A Malice Heart
Chapter Four

The two stayed silent for the rest of the meal. As Drew wearily ate the porridge and drank from her glass, Malice looked over the morning papers to see if anything had changed.

The number of protests have gone low as soon as he’d raised the taxes. It was the only way he could teach his people a lesson on what happens when they object to his way of ruling. If they have time to go out and protest every day in the late evenings, then that must mean that they all get paid too much in their jobs. When the people get busy tending to their families, the last thing they would want is to further anger their king.

With a sigh, Malice moved on to the next page where he skimmed over cases of people that have gone MIA over the past weeks. The name ‘Drew’ hadn’t come up once, and none of the victims were even close to her age. Malice guessed she was around his age, the mid-twenties, and most of those that were missing were simply teenagers.

“The newspaper must be very interesting to have you looking at it so sternly,” Drew took another sip of her water before setting the cup down. “Care to share?”

Malice looked up, his eyes shining with amusement. “Nothing that should concern you, darling.”

Drew simply raised an eyebrow and slouched back in her chair, hands going over to her full stomach before she cursed once again in frustration. “Please just tell me what you want. Sitting here watching you read the morning news isn’t very productive on my account.”

The king merely cocked his head and folded the newspaper in half before putting it away, “You really aren’t going to accept me as your king, are you?”“I see that happening only in my worst nightmares, princeling.”

That same cockiness was still there. She was so confident within herself, even with everything Malice had thrown at her till this day.

“What if I told you that I wish for you to be my personal torture trifle?” he asked, placing his elbows on the armrests of the chair.

The assassin simply smiled. “Then I’d drive the knife on my right straight through my throat.”

Given how this girl never bluffs and sticks to her goals very clearly, Malice wasn’t willing to risk that just yet. “Clever,” he placed his chin on his forefinger. “Then what is it that you would have wanted to become?”

“Nothing,” she replied dully. “I’m not going to be anything to you other than a pain in the ass.”

The corner of Malice’s mouth turned upwards. “I’ve never gone this easy on anyone. You must understand by now that this is your true punishment, to serve me for the rest of your miserable life.”

Her eyes widened for a second before she sat upright and let out a sigh, but no words came out. She was once again speechless as she looked deep into his red eyes and waited for his own reply on the matter. There were silent words that passed between them as well as no words at all.

“You will become my little pet,” mumbled Malice, a grin spreading on his face at the thought. “You will accompany me wherever I go and stay by my side until the end.”

It sounded like a vow, something that could never be broken.

It took Drew a second to comprehend what he said before she laughed out loud at the idea, tipping her head back and banging her fist on the table. “You can’t be serious!”

“Do I look like I kid?” he replied bluntly.

Drew let out another howl of laughter before taking in a few breaths and once again settling down, giggling now and then. “Okay, okay. Now, tell me,” she leaned forward on her elbows, looking up at the king, “are you kidding?”

Malice only stared her down, the grin fully erased from his face. That much was an answer for the assassin as her smile fell. “Screw you.”

By the evening, Drew already had her own chambers with everything a girl needed. Nothing had pissed her off more than the site of her room. The number of useless things that were found inside was enormous. The sheer size of the dressing closet was filled with unlimited clothing which could have been easily given to the poor children that are dying on the streets every passing day. And the bed itself, a size fit for an entire family, was made all for her.

“You are a true monster,” Drew said, turning her head towards the king as he looked nowhere but at her face. For that reaction. He knew she’d hate it, knew how much it would drive her insane every night that she falls asleep on her bed, that while she was living in comfort, those outside the palace weren’t. Those to whom she was willing to risk her life by killing their king were still suffering while she lived in luxury.

Malice peered across her room, knowing he was the one who ordered the maids to create the most junk full room they could. He would rather step down from the throne than spend one more second inside this place. “Have a good night Drew.”

With that, he turned around and the guard closed her chamber door, locking it from the outside. There was also a balcony inside the girl’s room, but the doors to it were locked and a gate was placed at the glass doors so she couldn’t break her way out.

Perhaps by tomorrow morning she would be driven completely mad, or maybe nothing would change and he would have more time to play with his new pet.

Malice’s first priority was taking a quick cold shower before continuing with his evening. He quickly stripped before turning on the freezing water and washing himself off, only to make that lingering feeling go away. Thankfully it did, allowing him to finish his day in peace. Wrapping a towel around his middle and using a smaller one to dry his hair, Malice sat down at his desk once again and read over the schedule for the next day. The day stayed the same, nothing has changed given that he had nothing better to do than work as king of this kingdom.

Once he was done with the documents, the king strode to his balcony, still partially unclothed, and looked outwards towards his kingdom once again. At some point, it had become like a ritual. As if he expected something to change within a day. Yet it all stayed the same because he did absolutely nothing to care for the people that were mere meters away from him.

Malice smiled at the thought, not being able to stop the reaction as he leaned his elbows onto the balcony railing. He was the villain, all right. But at least a good one at that, one that knew just how to play their role correctly.