you //still\\ have all of [me]~crystalfrost <3~

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend flinched but quickly recovered. "I'm not lying," he said evenly.

[~echo~]

The man snapped at a guard who went out a door and came back with a male servant. "Tell my son what you saw," Elend's father said harshly. The man looked terrified but he nodded shakily. "Yes... One day, I saw you walk into the ballroom. A few minutes later, a girl followed you. Several other servants have seen this, too," he said quickly.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"So there's a girl following me around," Elend said with a shrug. "What am I supposed to do about it?"

[~echo~]

The man pressed his hand to the base of his nose, where he was getting a headache. He snapped at the guard again. "Take him to his room. Elend, you will stay there until you decide to tell me who this girl is."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend gave an exasperated sigh. "Why don't you ask the maids who saw her? I don't know, father. I can't tell you something I don't know."

[~echo~]

It was then that the man decided to really get in his son's face- he didn't tolerate disobedience. He grabbed the collar of his shirt and pushed his face up close to Elend's. "I know you know, boy, so until you decide to drop your impertinent attitude and tell me who this girl is, I will kill a servant every night. Perhaps then you will talk." It was obvious from the crazed look in the man's eyes that he meant business.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend's eyes widened. "You wouldn't," he said hoarsely. "They're people. They're innocent."

[~echo~]

"One isn't," he said with satisfaction. He knew that he had won a small victory. And he would do it, too.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Father, is this who you want to be? The man who kills innocent maids in pursuit of a girl who doesn't exist?"

[~echo~]

"Ten," the man said clearly. "Ten accounts, ten separate people have told me that they have seen a maid follow you into the ballroom. Ten people. You cannot deny those facts. They are too d*mning."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend's jaw tightened. "Why are you doing this? Why do you care what I do?"

[~echo~]

"Because I am your father and I am responsible for what you do," he said angrily. "You will obey me."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"No," Elend said. "I am responsible for what I do. I'm eighteen, father."

[~echo~]

The man chuckled. "As long as you live under this roof- my roof- you are my responsibility and I may tell you what to do," he said. He looked at the guard. "Bring me a servant so that I may prove my point." The guard looked mortified at Elend but trotted off and returned quickly with some servant girl that had been unfortunate enough to have been right outside while this had been taking place. She looked confused- the guard hadn't explained himself. She immediately curtsied to Elend's father and gazed at the prince.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Please, father," Elend whispered. "This isn't right and you know it. This isn't right."

[~echo~]

The king looked at the servant and took out a flask from his cloak. He poured some tea into a cup and then the milky liquid into the same cup. "Please," he said to the servant, "drink." The servant looked uncertain but then took a sip. Nothing happened at first.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Then he forced himself to open his eyes. He owed it to this girl, since he'd pretty much caused her death.

[~echo~]

Suddenly, the girl spluttered and a few droplets of blood spattered onto the table. She clutched at her throat as she felt her final breath leave her and she fell out of the chair. The king watched with steely indifference as she died.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend's jaw clenched. He forced himself not to look away, kept his breathing steady so he wouldn't cry.

[~echo~]

The king then looked at Elend, his jaw clenched. He hadn't enjoyed killing the girl but if he had to do it to get his son to talk, he would. There were plenty of young women who would be glad to have a job replacing other servants in his palace. "Do you believe me now, boy?"