Blue eyes the colour of a stormy sky met mine. Unlike his voice, they were cold and calculating as they roamed down my face and form before he brought his icy gaze back to mine. I almost shivered from the intense dislike I saw in them, but refused to cower.

"Who the hell are you?!" I spat, eyes narrowing and hands fisting, my nails digging into my palm. It was with surprise that I noted someone had loosened the bonds and blood was flowing into my hands once again.
Ignoring the urge to struggle now that they were looser, I kept my focus on the brown haired, blue eyed man crouching infront of me.

Even I couldn't deny that he was beyond beautiful. Coffee brown strands of hair fell into his startlingly blue eyes, which were framed with long, dark lashes any girl would kill for. His nose was straight and long, set above a pair of devastatingly kissable lips.

His cheekbones were sharp lines in his face, and his jaw clenched when he looked at me, like he was being forced to look at something unpleasant. I was all too familiar with that look; it was one my mother couldn't seem to keep off her face when I was near.

"Well that's just unfortunate," the man tuttered in disapproval. "A Princess with no manners. We'll have to see what we can do about that." The corner of his lips twitched, and he added, "Maybe if you ask nicely, I'll answer your questions, Princess."

I gritted my teeth so hard they might break.
"I'm not playing your games. Tell me what you want from me."
He cocked his head, amusement written all over his unfairly handsome face. I glowered at him with enough venom to kill.

"I see." He finally said, pursing his lips. His eyes were dark as he added; "Then I suppose you'll just have to burn in curiosity, your Majesty." He walked passed me, out of my line of sight, and I relented.

"Fine." I gritted the word out. "Would you be kind enough to inform me of your identity, ass- ehem, kind sir?" It was almost physically painful to say the words. What was actually painful was the small, satisfied smirk that spread on his face. I strained against the rope tying my hands, itching to punch and/or slap it off his face. And maybe break that stupidly perfect nose too.

The man's lips twitched before he decided to answer.
"My name is Darius. But that's not important. What is important is who and where you are, Princess." He said smoothly, coming back to stand and lean against the wall infront of me.

Dismissing how tantalising his voice sounded, (like smoke and honey wine) I glared at him with all the force I could muster, hoping to incinerate him with my eyes.

"Okay. Where am I?" I asked, my voice deceptively calm. "And don't tell me that I'm in a hole underground, because I already-" "What do you know of civilization beyond The Gates?" Darius interrupted, effectively shutting me up with the random question.

I clenched my teeth in annoyance.
And somehow, I'm the one with no manners. I inhaled deeply before answering. Again, a hint of a smile played around the edges of his lips.

"I know we're told that there is none." I replied, wondering what he found funny. I certainly didn't see anything that was even remotely amusing.
Memories of my past mentors flashed across my mind as I answered his question. I, like any other child in the City of Gold, was taught that there was no life beyond The Gates. That there was nothing but empty, acid pooled fields as far as the eye could see. That was the reason we weren't allowed out.

Of course, no one would believe that unless they had proof. Or, in this case, a good blood-and-guts story behind it. All the children knew the story, though they probably would've been better off not knowing. It was known widely as 'The Tale of Curiosity and Consequence'.

There was only one person who dared question the 'no civilization' theory. His name, as far as the stories went, was Theodore. He, along with a few family members, decided to see for themselves what was beyond The Gates. The King- my grandfather- at that time, warned them not to, even threatened them, but they were persistent, and snuck out.

They never returned.

Two years later, when The Gates were opened for scientific research, eight human skeletons were found, the flesh having been burnt from their bodies due to prolonged exposure in toxic gases.
After they were identified as Theodore and his family, no one ever spoke of leaving the city again.

To take it further, the skeletons were mummified and placed in the Golden museum, as a horrifyingly real reminder of what happens to those who are too curious for their own good.

Of course, it being a story, there are many rumours and alterations, some of the more dramatic and gory nature. But this was the one I was told, and the basic warning in it is clear.

