51. Chapter 51

Chapter fifty-one

" H ello Haven" The crown regent greeted from where he was lounging in her desk chair.

"Hello sir" Haven responded, bowing slightly even though she knew he'd never do the same for her.

He did not deserve the respect she was giving him but she had enough sense to understand that right now he held the power over her. It might not be legal power but Haven was not yet confident enough in her self defense skills to think she could fight off the centuries old fae. She hoped her show of respect and manners would help keep the crown regents temper in check.

"There's no need for that anymore" He told her, not moving from his relaxed position at her desk. The way his unsettling aura suffocated the room had Havens last meal rising in her throat and her body begging to run.

"What do you mean?" She asked

"I mean, we both know how I feel about you and the fact that I would do just about anything to keep you off the throne."

Haven sucked in a breath, at least he wasn't pretending anymore.

"Alright then, what do you want and why are you in my room?" Haven leaned against the door hoping that if he came at her she'd be quick enough to rip it open and dart down the hallway.

"I am in your room because I want something from you" His lips tilted up as he spoke. Haven could tell immediately that this was what Elanor had warned her about. Regrettably, Haven hadn't had time to study any of the books the older tutor gave to her.

"Get on with it then" Haven used her best uninterested voice, the respect she'd shown earlier gone out the window. There was no need to fake anything anymore. If he was going to attack her, polite words weren't going to stop him.

"You are going to marry my son"

Haven snorted in disbelief, "Excuse me?" She liked Nik well enough and was obviously attracted to him, not that she'd ever admit that to his father, but marriage? She was only nineteen and on the verge of becoming Queen to a kingdom she hadn't known existed not all that long ago. The last thing she was interested in was being bullied into a marriage.

"You heard me," He told her while running a hand through his greasy blonde hair ,

"Before you are unfortunately crowned you will marry my son, making him the future king. After your coronation you will give him heirs, cementing the DaMarrel line as true blooded royalty"

Haven knew DaMareel was Nik and his father's last name from their conversations the other night. Now she knew what his father had been planning. He probably assumed he could control Nik once he was on the throne even though spouses of the royal line did not have as much ruling power as those born of the royal line. Haven wondered if Niks father had taken that into account. As if he could read her thoughts, the crown regent opened his mouth and let out more slimy words,

"Once you are crowned queen and enough time has passed so that it is not suspicious, you will abdicate your ruling power to my son. Effectively making you a queen in name only.".

"And if I don't?" She asked.

"Then I'll kill everyone you care about," A pretty basic threat but a threat nonetheless,

"I'll start with that servant girl you seem fond of. Then I will move on to that annoying little prince you came in with. After I've brutally murdered them both, I will have someone sent into the human realm to go after your mother. After all, I've already killed one of your parents, what's one more?"

Shock rolled through Haven, causing her to clutch the doorknob behind her. Not to run away but to keep herself from falling to the ground.

Niks father finally stood from her desk chair. Crowding Haven against the door he spoke low,

"Yes you dumb little queen, I killed your father. Not me personally, I had someone else do it. It was all too easy. I'd been watching your family for quite some time, all it took was one little snip of a brake line and your father went tumbling over the edge of an icy cliff on his way to pick up your some flowers."

Havens throat dried, she couldn't get a word out. All her suspicions were suddenly confirmed, she knew her father didn't drink and drive like the cops had told her. He didn't intentionally drive over the edge, which had been another suspicion the police had. His brake lines were cut.

Knowing that her dad didn't intentionally leave them, didn't do something so dangerous and reckless, settled something in Haven that had been boiling for quite some time.

"You wanna know the kicker?" He asked, his hot breath rancid against her cheek, "It was supposed to be you in the car that day. I couldn't give two shits about your weak father and mother. Royalty or no, they posed no threat to me. You on the other hand," He trailed off, leaving Haven to fill in the blanks. Her father hadn't been the target, Haven had been. She was the reason her father was dead. The thought brought a pang of agony straight into her chest. She could feel the anxiety and panic creeping over her nerves, just like it had earlier.

Haven was suddenly faced with a choice, could she be the reason her mother and friends died? Haven knew in an instant she could never let that happen.

Finally finding her words, Haven used every drop of malice she could conjure to whisper,

"And what if I kill you first?"

