Page 3 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown (Kingdom of Bellhollow #1)

“ A re you okay?” Prince Archie asks. Worry laces his tone, but it doesn’t sound authentic.

But I continue to stare into those deep cobalt blue pools. They are enchanting, almost pulling me into their owner, not wanting to let me go. The pull of wanting to go to him is strong.

As we maintain eye contact, it’s like we are meant to be together, meant to look into each other’s eyes for centuries. It feels like we’ve known each other for years and years, and yet I’ve never seen those eyes before.

I would remember those eyes. Even from far away, I can see the different layers of blue flowing in them, like little specks, but at the same time like mountains.

“Are you okay, Adeline?” Prince Archie touches my shoulder.

Flinching, I look away and nod. I dare to look back, knowing it might get both of us into trouble but the need and longing to catch those piercing blue eyes again and get sucked into the calm and security overtakes my good sense.

But they are gone.

My eyes search the area, trying to find them, but to no avail.

Where did he go? What does he look like? So many questions run through my mind as I look over at the prince, moving my shoulder so he will stop touching me.

Having his hands on me is repulsive.

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.

Prince Archie grabs hold of my hand, and I force myself to return the gesture. My skin crawls like a million bugs are moving on it. How am I going to safely get my hand out of his?

“Let’s slowly walk to the picnic.” Prince Archie starts to walk. I’m stiff as a board as we walk, not knowing how to stay next to him while we hold hands.

He doesn’t let go the whole time as we make our way toward the forest in complete silence. I don’t know what to talk to him about or what he really wants with me. Will I ever find out?

“One day this is going to be all mine,” he announces. “It’s going to be ours.”

I flinch and look away. Why is he talking about it being ours when we aren’t together? I never want to be with him. Can’t he tell I want nothing to do with him from how I’m acting?

“When my father dies, it’s going to change so much.” Prince Archie speaks again.

My eyebrows bunch together as I look at him. Change?

“H-how?” I make myself ask.

My eyes roam around our small town outside the palace. Even though we live so close to the royal family, our town isn’t wealthy. We all get by and have enough food, clothes, and whatever we need but we can’t buy things we want.

Or as long as the humans have ruled, we haven’t. My mother talks about her parents and their parents getting by with enough to survive and nothing more. Are we ever going to get out of this cycle? Was it different when the Fae king was ruling?

My eyes connect with several townspeople as we walk by them. All of their eyes go wide before looking in the other direction. It is like the prince wants to parade me around, which I don’t want.

Not many people approve of the king and prince in this town, but if asked, they will definitely lie. People are unhappy with our living conditions, even though we can’t do anything about it. Not when the king has more guards than people in the town, all of them loyal to him.

“My father has gotten relaxed with some of the rules and laws of our country. He has let the Fae relax and have more freedom, but we don’t need that.” Prince Archie’s voice is loud.

Several Fae and humans look in our direction, but I keep my eyes down. I don’t want to be associated with it, but I can’t just walk away.

“I want the Fae to know that they are beneath us. I want them to know they are going to suffer when I take my place as King of Bellhollow. Maybe I’ll even kill them all off,” he says. “We don’t need them, but my father keeps them around to do the menial jobs so he doesn’t have to pay anyone.”

I gasp and look at him, not believing he would say something like that. My eyes move to the Fae behind him, who sneer at Prince Archie as we walk by. I cower away from him, hating that the Fae receive so much anger and resentment toward them.

I know I shouldn’t feel bad for the Fae, but I can’t help it. Something in my gut tells me they aren’t really that bad.

“Don’t worry Adeline, they can’t do anything to us. Not unless they want consequences.” Prince Archie squeezes my hand.

I pull my hand away, pushing my hair back and relaxing when Prince Archie doesn’t go to take it again. Looking past the prince, my eyes scan the Fae in front of me, stopping when I think I see the now-familiar cobalt blue eyes.

My shoulders sag when I realize it isn’t the same eyes, they are brighter than his and don’t have as much depth to them.

I can’t help but feel disappointed when I don’t find him again. “If any of them try to hurt you or do anything really, you let me know and I’ll have them dealt with.” Prince Archie cups my face. “If one of them looks at you the wrong way, you let me know and they will be punished.”

I force a smile on my face and nod, but don’t say a word.

I would never tell him if they tried to talk to me.

My eyes once again search the Fae to try and find the eyes.

I want to get lost in them, feel the pull I had before.

I want to feel like nothing else matters in the world and that I am safe from everything.

“What are you looking for?” Prince Archie asks.

My shoulders drop as I look back at the prince. I crave to see them again, to get lost in them once again. It’s like nothing else matters right now and to satisfy the itch inside of me, I need to look into them.