Whispers Unsaid

"Me." Jonathan's voice was confident, but when I turned to look at him, I could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes.

"You fool, how are you going to stop me?" King Zachary mocked. He took a step towards Jonathan, but my companion did not back down. "On your side there is but you and a maiden. I have an army, whom I can have summoned at a moment's notice. But I am sure that will not be necessary. I will kill the both of you myself."

"I would not be so sure of that, your highness." Jonathan's final two words came out laced with sarcasm, and it caused King Zachary to frown. Jonathan began walking slowly towards the king, and it was then that I noticed he had something hidden behind his back. At first I thought that he had found another dagger, but I quickly realized that it was a sword, one he must have taken from King Ethan. "You think too highly of your own abilities."

"Is that so?" King Zachary's eyes flickered down near Jonathan's feet, and I knew by the look on his face that he had spotted Jonathan's weapon. "I am smarter than you think, gardener. I am also fat better trained than you. I spent my childhood learning how to fight with a sword, as my father wanted me to be as prepared as possible to lead the kingdom."

"And you repayed him by poisoning him," Jonathan said. "You are not fit to rule this kingdom. You are nothing but a coward."

"Enough!" King Zachary roared. Apparently his volatile temper had returned in full force. He turned to his wife. "Stefani, my dear, I think you should go upstairs to our chambers. I do not wish for you to see what is about to transpire." Queen Stefani gave a nod, turning towards the staircase. Once she had disappeared from sight, King Zachary returned his attention to Jonathan and I. "I have had quite enough of the two of you," he hissed. "It is time that I rid myself of your presence. And I think I will start with the young maiden."

"You will do no such thing!" Jonathan shouted. He took several long strides, moving to stand in front of me. "You will not touch her."

"Do not tell me you have fallen in love with this maiden?" King Zachary said. He laughed. "Although I must say, if you have, it would put things more in my favor." A strange sort of smile blossomed across his face; not quite a smirk, but sinister all the same. "Tell me gardener, are you willing to die for your precious Trinity?"

The short second between King Zachary's question and Jonathan's answer seemed to stretch out for an eternity. And when Jonathan finally spoke, I could not believe his answer. "Yes." This single word was firm, absent of waver, and I knew that he meant it.

The look on King Zachary's face spoke volumes. He obviously knew what Jonathan would say. "Then I will make you a deal," King Zachary said. "Lay down your sword and let me kill you, and I will spare the maiden. Sacrifice your life for hers."

"No!" I cried. I moved in front of Jonathan, clutching his hands in mine. Looking up at him, I softly said, "Please, do not do this. There must be some other way."

"I personally would not down my life for hers, as ill-mannered as she is," King Zachary said. "But this is your choice. So I ask again. Will you die for her?"

I gripped Jonathan's hands tighter, looking up at him, silently begging him not to take King Zachary's offer. I could not stomach the thought of living my life on time purchased by Jonathan's lifeblood. But Jonathan nodded, and I felt my heart drop into my stomach. "Please do not do this," I begged, my voice thick with tears that threatened to fall.

"Trust me, this is not what I wanted to happen, either," Jonathan whispered. "But I would do anything to save you, even if it means I must die."

"But what about King Zachary?" I asked. "He must be stopped and I cannot do that myself."

Jonathan smiled, gripping my hands the way I gripped his. I had no idea why he would be smiling at a time like this, and for some reason it was this that broke me, the tears finally falling. I had no idea how much I had fallen for Jonathan until now, when I was about to lose him. "You are a smart girl, Trinity," he said to me. "You will figure something out, I know this."

"But--"

"No buts," Jonathan interrupted. "It must be done." He pulled his hands free from my grasp, moving them up to cup my cheeks. He guided me up onto the tips of my toes, at the same time leaning down to press his lips to mine. It was a deep kiss, one that sent my heart racing and drew all of the breath from my lungs. He had never kissed me like this before and it broke my heart to know that he never would again.

"As touching as all of this, I am afraid I must ask you to stop," King Zachary said. I had almost managed to forget that he was there for the shortest second, as Jonathan had me sufficiently distracted. "Lay down your sword gardener, and accept your fate." Jonathan moved away from me and I reached after him as he walked away. He laid his sword down on the ground a short distance away from me, the hilt pointed towards my feet.

Jonathan walked over to King Zachary, who produced a small dagger from within the bowels of his clothing. "I am going to enjoy this," he said, smiling in the most evil way possible. He pressed the sharp edge of the dagger against Jonathan's throat and I could stand still no longer. I could not stand by and let him murder Jonathan as he had murdered his father and so many others.

I stepped forward and snatched Jonathan's sword from the ground. It was a bit heavier than I anticipated and I stumbled, but only slightly. I gripped the hilt with both hands and stepped forward, forcing the sword into King Zachary's back. His cries of agony echoed through the hallway and he stumbled back from Jonathan, his dagger falling to the ground. This motion caused me to lose my grip on the sword and I let go, falling onto the ground. I stared up at King Zachary, watching as the color of red blossomed out across his robes. Despite the fact that it was I who had run him through with the sword, I was still in a state of shock as I watched his lifeblood drain from him.

I felt myself being pulled to my feet and I turned to Jonathan, clutching on tight to his shirt. He ran his fingers through the length of my hair, pressing a kiss against the crown of my head. "I told you that you would figure something out," he whispered. I looked up at him and I knew by the look on his face that this had been his plan all along. "Now come, we must go back to my brother and tell him that King Zachary is dead."