Heart of Darkness

Angelica’s chest felt heavy and breathing became difficult. She wasn’t stupid. Lord Rayven knew about her father’s plans, but he was using other words to warn her. Knowing something like that and not telling the King would otherwise be seen as betrayal. Why was he doing it then? Why was he warning her and not telling the King?

She took a deep breath. “I will. Thank you,” she said and tried to walk past him before she could see her reaction, but he blocked her way. His gaze hardened.

“Lady Davis, you might charm the King but you won’t fool me. I don’t know why you have taken an interest in him, but I would be careful if I were you. Don’t try anything stupid.”

What? Angelica became confused. Did he suspect her also? He went from helping her to protecting the King.

“I don’t want any harm to come to His Majesty,” she assured him.

“I hope not.”

They looked at each other for a short moment before Angelica felt uncomfortable and pushed past him, rushing to find her brother.

She didn’t know how she managed to find her way to the garden, but once she arrived her head was spinning. William sat on a bench, waiting for her.

“William, let’s go home,” she said, feeling dizzy.

Throughout the journey, Angelica’s heart was beating fast, and she imagined yelling at her father a thousand times before they were finally home.

“Why don’t you go bathe and change?” she told her brother. She didn’t want him to see the fight between her and their father.

When William left, Angelica hurried to her father’s study, where he sat busy reading some papers.

“You plan to kill the King and put us all in danger.” She didn’t care to greet him first or wait for him to notice her arrival.

Horrified, he looked up. “Who told you that?”

“So it is true?”

He put the papers down and went around the table. “No! It is not. Why would I kill the King?”

Angelica didn’t believe him. It seemed like he didn’t abandon his plan even if he came back home without harming the King.

“Father, don’t lie to me. Lord Rayven knows and tomorrow the King might know as well. This is not only about you. You are putting me and William in danger. He doesn’t deserve this.” She was speaking with clenched teeth because of how angry she was.

“Angelica, I am not putting anyone in danger. I told you, I have no such plans.”

Angelica studied him, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not.

“If you care about us, you will go to His Majesty tomorrow and tell him that you heard rumors about yourself and they are not true. You will tell him that you are loyal to him and will remain so.”

Angelica knew she was giving her father orders, but at this point, she didn’t care. Anyone or anything that would put her brother in danger, she would fight.

Her father clenched his jaw but nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.”

“If you are lying to me and I find out about it, know that I won’t hesitate to do what is necessary to protect William and myself.”

Her father pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded.

Now that she made it clear, she let her shoulders fall with a sigh. “I would not want you to get hurt as well. I hope you make no mistakes.” This time, she softened her tone and almost pleaded.

“I understand Angelica. I won’t do anything.” He said, getting annoyed that she kept talking. Clearly, he didn’t appreciate that she worried for him. Feeling disappointed, she left him behind. At this point, after disappointing her so many times, she shouldn’t feel that way. She should be angry.

Her father did as he promised in the coming days. He spoke to the King, went back to his royal duties and took her brother to his lectures at the castle every day. Angelica was relieved that things went back to normal in her family and even in her town. There had been no killing for the past three weeks. Her father also never named Sir Shaw again after he spoke to the King. Angelica wanted to thank him but thought it was best not to see him again. She was happy with the way things were right now.

The only thing she would want to change was her brother’s nightmares that continued to bother him. He managed to sleep a few days in his room and then came back to hers. Angelica became more and more desperate to help him. He couldn’t live on like this.

“Did you find out how the Lords and the King are different?” She asked him as they lay in her bed.

“No,” he replied. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

“So we don’t know if they can help you or not yet?”

“I don’t think they can,” William said disappointed. “They are different but they are not like me.”

“What if they can still help? We don’t know how they are different after all.”

William was quiet. She knew he was thinking.

“The most important question is if we can trust them. Do you think we can trust them? Or at least one of them.”

“I don’t know. They are harder than other people to understand.” He said.

Angelica definitely knew the mixed feelings they gave. One moment they seemed caring and the next threatening. She could still not understand why the King left her looking upset the last time they met. It kept bothering her.

“Will you not marry the King?” He suddenly asked.

“Are the monsters still chasing me?”

He nodded.

But the killing had stopped. Who were the monsters chasing her then?

“Don’t worry, everything will be alright.” She told him but just that night, as if warning her that things wouldn’t be alright the raven came back and sat on the tree outside her window.

Angelica watched it for a long while but it didn’t fly away. Getting out of her bed she went to the window. She looked outside and watched the darkness that fell over her town. Then she looked up and far away. She saw the cursed castle standing proudly on the hill. People called it the wolf’s den because they said anyone who went to the castle never came back. They were eaten by the big hungry wolf living there.

Lord Rayven lived there and was unharmed but then who would possibly challenge that man? If there was any wolf living in the castle, it would run away in fear of Lord Rayven. She wondered if his suspicions were gone now that she hadn’t visited the King for a while? What did he even think that she wanted to do with the King? Kill him? Seduce him? Well, maybe she did have that thought for a while but what could be the harm in that?

So hostile, she muttered.

She looked at the castle, again. The windows were dark. She wondered what the inside looked like after being abandoned for so long? Did Lord Rayven make any changes inside because it looked the same on the outside?

Shaking her head, she wondered why she was even curious. People just liked to have something to gossip about. She had heard all kinds of things about him. Some said he turned into a monster at night that hunted women. That he was the hungry wolf at night. The religious ones said he was a demon eating young womens souls and others simply believed that he was a bad omen. She wondered how he felt hearing all those things about himself?

Not to mention that they called him ugly and were repulsed by him. Her annoyance with him disappeared and she suddenly felt bad for him instead. How lonely he must be. She felt lonely at times even though she had her brother, so he must feel worse.

Going back to her bed, she fell asleep next to her brother.

A strange dream disrupted her peaceful slumber. She saw a redhead woman running through a field of tall grass. She seemed happy as she ran and when she came out of the tall grass, she slowed down. The back of a man came into sight.

“Skender!” the woman called, and he turned around.

A smile lit up his face and the wind blew back his dark hair. His blue eyes looked at the woman with affection as she walked up to him. The man held a crown that he made of grass and flowers in his hand.

“I have been looking for you. I have something to tell you,” the woman said excitedly.

“What is it?” He asked.

“You will be a King one day. King Alexander.”

The man frowned. He didn’t seem happy to hear the news. He looked down at the crown in his hand before carefully placing it on top of her head. “And you won’t be my queen?” he asked in a way that made it seem like he knew the answer.

“No Skender. I can’t be your queen.”

He looked so sad that her heart ached and suddenly the woman was back, running through the tall grass. It was dark and she was frightened. Something was chasing her and she was running for her life. Tripping over something, she fell and a clawed hand came out of the shadows, reaching for her.

Squealing, Angelica woke up from the nightmare. She stared at the ceiling, hearing the loud pounding of heart in the quiet room. What was that?

Placing her hand on her chest, she tried to calm down. The man in her dreams. King Alexander. Why did she dream about him? And who was the red-haired woman?