Heart of Darkness

Skender sat on the couch, watching the door straight ahead after his destroyer’s threat. So this was how it was going to be? Even his destroyer who protected him at first would now do this to him. Great. Should he just expose them and have his wish of dying fulfilled. If the Arch suspected his destroyer to be out of control they would surely take action.

‘Don’t be foolish!’ The destroyer finally spoke.

‘It sounds like a good idea to me.’ Skender said void of emotion.

His destroyer shifted inside, itched, and annoyed again. He thought he was the only one who could threaten? Skender scoffed.

He stood up from his seat. No one would take him lightly again. Not even his destroyer. He went to the door, feeling a surge of power from the fury he felt inside. No one would fight him and win easily. He knocked on the door and then the guards opened it from each side As soon as he stepped feeling all-powerful, a sweet scent slapped him in the face.

“Good morning, Your Majesty!” Roxana greeted him with a cheerful smile.

Skender froze in place, his legs wobbling slightly from wanting to hold his position and running back into his room at the same time.

Oh, sweetness! What did the devil send him today to make him sin?

Roxana stood in front of him with all her heavenly beauty. Her hair was like sunshine around her face, eyes big and watching him with a certain submissive nervousness, but her smile was confident and mischievous. She had taken care of herself. She was aware that she had an exquisite form and she displayed it tastefully.

She left a few buttons left open at the top of her shirt and he could see his golden button hanging around her neck. And her neck… oh well. What could he say? The itch in his gums spoke the words he didn’t want to think of.

Roxana took notice of his dark gaze as he watched her and her heart raced. But she was satisfied with his reaction. She had come dressed to make things hard for him after all. She just didn’t know what she was making hard.

Skender put his hands behind his back to stop himself from reaching across and dragging her back into his chamber. Turning around he just walked away. He was being rude and it wasn’t like him to be one but right now he was in too much dilemma to care.

**************

Roxana followed Alexander feeling a bit worried about his behavior. He didn’t greet her in return, even though he looked at her the way he had done a few times while she was still a man. That dark gaze that had confused her for so long. But there was more to it this time. His eyes were generally darker, his skin paler as if he was ill and didn’t have enough sleep. His hair was perfectly combed as if making up for the rest of his looks. Not that he looked bad. He was still disturbingly handsome.

She hurried to walk beside him. “Your Majesty, are you ill?”

“No.” He replied curtly.

“Did you not sleep well?”

“No.”

Was he also thinking about her like she was thinking about him? Was he also nervous the whole night about seeing her again?

“This will be your last day shift and I would prefer if you didn’t follow me around.” He said.

“I would like to be by your side on my last day shift, Your Majesty.”

He came to a halt and turned around. His eyes blazed with fury and annoyance. “Did you not hear anything of what I told you yesterday? Your presence tortures me!” He spoke between clenched teeth yet in his anger there was also a pleading tone. Like he was asking her, begging her to leave him alone.

“What about my absence?” She asked surprising him and herself.

He blinked once, his mouth opening but instead of words, it was followed by another blink. Roxana held her ground waiting for his answer.

His eyes held hers for a long moment, shifting from surprise to sadness. “I…” he took a deep breath while looking pained. “I don’t know.” ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

‘And I am afraid to know. The thought of it alone pains me.’

Roxana was confused. His lips didn’t move for the rest of the sentence. It was in her head. She heard his voice in her head.

“What- what did you say?”

A frown settled on his face.

“You said something. I heard it.”

He blinked many times like people did when they were distressed or lying. “What did I say?”

She sighed, not knowing what to think of this. She was not crazy or so desperate to imagine hearing what she wanted.

Alexander just turned and walked away. Roxana didn’t follow him this time. She thought of giving him some time alone.

“Look who isn’t a favorite anymore,” Gary teased when she joined them at the barracks. “Did his Majesty send you away?”

Perhaps it was nothing personal if he sent them all away. If she thought carefully about it, he had actually let her get away with being stubborn.

“He really likes to be alone,” she said thoughtfully.

“He does. You don’t need to worry. All those years his enemies have not dared to do anything to him within the castle walls. Besides there are guards around every corner anyway.” Gary told her. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. The men who dragged you here, they disappeared.”

“Ulric?”

“Yes. He was locked with his men but they are suddenly gone. The cell was still locked so we don’t know how they escaped. It is like they disappeared into thin air.”

That was strange.

“Does his Majesty know?”

“Yes. He sent me to his trusted right-hand man.”

“Lord Amore?”

“Yes and Lord Amore told me we shouldn’t waste our men’s energy to look for them. He doesn’t seem to care.”

Roxana nodded thoughtfully. She had observed Lord Amore. The silent and calculating one. The one who kept things in order. A mystery to everyone, not much to her. He was just a ‘not waste energy’ kind of type and she was right from what Gary told her.

The real mystery to her was Lord Davis. The more she saw him the more confused she became. He looked young yet she didn’t get that feeling from him. His eyes were oddly calm, not young and excited like a sixteen years old’s should be.

Also, the king said he was dear to him. He trusted him, but not Lord Rayven. Then on which side was Angelica? Her husband’s or her brother’s? If they were different sides, to begin with.

Roxana doubted that. If Rayven was a suspect then so was William. The young Lord just had to be too wise and good at hiding it. A part of her hoped that it was all wrong. The king clearly cared for William and she liked Angelica but for now, she would just have to remain suspicious of everyone.

And Ulric. What happened?