My fury reaches its peak, and without even thinking, I rush forward with the somewhat sharpened key in my hand and jam it into his neck. His eyes bulge as his hands go to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
“What…” he trails off, attempting to reach for his boot. Because his arms are cuffed to the bar, he can’t even get close.
I straddle his legs, ripping the boot from his foot, and find a small, sharp knife. As a kindness, I thrust it into his heart, allowing him a quicker death.
With a quick swipe across his jeans, I clean it off and then slide it into my back pocket. I slowly push open his door, and head back into the tunnel. This time, I go the opposite way in which Allerick brought me.
For the first five minutes, I keep glancing over my shoulder, waiting to see Allerick running after me. I already know I’ll feign ignorance. Naivety is the way to go. I was simply turned around, scared, and looking for him. But it doesn’t happen. He must be waiting for me to go back to the room he kept me in.
After ten more minutes, and lots of turns and attempts at two different doors, I find one that’s half the size of the others. There isn’t a handle or knob to turn or pull, there’s a slight crack between the door and the wall, so I use the knife to pry it apart, opening the mini door and crawling inside.
Once I pull it closed, I realize there’s enough space for me to stand, so I walk cautiously, keeping an eye and an ear open for any people or voices.
This tunnel is smaller, darker, and I only have my hands to guide me. I keep them in front of me, so I don’t run into anything, but when my foot hits something solid, I reach out and realize it’s a set of stairs.
I carefully make my way up, and at the top, my head hits something hard. I use my hands to push at the ceiling, and realize it’s a trap door in the floor of a room. After listening for voices for a couple minutes, I continue to push it up and to the side, then pull myself through the hole, and quietly replace the piece.
After I realize I’m in a small closet, I gently crack open the door, and my jaw drops. I’m in the castle. There’s no doubt about it.
Deep red drapes fall from the ceiling, covering all the windows in the room. Chandeliers and crystal sconces give a warm, soft glow, and the hardwood floor gleams. As I gaze up, I notice the frescoed ceiling that hangs at least twenty feet above.
The strange thing is that I don’t hear or see anybody. Aren’t castles full of people? Servants, maids, and soldiers?
I scurry across the shiny floor, darting for another door in the opposite corner. After cracking it open and listening for footsteps, I take a peek and find a long hallway.
Taking advantage of the absence of people, I hurry down the hall, passing gold framed photos of people who likely died many decades before.
Up ahead there’s a double door arched entry. When I come upon it, I put my ear to the wood and listen.
A muffled female voice travels toward me. The queen?
I glance around, making sure nobody else is around, then I pull open one of the doors and look inside.
She spins around, heading to an alcove on the right end of the room, her gold and red dress flowing around her legs. Her skin is milky white and her hair is jet black. I’d prefer not to see her face, because if I can see her, that means she can see me.
Once she disappears, I rush inside and head for the wall that the alcove is in. I grip the knife in my hand, inching closer and closer toward the queen.
She’s speaking softly to someone, and when I hear Allerick’s voice respond, I freeze.
Chapter Twelve
The queen orders him to tell the guards to kill the person in the third cell. Allerick agrees, then says he has to do something else. I quietly run down the length of the room, finding a hiding spot in another alcove.
His footsteps echo through the room, then the large door opens and closes, leaving just me and the queen.
As soon as I’m about to peek out, Queen Annika comes into view, striding into my hiding spot like she knew I was there all along.
“Who are you? What’re you doing here?” she demands, her eyebrows arched.
I open my mouth, but I’m so caught off guard by her arrival, I can’t think of anything to say.
“Well, what is it?” she says impatiently. “Do you have a name or don’t you?”
“It’s Allison.”
“Allison?” her tone drips with disgust. “What a terrible name for a girl. What are you doing here, Allison?”
“I was being held captive,” I answer honestly. “I escaped and just happened to end up here.”
She’s completely at ease and not at all intimidated or frightened of me. Everybody seems to underestimate me.
“Well, if you were being held captive, you probably deserved to be down there. Now, let me take you to my guards.”
She reaches for my arm, but I step back. “No.”
“Excuse me?” she squeals, her pale face turning crimson. “Do you not realize who I am?”
“I know exactly who you are.”
“Then you should be very afraid,” she threatens, her tall frame bending down so she’s in my face.
“No, you should be.”
Before she can react, I pull the knife from my back pocket and pierce her pale chest. Bright red blood drips out around the knife. Her eyes are wide with shock as her mouth moves to ask why.
“It’s either you or me,” I tell her. “I can’t let it be me.”
I twist the knife in her chest and then rip it out. But not before I take a step to the side to prevent any splash on my clothes. The blood spurts out as the queen clutches her chest and falls to her knees.
Once again, I wipe the knife off with her dress before pocketing it. As I’m emerging from the alcove, a young guard comes into the room. He freezes in place, his hand at his hip, ready to draw a weapon. I straighten up and step out.
