Chapter 16

ABOLOFT

I was filled with a burning desire to destroy something. No, not just something—I wanted to obliterate the entire town of Wilsden. I wanted to witness the people weeping, pleading for mercy as the flames consumed them.

They had the audacity to harm the woman I loved, and I wouldn’t stand for it. I was going to avenge my goddess. I was going to make the people of Wilsden regret the day they decided to harm my Bina.

Anger surged within me like a volcano on the brink of eruption. I craved retribution.

Rising from the bed, I began to pace, attempting to soothe my turbulent thoughts.

But the only images that filled my mind were those of Sabina crying, pleading for mercy. They were the only scenes my mind chose to replay, fueling my thirst for the blood of those who had hurt my best friend.

How could they torment such a pure, innocent woman? Couldn’t they see her purity? Her selflessness and love? She chose to befriend me when I was friendless.

She gave me her time, even though she was punished for it. And she never told me. If only she had shared her suffering, I would’ve been there for her. I would’ve shielded her from anyone who dared to harm her.

Glancing to my left, I watched my beautiful goddess as she slept. The flickering candlelight danced on her face, making her look otherworldly.

Her eyelashes rested gently on her cheeks, the flame casting crescent shadows. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, then and even now.

A smile tugged at my lips as I recalled the first time Sabina and I met. She had been crying, but upon seeing me, she quickly wiped her tears and gifted me the most radiant smile I had ever seen.

~“Why are you crying?” I asked the red-haired girl with her hair tied up in pigtails. She sat there, crying alone, unnoticed and unaided. How could no one help her?~

~Startled, she looked up and hastily wiped her tear-streaked face before smiling at me. Her smile was like a beacon of light. She tried to stand but stumbled, her face twisting in pain. Was she hurt?~

~“I’m not crying. Why would you think that?” she asked. Her voice was as soft as my mother’s.~

~Her eyes sparkled, making her green eyes look enchanting. But she was lying. I knew she had been crying and I wanted to know why.~

~“Don’t lie to me. I saw you crying,” I told her, my gaze stern, urging her to reveal what had happened.~

~She shook her head, the smile never leaving her face. “I just got something in my eye, but it’s all right now. You don’t need to worry. You can go now,” she replied.~

~This girl was stubborn. And she wasn’t giving me the answers I wanted. I didn’t like that. My father punished people who didn’t give me what I wanted.~

~If I told my father that she wasn’t answering my questions, he would order his guards to punish her until she did.~

~But I didn’t want anyone to hurt her. She seemed so delicate, like a fragile flower. I wouldn’t be happy if someone hurt her. No, I had to find another way. I would make her tell me what was wrong.~

~“Do you have any friends?” I asked the girl. She was younger than me, probably around five years old.~

~The girl didn’t respond. What did that mean? Did she have friends or not?~

~Maybe she didn’t, and that was why she was silent. Maybe that was why she was crying here all alone, because she had no friends.~

~“No, not really,” she finally answered.~

~I took a step closer. “I can be your friend,” I offered.~

~The girl looked at me as if she couldn’t believe what I’d just said, then she shook her head. “You can’t be my friend. You’re the Prince of Quopia.”~

~“So what? I want to be your friend,” I insisted.~

~“My father is a farmer,” she said.~

~Why was she telling me about her father’s occupation? I didn’t care. I wanted to be her friend. Her father’s job didn’t matter to me.~

~“So?” I asked.~

~“Your father is the King. You’re supposed to have friends who are like you, right? Princes and princesses.”~

~“My father tells me that. He says that important people have friends who are important like them, not insignificant like me,” she explained.~

~What was this girl talking about? Important and insignificant people? I wanted her to be my friend, why couldn’t she understand that?~

~Being a prince didn’t mean that all my friends had to be princes or princesses. This girl was odd. She was only five, but she spoke like she was ten. Her father was an unusual man.~

~“It doesn’t matter. I want to be your friend,” I reiterated.~

~“Why?” she asked, her big, green eyes fixed on me.~

~“Because I want to,” I declared. I didn’t owe this girl any explanations. If I wanted to be her friend, she would have to accept it, or else I would tell my father.~

~“That’s not a reason.” She frowned. She seemed annoyed, but she looked so adorable.~

~“I don’t care.” I sat down next to her, our bodies touching. “Tell me your name,” I demanded.~

~“Why are you here?” she countered, ignoring my question, which irritated me.~

~“This is my lake, and I can come here whenever I want,” I retorted.~

~Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an O.~

~“I’m sorry. I didn’t know this lake belonged to you. I just came here. No one was here, so I sat down. I’m really sorry. I’ll leave right now. Please forgive me. I won’t come here again.”~

~I grabbed her hand before she could move. “No! You can’t leave. I want you to stay.”~

~“But I’m sitting on your land,” she protested.~

~“It doesn’t matter. This is my lake, and I want you to stay,” I assured her.~

~“Okay, but promise me you won’t tell anyone about this. My dad would be furious.” She looked genuinely worried.~

~“I swear, I won’t tell a soul. Now, what’s your name?” I studied her pale face and pink lips, marveling at her beauty.~

~“My name is Sabina,” she answered.~

~Sabina. What a beautiful name. It was perfect for her. I was glad her parents chose it. It suited her.~

~“Nice to meet you, Sabina. I’m—”~

~“Aboloft. I know. Prince Aboloft,” she interrupted.~

~“Yes, that’s me. But now that we’re friends, you don’t have to call me Prince Aboloft,” I told her.~

