Chapter 3

The Thorn King could not sleep. The moon was high in the dark sky, the wind whistled and rain pelted down on his windows but it was not the noisy atmosphere that was keeping him awake. The events of the day kept playing behind his closed eyelids, from the embarrassment of another failed suitor, to the words said to him by Aiyna which hurt more than he had anticipated. Not to mention a pair of brilliant blue eyes that always haunted his thoughts no matter what state of mind he was in. With one final toss and turn, the Thorn King sat up and blinked back tiredness as he looked around his room.

The Thorn King's room was kept minimalistic and simple, not a room that would be associated with someone of his status. The moonlight streamed in through the window, highlighting his furniture with an ominous white glow. When he'd been banished to Thornacre, there had been curtains to cover the window, but the King preferred to be able to see outside and watch the stars to help him sleep. He tried to do so now, but he could not shake the image of Ainya's eyes so full of sadness and hatred. Why are you doing this to us?

He rubbed his throbbing temples and shut his eyes. He could not tell her the truth; she would never understand why he longed for his demise. The Thorn King's eyes burst open at the sound of a creaking door and he looked to his left, his hand immediately settling on the stone on his bedside table. It lit up at his touch, illuminating the room with a warm orange glow. Now he could see that the door had opened slightly �" the wind? The Thorn King pushed aside the blankets and got out of bed, holding the hand that gripped the stone in front of him, the weight of it in his palm giving him some comfort. It had been a gift from his lover; he still remembered the words whispered to him when he had received it. As long as this is with you, you shall never be in darkness. The stone was quite plain; to anyone else it would look like an ordinary pebble, save for the engraving at the centre of it of two interlocked hands that symbolised their love.

The King approached the door and took the handle in his free hand, pulling it open and holding the luminous stone further out in front of him, lighting up the corridor that lead to his chambers. No one was in sight, so the King concluded that it must have been the wind after all. Feeling foolish, the King shut the door quietly and retreated once more to bed. As he pulled back the covers, a shadow flitted in the corner of his eye. The King whirled around, casting the light of the stone around the room as he did. Although the shadow had gone, he still had the sense that he was being watched

"Who goes there?" he asked the empty room. There was no reply, only the eerie silence and the sense of dread looming over him as he reached for his crown and placed it upon his head, not taking notice of the thorns digging into his skin. His green eyes darted about the room, overlooking every nook and cranny that someone would be able to hide in. He was suddenly aware of somebody behind him; he could hear their breathing, sense their presence looming over him. Only when he felt the point of a blade pressed against his back did he believe that it was real.

"Hello, my King" The Thorn King spun around to see a hooded figure stood close to him, the blade now pointing to his abdomen. The King stood frozen in shock �" how did this man get in? Where were his guards? He'd heard nobody call out. Had he been... betrayed? As the King looked closely at the intruder, he could make out the torn skin where his ear would have been and the drying blood on the side of his neck.

"Prince Aulom" He breathed, feeling the air suddenly knocked out of him, he was so very tired.

"Just Aulom now, actually," Aulom snarled "After your wretched daughter tainted my worth, my father removed my title and threw me out onto the streets"

"Get out before I summon the guards to do worse than throw you out" The Thorn King threatened. Aulom released a low, dark chuckle at this

"As your guards are currently either dead or dying outside your doors, I would be very impressed if they could do that," he grinned driving the sword an inch closer to the King's abdomen, cutting a hole in his nightshirt so that he could feel the sharp point against navel. "It was foolish of me, really, to want to marry your daughter and claim your throne when I could just kill you here and take your crown now" The Thorn King remained silent as Aulom pulled the blade away from him before raising it above his head, grinning menacingly. The Thorn King brought his arms up to defend himself as Aulom brought the blade plummeting down towards the King's chest and...

Stopped.

The light-stone dropped from the Thorn King's hand as he lowered his arms, plunging the room into darkness yet again. Slowly, the King stood up properly, looking upon the figure in front of him only to see that Aulom was gone. In his place was a tangle of darkness in the shape of an earless man, his sword raised above his head. The Thorn King squinted. As he looked closer, he could see that the figure was entirely made of thorns. The Thorn King reached forward to touch one of the spikes with a finger and jumped back as they crumbled to dust beneath his feet. Feeling weary, the Thorn King removed his crown and placed it on his bedside table, the light-stone in the middle of it. He sat on the edge of his bed, looking down upon the pile of ash that was once Prince Aulom and recalled the words said to him when he was crowned King of this wretched place. 'You are crowned with the thorns of a condemned man that may only be passed to a male heir. Until such time, your life will never end, and those who intend on killing you will be killed in return.'