“The queen is dead. I’m Queen now,” I state, gesturing to her lifeless body. “Let everybody who needs to know, know.”
He nods. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
I expected more drama, but I guess Chester was telling the truth. It’s as simple as killing a queen to become a queen.
Before I exit the large room, I stop in front of a mirror and study myself. No blood in sight. I look completely ordinary. Well, maybe that’s a lie. I look free. I look happy.
Madness has set me free.
I’ve always been contained and told what to do. My parents had my life planned out for me before I was three. I was never allowed to be a normal child. I wasn’t able to have sleepovers or drive a car. I was miserable.
Then I came to the Isle of Redquin. Pure dumb luck that Chester chose me. I guess I should’ve thanked him, because now look. I’m Queen. Nobody can tell me anything.
After stashing the knife once again, I make my way down the hall, back into the ballroom, and then into the closet with the trap door. I retrace my steps until I’m back in the tunnel.
Just as I suspected, Allerick is already looking for me.
“There you are!” I yell. “I’ve been so afraid. I heard voices. I think the queen is sending some guards down here to check on Chester. We have to go now!”
His face turned from angry to determined. He thought I had left him, and now he believes I just want to hurry up and get on with our plan.
“Did you talk to Chester already?” he questions.
“Yes. He admitted to drugging me. He said I was meant to be a distraction. He killed Eloyra because he was trying to protect the queen.”
Allerick growls. “I knew it. I’ve spotted him a few times in the castle. He was her plaything.”
I ignore what he just confirmed for me. Chester seemed to love her. “We must go. Is there an exit we can take where we won’t pass the guards?”
He grins. “Of course. Follow me.”
It takes a few minutes, but we finally enter the castle, and begin traveling down a different hallway than the one I was in before.
“The
re’s nobody here,” I whisper, wanting to know the reason behind the absence of staff.
“She doesn’t allow many people in the main part of the castle. Trust issues,” he says with a mischievous grin. “If she needs anything or anybody, she’ll call on them. Usually there’s only one guard nearby.”
“Lucky for us, then.”
Allerick pushes open a door, delivering me to a chapel. “Allison, we have to get married.”
I already knew this was coming, but he doesn’t know. I feign shock. “What? Why?”
“Just trust me,” he says, softly stroking my arms. “This is for the best. Once you kill the queen, you will become Queen. With me by your side, we can do great things. The people may not take you seriously since you’re an outsider. Marrying me will give you some credibility.”
I bring my thumb to my mouth, chewing on my nail like a nervous child. He loves it. “Oh.”
“It’s going to be fine.”
I notice he doesn’t mention he’ll be King. “Okay. Yeah. Let’s do it.”
Allerick already has someone there to marry us, and the ceremony lasts all of three minutes. I never gave much thought to getting married, but I never thought it would be like this.
“Paperwork will be filed right away,” he says, ushering me into the hall. “Now we have to find my sister.”
“Why do you want to kill your sister?”
He grunts. “I should’ve been King. She never should’ve worn the crown. I’m only making things right.”
Not really caring to hear more, I don’t bother with further questions. I let him escort me into the room I vacated not long ago. I’m curious as to how he’ll react when he finds out, but I had to look out for myself. I was no longer going to let myself be manipulated.
As we approach the double doors, I slow my steps and fall behind him. The guard is about to speak, but I bring my finger to my lips, letting him know not to say a word. He obeys.
Allerick moves past him without a glance, enters the room, and calls out for his sister.
She never emerges.
“Annika!” he shouts again.
I fall back as he heads to the alcove he and her shared less than an hour ago. When he doesn’t find her there, he moves to the second one.
He doesn’t scream. He doesn’t cry. He doesn’t even gasp. He’s utterly quiet before he steps out of the alcove and stares at me in shock.
“Did you…?”
I allow the first genuine smile I’ve had since coming here to cross my lips. “I did.”
He rushes me, but I hold up a hand. “If you kill me, you’ll be killed immediately. Isn’t that the rules?”
“Nobody knows,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Guard!” I yell.
The young man with blond hair enters the room. “Your Majesty?”
“Did you alert everyone?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you,” I reply, never taking my eyes off of Allerick.
“Why?” he questions, looking defeated.
“Between you and Chester, I was tired of being played with. You both gave me enough information that I knew what I had to do. We’re married, but I was Queen first. You don’t get to be King and try to push me in the background. I know you have control issues, but you will not control me unless I allow you to control me. Do you understand?”
He furrows his brow. “You mean…”
I smile. “I’m not as innocent as you may think. I don’t mind relinquishing control in certain situations, but I’ll always be your Queen. If you play nice, I can play nice. Now, time for you to prove to me you’re worth keeping around,” I say, throwing his words back at him.
Epilogue
It’s been a month since I’ve been Queen Allison, though since word got out about how the previous queen and Chester were killed—stabbed in the heart, the people have come up with a nickname. I’m sure you can guess what it is.
