Never Yours ✔️

Ch. 26

She stared at the journal open on her bed. She clutched the pen tightly, staring fiercely at the blank page. But the words wouldn't come.

"Arysa--" Kryssa barged into her room without knocking and Arysa's head snapped up. She fixed Kryssa with a deadly glare. Kryssa blinked. "It's time to talk to the king."

"I'm busy." Arysa turned back to her journal.

Kryssa peered over her shoulder. "Doesn't look like it to me."

Arysa sneered. "Get out."

Kryssa sighed exasperatedly. "You said you would help me." She whined.

"You act like such a child." Arysa retorted. "Can't you wait a few more hours?"

"So you can stare at that empty page some more? Not a chance."

Arysa scowled, but snapped the notebook closed and got to her feet.

"Fine, let's go."

Kryssa eyed her nightdress. "Aren't you going to get dressed?"

Arysa looked down at herself. "Oh. Yes, right."

She moved to her closet and picked out a simple mint green gown and changed behind the changing panel. When she came back out, Kryssa was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Let's go." Arysa waved her towards the door and Kryssa leapt into action like a startled rabbit. She hurried to the door and pulled it open, waving Arysa through.

"What time of day is it?" Arysa asked. "Do you know where the king will be?"

"It's the afternoon." Kryssa replied, looking at Arysa strangly.

"Then he'll be in his study. Doing what, who knows?" Arysa said sorely.

When they got to his study, Arysa didn't bother knocking. She walked right in to find the king sitting on the floor in a circle of papers filled with scribbles and doodles that made no sense. He looked up, startled.

"Arysa!" He grinned. "You've come to see me! And who's this you've brought?"

"This is Kryssa Windsvale." Arysa replied patiently. "She's come to try and clear her parents' names."

The king stilled. "Windsvale?"

"Yes, uncle, but we're not going to hold her parents' crimes against her, understand?" She spoke to him like he was a child.

His eyes hardened. "Windsvales aren't welcome here."

"Uncle--"

He stood up suddenly to his full height, so much that he loomed over them.

"I want her out of this castle. Out of this kingdom. How dare you bring her here, Arysa? How dare you consort with this criminal?"

"She's not a criminal! She was just a child!" Arysa exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter." He mumbled to himself. "Can't have her here. Can't. Can't. Can't."

"Your highness, please," Kryssa started, "I just want to know the truth about Arysa's parents' deaths."

"The truth?" The king scoffed. "The truth is that the Windsvales had them assassinated, that's the truth! My sister, my little sister, killed because of them."

"But they didn't kill them!" Kryssa cried. "My parents are innocent!"

"No, they're not!" The king roared and Kryssa flinched backwards. "They're traitors to the crown!"