C3 Shock and Anger.

Sapphire's POV.

"This is one mighty flower." I said with a smile when my twin brother brought the flower I asked for, Nana and I planned to make our normal fragrances and also for my bathing.

"It's enough to use for a long time." He straightened looking at the ingredients I had lined up.

"Well you're actually right, it'll last this time." I peeled the flower leaves slowly from the stick.

"I brought the remaining hunting meat." he placed a bag on the table and brought out a food container, I smiled licking my lips when I saw the meat already cooked.

"You might as well, chew my hands in your mind." He gesticulated.

"Well if it's good enough meat." I replied with a laugh.

"Hunting week is over, I feel like I won't be happy anymore." I said sitting down, I washed the flowers I peeled and started grinding them.

"You weren't happy when hunting week started, remember." He said and I stilled immediately, I was trying so hard not to think about the fact that everyone in this kingdom will die soon if the warrior king decided to still wage war with us, my brother collected the grinder for me and I stood up leaning on the table as I watched him grind.

"I didn't say that to ruin your mood," he adjusted the sleeves of his shirt "I said that because his message is coming today and I'm not sure we have anything to appease him with." He added.

"It's okay Alec, I understand." I put a piece of meat in my mouth and moaned at the sweetness, it was so tasty.

"Who made this?" I asked.

"You don't want people being better cooks than you." Alec replied.

"Not that, I want to learn the recipe, though I've figured out the ingredients by tasting it." I shrugged and he laughed.

"My Prince and Princess, the King request for the meeting that was fixed today when the messenger arrives." Nana rushed in breathing hard.

"You shouldn't run like that Nana." I said wiping the sweat off her face, she tried stopping me I just glared at her, she finally conceded.

"It's okay, I wanted to relay the message quickly.", She replied rushing to mix the ingredients I granded already.

"I'll tell you the details later." I waved at her

"Okay." She said softly while bowing her head. I turned and realised Alec was still in the room.

"You can drop the formalities, I'm tired of it, be comfortable around me, like you are withy little sister." He threw his hands up.

"Little sister?" I said to him.

"Yes, you are, you came 30 minutes later." He shrugged and Nana laughed.

We went into the room with our heads bowed, my father decided to use the throne room today and every official were present, I could see my stepmother here too, it was an important matter and it wasn't going to be treated lightly.

Most people in the Kingdom fled when they heard he was coming, some stayed to know the outcome of our pleading.

I sat down close to Alec and he gribbed my hands tightly, I smiled at him.

"Read the message Rathan." My father said to the messenger.

"The king of the kingdom of Koutish, I've seen your plead and that of the people of your kingdom, and I reasoned about what you could give me that will cause.you great pain in respect to me stopping the plan I had for your kingdom," Rathan paused and stilled when he read some parts in his heart.

"Read it out Rathan." My eldest brother Juen said.

"I'm sorry Crown Prince." Rathan bowed.

"I thought and thought of what I'll want from you since I had almost everything, and there was nothing you could offer me." Rathan paused again.

"I've decided to ally with you, but I can only ally with you through marriage with your one and only daughter, and nothing else." Rathan concluded and I stilled.

Everyone in the meeting room gasped, there were arguments, and the only agreement I saw was my stepmother nodding with a smile, I couldn't breathe, I could feel the air claw out from my throat, I was visibly shaking, my second eldest brother Nuan wrapped his hands and pulled me in a hug.

My father threw his jug and the room became chaotic, the voices I heard distracted me from my thoughts. I heard a scream, everyone did and we all turned, a cart was brought in with a dead body I recognised as our diplomat, a message was pinned with him.

"This is just a warning of more to come, if we don't ally immediately, your time is ticking." Rathan read when he picked it up shaking.

"Why is he like this?" Nyan asked.

"That's how he sends his message." Alec replied sitting as straight as a wall on his seat.

"It's okay, I accept the condition." I said causing all heads to turn to me.

"You don't have to, we can find a way to get alliance and fight his army off." My father said.

"No father, we both know it won't work, if he wants to be married to me then fine." I said leaving any emotion I had in my face.

"I don't want lives on my hands like this one." I pointed to our beloved diplomat.

"Send him a message Rathan, we accept his condition.", I left the room with Alec who joined me.

I went outside because I needed air, running to the far outskirts of our Kingdom, with Alec behind me, I screamed at my loudest voice, I let it out, it wasn't enough, I punched the tree close to me so hard, I kept punching.

"He's such a coward!!" I screamed, Alec dragged me away from the tree.

I struggled with him, but he only stilled me tearing his shirt he wrapped it round my fist and I realised I've been bleeding all along.