She stays on my mind over and over again, never did I want her to spill tears over someone as useless as me. My life hangs on a balance and could be ripped away at any given second, mourning me isn't worth it, not when even I would not cry if I stared at an approaching bullet.

What was there to say I lived a fulfilling life? where were my medals or achievements, I never attended proper school, only home trained by our mother for a short period of time before she was stolen.

Soon after my brother took over the reins, continuing our mothers training. But he took a more real route of book and street smarts before he was delivered to me as a corpse, both souls no longer linger beside me. And a part of me feels because I used my hands to end another life, with my new life it is kill or be killed.

Forgive me.

Nala's voice still lingers in the back of my mind, ever so broken with those streaming tears. A weird emotion waves through my chest, an ache poking at my gut. Knowing I am the one that brought her pain was a curse to me, perhaps I am not as hallow as I thought.

The King's office is like a well decorated dungeon, radiating luxury from the beige stainless walls down to the white, fluorescent tiles we stood upon. Massive enough to fit a group of thirty guards of mighty men within and spacious enough to have us all align in rows of four. Charlotte, Ray and I in the front as head lead than the rest follow behind.

Continuously I'm zoning in and out of this meeting, interest was elsewhere; Nala's pain and gazing upon Tiana again soon, yet here we were standing before King Adelheid and the twins, Gunter somewhere in the background having his nose tended to. Bartak ends his speech and repositions himself alongside the king. Silence stretches from everyone, and a pin drop could be heard in the distance, that is until the king himself arose from his seating position.

Our backs align, fixing any cloth out of place. Just as he stood, the temperature in the room decreased immensely. Darkness radiates from him without him needing to utter a word, death's apparition floats behind him like a dark cloud.

Of course, no one else in the room but me can see it. But I am sure his aura stretched into every corner leaving shivers of fear on all our napes.

What was the reason King Adelheid calls this sudden meeting, why haven't the three of us even Gunter been aware of the sudden change, every unanswered question pokes my nerve.

His eyes steadily slicing at all of us before he finally spoke, the bass of his chord resonates onto the ground, "As you all know this day was to come." Every word that falls from his mouth were laced with deadly venom. Never a feeling of tranquility, his presence has all of us on edge, never predictable and deadly by all means.

"Patience has never been my virtue," he continues, clicks of his dress shoe hits the tiles were crisp as he paces the floor. "Yet there were business matters in Germany that could not be ignored," A dark chuckle erupts from his chest, thick Adams apple throbs in the process.

I swallowed.

"While I was away, word reaches back to me that my business partner decides to flee town, thus skipping over his payment."

There was a hint in his tone the way he words the sentences, business partner and payment. A faint memory buzzes at the back of my head, King Adelheid spews more words while I silently assort the scattered puzzle pieces together.

"Despite my departure this individual continuously pokes at my nerves, and now he has hit the last." He pauses at the center, a few inches from all of us. "Surely you can put the puzzle pieces together."

I'm trying.

A ghost of a smirk tugging onto his face. "The King of the castle."

My heart beats like a drum, metaphoric beads of anticipation roll down my temples.

"King Abrafo, the Princesses father."

My hunch is accurate, suddenly seas of old memories I thought were forgotten resurfaces from the deepest parts within me, the king spoke of this all those years ago when I sat in his office. Eyes glimmer with worry as he spoke of the day where he would face the king of the underground. He spoke of him coming to claim his daughter for an heir, never did I know there were more behind the scenes.

It's all confusing, King Abrafo made it perspicuous his blood line cut any form of business with the mafia from there and on out, and now It is he that flees? This puzzle piece was becoming more complicated than it was intended to be.

But my mindset is more disturbed than ever, those on King Adelheid's radar is like having your name on list for souls to collect. Something hints at me like a nagging mosquito, and I crease my brows.

"My patience have run out. This meeting is called because I have formulated a plan of my own."

I watch death's cloak extend above him, swallowing all corners of light, my oxygen crystallizing, shards poking the lung making breathing agonizing as I prep for what was to come.

Ruinous eyes locked on me; voice darkened. "Once this coronation is in place, I will order an assassination onto everyone on castle grounds."

It felt as though the remaining oxygen in the room evaporates, silence stretching. The earth and time paused as if it, itself needed to understand more clearly, I sense Charlotte and Ray fighting not to look my way. My jaw ticking as king Adelheid glances around the room, a part of me beckoning to the heavens for him to clarify.

For if he doesn't, death can take me now, but his soul is coming with me.

His eyes land on mine, "Nasir."

