Before they walk the other way, I take Eulalia and Leonita's arms, guiding them toward my sisters. Overwhelmed with joy, we hurry to them. I figure the rest of the day's schedule will be hectic, and now is the only time to talk to them about everything that has happened. We can reflect on how to handle and process it. Both glance at me for a moment, then turn to follow their administrators in the opposite direction.
Despite my quick action, they hurry down the hallway before I can reach them, practically ignoring me. They glance in my vicinity without making eye contact or acknowledging my presence. The four gorgeous handmaidens following close behind me glare at me with an intensity I can't understand.
'Are they upset with me? Have I done something to make them despise me? How could that be?' I've barely done anything. It's not like I've acted as I would in our homeworld. I've been playing things how Dasha would, mostly. 'Why didn't Dasha or Aasha speak to me?' This is important, and I can't just let them walk away. Before I can say a word, a firm grip on my arm twists me around. To my surprise, I'm confronted by Prince Barrios and his brother, Prince Bardas. 'Where the hell did they come from?' His sudden appearance almost frightens me. He holds me steady by his side as other Byzantia officials follow my sisters, their administrators, and their handmaidens. They appear to be the envoys who occupied the Prince in the throne room earlier. I can't be sure, as I didn't catch a proper look then. What I recognize is their similar look of discontent toward me.
"Let go of…," I try saying, but he stops me by twisting my arm behind my back.
The way he maneuvers my arm makes it look as if I've moved to his side. Gasps fill the hallway further away from a group of approaching servants. The way Bardas holds me close furthers the separation from the servants, and they express even more animosity toward me. This is a seriously unpleasant situation. He embraces me until we are alone, then commands my handmaidens to leave.
"You can't order them to leave!" I protest sharply.
"Wait for her in her bed chambers, do you understand?" Prince Barrios orders authoritatively.
"No, they are staying right here!" I say with force.
"Darling, you put your servants in a compromising position," Prince Bardas says, approaching them.
"We must protect the Queen! Unhand her at once!" Diethard demands firmly.
Barrios focuses his attention on the two men accompanying me. Bardas merely brings me in front of him, wrapping his hands around my waist. He presses me close to his body. At that moment, I realize the two princes are not wearing their shining armor from earlier. Instead, they are dressed in skintight gold and brown suede tunics with dark brown leather pants. They wear light brown leather thigh-high boots, which catch me off guard. 'Are they wearing women's footwear?'
"Is this your doing?" Barrios asks, turning to me.
"What… What are you talking about?" I counter. "Look, you can't just order me around!"
"My Queen, leave this to us. Prince Barrios, it is our duty to protect the Queen. We cannot simply allow you to proceed in this manner. I ask that Prince Bardas release the Queen at once!" Diethard orders firmly.
Bardas forces his body against my back. Shivers run up my spine and down my thighs as his groin touches my bottom. His grip on my hips becomes more intense.
"Let me go!" I scoff as he pulls my bottom into his hips. The bulge in his pants grows, and I feel how large his penis is.
"I will release you when you send your servants away," Prince Bardas whispers in my ear.
His lips are inches from my neck, and a shudder lashes through my body. Diethard and Gottwald step forward as my handmaidens move behind them. Their hands grip the hilts of their swords, ready to draw at a moment's notice. Barrios stands between Diethard and Gottwald. His back is to me, and I cannot discern his intentions. He simply stands with his hands at his sides, no visible weapons on his person. The tension grows as the men stand in silence. As his penis bulges, his leather pants threaten to burst, spilling over onto my bottom. My body craves the feeling of his body against mine. The palpable tension between us increases as he strokes his thumbs. My eyes meet Gottwald's, and I can feel an emotion building inside him.
"You will release Queen Aria! We will not ask again!" Gottwaldc states, ordering solemnly.
"So, you have tasted the immense power that awaits you. It seems our future Queen has already begun selecting her subjects. I can sense the power bellowing within the two of you. I can also sense your displeasure. Do you believe your Queen has prepared you with the power to defy me? Let alone two of us?" Barrios asks, stepping forward.
"We will fight you if our Queens deem it necessary. You have laid your hands on Queen Aria without her permission. You know the law, Prince Barrios. It would be prudent for you to abide by those laws," Gottwald explains firmly.
"We have business with your Queen Aria. This is a royal matter. Your laws do not concern us!" Prince Bardas says, meeting Gottwald's gaze.
"That is not until later, my Lord. Queen Aria does not know our ways yet. She has not had time to adjust. We were filling her in on our customs the best we could. But, please, let our Queen go," Eulalia says in an unsure voice.
"Do not speak to us, handmaiden. We will handle this the way we see fit!" Prince Bardas snarls.
"Queen Aria is a Royal… You are nobles… There is a difference. The rules of Sidra are explicit on this. Princes or not, you are not Royals; thus, you cannot handle our Queen this way. I implore you once again. Release our Queen, now!" Diethard demands.
A boisterous, bellowing laughter fills the hallway. It comes from Barrios.
"You believe we are mere nobles? I, Prince Barrios Aleckzander Revennaut, Heir to the Kingdom of Byzantia. The Elder brother of three and Duke Bardas Aleckzander Revennaut are merely nobles? The tenacity of such a bold claim. Soldiers of Sidra, we are Royals. Not of another world, but of this world," Prince Barrios says firmly.
"That is impossible. There hasn't been a Royal of our world since the first Trinity graced our world. And to claim to be so…," Gottwald shouts, but a deep rumbling growl cuts him off.
His expression mirrors chaotic confusion. The air pressure in the hallway changes suddenly, and I gasp. I want to fall to my knees and crawl to safety. Instead, the hallway becomes an unbreathable space. I struggle to take even one breath as pressure builds all around me. Diethard and Gottwald fall to their knees, grasping at their throats. Leonita and Eulalia clasp to the floor as if some mysterious force coerces them into the ground. They clutch their necks as if that force saps the air from their lungs.
"S-stop it… S-stop… Leave them alone!" I struggle to articulate.
My body presses into Bardas' body to the point his penis separates the cheeks of my butt. The unseen force smashes us together, but he seems completely unaffected. Diethard and Gottwald clasp to the floor. The men appear to pass out from the pressure against their bodies. Only Leonita holds her hand out to me against the frightening force.
"P-please…" Leonita struggles to speak.
"Send them away, and no harm will come to them," Barrios says nonchalantly.
I look at them, seeing the terror in their eyes. Suddenly, a harsh reality sets in. The feeling I share with them is terrifying. This is no fantasy world or simulation. We aren't playing a game. This is the real world, whether it's the world I know or not. The fact that they are with me puts their lives at risk. I brought Diethard and Gottwald with me. I did something to them, and they acted on that. Whatever I did to them empowered them to stand against Prince Barrios and Prince Bardas. They discerned this and wanted to show us their power. It's a reality I now face with the same realization I would in my world.
My actions have consequences. The choices I make can hurt people or, worse, kill them. I come to this conclusion from the sight before, his mannerisms, and the aura surrounding him. The oppressive force manifests out of thin air. This is no bully, unlike what I had first concluded in my anger about my past. I made a reckless and pernicious assumption. Prince Barrios and Prince Bardas are apex predators. They are alphas among alphas, unlike anything I have encountered. Neither the police nor the government could right any wrongs he committed. I am the government. If possible, I must be the one to do the right things. It instills an ungodly dread inside me. What's worse, there is Bardas and the other brother.