Chapter 56 Girl

Kyan
MY FATHER'S EYES grows dark with ire. A large vein throbs frantically at his temple, his large hands form fists on the arms of the throne and he snarls bestially. Lyza chokes a sob, large tears pooling in her eyes. My mother doesn't say a word, she is the most collected of us. My Aunt and Rakar pace up and down the throne room. It is Rakar that breaks the silence with a growl.
"That harlot left you? You let that harlot escape?" He walks towards me with a glare, "I don't believe that you let a mere woman outsmart you!" He yells pointing a finger at me.
I'm not angry, not at all. I'm heartbroken, for the first time in my life I know what it feels like to lose the one you love. And I feel so ashamed that I took Lysia's love from her.
I let my left hand leave my side, clenching into a hard fist and plummet into Rakar's jaw. He grunts, touches his jaw and glares at me with anger in form of a dancing flame in his eyes. His mother gasps and run towards us, she grabs Rakar by the hand. "Stop this, child. Don't start a fight."
Rakar flashes his mother an appalled look. "You saw him hit me and you advise me not to start a fight?"
The Duchess' mouth clamps shut, she sends me a pleading look."Kyan just ignore him. Please."
I nod. With a disgusted look he nudges her away and comes charging for me like an aggressive bull. I stand my ground, my hands twitching at my side ready for the collision. Ready to fight.
"Both of you, at ease!" My father's baritone voice reverberates through the room.
All our eyes turn to him. Rakar falls on one knee and bows his head in reverence. "Your Majesty."
I scoff. Rakar knows how to act so well it's irking.
Lyza sniffles and wipes her tears off with the back of her hands. "Father, Mother we should send out search parties to look for Isla as soon as possible."
My parents share a look then my father clears his throat," I'm afraid we won't be doing anything like that."
"What?" Lyza shrieks, "no, no!" She bursts out crying again. Seeing her cry breaks me even more, I walk to her and hold her in my arms. She places her head against my chest reminding me of when Isla did same back in the Highlands before she left me, before she broke her promise. A tear escapes my eye and I wipe it off immediately, I don't want my parents to see how attached I am to her.
"But it's not all bad news," my mother cracks into a wide grin, "Lyza?"
"Yes?" Lyza manages to squeak a reply.
"Your father and I have agreed that the wedding ceremony will still take place. We have made the agreements a week from now." My mother descends from her throne next to my father taking the steps one at a time, her heeled sandals clicking against the floor.
"But Elunia... How can there be a marriage with no bride or groom for your children?" Aunt Alira asks with concern marred on her face. I know what she is thinking.
My father laughs, "don't worry dear sister. My Queen and I have pondered on these things especially Lysia's marriage—"
"Lysia's husband is going to be a surprise," my mother beams at Lyza who begrudgingly beams back. They know something, they are hiding something.
"And Kyan's bride?" Aunt Alira lifts a brow.
"He will meet with his bride to-be today," my father says with all seriousness.
"Wh-What about Isla?" Lyza looks from our father to our mother," don't tell me that you are just going to forget about her."
"Isla is a traitor to this Kingdom, Lyza" mother explains gently, "she is lucky we aren't going to have her head."
Something snaps inside of me, my parents may change their minds and hunt Isla down. I know she was left me, sending a clear message that she doesn't want me but I'm going to make sure that my parents don't decide to hunt her. "Father, mother I have something to say."
My father nods encouragingly. "Go ahead son."
I suck in a deep breath, mustering all the courage l have left in me I urge the words to form. "I'll agree to this under two easy conditions."
My father cocks his head regarding me with an expression I can't place.
"Don't go after Isla, father and release all the Kintilese that are held as slaves in our kingdom. I'll marry whosoever any time you want as far as you comply."
My mother nods. "I think that's fair, my lord."
"All right, Kyan. I agree." He says after what seems like years of staring at me with a deadpan expression.
I bow to both of them and start leaving the room, I don't want them to see the tears that have began to pool.
Mother sits at the table next to the Duchess of Bynin, a willowy woman. Her daughter, my bride-to-be is very short, shorter than Isla, shorter than Lyza, she has short hair and small beady eyes and a large smile etched into her face.
She gives me subtle glances and when I catch her, she smiles shyly and looks away. The Duchess came to present her daughter to me on my father's orders and also to discuss the wedding ceremony with my mother.
"Why don't you two take a stroll?" The woman grins at me while talking with her high-pitched voice.
My mother smiles at me encouragingly. Not wanting to embarrass her or myself, I stand up and walk out. I hear the clicking sound of the girl's sandals as it connects with the floor. Once we are outside, I take a deep breath and turn to face her.
I open my mouth to talk to her, ask how she is but she stops me with her chirpy chatter.
"I heard that your father's orchard is a beautiful place, may we go?" She bats her eyelashes at me with a bright smile.
"No," I spit. I cannot take her to the place Isla and I spent most of our time together.
"Why not?" Her face droops.
"Because." I say blandly and turn away from her.
"I was so excited when I heard that your father wanted me presented to you", she continues lightly, "I can't wait for our wedding."
I bite my tongue to keep me from saying what I will regret. She walks to me so she is right in front of me. "It's a shame that I don't know anything about you."
"I like it that way." I hear myself say.
"Why?" Her brows furrow and she tilts her head to one side considering me from beneath her lashes.
"It's best that way." And I start to walk away, I can't do this. I can't stand there and converse with a girl who is going to be my wife in five days when I'm still in love with someone else, someone who didn't think twice before leaving me just hours after I confessed my feelings to her.
This is karma.
I'm paying for hurting Lyza.
I deserve it.
"Kyan?" The girl touches my arm lightly and I snap.
I turn to her not trying to hide the fury and hurt in my voice. "Don't you dare touch me, do you understand? I don't want you, I'm only doing this because it's my duty. Don't even speak to me. Call me 'your majesty' or 'your highness' nothing more, nothing less. Do you understand?!"
She nods frantically, her eyes are watery with unshed tears. "Yes... Your Majesty."
I feel awful.
I feel worse than before.
I turn away not wanting to see the tears I have caused. "I'm sorry", I mutter, "I shouldn't have lashed out on you."
Heavy thuds of footfalls makes me turn, the girl wipes away tears from her eyes hastily then forces a smile before turning to see who is coming.
"Rakar." I'm not surprised to see him, I'm sure he has nothing better to do than stalk me.
Rakar ignores me and looks at the girl. Her eyes are glassy and red, it's obvious she has been crying. "Look what you did, Kyan," Rakar says disapprovingly with a click of tongue.
"Good afternoon," the girl says with a curtsey.
Rakar nods, "what's your name?"
"Shyna". She says in a whisper.
I grunt. I didn't even know her name.
Rakar gestures for me to follow him. We walk a few paces away from Shyna when he gives me a knowing look.
"Isla left you so you decide to make the brat pay?" He chuckles lightly, "that is so unlike you!"
I glare at him. "I didn't mean to hurt her! I got... Lost my temper."
"I warned you about that temper of yours," he says with a smirk.
"I had never lost my temper with Isla."
Rakar's face turns serious all of a sudden. "It is like a curse. King Tus' children can't be with whom they love."
I raise a questioning brow. "Since when did you become so poetic?"
Rakar laughs, "you don't know me, Kyan." He glances at Shyna, "but you don't have to punish her, she's not Isla."
"I know," I say after a nod.
"You don't have to love her," he tells me.
I nod again. "I know."