𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆

EMPRESS-IN-WAITING ~4

At the mention of his name as if a button had been pushed Anaise's pulse began to race and heat crept under her skin. She glanced to the side to see him approaching them, looking ever so dashing in his attire, his sword hoisted firmly at his hip. He stopped in front of them, taking a bow but keeping his eyes locked on Anaise's. She swallowed, genuflecting as well.

"Lady Anaise, a pleasure to meet you as always"

Before Anaise could coordinate her numb tongue to move Faye beat her to it

"The coach is waiting for you outside, please do make haste before it gets dark and take the King's Road to avoid any hurdles on your journey"

Ryker reaches down and lifts the chest all the way to the coach while Anaise watches, walking by his side and admiring the way his muscles rose and became so visible even with the thick cloth he wore. She was yet to realise they had arrived until Ryker peaks at her, wondering why she was yet to step into the carriage. The coachman stood there, holding the door open for her but she was too busy admiring every freckle, inch, curve, bend and angle of Ryker's perfectly strewn features to notice. It was not until Ryker cleared his throat and gestures towards the carriage that she snaps out of her mind.

Heat smothers her cheeks the color of embarrassment, "My apologies" she quietly whispers before stepping into the carriage and having Ryker follow in soon after.

The door rasps shut and on they go.

Anaise tried to busy herself with picking at her dress to try forget how she had just been gawking at Ryker for almost five whole minutes and how much of a fool she must have looked like. If only she would have known Ryker would be coming along she would have prepared her nerves earlier before sitting so closely with him.

"I hope my advice was of some use to you" his deep timber came. Anaise turns, surprised he was speaking and to her? Highly unlikely, she had assumed he would think of her as clumsy and would wish the rest of the ride be accompanied with nothing more than silence but alas here he was, starting the conversation.

Anaise blinks, "Oh, yes. A great help actually, thank you" she manages a smile

His expression softens as well and he watches her closely, "Have you ever been to town before?"

"No, I haven't. Is it quite a long journey?" She asks, feigning concern when in actuality she did not mind spending that long in his presence, she however wished she could control herself.

"Unfortunately yes. We have to ride past the residents of those of nobility before we reach the town occupied by the commoners" he reaches down, pulling out a case. He props the strange container on his lap, fiddling with the zipper "Would you by any chance, want to play a game of chess to ease the time?"

Anaise watched him with shock and excitement. This was the first time he was showing this much interest, other times he would draw her in and pull away the closer she got but now he was the one pulling her closer. He must have known she loved to play chess but never got to because most of her friends did not know how.

"Of course, I love chess" she chirps enthusiastically as she watches Ryker pull out the board, carefully filing out the chess pieces and arranging them on the board as he drops the board between them.

"I hope you are prepared to loose, I am a gentleman so I will go easy on you for the first round" his voice holds a mocking undercurrent to it which Anaise finds amusing.

She scoffs, "Loose? You are sorely mistaken,I will be the winner and you needn't take it easy on me. I would hate for you to blame your loss on your gentlemanly approach"

Ryker glances at Anaise, a fire igniting his beautiful violet orbs. She didn't know if they were lit with arousal or mischief but it did not stop her from inhaling a shaky breath. Something about his eyes held promise to them, a deep burning passion, hidden away from her sight.

"How about this m'lady" Anaise's cheeks burn crimson but she veils it with her fan. "We place a bet"

"A bet?"

"Yes, a bet. When I win, you save me a dance during the Royal Wedding ball" his eyes glinted with a sultry haze.

"If you win" a daring smile eased it's way into her lips and in that moment it was all worth it; informing Faye beforehand that he would escort Anaise to the crownsmith, making sure to pack the chess board because he knew how much she loved to play, even though he knew not more than a beginner. In this very moment he let himself unravel, he let his admiration seep through his stoic expression, he let his feelings breath through his emotional expressions, he let his lips stretch in smiles, he let himself show interest. Many times before he had denied her touch, shied away from it even though all he wanted to do was bathe in her warmth, feel the soft caress of her skin against his, the soft murmur of her giggles amidst sweet kisses. Only the goddess knew how much he craved the woman that sar beside him, oblivious to the deep river of passion and desire he felt for her coursing through his very being, how even the slight brush of her hand against his brought dopamine pumping through his veins.

He let himself forget everything else existed, forget anything outside the carriage that rocked and rolled. But he could not forget how his blood boiled when he saw Lord Caesar close to his beautiful mate, the rage that covered his gaze when he saw how the bachelor gazed at her, he knew that look of desire anywhere because he himself felt it everyday he saw her. Even though he could not claim her as his he did not want anyone else to have her for he was selfish, greedy. He also knew that if he danced with her at the Royal Wedding ball it would look like they were courting and that would turn away any interested suitors.

Ryker was no idiot, he knew he would not win but spending time with the radiant beauty that sat beside him was worth learning as much as he could for the past week. He hoped her bet would be something that would bring them both together, whatever it would be. He wanted her but he knew he could not have her, at least not yet. There were far too many demons in his past that would come for him, he was to settle them before they would reappear to destroy everything he had built. Everyone he had come to love.

As he watched her, his eyes gliding gently across her face, memorising the curve of her pink lips, the bend of her nose, the flutter of her lashes against her plum cheeks, the distant color that tainted her cheeks- the one she tried to hide when he had called her " m'lady ". The way her brows bunched together in thought as she scrutinized the board, he could see the gears in her head turning, thinking of what piece to move next. He admired how her eyes glowed with commitment and passion, her adorable she looked concentrating on the game more than anything else. She was all his, she would be all his but first he had to be worthy of her.

And as he looked down at his leather gloves clad hands a wave of nausea and bitterness slammed into him and hot bile roared at the back of his throat. He had to rip his thoughts away from the nightmares that haunted and plagued his mind every night, depriving him of peace and sleep. The nightmares that constantly picked at his sanity, reminding him he was unworthy of anything good but here she was in front of him, all that was good, all he was unworthy of. His mate, his everything. For the first time he actually let himself absorb his emotions and he realised that even with everything he loved her, more than anything, more than life itself and he was unsure of what destiny held but he knew she had to be in his no matter what.

•••••

Ack!
I'm back-ish ;)
Hope you enjoyed this chapter
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