Four Suits (Book 1)

Day 47: Gamble

"I'm sorry, Ro! It was a joke! I was kidding!"

"It is Ronan III!" he snaps, unimpressed.

He merely watches as the knight he'd summoned dangles Leda by the collar a good distance from the ground. She wriggles for freedom, much to no avail.

       "Master... Leda..." Orian croaks from his end, currently getting choked by another knight's merciless grip.

"Ro," Leda pleads, feeling herself beginning to lose air. "I meant it innocently! It's my curiosity fuelling me! I only want answers!"

Ro's face hasn't lessened in colour. "If you meant 'getting to know me more intimately' as a casual means of pursuing in-depth information you should've began with that!"

"Like my choice of words didn't get you all excited."

"A-as if! There is no way I would ever get excited over a trivial human!"

"He says that but he's red in the face," a knight whispers.

"Yeah..."

One intimidating glower from Ro shuts them right up.

The knights lower Orian and Leda to the ground, and she heaves out in relief, glad to be on her own feet again. Those in charge of security tend to manhandle her quite often. Sure she gets herself into deserving situations, but the least they can do is treat her gentler—like they would a girl.

Or is it that? They don't view her as one?

For some reason, Leda knows the fact that she's human has nothing to do with why they can't respect her femininity.

"If it was an attempt to convince me to be truthful, you would have a better shot at challenging me to a battle."

Leda's lips whirl downwards. She didn't think convincing him would go so smoothly anyway. "I'm not interested in battling, Ro. I want answers."

"For what purpose? Why all of a sudden? Just yesterday you confessed to wanting nothing more than to 'smack my ass up and down like a volleyball,' which my advisors have enlightened me meant rather disgusting intentions."

Leda makes a face of repulsion, waving a hand. "I assure you I meant it in the least vulgar way possible. And I've learnt you're not evil. So there's no reason for me to feel that way anymore."

Though honest, her sentiment once again triggers his immense displeasure.

It happens fairly quick. His fingers clenching tight enough for his knuckles to blanch. The twitch of his left eyelid.

He slams his fist onto the carpet, inducing a collision thunderous enough to make Leda's heart leap to her throat.

"I am a fool for ever allowing you to appear before me." He sends her the darkest, most bone-chilling glare she's ever witnessed, and all the hairs on her skin dart up instantaneously. "Absolutely nothing has changed from yesterday. I am still the embodiment of the scumbag you have depicted. The entire royal family deserves to burn in the Rehte for ever abandoning its citizens and letting them suffer the way that they have!"

His octave raises higher and higher, filled to the brim with unparalleled rage.

"I am giving you one last chance to apologize for ever believing otherwise. I'm also commanding you to tell me why have you come such a long way to see such a pathetic kingdom—a shameful prince."