Page 5 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown

His eyes narrow in on my shoulder, like he is going to touch me again, before looking back up and into my eyes.

“Adeline, don’t make me ask again.” His voice is dark and dangerous, like I am walking on thin ice.

“It was nothing,” I brush off the feeling of danger rolling through me.

I need to get away from this conversation and fast.

“Adeline.” His voice holds warning.

I take a step back and bow. “I thought it was a bug flying close to my face, but it must have been a piece of my hair.”

My mother has always taught me that if I ever make any of the royal people mad to bow to show them how sorry I am. Not that I am sorry, but I don’t want to get on his bad side.

Prince Archie could do anything to my parents and I and no one would be able to do a thing.

I shudder at the memory of the king throwing people out of their houses who accidentally bumped into him while he was walking down the street. It was one time and the king had never been back into our part of the town. But everyone in town remembers the day the guards came to take the people out of their houses, banishing them to another realm.

Another realm.

Just remembering the guards telling the people they were getting banished raises so many questions in my head. People suspect it was Tarravega, where all criminals get banished to. For them to be banished means the realm has to be worse than where we live now.

They take the people to the palace where the witch banishes them. The prince doesn’t have any magic, so they need another being to do the act itself. I have heard several Fae gasping when they have been told they are being sent to the banished realm. It must be horrible if the Fae looked so distraught.

Prince Archie grabs my shoulder, making me flinch. Everything in me wants to push his hand off and yell at him to not touch me, but I hold it in. There is no need to make matters worse… not when I don’t know how much trouble I am in.

“Rise,” he commands.

His hand is still on my shoulder as I stand to my full height. Even standing straight, Prince Archie is several inches taller than me, making me crane my neck as I stare into his eyes.

“Do not do that again.” His voice is cold as he stares into my eyes.

“Sorry.” I bow my head slightly before looking back at him. He gives me a smile, squeezing my shoulder before turning to face the people. I take a deep breath before looking at them.

Everyone is watching us, but as Prince Archie looks around, they quickly go back to doing what they were doing. Once we leave, it will be the talk of the town.

Oh joy.

I can’t help but search for the pair of eyes again to see who they belong to. They are like nothing I have ever seen in my life. I have never seen such a deep blue pair of eyes, and yet they were pulling me in as if we were one.

One person.

Impossible.

But I don’t see them.

Disappointment fills me as I scan the area. No one is looking at us, though, so I can’t tell who the eyes belong to. Sighing, I turn to the prince and force a smile, wanting to be anywhere but here.

A small tug forms in my stomach, making my whole body still as I look at the prince. It is the same one I felt earlier when I was looking into the cobalt blues. A sensation that I can’t describe very well.

It was like their owner was pulling an invisible string toward them.

But that could be because I am right in front of the prince and don’t want to do anything to put my family in jeopardy. My nerves run rampant as we stare at each other. Was the prince going to go after my family for what I did? If he is willing to threaten me for not answering him right away, what is he willing to do for other things?

I lightly shake my head. I don’t need to be thinking about that. Not until the prince mentions punishments.

Another tug forms in my stomach, and I dare myself to look over to the left, right where I stared into the eyes before, but they aren’t there. Surely, the tug isn’t associated with the eyes, it doesn’t make any sense.

But deep down, I have a feeling the tugging is associated with those mysterious eyes.