ELLA'S POV
King Kian strolls into the room, his eyes never leaving Hellen.
She trembles, clearly terrified of him for some reason. Her fear of him seems even greater than mine.

I hope he didn't overhear our conversation.
"I . . . wanted to talk to Ella . . . I didn't know you would be here." Hellen stutters in haste as Kian strolls further into the room.
"Talk about what? You already tried to kill Ella. I'm not sure she wants your presence here!" He snaps.
Well, I don't want him here either.
"You're supposed to be locked in the gallows awaiting execution as we speak, not here," he hisses sharply, causing Princess Hellen's eyes to widen in fear and shock.
"You can't execute me. I didn't kill anyone and ... and look at my face. Haven't you already punished me enough? Are you happy that I am now ugly?" she yells at him.

So the bruises on her face and neck are from him? What happened between them? He used to talk of her like a goddess.
"It's not just your face that is ugly, your heart and soul stinks of evil. You're wicked, but this time you crossed a line by harming our mate." He hisses.
So now he cares if I got hurt? What a hypocrite!
"Princess Hellen didn't try to kill me," I blurt out and both Kian and Hellen turns towards me surprised at my words.

Kian's expression darkens with anger.
"Did she threaten you?" he demands, his suspicious gaze shifting from me to Hellen.
"No, Hellen has not threatened me or hurt me. I chose to leave that night by myself because I was heartbroken. I encountered rouges at the border. They are the ones that hurt me." I lie and king Kian stares at me as if he doesn't believe a word I am telling him.
A triumphant smile graces Hellen's lips at my words, a hint of subtle satisfaction in her eyes. "See, I told you. I didn't hurt your human," she now declares confidently. She better be aware she owes me for my words or I'll have her proud ass hanged in the gallows.
Kian's attention returns to me, his gaze softening with reassurance. "Ella, don't be scared to tell the truth. I promise she won't ever lay a hand on you ever again."
"I just said, Hellen is not the one who hurt me." I assert firmly.
"I wouldn't do anything that I know would hurt you, love," Hellen says, her voice now laced with confidence as she steps closer to him.
"Get out!" He snaps at her. "I need to talk to Ella alone."
"At least tell me you will come be with me after you're done with her!" she begs.
 
Done with me? Like I am some kind of a idiot that is begging for his attention?
 
He is hot, smells like heaven, but he is also a fucking selfish bastard and I wouldn't beg for his attention like she is doing. It's stupid and embarrassing.
 
"I said get out!" his roar makes her jump back. The snarl isn't directed to me but I still feel my heart throb with fright. Hellen grudgingly turns and storms towards the door. But she halts and stares at him with tearly eyes. "I love you and your brothers, more than anything I have ever known! I really wish you can return at least half of that love!" She says before stepping out.
I didn't think people can be so desperate. It's disgusting watching her throw herself to him like her life depends on him loving her. The way I see it, she would even go down to her knees to beg him and his brothers to accept her.
 
