Vows and Bullets
Chapter 172 - 4th Week of September (Part 6)

Chapter 172: 4th Week of September (Part 6)

Please DON’T READ this Chapter yet. I will update this 4th week of September!

Good news! My hands have healed now and I’m catching up on writing my missed Chapters. My apologies for all the delays. I will replace this Chapter with the real one soon, don’t worry, and upload a new one for the next day. I really apologize once again.

In the meantime, please enjoy the continuation of the story below titled "The King’s Beloved". This is the revised version I am planning to submit for paperback publication. Hopefully, I get a chance someday.

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(Part 35 - Continuation...)

"Because we need to survive. We need to swallow our pride and survive! Because if we don’t, we won’t even have a chance to escape this damn place. Oh, and not only that. If we get lucky, we might as well figure out how to save our planet! Maybe, we can convince the king to spare us and let us free! But being like this—running away and hiding when you already got all the privileges, you’re wasting the opportunity away! Coz’ you’re only thinking about yourself!"

Rania’s eyes widened. Her heart shook and her lips trembled, unable to refute a thing she said. "T-that’s..."

"See? I’m right," she scoffed again. "You’re just a selfish, entitled, little princess in your make-believe world. Is that what it takes to be pure? To be naive and oblivious? Because if that’s what it is, I think it’s not something so special after all. It’s just plain stupidity."

"N-No... It’s not like that—there must be another way to save—"

"If there is, I would have done that since day one. You see, while you’re busy being depressed and shutting yourself out, I’m busy plotting and researching anything I can find on them. Any weakness I can find or anything that can be useful. You know what I found? Nothing! Except the very first day we were captured where he agreed to spare many of us simply because he was amused. So I thought, if that’s what it takes for him to release us, we just need to swallow our pride and amuse him so he gives us back our freedom, or at least the freedom of the rest from our race. If you managed to find something better than that, tell me. I’ll gladly listen."

But Rania could only shake her head. Selena was right in so many degrees. Everything she said was true and she had no idea because she never realized it herself. All this time, she was only thinking about herself. She used to plan on killing the king after she seduced him for revenge but even with that, she didn’t think of others. If the king died, the rest of his race might end up killing more humans for revenge. Indeed, Selena’s plan on getting to his good side was better, safer, and didn’t involve anyone else getting killed.

Seeing her horrified reaction, Selena chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"See? You got nothing. You’re so irritating, princess. Maybe this is why I hate you so much. Girls like you are nothing but an eyesore. I wish the little attention the king has for you will disappear because of what you did last night. Maybe that way, you’ll wake up to reality."

And with that, Selena left Rania petrified in the sea of guilt and sudden realization of her foolishness... until the echoes of her heels faded into nothingness.

***

Chapter 12 CONFRONTING THE KING

Shaken, Rania continued on her way and went back to Meracus. She didn’t go through the main gate or through any doors but used the gap between the hedges and the windows to come back to her bedroom—all while thinking about everything that Selena said.

All this time, I’ve been praying for God to give us salvation and to free us from the Magi but... I never did anything to help achieve that. Maybe the reason why the king became interested in me was His help already but I never realized that. Instead, I ran away from the opportunity. Selena was right. If we want freedom, we need to do something—something that might even include giving up our pride and selfishness for the sake of many. In that case, should I really... with the king, I need to—but I... Is there really no other way but to succumb?

Before she knew it, tears already gathered at the corner of her eyes. No matter how much she thought that Selena’s words were right, she still couldn’t take it upon herself to get along with the king, amuse him, curry his favor until she gave herself up to him—to someone she didn’t love. Deep in her heart, Zeid was still there and perhaps, he would remain there forever. Having no choice but to do something like that for the greater good, was truly a very hard pill for her to swallow. She wasn’t ready for it, and she had no idea when she would be ready.

Finally back at her room, she took the golden book from her bedside table and embraced it, whispering a brief prayer to herself.

Please guide me. I don’t know if I can do that.

"You’re back," a familiar voice suddenly spoke from behind her. And it was the voice she never wanted to hear again.

Rania turned around only to find confirmation to her fear for indeed, it was none other than the king himself, with his crowned golden hair and cold eyes that stared at her, seething with unamusement and silent rage. Why wouldn’t he be? After he got stood up last night by a mere human whom he favoured and even treated with such generosity.

"It seems to me that I have been far too kind," the king said in such a chilling tone. "Tell me, where have you been? Where did you hide that none of my men managed to find you? And why did you flee? Do you hate meeting me so much that you have to flee?"

The king walked slowly towards her, making her tremble and take a step back. She couldn’t answer his questions. If she did, she would risk exposing the sprites and Elliot—something she couldn’t possibly do since the king might be the reason why there’s a barrier around the Forbidden Forest in the first place. Maybe he intended to trap them there for whatever reason he had. So no matter what, she shouldn’t tell him.