Chapter 14

    I paced back and forth in my room. It was done. It had been done. I ran my fingers over my face and through my hair. I shut my eyes tightly, conjuring up the look in Rayne’s eyes after seeing my tattoo. My eyes opened and I turned towards the door. I had to confront Rayne. If he was going to be my guard I had to let him know that what happened between our fathers couldn’t get in between us. Before I left, Rayne’s notebook caught my eye. I turned towards the dresser instead and grabbed it, leaning myself against the wall. I opened it to the last page where the face of the girl stared up at me. I ran my fingers across the drawing, smiling slightly. It looked like he had put a lot of effort into this drawing, the lines drawn with care. I could almost see him now, his brow furrowed, wrinkles spread across his forehead in concentration and the pencil dancing lightly across the page….

            My fingers traced over the scribbled letters at the bottom. I peered closer to see that it was actually a name.

 

            Constance.

 

            I shut the book quickly. A tingling sensation started in my chest and spread through out my whole body, to the tips of my fingers and to the tips of my toes. I set the notebook back on the dresser and wrapped my arms around myself. It didn’t mean anything now. It might not have meant anything then either. My body rose and fell with my rapid breathing. That kiss had been so small, had meant barely anything, but I was still so caught up in it. I was still so caught up in him.

            Just then the door opened and Rayne stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. I was alarmed and wasn’t expecting his next action. He pushed me up against the wall so hard my head flew back and hit the hard stone, causing my eyes to shut in pain. His face was close; I could feel his breath against my lips. I felt his arms shake as they pinned me to the wall.

            “Why are you doing this to me?”

            His voice was vulnerable. I could tell that his actions hadn’t been to hurt me, but merely to try and trick me into thinking he wasn’t scared, wasn’t in fact vulnerable.

            “Let go,” I said softly, opening my eyes and letting them meet with his. His eyes were broken through like glass, shards of color spread out everywhere.

            “Not until you tell me why you’re doing this to me, why you’re making me be near you so much.”

            “I already told you.” I placed my hands gently on his arms. He was shaking violently. “Rayne, I’m not your enemy. I thought before that maybe you didn’t want to be my guard because of our dads. But now I’m beginning to think it’s for a different reason.” I let my eyes wander over his notebook. He turned his head.

            “Rayne, please be honest with me. Is this because of the kiss?”

            He pushed away from me, his eyes being set into rewind and the colors forming back into one.

            “Please Constance, this is not about you.”

            “Then what is it about?”

            He jutted out his jaw and looked away from me. “Maybe it is because your dad killed my dad.”

            “Oh please,” I replied, stepping away from the wall. “You’re over that. You were over that after you forgave Christian.”

            He took his bottom lip into his mouth, his body still shaking. “It’s because when you’re a queen we can’t be together.” He looked back at me. “Not like we were before.”

            I swallowed loudly. “What exactly does that mean?”

            “It means,” he said harshly, “that you are the queen and I am the guard. That is all we are to each other. That is all we can be with each other. We can’t talk about our past, or about what we want in the future. We can’t just talk like that anymore Constance. Now it’s only business, and that’s all it’s going to be until you aren’t queen anymore.”

            “Rayne I can’t just not be queen. I can’t let down Christian like that, I can’t let down the council like that….”

            He exhaled with a slight laugh.

            “Why can’t we talk like that to each other anymore?”

            “It’s forbidden,” he answered. “It’s forbidden for a royal to be with someone of a lower status.”

            I furrowed my eyebrows. “To be with?”

            He turned to look at me. “Don’t try and make me think you don’t know where this is going or where it could go if we continued being friends.”

            “So nobody has to know!”

            He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes brimming with tears. “Constance that’s not the point.”

            “Then what-” I stopped short, remembering the story he had told me about my dad. I bit my lip. “Being with me would go against the honor of your father.”

            He nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on the ceiling. I licked my lips and took a deep unsteady breath.

            “Okay. Well-”

            Just then the door reopened and Christian stepped in. As soon as he saw Rayne he stopped abruptly.

