Bubbles let out a stiffened giggle. She never had an official speech to everyone about where she came from or who she is. People have always come up with their own theories ranging from her being a god or being sent from the gods to help, to her just looking like whoever it was in the past. But this. This was a new one for her.
"Don't snicker at me, siren." The man growled. "I know your tricks. And I won't let you use them on me."
Bubbles shook her head. "I'm sorry you feel this way, really. But I'm not a siren. I'm not going to curse you or try any tricks. Is that why you dragged me down here all dramatically?" She roared with laughter.
"I was just going to have my men grab you in the morning. But once I heard you stomping around I couldn't pass on the opportunity. It worked even better after you harassed poor sweet Mable and she rang for my men directly. You see, since you've been gone."
The man stood up, twirling the knife in his hand. "I've noticed Henry hasn't been as strong. I've sent a few men to test him, and each time he just barely makes it. Makes you wonder how someone so weak was able to keep going…"
"Henry is not weak." Bubbles snapped.
"Don't act like you care. It's just us two. You don't have to lie to me. You picked Henry as some fool to feed off of once he was in charge. You couldn't do it yourself, so you used him. I've studied your people for years. I know everything about you."
The man ran his knife down her cheek, only for her to swat it away. A thin raised pink line taking its place.
Licking his lips he let out a long breath. "I don't want someone who's under a spell to be ruling me. And I'm sure it's best for the others to also get rid of him. So you're going to lift whatever spell you put on him, and you're going to leave this city."
"Or I could just kill you here. And no one would know." Bubbles suggest, rolling her eyes.
The man raised the knife once more, a sinister grin on his face.
"You kill me and my men will know. I have men working in all parts of this place." He waved the knife towards the entrance the two guards had just dragged Bubbles through.
"From the men 'protecting you' to the kitchen staff that prepares your food. If you truly do care for Henry like you claim, then I'm sure you want the least amount of harm to come to him." He shot her a smile, picking the knife between his fingers. "Right?"
"This isn't fair. You can't just threaten your way to the top. Henry worked hard, he trained and studied so he could make this place better for everyone!" Bubbles voice waves.
The man took a step closer to Bubbles once again, his chin raised high and his chest puffed out.
"He has a criminal manning the gate. Taking coins from people just so they can enter their home. Tell me how that's fair or just." He snapped. "And I'm sure the two of you haven't profited from it at all."He rolled his eyes.
"He only has someone watching the gate to keep an eye out and make sure some people don't get in. People like you!" She cried.
Henry was a good man. He wanted a better place for everyone. He turned the surface land into a place where visitors all over could visit happily and learn about Alatas. Crime had dropped significantly in the capital. Henry wouldn't lie about what's been done. Would he?
"But here I am! So tell me how well that worked." He spoke calmly. "The job as ruler of Alatas is having to deal with people challenging you. If you aren't strong enough to keep the title you can't just hide away. Alatas has rules for a reason."
"The rules are bullshit! Alatas rules include it being illegal to walk backwards towards the capital and making it so women can't do anything other than make babies and clean!"
Bubbles dug her nails into the palms of her hands, shaking with rage.
"If you think Henry shouldn't be ruler then challenge him to a fight! Challenge him instead of creeping around and slowly weakening him with petty tactics. But you won't, because you know just as well as I do that Henry is a strong man. Stronger than you!"
The man laughed. "Oh I'll challenge him to a fight. Just as soon as I know you're not helping him. I don't play with cheaters."
Bubbles shoved the man back, aggressively knocking him to the ground. He landed with a hard thud dropping the knife beside him trying to catch himself. With a quick kick she flung the knife back against the far wall and crouched to the man's level.
"Henry is a strong man on his own. He worked hard for everything he has. All I've done was stand by his side. If you studied me so well you know what I'm capable of. Don't threaten me. Or my husband again." She gritted through her teeth praying he couldn't see the fear in her eyes.
If he was telling the truth about so much of the staff working for him, she couldn't know who exactly she could trust. They were playing dirty, sending a lesser man to attack Henry over and over again without giving him a break. She wouldn't put it past him to have Henry be poisoned.
The man cleared his throat and locked eyes with the blonde woman leaning over him. "If you leave now and free Henry I'll think about letting him live after I'm done with him."
"You won't get the chance to touch him…" She slammed her fist beside his head
making a small hole of shattering stone around it.
"What did you think you could do? Siren or not you're still a woman. You lay a hand on me and it won't matter that you fought alongside side Yvonne. All they'll see is another criminal. Just some baby making whore forgetting her place and breaking the law. Then they'll have your head and Henry's. A man who can't keep his whore in place can't be trusted to keep us all in check."
