"No," her body trembled as she sat beside his dead body.
She raised his bloody head and placed it on his lap.
"Matteo, please don't leave me." She cried, bit she knew it was too late. He was far gone.
Far far gone.
The arrow had gone in though his right eye and out through the other side of his head.
"Matteo, please wake up." She cried out loud.
The room was now empty and the only person left there was Tryphon.
The king of wrath.
Her eyes where bloodshot as she raised them to meet his.
"You monster!" she yelled.
"You killed him! He's a good guy and you killed him!" Her voice, her body, her heart, everything was trembling. Tears soaked her face like rain fall.
Tryphon stared at her with dead eyes.
His look held o emotion.
"I dismissed you, remember?" He said, dryly. As if he hadn't just murdered a man in the most brutal way for stealing a piece of jewelry.
"YOU ARE A PATHETIC MONSTER TRYPHON!" Iris roared. She didn't know where the courage was coming from. Maybe the pain was so much that it gave her the audacity. Or maybe, now that he was gone, she had nothing left in this world. Nothing to live for.
"Leave." Tryphon said, his voice more stern this time.
Iris slowly laid Matteo's head back on the floor before standing up and storming to where Tryphon was seated indifferently.
"Why did you kill him?" her voice was a mixture of anger and pain.
"We get that you are powerful and all. But Killing an innocent soul? Disgusting."
Tryphon's lips twitched, a hint of amusement touching them.
"And who are you to talk to your king that way?" he said in a rather calm tone.
"You are no king! You are a Murderer," she fired.
Another smirk found it's way to Tryphon's lips.
Was he finding this entertaining?
Did she look like a joker to him?
"Careful sweetheart, I can get your tongue cut off for that," his grim face was back in place.
"Do it then!" she yelled, her eyes scanned the table for any weapon and they stopped when they landed on o sleek silver knife.
"Here, your highness," She bit bitterly. "Kill me!"
"For what? I don't kill without a reason," he yawned.
"For treason, For felony, for anything!" She was back in tears. "I don't want to live a life were Matteo doesn't exist."
His features softened a little as she cried. But he put himself back together instantly.
"Matteo, is a criminal. A harm to society," Tryphon's words made her feel like using the knife to stab him.
"A harm? for what? Stealing a Gem? You are not even sure if he's the culprit! You just shot him!"
Tryphon stood to his feet and strode towards Matteo's dead body.
He bent down, put his hands in Matteo's onner coat pocket and brought out a gem.
It was so small that the only thing one could see was the light.
So Matteo did still from the King of Wrath.
But why? Why would he do that knowing what would come after?
It didn't make any sense.
Still. He did not deserve that death.
"People get punished for stealing, not killed." she spat.
"You don't know the weight of what he has stolen, do you?" Tryphon raised a brow.
She wanted to attack him. To tell him thay he was the king and was supposed to be above a little piece of jewelry.
That there was more to being a king than sitting and fishing out a common thief.
But instead, she held her breath and said nothing.
"You may leave," He said in a commending tone that she didn't even try to say no.
She glanced at Matteo's dead body one more time before heading out.
This was the stranger who had helped her. Saved her from the hands of her own brother risked his life and did all he could just to get her to safety.
It's been two days since they met, yet, it feels like it has been forever.
He was her best friend.
Marilyn's thought came to her mind while she absent mindedly walked down the stairs.
"Take care of my brother" she had said. "He can be a handful," she had said.
Now, he was dead. Gone, forever. And she would never see him again.
"Watch it!" A voice brought her from her trance, but it was too late. she was running right into the princess Magery.
"Your highness, I'm sorry," she said, moving away from the princess and her entourage.
"You can lose your head for this. Thank your stars our princess is in a good mood." One of the ladies said.
Iris bowed in apology.
She was about to walk away when the princess stopped her.
"Wait, aren't you the servant girl who gave me Myrine's breakfast yesterday?"
Iris looked down. Both the Princesses looked the same. The only difference was Magery had brown hair while Myrine's hair was the color of wine.
"Pathetic," Princess Magery said, then kept walking.
Iris was about to sigh in relief when she entered the kitchen but there was no time for that.
The moment she stepped in, she was grabbed by tge collar.
"I knew you were trouble," Madame Martha said, slapping her across the face.
"Get out of this place! Don't you dare look back."
She was about to beg her, to tell her that she had no where to go.
But what was the point? She had nothing to beg for.
The only person who made her believe in this world's goodness was gone.
The big kitchen door opening behind her paused the drama.
Everyone bowed at the sight of Tryphon.
"Your Highness," they said in unison.
Everyone except Iris
"Oh, your grace," Madame Martha wore a big smile.
"You should have sent for me." she giggled nervously.
"No, It's fine," His hoarse voice made everyone lower their heads even more.
"I need a new cup bearer." he said.
"Oh, I have the best option." Martha started but was stopped immediately.
"She'll do," Tryphon said, facing none other than the blonde girl who had refused to bow.