Chapter 35

The Horned King was not one to beat around the bush. He did things bluntly and without deferment.

He never did anything more than was necessary at the time unless he saw fit to do otherwise.

He got straight to the point, telling Avalina what she could and could not do, and the consequences if she disobeyed him.

Her terror filled the room, but there was something else. . .something under that. . .narrowing his eyes, he tried to perceive what it was, but it was difficult to distinguish under her current dominant emotion.

She was having trouble holding back tears, and he wasn't entirely the cause of it.

Grudgingly remembering what the Invisibles had yelled at him the first night she came about not even trying to free his soul, he added in a slightly softer tone that nothing would harm her, so long as she obeyed his orders.

After he dismissed her and she turned to go, he noticed the bruise on her face that stood out like a bad coin, and demanded what it was.

He hadn't quite been able to distinguish the other emotion earlier she had been barely able to hide, but this one, while more obvious, was no easier to translate.

When she denied it, it snipped at his already short temper, causing him to rise from his seat. If she wouldn't tell him willingly. . .

Why was he having so much trouble reading her? Normally reading mortals were blatantly easy. He had had centuries to perfect it, and yet, this one baffled him.

The mortal nearly completely broke down in tears as he began to descend, and her terror spiked sharply as she cried out an excuse of some sort, backing away from him simultaneously.

And then he felt it again. . .that different type of. . .

He realized after a moment it was fear, but not entirely directed at him.

Which was a first in the entire history of his existence.

Everyone feared him above all else. Nothing and nobody came close to the terror the Horned King could instill in someone.

Cocking his head very slightly, he asked her why. Didn't demand, didn't order. . .he asked, hoping it would prevent him from wasting his time.

As she mentally floundered at how to answer him, his mind was already turning.

The Invisibles would never do this type of thing, and it wasn't possible for Avalina to hit herself with something that hard by accident.

The only other person in the castle was. . .

Creeper.

Keeping his voice icily calm, he questioned his assumption aloud, directed at her to confirm it.

After some prodding, she whispered out her affirmative answer.

The Horned King felt his eyes threaten to change colors, and he tightly clenched his robe in fury at the goblin. How DARE that little creeper deliberately disobey him?! How DARE he?!

Seeing Avalina flinch at the action, he slowly willed himself to loosen his muscles, calming himself with the fact that he would have a substitute for his robe very soon.

Dismissing her, he turned back to his throne, catching another glimpse of the dark mark on the girl's face. He felt his anger rise just looking at it.

As he walked up, he commanded the Invisibles to bring him that goblin immediately. He had had enough. That creeper had crossed the line one too many times, and this time mere strangling wasn't going to be enough.

This time he was going to pay with his life.

By the time he had turned around Avalina was gone, the doors closing behind her.

Avalina walked unsteadily along the corridor, shaking so badly she could hardly walk.

Her relief at getting out unscathed was so immense she felt it would crush her under its weight.

And yet, a tiny voice kept telling her to turn around and go back, to prevent the little green creature from getting hurt.

She shook at the thought of what the Horned King might do to him.

Stopping in the middle of the hall, she thought it out.

'Going back there is crazy. Insane. He could kill me for coming without his permission. The goblin will get what he deserves and that will be the end of it. He won't bother me again.'

The tiny voice spoke up.

'Nobody deserves the Horned King's wrath, you should know that better than anyone. That little vermin may have been nasty to you, but that's no excuse. How will you feel if he dies? You'll live the rest of your life knowing you could have been able to do something for him and yet you didn't. Where is your integrity?'

Realizing she just couldn't stand idly by, Avalina turned and ran back up the hall toward the throne room.

The Invisible at the door seemed rather surprised when Avalina flew back into sight.

Gasping, Avalina pushed against the wood before the Invisible seemed to catch itself and push it open for her.

Avalina ran about three steps into the room. . .

And stopped dead at the scene.

The Horned King was standing on the ground floor in the full light of the torches, his profile to her, holding the little green creature around the throat about at his eye level, and choking the living daylights out of him, by the looks of it.

The Horned King turned to glare at the door, hearing it open, and Avalina felt her own throat threaten to close off and suffocate her all by itself as his gaze settled on her, his eye sockets first widening, then narrowing as he took her in.

Instantly she regretted this. Why had she come again?

Biting back a gasp of fear, she stayed frozen to the spot, until the Horned King spoke in a very irritated way, still gripping the goblin.

"What do you want?"