A thrashing in my chest, "Yes, sir." My voice involuntarily darker than most days. The tone garnering gazes from around.

A mischievous smile plastered onto his face, "I choose you; you will be the one to execute this assassination. Along with a few other men."

"Uh father," A raspy voice in the distance disrupts our gaze, king Adelheid's smile plummets. Both of us turning to the source to Gunter leaning against the desk.

"What would be the point of this Marriage if were planning to kill every one of them?"

Finally, he spews something descent.

I watch King Adelheid's chest softly fall, "Allow me to clarify," his dress shoes click to the ground as he moves away. "The queen is to be spared and leave her father to me. As for the remainder of everyone else, I want a hole in their heads. The castle itself, burn it to the ground."

Many innocent lives will be condemned to death solely by my hands alone, once again another burden for me to carry to my grave, but she will be spared. Frankly before ever pointing a gun to her, I would have taken my life right there on the spot.

"And here is how the plan will go."

***

The moment has come, I drive down the road with a head brimming with information. My pace is steady, hands gentle around the steering wheel, on the outside I appear to be a collected individual but on the outside I am a dying candle. In just 24 hours during after a celebration ball, more trails of angry ghosts will follow me until my last breath.

I signed a deal with the devil and now I will grant him the blood sacrifices he seeks, but in turn I will still have no freedom only a life of burden and sorrow, every step of my feet leaves red footprints, forever bathing in the red sea of the innocent.

Trapped, and now the one woman on this earth that makes me feel alive, will wish I joined those in the afterlife if she doesn't end me herself.

I am soon to see you again my Tiana, how much I wish to run to you and wrap you in my arms forever, just to feel you again for the first time in many years. To feel your warmth and heartbeat against my empty chest, but I regret to you, you will only see a monster. Of all people, I wish for you to never hate me, but I will never blame you when you do.

"Your quiet." The King chuckles, his eyes never left the back of my head for the majority of the car ride. As for what is to happen, I should drive us both off this cliff, but I badly just want to see her face again.

"A lot on my mind sir."

"I bet." he chuckles, returning to his laptop.

From beyond horizon, the tallest tower of the castle was seen. Only one being in this I will not regret painting the walls with their blood, but as for the rest, forgive me.

My gaze hover over to the plantation, that tree. Not even nature could escape the ticking clock, withered branches and slender pines, surrounded in a golden sea of its old leaves. The forest near it were gloom, nothing like the old times but even then, the memories that flood my head space would be enough to bring me to tears. I then glide my eyes further across the horizon as the car rounded and that feeling dissipated.

There it was my old life. The life I had to endure, filthy streets and minimum food, traitorous human beings and ... my once family. From my distance nothing changed, moldy roofs from the ceiling running down the side of the homes.

My eyes continuously shifting between the homes and the road, a part of me wants to see my old home, just to see if maybe the ghost of my brother is stuck there, hence why he has not visited me.

The road of the hill begins to dip, the view of the homes disappears as I descend leaving the only entrance of the castle. I remember this many years ago, in a carriage riding this rocky cemented pave way, bright colors of gold and emerald, green glimmering under the sun, it is euphoric. Nostalgia even, I came back to where it all began but more importantly, I came back for her.

Butlers and maids aligned on the outside near the doorway, a change in decorum of assorted crimson red and ocean blue roses on each side of the massive doorway. I reunite with Charlotte and Ray once again as we open the doors for the respected guests, as a king of the underworld his crimes have reached far and wide, rumors of his ways were never needed to be spoken more like shown.

An obvious discomfort as his dress shoes stepped onto the green, butlers tread on a thin line holding themselves in place as the greeted him like someone far beyond evil to cope. His presence soiled the grounds with darkness, but his aura was much different the closer he walked to the green, unsuitable.

Prince Gunter behind him and the twins after that, what is left is Charlotte, ray and me at the end. Something soaring in my chest, ramming so wildly it made walking difficult and I paused, just as an eerie wind brushed past my left cheek. Like a whisper of a ghostly child, it blew its breath into my canal with a faint cry.

My gaze shifts from the entrance to a familiar region, an empty spot aside the palace itself. Strange bolts of electricity pricks at my spine, nausea plummets down to my abdomen and I suddenly felt sick. An ominous feeling of wind chills the horizon when I spotted a door aside the castle walls, memory to pixelated and grainy to remember but there was something I needed to put my finger on.

Faint whispers of ghosts, it was like I could hear the screams and cries of children in agony, ritualistic chants of people in sync, my vision tunnels deadpanning further.

