat on the balcony I could see the edge of a forest not far away. The trees were silhouetted against the night sky but I could tell they were tall and thick.

King Blakesley let out another laugh as he pulled out the device again and pressed the button.

Within two minutes the server had brought out two dishes and placed them in front of us along with silverware and refilled our champagne flutes.

I looked down at the plate of savoury pork and vegetables and smiled internally.

"So tell me El, what was it like growing up on the Unexceptional sector?" The king asked as he began to cut his piece of pork.

"It was fine. Times got tough every once in a while but we were better off than most." I shrugged and popped a piece of roasted carrot in my mouth.

"I read you lost your parents in the last gathering." He took a sip of champagne.

"Yes." I swallowed.

"And you were how old?"

"14." I answered.

"And you had no siblings? No other family?"

"Wouldn't you know?" It came out more like a statement.

'Careful El.' I could almost hear Shay warning me. 'Watch your temper.'

"No. No I didn't." I answered more calmly.

It got quiet as I looked down at my plate.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend." He said softly.

"It's fine." I waved it away. I wasn't going allow his words to break down my guard.

We ate for a few minutes, the only sounds being those of utensils against plates and sips of drinks.

So far we had only talked about me. Shay told me this was my chance to prove my loyalty and in order for King Blakesley to believe I was loyal I had to act invested. I needed to seem like I was accepting the fact that I was here to stay and that I wanted to hear what he had to say.

"So tell me about you. What was it look growing up in a palace?" I said after a moment.

His eyes widened and he sputtered on the sip he just took but quickly covered it up by dabbing at his face with his napkin. He looked utterly surprised that I had initiated the conversation.

"Oh um, it was nice." He shrugged.

"Come on, there must be more than that." I pressed with a playful giggle.

'Work him El.' I mentally applauded myself.

"Well, there were parties, parades, lots of gifts and even more parties. I'm privileged to live the life I live." He said nonchalantly.

That was the last thing I expected him to say. The last sentence totally shocked me. Never would I imagined he would be capable of saying something so humble.

Even though I was still surprised I had to continue the game.

"What is it like being the King of a city? I couldn't imagine...I mean just the thought of having the final say over everything...that's incredible to me." I made myself sound mesmerised when in fact I was still reeling from his previous statement.

Though when I thought about the question I just asked, I hadn't necessarily been exaggerating.

Being able to hold that much power seemed impossible to me. What do you do with it all? How are you sure you make a proper decision for your city and people?

King Blakesley smirked.

"I can't even begin to describe the feeling. To be able to know that whatever I say is final...it's...it's extraordinary." He fiddled with the fork between his forefinger and thumb. "But I have Reed to help guide me and give her opinion on matters, so it's not all me."

"Are you close? You and your sister I mean..."

"Quite." He quipped.

I had only met Reed twice. She was charming certainly but she was cold. Everything about her seemed secretive and guarded. Though I had a feeling that that was probably the best way to walk abround this castle, with a hard exterior.

"Are you done?" He asked suddenly and I jumped slightly in my seat.

"Oh um- yes."

His changing of the subject did not go without notice. He seemed intrigued by any piece of information about me but the second I tried to learn something about him, he shut down or changed the topic entirely.

How were we ever supposed to get along (like I had a choice) if he wouldn't allow me to trust him?

I had promised I would try to make this work and I would make good on that promise as long as there was compromise on both ends.

The night he visited me in my room and we made a deal to start over, I had told myself that I would be civil with him to protect myself from his wrath. And despite what it looked like to the King, Michael, and Shay, I had tried.

When Shay told me about the Kings reasoning behind dinner I knew that I hadn't tried hard enough and now it was make or break.

There was no time for me to try, I had to just do or else it wouldn't end well for me.

While I was consumed in my thoughts the plates had been whisked away and set in front of us was a cake.

As I came back into the moment my eyes settled on the dessert before us and I couldn't help the smile that played on my lips.

