Chapter 5- Tired!

"I'm here for your youngest daughter, Mr. Leos. I'm here to bring your youngest daughter to my palace."

A long deafening silence took over, and they all gazed at each other with a baffled expression on their faces. 

Eloise turned around and left for Penny's room. She now finally realized why Penny had a worried expression on her face when she mentioned the king. All along, she knew the king was here for her and not who they all thought he was here for.

The smile on Irene's face slowly died down. She fisted her knuckles angrily, piercing her fingers deep into her skin. Once again, her younger sister was going to take what was supposed to belong to her.

Mr. and Mrs. Leos stared at each other for a while, they both had a lot to say. But...it was the king and not a stranger. One wrong word would have their head cut off.

"My king, are you perhaps mistaken?" questioned Mrs. Leos with a bow. 

With a sly smile on his face, Zephyr responded, "Did I stutter, Mrs. Leos?"

"I..." 

Mr. Leo held his wife's hand to stop her from saying what she was not meant to say. "I'm sorry for my wife's insolence, my king. It's just that, my youngest daughter, she won't..."

"And do you think I care about that, Mr. Leos?" Zephyr said sternly. He stood up angrily which made Mr. and Mrs. Leos stand up from their sit too. "Penelope leaves with me and that's final!"

Eloise stood in front of Penny, staring at her friend who had an unfathomable expression on her face. She knows that Penny isn't happy at all with all this, knowing her friend she would prefer a simple and happy lifestyle, not an extravagant lifestyle. That was something Irene wish for and not Penny.

"What should we do, Eloise? There's no way I will survive all alone in the palace with the king. What if he sucks all the damn blood out of my body." Penny said almost in a whisper. If only she had not been walking around in the castle the other night and it's all Irene's fault for forcing her to go to the ball.

"Well, there's nothing we can do. He's adamant about taking you to the palace and maybe all along he might be the man you are meant to be with. You will have so much fun living with the king, you have so many servants and you might even end up as the queen. You should be happy, Penny." Eloise said with a huge smile on her face. Maybe, after all, her friend would find her true happiness with the king. And then she would be the queen's best friend.

"But we both know that's not the kind of life that I desire, Eloise. I don't want that kind of extravagant lifestyle, I just want a simple and quiet life. That's what I've ever dreamed of Eloise and not to be a queen." responded Penny, a little bit annoyed with everything that was happening to her.

"Then you must get used to it, Penny. This time around, the ball is not in your court. You have no choice but to go with King, it would be the best thing for you."

"But..."

"Penny!" Mrs. Leos called, she had been standing not too far from Penny's room and the process overheard their conversation. All she wants is a good life for both of her daughters but it seems like always, life is playing a high game with her daughters' lives and once again there's nothing she would be able to do about it. It's not that she hates her younger daughter, Penny. Instead, she yearned to give her the happiness she had lost.

"Mama!" Penny cried out and for the first time in years, she felt like bursting out into tears.

Mrs. Leos walked towards her daughter, she held her hand in hers and said calmly. "There's nothing we can do, Penny. You have to go with the king."

"No mama, I don't want to leave. I can't survive in the palace mother and you know that. There's no way, I can survive living all alone with the king, mother." Penny pleaded almost in tears.

 "I'm sorry, Penny. But this time around, there's nothing that your father and I can do. You have to leave with the king. It would be the best, for the family." said Mrs. Leos, rubbing her daughter's hand with hers.

"I..."

"You must be happy, right?" Irene stated, breaking the heartfelt conversation between the mother and daughter.

"Excuse me?"

"This is what you've always wanted, right? Once again, Penny, you've taken what's meant to be mine and I'm sure you must be so happy about that." Irene stated with hatred in her voice.

Penny fisted her knuckles angrily, she glared at her sister but didn't utter a single word. She wouldn't waste her time talking to someone that won't even listen.

"You do know, that's not true, Irene. Is this how little you know your younger sister?" Mrs. Leos questioned angrily, she couldn't that her eldest daughter could be so selfish and self-centered.

"Yes, mother! And I just wish she can die! I wish she can just go to hell!" Irene yelled angrily, for her to receive a slap from her mother.

"Mother!" Penny called while Irene held her cheek, tears falling profusely from her brown eyes. 

"I didn't raise you to be so heartless and ill-tempered, Irene! What has gotten into you! She's your younger sister and you want her dead?! I'm very much disappointed in you, Irene. Now, leave for your room right this instance." Mrs. Leos said, fuming with anger. Irene glared at Penny before walking out of Penny's room.

Eloise stood dumbfounded, watching the whole scene. She could feel the tension in the air, trying to put all the pieces together to figure out what was happening between the two sisters. She could feel the hatred in Irene's voice and she knows that the king choosing Penny wasn't the only reason she was angry. It was something that she had been holding for a long time now and if care is not taken, that hatred can turn into something bad, extremely bad, and dangerous.

"Mother!" Penelope called, bringing her mother out of her thoughts.

"Your father and I will try our best to appeal to the king, Penelope. But right now, you will have to go. It will be for the best."

Penny closed her eyes briefly and nodded her head in approval. She had heard rumors about how brutal the king could be if his demands were not fulfilled and the last thing she wanted was to be the reason for her family's downfall. For now, she has no choice but to go with King Zephyr. Life was indeed playing with her but hopefully, this will be the last time it would be playing dangerous games with her feelings cause she was tired. Extremely tired!