Love Controls (MxM)

5. Eviyo

I was called from work early by two royal guards. My first thought immediately went to Vonome and his well being. I was instantly worried. A moment later, my heart squeezed in my chest at the thought of something happening to the king. Even though we didn't share a close relationship, still we were getting closer day by day.

The royal car was all kinds of shiny and fast but to my anxious heart, it wasn't fast enough. The guards were grim, more than usual. I suspected something had to do with the king but I didn't want to know from them so I kept my mouth shut.

At last, we reached the manor. I jumped out of the car. Vonome was waiting for me, alive and in one piece. A little stress left my body upon seeing him even though his face was carefully masked. It was strange to see him like this. He always smiled at me. But right now, he simply took my elbow and ushered me inside, hastily walking me to the king's room.

My lips were pursed, the question of what was going on still sealed inside. Physically, a lot was happening every second but mentally I was stuck in a weird blank place.

Silently, Vonome carried me inside the room. It was the first time I was seeing the king's room from inside but my eyes zeroed onto the tall figure sitting against the headboard, looking unusually pale.

Wrest was looking at me funny. With sharp eyes, he was more intense right now that I had ever seen him. A resounding click snapped me out of the staring contest. Vonome was gone.

I managed to roll my eyes back to the intense ones and held them. Slowly walking up to him, finally, I uttered the overdue question, "What happened?"

Wrest inclined his head and gestured for me to take the seat next to his bed. I sank down and clenched my hands on my knees.

"I was poisoned," Wrest informed me quietly.

I froze and then nodded like it was the most common thing to happen. Maybe I was more in shock than him. He simply raised a brow at my reaction.

"Magically. I was magically poisoned," he clarified.

"How did that happen? Who has done it?" I asked numbly.

"I don't know. But I know who has done it," he replied. His eyes turned more intense.

"Who?" I asked. Something akin to dread started settling in my drugged induced state.

"Vonome," the name didn't add up in this trial.

So I asked in confusion, "What?"

"Yes! My sentinel, your watcher, Vonome has poisoned me," he stated in a matter-of-fact voice tinged with anger.

Finally, full blown panic set in. My legs started shaking, still I stood up. My chest ached by the shocking allegation. No, Vonome was a trustworthy man, he could never think of killing anyone let alone the king. He was delusional.

"How can you say that? Why would he do that? Why are you doing this?" I asked frantically.

He straightened and leaned over me. "Because he has gone astray. He wants something that's mine. And I will not give it to him," Wrest's face changed and I was instantly scared by his open rage.

"I don't understand. What does he want? How can you be so sure that he has poisoned you?" I repeated because I couldn't believe anything against my watcher who had raised me and was so kind to everyone. No, he was wrong!

Wrest backed away from me and called someone. A huge guard stepped inside with a chained Vonome, who was looking at the floor.

My eyes filled up at the sight and I rushed to him. But he refused to look at me. I turned toward the king with anger and screamed, "Free him, you traitor. He is your royal sentinel and he has been nothing but an honest guard to you. You're lying. You're framing him."

Wrest simply looked at me. I had never felt this angry before. It was already forbidden to scream at the king and I had done it in front of the guard. But I couldn't care less. I would take any punishment if I could free my Vonome. Because I knew the king was wrong this time.

"He's right, Eviyo," Vonome's deep voice confessed.

I shook my head vehemently. "No Vonome, I know that you can never do such a thing. Why are you lying?" I asked tearfully.

Finally, Vonome looked at me with love. "I did it. I poisoned him. Because he wanted you and I cannot give you up," Vonome repeated the king's statement.

I frowned. Not understanding what he was going on about and I asked as such. "You're my watcher, Vonome. I don't understand."

"I love you, Eviyo. Have always been in love with you. But you fail to see me as anything other than a watcher," he told me pitifully.

But he was my watcher. How else should I've seen him?

And then it hit me.

I gasped. The whole thing started to make sense. This was dirty. And taboo. I couldn't believe it. Did Vonome want me as a lover? I staggered, reeled back from him in disgust.

This was too much. I turned my eyes toward the king who was staring murderously at Vonome, who was still looking at me with the same love that I now knew was filthy. And I couldn't hold back. I ran from the room. In the middle of the corridor, I opened the portal and escaped from this betraying world where nothing seemed right anymore.

Tearful, I sat down near the glowing river and cried my heart out. Stunned and feeling lonely for the first time, I made a decision that I was never going back to that awful place where even my childhood was spent around a bad person. It broke my heart. How to come back from this?

I laid down on the rocky surface ignoring the pebbles digging into my spine. I just wished that my real parents had taken me away with them.

Gazing up at the starless sky, I hiccuped at its emptiness.

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A/N- It's a shocking chapter for me too. But it is what it is. Hope, you're as stunned as I want you to be. Let me know in the comments below.