'Sacramentum ubi habitat, periculum est.'
'Where mystery dwells, does danger as well.'
Is a long standing saying in the city. People live by that golden rule, refusing to delve into anything even mildly suspicious, bringing up 'The Tale of Curiosity and Consequence' at every opportunity. Naturally, that resulted in an abundance of problems, when the people turn a blind eye to everything mysterious.

"You people would believe that there's nothing else on Earth besides your glorious selves." Darius muttered, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked up, and was surprised at the mutinous expression on his face. Sensing my stare, he smoothed his features, a cold, unfeeling statue once again.
"There are others?" His words finally sank in, and my voice was borderline panicky when I asked the question.

He kept his stormy eyes locked on me as he tweaked the bottom of his ear. My eyes were drawn to it, and there was an earring the shape of a crescent moon hanging from it that I hadn't noticed before.

He looked up, at the hole above my head, and ran a hand through his hair, considering something.
After what seemed like a lifetime, but was only a few minutes, he fell into a crouch infront of me, leaning closer to look me in the face.

"You honestly don't know?" His voice was quiet when he spoke, blue eyes intense as they focused on my curious green ones. "Yes." I whispered back, mostly because my throat was unbearably dry. I realised that I hadn't eaten or drunk anything since the ball, which was beginning to seem like an eternity ago.

My stomach realised that too. It growled loudly, startling both of us. I couldn't stop the embarrassed flush from creeping along my face. His brow furrowed, and again, he looked at the hole above me. "Come in, Fern. I know you've been listening, you little eavesdropper." He paused for a split second before adding; "You too, Ash. And bring the brazel with you." There was a pause, during which I assumed someone had spoken, because he rolled his eyes.

"No, it won't poison her." He eyed me doubtfully. "At least, I think so." He gave me a rueful smile, before directing his attention back to the roof.
My heart jumped to my throat. The asshole didn't think so!?

Darius snorted aloud, and I turned to look at him, eyebrow raised, but before I could ask him what he found so amusing, two figures materialized before my eyes. I blinked in confusion. I hadn't seen them jump in, and yet they must have, because now an olive skinned boy and a dark haired girl crowded the space, making it more suffocating.

"Princess, I would like you to meet Ash," he gestured to the girl, who folded her arms and glared at me with such hostility, I felt pinned to the wooden pole behind me. "and Fern."
Fern grinned uneasily at me, and I was surprised but pleased at the change.

"Hello." I said politely, opting to win the favour of the least hostile. At least he seemed to not hate me on sight.
For some reason, the girl gave me a murderous look, before turning her face away as though she couldn't bear to look at me any longer.

There was a slight pang in my heart, but I ignored it. I didn't know why these people hated me so much, nor why it mattered that they did. They were my kidnappers for goodness sake!

"Fern can't speak." Darius informed me, his voice flat. "Oh." I felt mildly embarrassed, but mostly curious. "And he was born that way." He said as though reading my thoughts.

"But enough questions. You need to eat."
He snatched a bag from Ash's hands, and a look passed between them. Darius's face hardened, and Ash shot me one last glare before disappearing. I blinked, and then she was gone. How the hell did she do that?
There was no ladder or hidden staircase as far as I could see, and even if there was, it wasn't humanely possible to move that fast.

Before I could dwell on it longer, Darius knelt behind me, and my heart leaped when I felt the ropes drop from my wrists. I sighed in relief, rubbing the bloody scratches and bruises that probably occurred when I had struggled.

He pushed the green bag towards me, and I looked at it wearily. "You're sure it won't be the last thing I eat?" I asked, anything but trusting.
He nodded, and I thought I saw a glint of amusement in his midnight coloured eyes.

I put my hand in the bag and retrieved some knobbly brown nuts. They smelled delicious, and without second thinking it, I popped some into my mouth, hoping that Mr. Asshole was right. I still had too many questions to ask before I could die.