            “What is he doing here?”

            Rayne quickly wiped his eyes. “I was just leaving.”

            “No, stop.” Christian looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, for any harm I did to you by bringing Constance to the council.”

            Rayne nodded. “I know. You’re always sorry.”

            Christian smiled slightly. “Yeah.” He turned to look at me. “The council called us back again.”

            I raised an eyebrow. “I hope Lihendria hasn’t thrown a fit.”

            His face fell. “Actually, she did just that.” He sighed. “Come on.”

            Rayne and I hurried after Christian quickly to the big doors. He opened them and we stepped inside.

            The councilman cleared his throat. “Constance, please, have a seat.”

            I walked over to the other side of the table, followed by Rayne and Christian, who both stood on either side of me.

            “Lihendria has decided to look through the rule book.” He pursed his lips. “And she’s found something.”

            Lihendria stood up, the book open in front of her. “Rule number five hundred and thirty seven. ‘Royalty that has not claimed their thrown before the age of fifteen cannot take their place as king or queen.” She looked up at me with a sly smile. “ ‘However, they can if they can prove their courage and loyalty to the people in a set of challenges.”

            “What?” Christian yelled. “That’s outrageous! How old is that rule book anyways? Who even follows that rule book anymore?”

            “Oh so we were following it before when Constance got elected queen?”

            Christian growled. “Nobody likes you. You’re just embarrassing yourself by staying in power.”

            “Shut up Christian, you don’t know anything.”

            “You’re a witch.”

            “You’re nothing and you never will be,” she sneered.

            “Shut the f**k up you disgusting queen! You burned off my tattoo! I should be in rule right now, not you.”

            “Christian!” The councilman said. “You shall not accuse Lihendria of such falseness. You cannot prove she burned off your tattoo.”

            “Sir,” Rayne cut in. “If I may change the subject?”

            “Please do,” he replied.

            “What exactly are the challenges Constance would have to face?”

            The councilman sighed. “To prove she is worthy of the power she must defeat the challenges from the three powers.” He looked over at me. “Light, shadow, and spirit. If she does that, she can be queen.”

            Rayne’s eyes widened. “You can’t put her through that, she’s only seventeen.”

            “I’m sorry Rayne, rules are rules. However, the book also says she’s allowed to have a helper.”

            I looked over at Rayne. “I choose Rayne.”

            “What about me?” Christian asked.

            “I’m sorry Christian. You’re family and Rayne’s a guard. He’s more trained in this stuff than you.”

            He exhaled roughly. “Fine.”

            “It’s settled then. Lihendria stays queen unless Constance can prove herself through these challenges. We’ll start tomorrow.” With that he and the others stood up, exiting the room.

            Lihendria slammed her book closed. “Don’t expect me to wish you good luck.” She looked over at Christian. “Christian, you’re still my supervisor while I’m queen. She may have taken Rayne with her but you’re still mine. Come on.”

            Christian eyed me angrily as he followed her out of the room. Rayne turned towards me.

            “Constance please don’t take part in these challenges.”

            “I have to.”

            “No, you don’t. You have a choice to be queen or not.”

            “And I choose to be queen. I can’t let down Christian, or my family. Rayne I’m sorry.”

            “Constance….”

            “We settled this, before. Please Rayne just helps me get through this.”

            He sighed, running his hand down his face. “All right.”

 

Author's Note

I know the whole light shadow and spirit thing sounds cliche but I have good ideas, I swear!

Reviews

[r]

MUST READ MORE!!! I SWEAR I AM ADDICTED TO THIS BOOK!!! IT IS SOOOOO FREAKING EPIC!! IT THINK IT'S MY FAVORITE THING I HAVE EVER READ IN MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFETIME ((which is only 15 yrs but still))

ZOMFG AMAZINGNES ILOVEITTODEATH GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aimee]

I wonder what's gonna happen O:

Can't wait for more. [:

[Preston]

GGGGGAHHHHHHHHH I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER ITS LIKE I'M ON DRUGS.