Slowly he pushed her to the side and confidently stood up. Dusting his hands off on his pants, he flashed her a crooked smile. "No matter how you want to place this, you lose. You either leave here peacefully or the town center gets two new hanging decorations." He gritted.
Without another word the man left Bubbles alone. Crying out in anger and frustration. She never thought she'd feel this powerless, after so many years of being known as the all powerful.
Her walk back to the room felt never ending. The hall stretched longer with every step she took. She memorized each passing face making a mental note whose face matched what uniforme. Who had access to what rooms and tasks. Wondering who could be trusted and who was just another pawn playing on the opposite team.
The wave of exhaustion hit her when she closed the bedroom door behind her. Her legs didn't want to move but she forced herself to inch closer to the bed.
She clung to him tightly after crawling in bed that night. Tracing the raised scars with her nails, and matching her breathing to the soft pattern of his chest raising and falling.
Her mind stressed, flooding thoughts of ways to fix the situation. Her eyes burned red and salty tear streaks painted her cheeks. She pursed her lips and let out a breathy whisper. "Run away with me."
Henry shuttered from the sudden breeze on the back of his neck. He wiggled from her grasp and rolled so he was face to face with her. Still asleep he curled closer pressing his forehead to hers and reaching down to take her hand.
"I love you…" Bubbles whispered, focusing on the feeling of her hand in his. Her body pressed to his. The beat of his heart pumping against her chest, as their breathing synced together. The next few days were going to be complicated and messy. But all she wanted was for this feeling of him with her to last forever.
"I love you too…" Henry groggily let out.
Bubbles eyes shot open as Henry shifted out of bed beside her. She wasn't sure what time she had fallen asleep but it couldn't have been long ago. It was one thing she disliked about living under the sea. She was never sure what time it was. The lack of sun often dragged her down. Making it harder to wake up every day to the cold humid metal city.
She reached an arm out, feeling around on any part of Henry to grab a hold of. Her body exhausted to the point she could hardly move.
"Good morning my love." Henry smiled leaning back to kiss Bubbles forehead. "Why don't you rest longer. I'll go fetch breakfast and we can relax in bed." He squeezed her shoulder and ran his hand down her arm. Gently he raised her hand to his mouth and softly kissed her knuckles.
Bubbles grabbed his hand pulling him back with what strength her body could muster. "No. We have to talk before you leave this room." Her eyes shot to the door and back to Henry.
Henry poured. "I'm sorry Bubbles I really am. Everything is fine I promise. And I told you everything last night. I swear. Whatever you want to talk about I'm sure it could wait until after breakfast…" Henry ran a hand through his messy salt and pepper hair.
"No Henry." She got up and quietly walked to the door, cracking it open to see if anyone was close enough to hear. "Last night I was forced into the dungeon by guards who are working against you…" She whispered.
"That's foolish. I know everyone here personally, why would they work against…"
"Shhh!" She hissed putting a finger to his mouth. "They're working for the short man who thinks I put a spell on you."
Bubbles took Henry's hand and guided him back to the bed. "He thinks I'm some sort of siren. Thinks I'm helping you and that's why you lived through all those fights…" Her eyes lingered on the pale pink stitched markings across his chest.
"Did he hurt you?"
Bubbles shook her head. "No. He told me to leave the city, leave you. He wants to challenge you to a fight when I'm gone. But I'm afraid he's going to try something else first. He claims to have people working all throughout the kingdom. He said if I tried anything he'd have his men kill you. You can't trust anyone!" She hissed. "What if they do something to make you weaker so he wins the fight. Henry we should just leave. That way no one gets hurt."
Henry shook his head and cupped Bubbles face. "I can't leave Bubbles. If I leave then he wins. And if he's nasty enough to do dirty tricks like this then he certainly isn't fit to rule so many innocent lives."
He kissed her forehead softly. "But I'll stay aware. I'll prepare my own food and even hire someone to try it before I do. So if anything happens I'll know. Change the law so guards are forbidden from hiding their faces so if anyone tries anything we will know exactly who it is. I'll talk to Gavin about putting some of his men inside the walls so they can monitor who's doing what."
"Gavins people let this man in, who's to say they won't betray you."
"Fair point…" He rubbed his thumb along her cheek and smiled. "No fear my dear. We will figure it out. And we will put an end to it."
"I love you…" Bubbles whimpered unable to meet his eyes. He was trying so hard to stay strong and reassure her. But her worries still swirled in her gut.
"I love you my queen." Henry smiled, putting his forehead to hers.