She had no trouble hearing him, even from this distance, but she was afraid he would not be able to understand her clearly.

Not wanting to shout and make him angrier, she ended up coming slowly nearer, until she was about fifteen feet away. She simply couldn't make herself come any closer to that monster.

Nearly choking herself, she tried to speak as plainly as possible, but her voice still shook in fright.

"I-I came to ask you, S-Sire, p-please don't hurt him."

She gestured weakly toward the creature in the Horned King's grip, who was staring at her with eyes that looked like they would pop out of his head.

From lack of air or shock she couldn't tell.

The Horned King looked back at the goblin, then back to her, before suddenly tightening his grip. The goblin gagged and weakly tried to fight him.

A soft cry escaped her as Avalina took a quick step forward, reaching toward them, as if she could actually prevent the Horned King from killing the little creature.

The Horned King seemed faintly amused at this action. Releasing his grip the slightest bit so his servant would not die while he stood talking, he turned his attention back to the girl.

"He deliberately disobeyed my orders. He was told to stay out of your sight."

Avalina thanked the Fates he had worded it like he had.

"But he did obey you, s-sir. I di-didn't see him."

The Horned King glared at her, a couple of the muscles in his face slowly working under the sickly green skin.

Avalina willed herself not to get sick.

"Explain," he rumbled, showing that he was willing to listen.

Avalina took a deep breath, feeling a bit lightheaded.

"When I was in. . .in the dungeon, I n-never saw him. I only heard him. So he d-didn't actually break your order. . .did he?"

She flinched as that last bit came out more like a squeak than actual talking.

The Horned King seemed to mull this over for a moment, staring at her very hard.

Dreading her brief moment of boldness, she wished she could disappear into the ground.

Finally, he pulled the goblin right up to his face and snarled, waving a hand loosely in her direction,

"You would be wise as to how you treat the one who saved your life from now on. If it was not for her. . ."

Here the Horned King whispered something so softly, that not even Avalina could hear it, before he continued in his original tone, "You would be *dead.*"

Throwing the little creature to the stone, he snarled, "Now get out of my sight."

Avalina flinched herself at the cruel treatment the little thing was getting.

The gagging, gasping creature weakly picked itself up, holding its throat, and Avalina felt another stab of pity as it looked incredulously at her for a moment, then back to its master, before scurrying in fright across the room, past her and out of sight through the doors.

Turning sideways to watch him go, she watched the doors close, knowing she had done the right thing by coming back, feeling a small seed of warmth stir inside her at the thought.

"Is that all?"

The Horned King's voice made her start, and she turned to see him standing not five feet from her, rather than the fifteen foot distance that had been between them earlier.

Jumping away a bit with a gasp, she couldn't help staring at his face in terror as he towered over her, her eyes fixed on his.

She had read many fairytales, and no villain in her books could ever come close to how grotesque and terrifying the Horned King was.

The aura of Death and Decay came over her, and she tried not to choke at how thick it was. It wasn't something you could actually see, like smoke, but it was suffocating, working into her skin and lungs like mist on a cold day.

Realizing that he had asked her a question, she fought with how to answer. Since he had asked, there was one thing. . .but it was a delicate question, and every fiber of her being screamed not to ask it.

But at the same time, she knew she would never be able to live the rest of her life without knowing, (No matter how short it might end up being) and she had to try.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke, watching his face carefully, trying not to stare. Something told her not to break contact with him.

"I. . .have a request."

She saw his eye sockets narrow slightly. Perhaps he had a hunch already of what she was about to say?

"Speak."

Doing her best not to break down, she started, silently praying she would be able to form her sentences smoothly.

"I. . .ask your permission to. . .tell my family I am alright."

Seeing him stiffen and his gaze harden, she attempted to continue before he made up his mind.

"They think I'm dead," she continued, praying to the Fates, the gods, or whoever, that he would listen.

"Please let me go and tell them I'm not. They. . .need to know. At least, give me one day. I. . .I promise to return."

Feeling herself choke up, she barely managed out the rest.

"Please?"

She may as well have whispered.

Staring at the floor, trying to keep her tears from falling, she fearfully awaited his reply, trying not to think of what might happen at worst.

Nearly two full minutes of silence had passed, (It may as well have been a century of the two of them just standing there, voiceless) but Avalina did not dare to look up again. She was hoping that he might not be able to see just how much trouble she was having, barely holding herself together.

A soft rattle of breath indicated he was about to speak, and it was the very last thing she expected to hear.