A fruity cologne flows into my nasal stream, I'm too locked in and focused until I heard the sound of my name.

"You, ok?" Charlottes voice was crystal in this rough current of wind, helping me blink away the intent gaze. Looking up to her eyes a minor memory suddenly hits me, all those years ago it was her and I, in this exact spot. Charlotte was with me ... the night I saw that car, and the underground ... and that old man.

But she never saw what I saw, the corner of my lips curl into a smirk. Even if what I assume was the truth, there was no way that old man could have survived for that long, shame. I was hoping carrying out my orders would have been easier.

"Your nervous." Charlotte speaks, reminding me that I left her previous question to linger away into the wind. "You are nervous about seeing her." Stars sparkling in her eyes as she stretches those red lips, I stole a glimpse down her body.

As of today, she was not the assassin we all know her to be. Today those golden locs fall in thick curls down to her shoulders, a white off shoulder floral dress to greet the Queen. I had forgotten underneath the armor just how alluring she could be. Firm long legs with breast mounted high onto her chest.

"My Charlotte, you have grown." I'm breathless gliding my eyes back up to her. It was easy to look and never touch, for underneath the loose fitted attire hid detrimental weapons around her straps. Bewitching indeed.

She only smiles mischievously to the statement, raking those blue eyes up my body in return. "And you, Nasir, are ever so striking to the eye. Time is wasting sir, let's go reunite you with your Queen."

Slender fingers wrap around my wrist as she nudges me forward, with just one final look to the horizon beyond for the last time as a man, for once I step in, I will return as a monster.

***

Gold twin staircases just like before, the crystal chandelier above that emanated dancing diamonds on the ground where Charlotte played hopscotch those years back, like stepping into a fantasy story nostalgia returns to me. But disperses when I glanced over to the old wall with the painting of the Angel that ripped off its own wings in exchange for horns. I am back as a man, wiser and stronger. I feel it now, the disturbance in this atmosphere.

"Welcome, welcome." A voice suddenly roars within, rasp echo ricochets on the walls. An old man, judging by the poetic tone and pitch. "The king and the princess will soon join you momentarily, please let us all move over to the office."

We all wait for the king to move, his patience already on a thread but on the outside no one could tell. The old man finally emerges from the shadows, one look at him and my brows soften, and I turn my gaze over to Charlotte, her eyes already on mine. The wise man that followed us in the shadows those years ago, brought us into the castle on a carriage. He still lives.

After some time, the king ultimately moved over to the living area setting himself onto the couch, Gunter aside him, with the rest of us standing behind, positioned.

Time was creeping in faster, as did the roaring in my chest. Breathing difficult with sweaty palms, constantly it was battle to straighten my back, my knees buckling. This feeling. My head down to hide the emotion in my eyes, it is so warm in my chest, and it feels so good.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. King Abrafo and Princess, Tiana."

King and Prince rise to stand before nobility, everything silences as we hear the clicks of her shoes in the distance, time decelerating along with the temperature of my skin. From the marbled steps I could see an emerald green in my peripherals despite my head bowed. She is here, after all those years.

My fingers twiddle with anticipation, I couldn't wait any longer and peered my head up. An arrow spears right through the flesh of my body and I almost fumbled before the sight.

After all those years, there she was. The reason I fought so hard to stay alive, forest green dress cladded around her curvaceous body with a high slit on the right of her leg, hair wrapped in neat bun, glimmering bronze skin. The face I would gladly go to war for, plump lips thinned to a shy smile, I glanced at her once again and couldn't tear away.

Down the steps she descends, everyone including staff pause to gaze at the royal vision. Golden hour of the sun seeps through the net of the mighty curtain, it seems for the moment breathing was an optional, every part of me ceases to work leaving me a mannequin, solely to focus on her.

Gleaming orbs look about in acknowledgement to everyone in the room that bowed to her and her father's presence, when they settled for mine.

I'm paralyzed by her face; she held me captive in her eyes even as her smile faded and the orbs widened, and her expression turned quizzical. Looks from everyone around linger on her before the trace back to me, my breath stilled as she walks over to me, anyone and everything gently scattered away allowing her to reach me.

What do you see Tiana? can you see how weak you're making me? can you hear me screaming for you within? her sweet cologne brushed to me, and I want to crumble, she is before me, staring up at me this time, succulent lips part as she finds her words. Our first encounter, her first words since she walked in and it was to me, silence stretches into the room allowing me to hear her voice, but I was not prepared for the words.

"I have seen you before."