He takes too long and pays the price (Scorned Sister route)

Marcus held the weight of the key in his trembling hand. Why couldn't he move? One moment he'd be convinced he should put the small brass key back and run to Jenny, but he'd remember his Mother, hunched over and sobbing in her cell, begging for his help. Then he'd wonder if he shouldn't just hand the key over to the Queen, but just as he was about to move to the next cell thoughts of what that betrayal would do to his poor sister returned with a vengeance.

The young prince had never been much good at deciding things for himself. His life was always guided by others, his Mother most of all, and he'd been content with that. It just seemed too difficult otherwise. Now this looming choice with all it's awful consequences had left him paralyzed. He just wanted everyone to be happy with him...for things to go back to the way they should be, but no matter what he decided that just seemed impossible!

"Marcus! Hurry, please!" The Queen urged from the cell next to him. "I need that key, right now, before Genevieve returns!" The sound of her voice cut through his confusion. Just like he always had, he felt the familiar urge to obey her, and he was just too lost to resist. Even as his heart wavered, aching with memories of the love Jenny had shown him, his feet shuffled him back along the corridor. His Mother was there, and she let out a gasping sigh of relief as soon as she saw him. "Quickly now, the key!" She held out her hand through the bars, expecting his obedience the way she had his entire life.

Marcus swallowed hard. His trembling arm moved up, the key held so tightly in his nerveless fingers that the cold brass dug into his skin. He was so close now, all he had to do was stretch out his arm a little further and it would all be out of his hands. Only that small distance seemed impossibly far. Jenny...thoughts of her swam through his head, warring with his Mother's urgent orders. What was he supposed to do?

"No!" A voice screamed down the corridor. The young prince flinched and yelped in shock, as his older sister sprinted headlong down the stone passageway towards him. "Get away from her, Marcus!" She shrieked, horror in her eyes. He stumbled back, as she threw herself between him and their Mother, turning to face him with a look of utter disbelief. Her blue eyes were fixed on the key in his hand, and just like that Marcus felt his stomach collapse inside him. "Why...were you giving her that?" Jenny asked, her voice trembling. "Why, little brother?" The young prince couldn't reply. He wanted to say sorry, to tell her he hadn't decided yet, but the words were caught in his throat on icy hooks of guilt and shame.

"Genevieve, please!" The Queen stammered from inside her cell, clutching at the bars. "I made him do it. It's not his fault!"

"Quiet." Jenny snarled, anger flaring in her eyes. She didn't even look away from Marcus, but now her gaze was cold and furious. The young prince shrank back, the key dropping from nerveless fingers to clatter on the stone. "After all those words...all those sweet promises, this is what you do, runt?" She sneered, stalking towards him like an angry tigress. "The first chance you get, you...choose her over me?"

"No, Jenny!" Marcus whimpered. His trembling legs gave way underneath him, but she crossed the distance between them in a flash. Suddenly her hand was on the collar of his shirt, twisting viciously as she tugged him back up, holding him on his tiptoes with ease. The young prince found himself staring into his sister's face, and what he saw reflected there made him feel sick. She was so angry...but the raw hurt pooling in her eyes was even worse. She really thought he'd betrayed her!

"I was worried this might happen, so I told my advisors to have their meeting without me, quite rightly as it turns out." She snapped at him, her jaw clenched tight between each word. "Everything you said to me last night...was that all a lie, runt? When you begged me to let you see her, was this your plan all along?" It hardly even sounded like a question, she'd made up her mind already, but he had to say something! Tell her the truth!

"I didn't...I wasn't going to..." Marcus **** the words up a throat that seemed way too tight, but before he could finish she reached up and slapped him hard across the cheek. His head snapped to one side, the blazing sting on his skin bringing fresh, painful tears to his eyes. She'd hit him! His panicked gaze flickered back to her, his legs dangling helplessly as she lifted his slender body up off the ground.

"Don't lie to me again, runt." She growled viciously. "I've had enough of your lies. You love her more than me, fine! I always suspected as much, but I let your sweet little act deceive me. I'll just have to change things then, the hard way! I'm not letting you go, little brother. You're mine, and you always will be. I'm going to make you love me, and I'm going to make you obey me, but first you have to be punished for your lies." A strangled sobbing noise was the only response Marcus could muster. Jenny turned, dragging him with her as she strode back down the empty passageway.

"Please, Genevieve!" The Queen shrieked from the cell, stretching out a trembling hand through the bars. "Don't do this! Don't hurt my son!"

"You'll have to be punished as well, Mother." Jenny sneered, casting a vicious glare over her shoulder at the Queen. "But don't worry. Since he loves you so very much, I think I'll let dear Marcus see you again very soon. Only, it won't be like this, you can count on that, Mother. I'm going to make you crawl at my feet for daring to take him away from me!" She laughed, high and cold, the sound sending shivers down the young prince's spine. Then she just strode away, yanking the helpless prince along with her, his feet dragging along the stones. His Mother's hoarse sobs ringing in his ears, along with his sister's hot, angry breaths, Marcus screwed his eyes tightly shut, praying this was all some awful nightmare. The horrible, empty ache in his chest was just too raw and painful though, and he knew in his chest that it was all too real.

This thread will run alongside the other gentler, more romantic one, and will feature a far darker and angrier Jenny, fully displaying her obsessive, jealous tendencies as she struggles to make Marcus love her by any means necessary. Thanks to Conan the Librarian for the idea for this separate route. Check out their story, Whore of the Dragon, if you haven't already! It's another Fantasy story I definitely recommend!