"Did you not think, that perhaps it might be wiser to let them go on believing you are gone, now that their initial grief for your supposed death is past, rather than returning to them, only for them to realize you cannot stay?"

Avalina looked up at the Horned King, horrified at his question at first, and then again at how much pure truth were in those words he spoke.

This monster had a very good point. Quite possibly he was right as well.

Completely at a loss at what to say or think, Avalina could only stare at him, then at the floor again, trying to get herself together and process things properly.

He was right.

Completely right.

Except for one thing.

He didn't know her mother.

After several long moments of painful silence, she managed to get her vocal chords to work again.

Forcing herself to look up at his horrible face again, she spoke.

"Your words are very true, sir, but they do not apply to my mother. She will never believe I am dead until she is given solid evidence of some sort. She will keep on believing I am alive unless proven otherwise. I would rather her know the truth, than live in uncertainty the rest of her life."

A short pause followed.

"Why?"

The Horned King questioned, tilting his head very slightly to the right.

"Because she's a mother, sir, and only a mother's love could hold out that long. And. . .I love her very much."

A long silence followed this statement.

"Hmm."

It was so soft Avalina almost didn't catch it, as the Horned King looked away from her for the first time since they had begun talking, apparently deep in thought.

Able to look at him for a moment when he wasn't looking back, she was able to take him in a bit more.

She guessed his height would be roughly about six and a half feet, not counting his tallest set of horns. They would be about a foot tall all by themselves, curving out grandly from his skull, situated a couple inches or so behind and farther out to the sides of the smaller stubs of his other set, which were positioned closer to the front, (That closely resembled the tip of lances) with holes of perfect size bored in the hood of his robe to fit them all through.

She hadn't noticed before, but his horns, instead of being one body, actually had little points on them that branched out from the main part, like the antlers of an old stag that had seen many summers. They all varied in length, greatly reminding her of a gnarled dead tree.

They were the same sickly green color as the rest of his body.

Movement made her look down to his face, realizing he was looking at her again.

Embarrassed that he had caught her staring, she dropped her gaze back to the floor.

"Very well," The Horned King spoke, causing her to look back up at him, "I will give you three days to say your farewells to your family."

Avalina felt the hope caged in her chest burst free from its bars, exploding out and flooding her entire system.

"But listen well."

Avalina's eyes widened as he took a step toward her.

Unable to move her feet, she could only stare up at him as he came right in front of her, mere inches away.

His face turned even colder, (If that was even possible) as he glared directly into her eyes, paralyzing her in his stare.

His voice snarled out, dead and monotone, echoing off the walls, enhancing the force behind them.

The emphasis hit her harder than any physical impact ever could.

"If you do not return before the sun sets on the third day, I will hunt you down, and I will make you watch, as I destroy, Every. Single. Thing. That you hold dear to you. Nothing, and no one will be spared. And if you try to hide from me, their demise will be drawn out so slowly you will wish they were already dead."

Leaning in slightly closer, he growled out, "Do you understand?"

Feeling like her body had completely turned to stone, Avalina barely managed to snap out of her trance and choke out an answer, nodding once for emphasis.

"Y-Y-yes Sire."

"Yes what?"

"I-I-I understa-stand."

He nodded faintly.

"Good."

Slowly pulling back from her, the Horned King turned and began to slowly walk away.

Avalina felt the oddest sensation in her chest and nose. It was like she couldn't breathe! For every breath of air she expelled from her lungs, the harder it was to draw the next in.

It was as if something was being pulled from her very being.

She stumbled forward a step from its force, gripping her chest in a panic, before it suddenly seemed to give, releasing her with a snap and letting her stumble back a step.

Able to breathe freely again, she couldn't help a short, soft cough, followed by a quick gasp as she breathed in air again.

Looking up, she realized that the Horned King had stopped several paces away, his back to her, and she realized what had happened.

As he had moved farther away from her, his aura of Death had been pulled from her body, and after having been installed quite firmly, was not so eager to give her up.

She had gotten immune to it after a few minutes and hadn't noticed it was still there until the Horned King moved away.

Turning his head back towards her a bit, he looked at her over his shoulder, scrutinizing.

"Well?"

Avalina started and shakily bowed, before turning to walk out the doors.

Before she did though, she whipped around quickly and called, "Sire!"

The Horned King stopped and turned his head slightly, inclining his ear to her as a sign he was listening.

"Thank you."

Shocked by the words, he slowly turned around. . .

But the girl was already gone.

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