Rule the World

Recap:It was narrower, no windows, dark and abandoned, and I didn't know where it went. I didn't care. I found a doorway and huddled inside it.
Then the tears came.

I don' t know how long I stayed in my little hole and cried. It'd been so long since I'd felt anything like I was feeling then and it just wouldn't stop. There were those memories, those awful memories that I couldn't face again.

His approach was quiet and I didn't know he was there until he touched my arm. My head jerked up from resting against my arms and I tried to stand, but he touched my shoulder.

"I don't think highly of formalities," Lord Khan said.

I said nothing and just looked at him wearily, wishing he hadn't caught me in my pitiful state.

"Why don't you come with me," he said, nodding his head behind him.

I stood and followed him without a word. I was dreading what was approaching. What did he want?

He led me across the bridge and I looked out into the expanse. The bridge was over a great chasm that broke into the earth. On the other side of the chasm was the castle and I could see how high it truly sliced into the sky.

In the castle, we passed the dining hall. There had been a wall that had kept us from going further into the castle the night before, but now it was gone, replaced with a great, open entrance hall. It was just as dark and foreboding as its king. A massive chandelier that almost looked like an instrument of torture was hanging from the center of the ceiling.

Lord Khan led me up the steps that zig-zagged along the wall. Another long hallway and he opened a door for me that lead into a study.

The walls, from floor to ceiling, were bookshelves, filled with the spines of hundreds--maybe thousands--of books. The fireplace was unlit and the room was cold and very dark; the long drapes were closed over the windows. There was a gloominess that seemed to fill the room with more chill. A piano that looked like it hadn't been touched in a long time sat in a corner.

Lord Khan leaned against the black, iron desk and looked at me pensively. "I know what happened to your parents, Seraphine." I looked down at the floor. "But...I'd like to know your side of the story."

I let out a humorless laugh. "Why does it matter? They're dead. You know enough of what happened."

"They were accused of selling information to North America," he said. "And we were going to try them, but..."

"The people in my town killed them," I answered, not meeting his eyes.

He nodded. "But was it true?"

It took every ounce of my courage to look up at him, to meet his eyes and show how much pain I felt. "They would have done anything to keep us alive. We didn't have any money...and they thought..." I bit my lip as I felt tears coming again and managed to look up at him again. "They just wanted to keep us alive."

Roy nodded slowly. "I understand."

"No, you don't,"I said lowly. "You're a king. You can have whatever you want."

He stood and walked up to until there was barely any space between us. His own face was dark now. "You don't know what I've gone through."

"I WATCHED MY PARENTS GET EXECUTED!" I screamed into his face. To my annoyance, he didn't even flinch. "My brother won't even speak because of what we saw!"

The memory was coming back, fresher than I wanted it to be.

Mother and father being drug out of house, beaten, and thrown into the snow. We were drug mercilessly after them, forced to see them brought to their knees. I remember the gun being put to my mother's head. Father yelled at us not to look. I couldn't, but Dax did. I heard the shot. And then another.

My eyes opened and they were both dead in the snow, crimson splashed around them like a work of art. They were drug off into the nothingness and Dax and I were left in the snow to cry until Gram found us...

I knew tears were coming down my face now, but I held his gaze, realizing I'd been staring at him the whole time while that night played in my mind's eye. He was less angry now.

"You can go," he said.

He didn't have to tell me again. I turned around and walked quickly out of the room, down the stairs, and across the bridge. By the time I reached the school, I'd dried my eyes and put a passive look on my face.

I sat down at the long table, across from Rosin and set the book I'd grabbed from a shelf in front of me. It was our study hall.

"Where have you been? Did Svart give you detention?"

"No," I said quietly and flipped open the book. I didn't even know what it was about. I just needed something to do.

"Are you okay?"

"Perfect," I said.

"You want to talk about it?"

I slammed the book shut, which echoed through the library, and glared at her. "No, if I wanted to talk about anything, I would. Why can't you all just leave me alone?"

I got up, shoved the book back in its place, and walked to our room.

At the moment, I wasn't guilty that I was so bitter at Rosin. She didn't understand, nor did she even know what I'd told Lord Khan. My shoulders slumped and I frowned. The king knew more about my past than my best friend...I'd never been able to tell her the truth.

I was ashamed of what my parents had done, but I couldn't help but defend them. It was the reason we'd been shunned. We were seen as threats to the whole town; they were afraid me, my brother, or even Gram would do what they had done.

They'd punished Dax and me, made us work as slaves for a long time until they knew our spirit was broken and we wouldn't dare challenge them. I worked in the tiny stable. That is what had kept my sanity. Horses had a way at that; keeping someone sane. My brother worked for the mayor as a personal servant. I never understood it. They weren't much better off than us to begin with.

I sat down on my bed, sighed, and looked at my scarred hands. Life hadn't been easy. But something made me wonder...

What had Lord Khan meant by I 'didn't know what he'd gone through'?