Doll Face, Glass Heart

Chapter Eight

Death of a friend and a new bastard King

Winter Remedy

I awoke late at night. I sat up and squinted into the darkness. I could make out the form of a tall man hunched in the corner a few feet away from the window.
"Rupin?" I whispered.
"Incorrect." Said a voice too deep to be Rupin's. My body stiffened as I watched the figure stand up so tall his head almost touched the ceiling. His face washed in the moonlight to reveal raven black hair, glowing red eyes, and almost grey skin. Suddenly he stepped toward me, the moonlight also revealing what looked to be a giant clawed hand and arm coming from his back.
"I came to see yor face at least once. Rupin talked highly of you before he left." He said. His face was expressionless but his eyes were almost pained. He must have been like Rupin, he looked evil but was actually nice. I still wasn't sure, so I kept my guard up.
"Is that all?" I asked quietly.
"It was, but I was spotted jumping over the wall and had to kill the witness." He said. "At first, I thought it was just a blonde woman but after a closer look-"
"Queen Starr is dead!" I heard someone shout from outside. "Alert the village! Alert the village! We are under attack!"
People began screaming and shouting from outside.
I looked over to the tall man and we was staring at the ground, still expressionless.
"If you don't leave they'll find you." I said. I wasn't going to be mean.
"I understand that, miss." He said, but didn't budge.
"Leave." I snapped.
His face shot up and was washed with suprise, then he smiled.
"You are much kinder than I ever thought you to be." He said. "Thank you, miss."
After he disappeared I ran outside to the people, but ran into Xavier.
"Come with me." He said. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the castle.
"Xavier, you're hurting me!" I said, but he probably didn't hear me over the roar of the mourning crowds around us.
He threw open the castle door and brought me inside.
"Now that I am king, I have a question to ask you." He said. He strode over and sat down in the former king's throne.
"Starr is dead?" I sniffed. I had been sad from the moment the man told me, but I only let it out then.
"Yes, but do not fret." He said. "My question will cheer you up more, or it should."
"Well, then what is it?" I asked, sniffing again.
"How would you like to be my queen?"
I stopped sniffing. Did I just hear correctly?
"Did you just...?"
"Yes, I just proposed to you." He said, smiling a smile that I'd never seen on him before. "What do you say?"
"What? No. No, my answer is no." I said. His smile left his face. "Why did you wait till now to ask me?"
"Because," He said, suddenly standing in front of me. "I can make you marry me now that I am king."
I let out a gasp as he grabbed me around my waist and crushed his lips against mine.
I would've pushed him off but my arms had been by my wides, and now they were trapped under his arms. I let out a muffled scream and tried to push away.
He pulled back but didn't let me go. His icy blue eyes stared hard into mine.
"Please let me go." I whispered.
"Not a chance." He said.
He grabbed both my hands and forced me upstairs. My eyes streamed with tears as I guessed what was going to happen to me.
He threw me down on his bed and lay on top of me, trapping my arms. I tried to kick him off my but he was stronger than he looked. He kissed me again and I shook my head out of the way.
Suddenly he stopped. His hand lay on top of my stomach. His eyes were wide with a mix of anger and confusion.
"Who?" He asked. Suddenly something snapped in my head.
"Rupin!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Rupin! Please help me!"
His hand covered my mouth. He leaned in to my face.
"Scream again and I will cut your stomach open, killing you and your baby." He whispered, then pulled his hand away. "Who is Rupin? Is he from this village?"
I kept my mouth shut. Rupin probably hadn't heard me over the people outside.
"You won't answer?" He asked, grinning wickedly. "Well, that causes for punishment."

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The Next Day...

I sat on my bed and cried my eyes out. My mind kept replaying exactly what he said when he stopped his sick, twisted form of punishment.
"You will marry me." He said. "You will tell everyone that the baby belongs to me, and deliver it as the new member to the royal family. Then one day it will accidently be mauled by wolves, and you will get over your grief by having more children." Then he added. "And you will never go into the forest again."
I sobbed and looked down at my stomach.
"My b-baby..." I wailed, rubbing my hands against the growing bump.
"Winter?" Said a voice. I looked up to see Rupin climb in through the window. "Are you alright?"
"No." I wailed. I stood and hugged him, pressing my face against his chest and crying harder than before.
"What happend?" He asked, sitting me back down and pushing my hair out of my face.
"Xavier is k-king and he is an evil bastard!" I sobbed.
"What did he do?"
"H-He's gonna make me marry him." I felt Rupin stiffen.
"Is that all?"
I shook my head. We sat in silence exept for a few sniffles from me.
"Did he touch you?"
Reluctantly, I nodded. Rupin tensed and then he disappeared.
I ran over to the window and gazed towards the manor.
"Rupin! No!"

King Xavier

I sat on my throne, smiling contently around the room. Everything was fine. Winter was going to be my wife, the demon child in her belly would die, and I was king. Life was good.
Suddenly I saw something move in the shadows across the room. I let out an involuntary gasp. I had thought I was alone.
I let out another gasp as the person emerged. It was a tall young man with extremely red hair and dark grey eyes. He wore a serious expression and stared coldly towards me. He was a dark elf.
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"I am Rupin." He replied. Anger flared inside of me.
"So, you are Winter's faithful Rupin?" I snapped. "Why did you not come when she screamed your name last night? Why did you not come when she cried into the pillows while I had my way with her?"
His expression hardened to one of pure rage.
"No matter." I hissed, letting my anger get the best of me. "I will have the bitch killed for concieving a child with you."
Then I felt his hands wrap around my throat. I forgot Dark Elves were faster than us.
"You will not call her that." He said.
"I will call her what I want." I spat.
"I meant that you will not live to call her that again." Then his hand tightened around my neck and I felt a painful snap, then I felt numb and my world faded into black.

To be Continued...