Chapter Eleven

Ava

“Clean up. They'll bring you something to eat, and if he sends for you, try not to annoy him. His patience is thin as it is. It's only a matter of time before things fall apart.” The Beta said as he handed me fresh clothes.

The room was a sterile white with a bed on one side of the room. There was a small desk by the wall opposite the bed ,small closet,the door that lead out into what I assumed was a bathroom and a fireplace.

“Thank you, sir.”

I nodded at his retreating back before looking around at my surroundings.

When he was gone, I contemplated whether to lock the door or not. The thoughts of the king bursting through it like he did the last time sent shivers.

I left the door unlocked and went into the bathroom , closing the door after myself. I looked in the mirror, but all I saw was a tired strange girl . My eyes were dark circles, my hair was dishevelled, my clothes, I gasped at how little they hid. I sighed and ran a hand through my messy curls.

It took me a while but soon I was done scrubbing my skin. The new dress I was given was quite simple, black and form fitting. It was made from some sort of soft cotton material that didn't cling too much to my body. I could have sworn it was silk when I first saw it.

Soon, there was a knock on the door, and I stood still.

“Come in,” I called hesitantly.

“The king wants you to come down and eat with him.” The beta said impatiently.

“But you said food will be brought to me.” Fear was visible in my voice. I knew I was in trouble. What if I annoyed the king? What if he wanted my neck on a platter of gold?

The beta glared at me. “No one disobeys the King,” He said firmly.

There was an uncomfortable silence between us. The beta rolled his eyes and opened the door. I stared at him for a moment before following him out.

When I got to the dining table, it was ridiculously large and full of multiple foods as if they were expecting guests.

“Sit,” the king pointed out to one of the chairs far from him, which I gladly took.

It was only when I sat down that I noticed an older woman who sat near the King. They shared a striking resemblance, but hers was more refined. Her eyes were sharp and penetrating, and she had short hair streaked with grey.

Her face was lined and stern, as if she spent all her energy holding herself together. She wasn't exactly pleasant to look at, and I immediately turned to my meal. There was a bowl filled with soup, along with vegetables.

“What's your name?” The woman asked abruptly.

My head jerked up. I hadn't expected her to be so blunt about it. It threw me off a bit. “Ava… Ava Demetrius.” I murmured.

“But that's not really your name, from what I heard, you were adopted right?” She pushed. She had an interesting accent. It sounded Eastern European or Middle Eastern.

This time the king had turned to look at me. They were both looking at me.

“Uhm, yes” I answered slowly. I felt exposed, sitting there staring at them. My heart beat faster, and my palms started sweating. The atmosphere suddenly felt oppressive. I glanced up quickly, hoping she would go away, or that someone else would walk in right then and save me from this awkward situation.

“And your aunt easily gave you away? You must be the problem since everyone around you never wants anything to do with you.” She was eating easily, as if the words were coming out of anyone other than herself. “Am I right?”

I tried to keep my mouth shut, but something had to be said. The way she said it was... condescending. The tone and intonation implied I was some kind of charity case. Or at least something unimportant and unwanted in a crowd of people who wanted nothing more than to be rid of me.

“Well, what does it matter anyway? You're here now, aren't you? If you've got nothing better to do than cause trouble, you might as well start helping. Make yourself useful while my son thinks of what he'd do with you,” she sneered at me. She gestured towards the table. “Eat”

“Noted, Ma.”

“It's Queen Mother,” she spat, standing up. “And we will see where that gets you.” Her voice was laced with poison. I almost thought she was going to strike me as she stomped out. I was too frozen to move.

The king didn't say a word; just the occasional sound of his chewing seemed to fill the space.

“Eat,” he repeated quietly as he finished off his soup. “You look like shit. Don't think the food won't get any colder without you.”

He was probably right. I swallowed the soup that I could barely taste, forcing it down my throat until the lump was gone. I felt nauseous again after.

“Why are you not eating? You think the food of your kind is better than ours?”

He snarled, anger clearly written on his face. He stood from the table and started walking over to me. I cowered, pressing myself against the chair. He reached forward and grabbed my wrist, making me yelp in alarm. I struggled against him.

“Stop struggling” he hissed, “you need to eat.

Otherwise, I will feed you something worse.”

His grip on my wrist loosened slightly. A wave of relief washed over me before I realized it.

“Don't make me hurt you.” He warned me before returning to his seat.

This time, I shoved the contents of my plate into my mouth, one after the other, choking slightly at the taste. It didn't matter how badly I didn't want to; if I wanted to survive, then I had to eat.

When I was done eating, the king, who was long done, spoke up.

“I have an offer for you.”