her around.
“But wait!” She was a bit dizzy when he set her down again. “Can I not sleep first? Do you mind terribly if I slept for some hours before any such thanks are given?”
“Oh! Yes! You must sleep. You must. You must keep up your strength.”
“Thank you.”
The king let her go and walked back over to the gold—touching it again for several minutes before saying, “This is simply not enough, though. We will most definitely need more.”
“More?” Aubrynn’s stomach dropped. “Truly? There is not enough there now?” Her fingers began to ache again.
“Oh, no!” He spun around to look at her—then checked himself when he saw the girl’s face. “You, we—how else will we be able to afford the type of wedding we hope to have? How will we be able to secure the castle from our enemies and see that it is fine and decorated in the greatest of fashion for those who wish to visit? Aubrynn! No! I am afraid we have only just begun!”
The girl collapsed on her bottom. Right onto the stone floor. It was too much, she was too exhausted. Neither her nor Rumple would be able to do all he would require of her. She felt like weeping.
He rushed forward and knelt before her. “Aubrynn, you must see that this is the best way. You must.”
She shook her head and covered her face with her sore hands. The last thought in the world would be to do this all over again. She simply could not imagine it.
Instantly, the king’s tone changed. She felt the room shift before she heard him stand up. “You will stop this nonsense and do as I have asked and you will be grateful for it too!”
She kept her head in her hands, not willing to risk his wrath more.
“Aubrynn Sloat, I command you to finish this. You will create all the gold this kingdom requires or I will hang you! Do you understand me?”
When she did not move he shouted, “Look at me!”
Slowly she removed her hands and looked up at his forceful features—her own glaring back at him. With great strength, she stood to her full height and placed her hands on her hips. “Then kill me now. I am done working for you. You are cruel and selfish and will only use this gold to better yourself—thinking nothing of your subjects. If this is what marriage to a king will be like—eternal selfish slavery—then take your gold and destroy me! For I will not have it!”
He grabbed her arm, yanking her toward his face. “You will never speak to your king in such a way again, madam. I am not in the habit of being told what to do.” He brought his hand up and to strike her, but then changed his mind at the last moment. “Sleep here!” He thrust her away from him and toward the small bed. I was going to allow you to sleep in the one of the castle suites, but I can see you need to be reminded who your betters are. “Guards!” he called out. “Guards bring me the girl’s father! Fetch him from the village and be prompt!”
She could hear the heavy footsteps of the guards making their way down the spiral staircase. “What will you do to him?” she asked.
The king smiled. “Everything I wish to do to you right this moment.” He stepped forward, loving the way she scurried away from him and onto the bed. “You almost made me lose my temper with you and that would not do, would it?” He stopped and brought a hand up to inspect his ring. “No, my dear queen ,” he spoke softly down at the bright red stone, “you are about to make me a very rich man. And just think, when you do, I will love you forever.”
She swallowed. “And if I refuse?”
His striking blue eyes met hers as he raised one thick dark eyebrow. “Then a hanging for your father will not be sufficient. I shall simply make him pay for your every crime and outburst and willful stubbornness. I will torture him, my dear.”
She gasped.
“And if you are not careful, I shall make you watch as well.”
“You are evil! Pure evil!”
He raised a hand up in a cautionary gesture. “Careful, my
“But wait!” She was a bit dizzy when he set her down again. “Can I not sleep first? Do you mind terribly if I slept for some hours before any such thanks are given?”
“Oh! Yes! You must sleep. You must. You must keep up your strength.”
“Thank you.”
The king let her go and walked back over to the gold—touching it again for several minutes before saying, “This is simply not enough, though. We will most definitely need more.”
“More?” Aubrynn’s stomach dropped. “Truly? There is not enough there now?” Her fingers began to ache again.
“Oh, no!” He spun around to look at her—then checked himself when he saw the girl’s face. “You, we—how else will we be able to afford the type of wedding we hope to have? How will we be able to secure the castle from our enemies and see that it is fine and decorated in the greatest of fashion for those who wish to visit? Aubrynn! No! I am afraid we have only just begun!”
The girl collapsed on her bottom. Right onto the stone floor. It was too much, she was too exhausted. Neither her nor Rumple would be able to do all he would require of her. She felt like weeping.
He rushed forward and knelt before her. “Aubrynn, you must see that this is the best way. You must.”
She shook her head and covered her face with her sore hands. The last thought in the world would be to do this all over again. She simply could not imagine it.
Instantly, the king’s tone changed. She felt the room shift before she heard him stand up. “You will stop this nonsense and do as I have asked and you will be grateful for it too!”
She kept her head in her hands, not willing to risk his wrath more.
“Aubrynn Sloat, I command you to finish this. You will create all the gold this kingdom requires or I will hang you! Do you understand me?”
When she did not move he shouted, “Look at me!”
Slowly she removed her hands and looked up at his forceful features—her own glaring back at him. With great strength, she stood to her full height and placed her hands on her hips. “Then kill me now. I am done working for you. You are cruel and selfish and will only use this gold to better yourself—thinking nothing of your subjects. If this is what marriage to a king will be like—eternal selfish slavery—then take your gold and destroy me! For I will not have it!”
He grabbed her arm, yanking her toward his face. “You will never speak to your king in such a way again, madam. I am not in the habit of being told what to do.” He brought his hand up and to strike her, but then changed his mind at the last moment. “Sleep here!” He thrust her away from him and toward the small bed. I was going to allow you to sleep in the one of the castle suites, but I can see you need to be reminded who your betters are. “Guards!” he called out. “Guards bring me the girl’s father! Fetch him from the village and be prompt!”
She could hear the heavy footsteps of the guards making their way down the spiral staircase. “What will you do to him?” she asked.
The king smiled. “Everything I wish to do to you right this moment.” He stepped forward, loving the way she scurried away from him and onto the bed. “You almost made me lose my temper with you and that would not do, would it?” He stopped and brought a hand up to inspect his ring. “No, my dear queen ,” he spoke softly down at the bright red stone, “you are about to make me a very rich man. And just think, when you do, I will love you forever.”
She swallowed. “And if I refuse?”
His striking blue eyes met hers as he raised one thick dark eyebrow. “Then a hanging for your father will not be sufficient. I shall simply make him pay for your every crime and outburst and willful stubbornness. I will torture him, my dear.”
She gasped.
“And if you are not careful, I shall make you watch as well.”
“You are evil! Pure evil!”
He raised a hand up in a cautionary gesture. “Careful, my
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