~Sabina frowned. “When did we become friends? I didn’t agree to that.”~

~“If I say we’re friends, then we’re friends, Sabina. Until I say otherwise. Got it?” I declared. She was my friend now, whether she liked it or not.~

~“But—but—”~

~I cut her off before she could protest. “No arguing. I’m the prince, and I say we’re friends,” I stated firmly.~

~Sabina looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn’t. After a moment, she nodded reluctantly.~

~“What if I said I didn’t want to be your friend?” she asked.~

~“I’d tell my father,” I replied.~

~She gasped. “No. Please don’t tell the king. My dad would get in trouble because of me. Please, Prince Aboloft, don’t tell the king,” she begged.~

~“I won’t if you agree to be my friend.”~

~Sabina nodded. “Okay, I’ll be your friend. Just please, don’t tell the king.”~

~“I promise I won’t,” I assured her.~

~Sabina took a deep breath, looking relieved. “Thank you. So, now that we’re friends, what do you want to do?”~

~“You can start by telling me why you were crying. And don’t lie. I hate liars,” I said.~

~“I hurt my foot while running. It hurts a lot. I’m trying to be brave, but it really hurts,” she admitted.~

~“Where? Show me,” I commanded.~

~Hesitating, Sabina moved her left foot toward me, and I saw how red it was. “There.” She pointed.~

~What I did next was something I’d never done before. I took her foot and raised it to my lips, planting a soft kiss on it.~

~Sabina gasped and tried to pull her foot away, but I held on. After giving her foot another kiss, I let it go.~

~“Why did you do that?!” she nearly shrieked.~

~I smiled at her. “Because you’re my friend.”~

I smiled to myself, watching the sleeping beauty. Since that day, I’d been obsessed with her. I wanted to know everything about her, and I thought I did, but I was wrong. She lied to me. My Bluebell lied to me.

Taking a deep breath, I moved over to her and sat down on the bed. I ran my fingers over her cheek, trying to control the rage that was threatening to explode.

She told me she didn’t want to be my friend anymore. She said she wasn’t happy with me. She threw away years of friendship in just one night.

Didn’t she realize that I loved her, that I still loved her? Didn’t she know that I would’ve protected her from those people if she had told me?

“Why, Bina, why? Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered, kissing her forehead.

All I ever wanted was Sabina’s happiness. When she told me I didn’t make her happy, I let her go, even though I wanted to keep her with me forever.

I didn’t want her to leave me. But I let her go. And it was the biggest mistake of my life.

Those monsters had destroyed my Bluebell. They tried to kill her. And I would make them pay. Every single one of them would pay for hurting my queen. I wouldn’t stop until they all suffered.

Kissing her cheek, I couldn’t believe that after eight years, my Bina was here, in my castle, in my arms. I thought I’d never see her again, that she was gone forever.

I wanted to search for her, and I would’ve succeeded if I’d tried, but I didn’t. I truly believed my sweet girl was happy without me.

When my men brought the maidens in front of me, I recognized my Bluebell at once.

The moment she entered, I knew it was her. It wasn’t just her, it was her scent, her very presence that I recognized. That my heart recognized. That my soul recognized.

The moment my eyes locked with hers, I knew that no matter what happened, I wouldn’t let her go now.

She had nearly destroyed me once by leaving me. I wouldn’t let her destroy me again. No, I wanted to punish her. I wanted her to feel what I felt without her.

So, I punished her. I gave her pain, as much as I’d suffered for eight years. I thought she would never know the amount of pain I felt. But I was wrong again. My Bina had suffered a great deal.

While I fought emotional pain, she endured physical and mental agony. If I had known, I would’ve never hurt her.

I was angry, and I took it out on her. I was hurt, and I lashed out at my love. She caused me so much pain, and I wanted her to pay. But I was a monster. I hurt her when I should’ve comforted her.

“I’m so sorry, my sweet.” I kissed her lips softly.

Sabina was here now. She had told me everything. And now it was my turn to handle things. I would make Sabina the queen she was always meant to be, from the moment she first laid eyes on me.

We would get married, and I wouldn’t take no for an answer. She would have to say yes. There was no other option for her.

“Soon, my beautiful goddess, we’ll be one.”

I’d promised her punishment for her deception, but it wouldn’t be a punishment of pain. Instead, I’d punish her with love.

I’d love her until she understood her error. I’d shower her with so much love that she’d realize leaving me was a mistake.

I froze as she shifted in her sleep, rolling onto her stomach. The sight of her in tattered slave clothes reminded me that my queen needed a new wardrobe. I’d arrange for that soon.

But my eyes widened as her clothes shifted, revealing her bare skin. A scar, looking like a burn mark, peeked out from under her clothing.

Sabina’s words echoed in my mind. Her scars were still there, the ones from being burned alive.

Without thinking, I stood and retrieved a small knife from the cupboard before returning to the bed. I used the knife to carefully slice her dress in half, ensuring the blade didn’t touch her skin.

Once I’d done that, I let the torn pieces fall away, revealing Sabina’s back. The sight took my breath away.

Scars. Hundreds of them decorated her body, each one telling its own story. Each scar was the result of some trauma, but most were from the fire Sabina had barely survived.

She was here now, but her scars would always be a reminder of her past.

Could she move on?

Yes, I’d make sure my queen found the happiness she deserved.

I traced my fingers over her back, lightly touching her scars. They’d faded over eight years, but they were still very much there. The act of touching her scars shattered something inside me.

I was a monster.

“I’m so sorry, Bina.”

Tears blurred my vision as I leaned down and kissed the first scar.