Before Niks father could blink, she unsheathed the dagger at her hip and brought it up between them. As maliciously as she could, Haven aimed it directly at his heart .

The towering man stumbled back, shock etched in his expression. He obviously hadn't been expecting her to fight back.

"I have a better idea," She told him, "How about I kill you right here, right now? I think that might save everyone some heartache."

Haven extended her arm, pointing the dagger at him where he stood. Her position in front of the door gave her the ultimate bargaining chip. If he wanted to leave, he'd have to go through her.

False confidence filled her step forward, backing him further towards the opposite wall. She didn't want to bring herself as close to him as he'd done to her. Even just having him in her room unsettled Haven but she'd have to find the strength to power through.

"Instead of marrying your son and giving up my power, I should just end you. Spilling your blood across my floors would be a good way to avenge my father, don't you think?" Haven spoke low, menacingly, and she meant every word because she was not the reason her father was dead. No matter what the insecurities in her head told her, the reason her father died was standing right in front of her.

"You don't have the guts" He sneered

"Try me" She spit back

The crown regent moved quickly, charging at her. Haven tried her best to remember what Tasha had taught her, ducking out of his way to evade him and attempting to slice as she went. In the end, she was no match for his centuries of experience. She'd lasted all of five seconds before he managed to get the dagger away from her, throwing it across the room, grabbing her neck and pinning her to the door.

Haven clawed at his hand around her throat where he was squeezing tightly, slowly cutting off her circulation. Her shoulders tightened with defeat. His laugh was nothing short of nightmares, the scratchy, grating noise sent chills and trembles of fear down her spine.

"You really think you could kill me? I'll admit, it was brave but remember little queen, you are no match for me. I could kill you right here and now. Snap your neck like nothing more than a twig being used to light a sacrificial fire"

Haven hesitated, her magic was at the surface of her flesh just waiting to be unleashed. She didn't know how that would end and in the chaos, her mind wasn't thinking straight. She was more powerful than him but he had the experience and training she was sorely lacking.

Before the crown regent managed to cut off her air supply completely Haven grit out,

"You need me"

That gave him a pause. The crown regent released his tight grip on her throat, now holding just enough to keep her in place but not to harm her.

"Unfortunately, you are right. For my plan to work I do need you. I need you to stand up in front of a priest, two nights from now, say some ridiculous ancient words and bind yourself to my son."

The crown regent stepped away from Haven. Reaching down, he pulled a knife from his boot. He cut a deep well into his palm, the blood bubbling to the surface immediately. Havens eyes stung from the rancid scent. Grasping Havens hand, he cut an identical mark into hers.

"Make a deal with me" He told her, outstretching his cut hand .

Havens nose scrunched. She really did not want to share blood with the monster standing before her. She hadn't had time to read all of the material Elanor gave to her but she knew whatever she agreed to would be binding. She'd have to choose her words carefully. Slowly reaching out to place her hand in Niks fathers, Haven gasped at the jolt of electricity that passed through her.

"State your intentions to marry my son"

Her heart raced, rapidly climbing towards unsafe levels.

"I will stand in front of your son two nights from now, with intentions to marry."

"In exchange I will not kill you tonight," Niks father nodded his head slowly,

"The deal is done"

Haven could feel the moment the deal took hold, it was an electric feeling that concentrated at the slash on her palm. She had no idea what the consequences for breaking the deal would be but she assumed it would not be pleasant.

Only seconds after his words had been spoken, the crown regent ripped his hand away from Havens and tore out of her room like it was the last place he wanted to be. She did not miss that the crown regent specified he would not kill her tonight.

Haven was somewhat disappointed in herself that she hadn't been able to overpower the crown regent but she tried not to be too hard on herself. Afterall, her body was still trembling and her heart was still racing.

A small hopeful smile overtook Havens face, in the rush of what was going on the crown regent must have thought the other things he listed, the power abdicating and children went hand in hand with an agreement to marry.

Haven may not have been in this world long but she knew the fact that she hadn't specifically agreed to those things could make all the difference in the world. She might be stuck in a marriage she didn't plan but she would do everything in her power to ensure the crown regent would feel as powerless and weak as he'd made her feel tonight.