Chapter Two (part 9)

Danalia stood in the door frame of Echo's room. Angry heat was radiating off of her in waves. Her scarlet cheeks grew yet more red as she shouted over her shoulder.

"Guards! Guards!"

"Danalia. what are you doing?" Dymetri questioned, authority thick in his voice.

One of the gards showed up. He was clad in studded black leather and had a long sword on his right hip, a hand ax looped on his left hip and the tops of his boots were dazzling with the hilts of many daggers and knifes.

Echo looked suspiciously at the guard. If those were all his visible weapons, he must have many many more.

"Take her to the dungons." Danalia sneared, pointing a long manicured finger at Echo.

Instantly, a deep growl issued from Dymetri as he rose to his feet. It was almost a comforting growl to Echo. A familiar growl. An animal growl. Dymetri tightened his hold on Echo and she did likewise. Echo wrapped her arms around Dymetri's neck, facing the door, but tensed incase she needed to shift. She didn't want to hurt him in the process.

Echo also knew that if she did it right, with the bond she and Dymetri had, she would be able to change him into a cat form as well. But it took a lot of energy and she wouldnt be able to hold both their shapes for long. More or less it was an illusion to anyone outside the body but the both the transformed could move and act and sound like animals.

"My Prince? What is to be done?" The guard looked alarmed at the sound that came from his Prince, but he didn't dare disobay a direct order from another royal.

"Danalia if you ever try to send Lady Echo into the dungons I will have you hung from the dungon walls by your ankles. Do you understand?" Dymetri's voice was full of malice and his vicious promise would hold true.

"Stefen. Escort Princess Danalia to her rooms and make sure she doesnt leave until dinner. Once dinner is over, make sure she returns to her room and doesnt exit until next day." Dymetri was being rather cruel about this Echo thought.

Danalia screached as the guard, Stefen, grabbed her upper arm. "You cant do this. I'm a princess and your future bride!"

Echo let out a ferl hiss and turned to bury her face in Dymetri's chest. He stroked her hair, whispering comforting words into her ear.

Danalia was staring at them, eyes wide. "Dymetri you cant be doing this to me. You can not disobay your father either."

The elf holding Echo smirked. "Watch me." Then Dymetri looked pointedly at the guard and nodded.

Without any warning, Dymetri lifted Echo into his arms and carried her over to the bed, her face still hidden in the dip between his neck and shoulder. He laid her gently on top of the cotton blankets.

When he pulled away and looked at Echo, her eyes again held the deep pain and hurt. He smiled slightly but it didn't touch his eyes. "You should get some sleep. " He glanced out the window that portrayed a dark sky as he began walking towards the door. 'How long did we sit there?-

Echo started to go into a panick. "Don't leave, please." She whispered when he was standing at the threshold.

"I need to speak with my father about Danalia, but when I'm done, I'll come back." The smile he gave was her favorite, a crooked kind of grin that made his eyes sparkle with stars.

"Promise?"

"Promise." He chuckled.

She nodded and settled down to wait. Dymetri exited the room, closing the door behind him. Echo heard his footsteps fading down the hall way until another door opened.

"Father?!" Dymetri's voice was distant, but even from this far, Echo could hear the contempt in his tone. "We need to talk. Now."