Allerick has been useful. True to his word, he has helped me learn the ropes, though he never oversteps.
Is he upset that he’s not King and not in the limelight? Yes. Is he angry about not having complete control and having people worship him? Definitely. Does he hate me for it? Who knows? He’d never tell me if that were the case.
But I give him power. I allow him the control he seeks, and I don’t mind worshipping him behind closed doors. Our roles as Queen and Prince are what they are, but in the bedroom, we allow role playing.
I slip into the sheer black shirt he gave me when I first got here, and this time, I’m able to fasten all the straps myself.
A few minutes later, Allerick steps into my room, wearing all black himself.
“Your Majesty,” he says, voice dripping with sarcasm.
I grin.
“Are you smiling at me?”
I shake my head, mashing my lips together.
He grips the straps at my chest and pulls me into him. “I think you were. Do you find me funny?”
“No.”
Allerick pulls me to the couch in the sitting area of my room, and once he’s sat down in the middle, he tells me to get on my hands and knees over his lap.
With one hand at my throat and the other one palming my ass, he says, “Are you going to be a good girl?”
I nod.
He spanks me. “Use your words.”
“I’ll be good.”
“Good girl.”
I still get tingles when he calls me a good girl. Though I’m Queen, he’s still nearly twenty years older than me and way more experienced sexually.
“Did you miss me?” he questions.
“Yes,” I answer with a nod. And it’s true. He had been gone for a week, and I’ve been craving his touch.
He caresses my ass and thighs with his large hand, then slides a finger under the material of my panties, pushing it inside me.
Allerick groans. “Your cunt is already wet for me. I guess you did miss me.”
He continues to fuck me with his fingers, and I start rocking back, needing more.
“Such a little slut, aren’t you?”
I moan as he dips his thumb into my mouth and removes his fingers from my pussy.
“Are you in charge or am I?” he asks, pulling my head to the side so he can look into my eyes.
“You.”
He grunts his satisfaction.
I think he’s okay with me being Queen because I allow these types of things to happen. He gets off on dominating me, even if it’s only during our intimate moments. He knows the power I have now, and yet, he gets to fuck me this way. It has to be a turn on knowing I only kneel for him when I can have anybody kneel for me.
“On your knees,” he commands.
I get down between his legs, this time on soft, carpeted floor. His thumb rests on my bottom lip before pulling down and opening my mouth. He leans in and dips his tongue into my mouth, his fingers moving to my jaw, holding me in place.
After a few seconds, he pulls away. I watch as he undoes his pants and frees his massive erection. I lick my lips in anticipation.
“All right, little girl, use that mouth of yours to show me how much you missed me. If you do a good enough job, I’ll reward you.”
I quickly take the shaft in my hands, licking a path from his balls to the tip. I stroke his length while I tease his head with my tongue, then I take as much as I can to the back of my throat.
He fists my hair in his hand, yanking on the strands as I continue to pleasure him. Wetness pools in my panties, ready for him to slide deep inside me.
Allerick pushes me back, his cock leaving my mouth. “Get up and get on the bed.”
I happily rush to the mattress and lie on my back. Allerick drops his pants and underwear, then climbs onto the bed, ripping my panties off.
“I’m going to fuck you until you forget my name and start calling me God.”
He sinks into me, his thick cock filling me up in a second.
“Oh!” I cry out.
&nbs
p; His hand covers my mouth. “What’ll the guards think of their queen sounding like a wanton whore?”
I knock his hand away. “Probably jealous that it’s you in here with me and not them. Now, fuck me.”
He smirks, then comes through on his promise. I’m calling out God within minutes, as he expertly brings me to orgasm. As I’m coming, he pulls out and puts his mouth on my pussy, tasting how wet he made me.
“Your cunt is magical,” he moans.
He strokes his cock as he eats my pussy, and in a few minutes, he’s up on his knees. “Get up here and open your mouth.”
I scurry to my knees and open my mouth. Allerick shoots his load onto my tongue, his muscular body tensing up as he revels in his release.
Minutes later, once we’ve caught our breath, I angle my head and say, “Guess you’ve proven you’re worth keeping around.”
His lips turn up slightly, then he brings the back of my hand to his mouth and places a kiss on it. “I’m glad, You’re Majesty.”
Connect with Isabel Lucero
Something else to read by Isabel….
Living in Sin
Prologue
I remember the day they died.
I was just a normal girl from a normal, loving family. Wanted for nothing, especially my parents’ affection and time. I was everything they had ever dreamed of, as I remember them telling me, and often, until that night.
Jo, my dear cousin and best friend.
She wasn’t the only person affected the day her parents were killed instantly in a car crash. No, my sweet, perfect life turned upside down when she came to live with us. My life was consumed by anger and jealousy. I’m certain my parents thought they were doing the best they could, given the tragic circumstances, but not for me. Jo was no longer my best friend. She became my sister overnight and I hated that she stole my parents away from me.
The Dark Kingdom Anthology Page 20