I see Kian take in deep breathes to calm himself. He turns around to look at me. "Are you okay?" His voice is calm again.
I nod my head.
"Can we talk?" He asks and I openly frown. I don't want to. I shouldn't want to talk to him.
"I don't want to talk to you."
"We will have to talk about it eventually." He says in an eerily calm voice while approaching me. I take a few steps back to retain the distance between us
His eyebrows dip down as he stops just short of me. “What do you think I’m going to do to you, Ella? Hurt you?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I never know anything when it comes to you." As far as I am concerned no one knows how to formulate hurtful words more than him.
"Look...I know I messed up..." He begins.
"You messed up? You messed up?" I yell my voice rising with frustration.
"I gave you and your brothers my all, but what did I get in return? Nothing . . . nothing but pain and heartache. While I was falling in love with you were using me. I was just a fucking doormat to your needs, wasn't I? And then you chose Helen when I needed you the most. Yes, you fucking messed up!"
"I know....I am sorry. Let me make it up to you? I know we don't deserve you. I don't have the right to even be asking this......but please. Give us one more chance. Just one more chance. We love you, Ella," he pleads but his mention of love carries with it the opposite feeling than it has the past few weeks, and I can taste the bile in the back of my throat.
Surely he doesn't think that his pretense is bewitching enough to make me forget all the inhumane things he had done and said to me. I won't let him pretend to love me twice. The first time hurt enough.
"Forgive us, let's have a fresh start." He implores.
"Forgive you?” I laugh madly. “You ruined my entire life, you know that, don’t you? Oh, of course you do. That was your plan the entire time," I say having lost control over the words tumbling from my lips and the pain and guilt in his expression gives me the most painful satisfaction.
A part of me wants to unleash every ounce of anger and hurt festering within me, but then again, I'll look hopelessly heartbroken.
KIAN'S POV
"It must have felt awful having to pretend that you love me just so I can heal you?" Ella says in a cracking voice.
"Your company was ." I try to comfort her but I can tell it's no longer needed or believed.
She wipes the tears in her eyes struggling to hold the towel to her body with the same free hand. The bandages wrapped around her wrists are covered with dirt. Yet she looks a dozen times more stunning than a well dressed Hellen. She has grown thin and her skin has turned pale. But her innocent face makes her look like an angel. But as expected, her eyes reflect the overwhelming anger.
"I know I wasn't good enough and will never be good enough for you...I am a weak human that you shouldn't be seen with. And I'm so sorry for that. You can go give Hellen your love."
She thinks we want that witch?!
"You think we still want Hellen? That we have been sleeping with her?"
"Obviously." She sniffs. "You practically said that to my face that night."
"Nothing ever happened between us and that ugly witch, trust me." I tell. " Hellen doesn't mean anything to us. We don't love her....we love you."
"You don't have to fake affection for me to fulfill our agreement. I will help you heal because that's what we agreed upon," she states firmly.
"This is not the Ella I remember."
"You just haven't seen me when I am not in love with you." She says.
I don't think there is anything I can say that will make her believe we have changed. There is also very little evidence that what I am saying about Hellen is the truth. But I can wait for her to realize what the truth is as time passes.
"Alright. I came to tell you that we can use the crown to heal you." I offer, watching her reaction closely, hoping for even a small positive reaction.
Her eyes widen with surprise and a small, hopeful smile tugs at her lips. "You'll take me to the crown?" she inquires eagerly. I nod, relieved to see a flicker of trust in her expression.
"And this is not part of your sick games, right?" she questions, her guard still firmly in place.
"No, Ella. We are done with the lies and everything. We want you. We want to be with you." I reassure her.
"That would be great. The healing." She says with a tight smile.
"I'll leave you to rest. I'll come get you tomorrow," I say, turning to exit the room. "Lock the door behind me."
I make my way up the stairs and down the hall towards my quarters.
"She doesn't want you back, does she?" I hear someone ask from behind, just before I push my rooms door open.
I turn to see Princess Hellen sauntering towards me. She has taken off the dress she had earlier and is now dressed in tight, intimate apparel, mostly made of lace.
She smiles amorously while taking slow strides towards me. She has redone her make up to hide most of the bruises and swells as well.
"You are still here?" I ask turning to her. "If I were you I would be halfway running back to my father's kingdom, because the moment I find out what you did to make Ella lie for you I'll have you hanged before dawn."
Her smile drops.
"I left my home, my Kingdom, my father and came to live here with you. I was committed to helping you remain the most powerful Kings by taking away your curse because I thought you and your brothers are good people! But all you have done is use me!" She raves. Her voice isn't raised or sharp, but the anger in it is cannot be missed.
 HELLEN'S POV
My heart is too devastated to feel fear. I am the one that should be mad here. I've given up so much for them, and yet they choose a human!
I feel like screaming out all that I had done in the name of loving him and his brothers. Good or bad doesn't matter, because even the lies I told were because I wanted us to be closer.
"So it's the human you want?" I sneer. "People will mock and laugh at you. She's wolfless, she's not even up to your standards."
He smirks and steps closer until we're face to face. "And what are my standards?"
God, he smells heavenly.
"I am your standard. Isn't that obvious."
"Well, you are not our mate. So by tomorrow night, you better be gone," he orders.
His words hurts my feelings. But I am not going to fly into a rage, not when I know I will only make things worse and I need something from them. I do my best to control my voice while I very respectfully reply.
I'll leave as you wish, but I have a request," I state firmly, and he raises an eyebrow. "I want another chest of gold coins. My last payment."
He smirks as if I've said something amusing. "Payment for what?" he questions.
I know he won't agree easily, but I need that gold to convince their human mate to reject them and leave for good.
With a smirk, I step closer to him.
"Did the human agree to stay and heal you?" I inquire.
"That's not your concern," he snaps. "And you'd better steer clear of Ella from now on."
Raising my hands in a mocking surrender, I smirk. "Sure thing," I reply, and he eyes me suspiciously. "Unless, of course, I decide to enlighten her about who killed her father. After all, she thinks she can heal you because she's your mate, doesn't she?" King Kian's expression immediately twists with anger at my words.