This was the cake from this morning, the one Charlie had made. The three tiered masterpiece was covered in frosted pink roses.

"What is it?" The King asked.

"Oh nothing." I shook my head and held back a chuckle before he cut a piece for both of us.

Dessert was eaten in silence, both of us waiting for the other to talk. It was obvious that he wanted to say something but was holding back, or waiting for the right time.

I had been staring at the forest for a while and when I turned my head back to the table, the sinister glare on the King's face made my blood run cold.

We had been fine a few minutes ago, what had changed so quickly?

I let my eyes glance at his again and flinched inside.

"Well congratulations. You passed." He spat at me, his voice thick with sarcasm and anger.

"Passed what?" I asked confused, my mental alarm system was ringing bells and blaring sirens in my brain tell me that he was going to snap.

"Don't act like you don't know what this dinner was about, it was written all over your face. You acted well for a night and you get to survive another day." He snarled, his lip actually curling up.

His once blue sparkling eyes were now dark and mimicked the color of a storm.

I was too stunned to reply, my mouth unable to open.

"You can leave now, your job is finished." The whole sentence was coated with disgust.

My entire body trembled as I stood up and began to move towards the door, afraid to hesitate for he might explode. I had not taken five steps when my body was jerked backwards and something sharp was pressed into my back.

"Your parents were taken to the castle as well in their gathering instead of the mine camps outside the walls. They kept trying to escape to get back to you so I killed them. Just like I have this knife pressed against your spine, I killed them. You will follow orders from now on or you can be sure to receive the same fate as them. You will do as you are told by me. Do i make myself clear?" He shoved his lips against my ear as he spoke the words that made me turn into ice.

I was too terrified to shake with fear and too shocked to do anything else.

He had killed my parents?

"I said do you hear me?" He barked in my ear and forced the pointed object harder onto my spine making me cry out.

"Yes!"

"Good." He breathed maniacally his lips never leaving my ear. "Now repeat your contracts to me."

Every fibre of my being wanted to refuse his demands. I struggled slightly in his grip, trying to put space between me and the weapon he pressed against me.

"I won't hesitate to kill you, stop fighting me." He seethed. "Now say it."

My breath came out in ragged gasps, air escaping just as quickly as i caught it.

He jerked my body back again as if to remind me of the request he just made.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and began to flow freely across my cheekbones. I was a fool to think that maybe thins would work out. That he believed me, that he thought I was trying, actually trying.

"El." He warned and I knew it was probably my last.

"As a citizen of Karnevia I here by decree my loyalty to my ruler. I will not disobey the law of the King, nor will I defy his orders in any way. I will know my place in my classification. Long live Karnevia and long live the King."

I choked on the words as I sobbed to get them out. I cried out as he jolted me harshly one more time before flinging me away from him.

My body fell forward until it hit the cold stone floor of the balcony. I braced myself with my hands and gasped out as I felt the impact.

I dared look behind me as King Blakesley dropped the silver blade on the ground and then returned to his seat at the table, downing a glass of champagne in seconds.

Gathering up my courage, I stood up shakily in my heels and fled the room. I had made it to the stair case before I reached down to yank off my shoes and continued running.

I didn't stop until I was at my door, fumbling in my clutch for my key.

Tears clouded my vision and it took me twice as long as normal to unlock it. Once I did I threw myself into the room, locking the door behind me (like that would stop anything) and dropped the shoes.

I attempted to make it to the bed but my body was to panic-stricken, tired and shocked to make it so I let myself fall on the floor.

My body sunk into the carpet and cries raked through my body.

He had murdered my parents. They were trying to get back to me and he killed them. He knew telling me this would break me, he wanted to destroy me.

I didn't understand how someone could be so cruel.

How could someone get that mean to kill someone, more than someone, in cold blood?

I would rather die than live another day under his rule.

My fingers grasped the carpet strands for support.

The words "Kill me." choked out of me as I lay broken on the floor.