𝕾𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓 𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖑𝖞 𝕾𝖎𝖓𝖘 | 𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙾𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜

𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢 - 𝘗𝘵. 6

It was as if you were in a cocoon of warmth. Your body was seemingly floating on a cloud, a very soft, warm one at that. Yet your body was sore, limbs aching and heavy, mind foggy.
Your eyes slowly fluttered open, e/c irises meeting with the sight of a high, domed ceiling, frosty blue, and glittering with diamonds that resembled the heavenly stars.

Eyebrows creased and lips pursed, your eyes narrowed before widening in shock, and with a jolt, you sat up.

"Finally, have you come to?", a soft, low-pitched voice asked, tone laced with displeasure.

Your eyes finally acclimated to the room's soft lighting, and you realized you had been lying on a luxurious bed, silk sheets soft and golden, covering the lower half of your body, as light as a feather. Further observation revealed you were no longer dressed in the green outfit you had last been wearing, now a pale blue and white nightgown had replaced it, loose and soft to the skin.

And before you stood a very familiar man. Green-eyed and slender, he was robed in a pristine white dress shirt made of the richest of silks, a golden brooch with a fox's head pinned right above his heart. Pitch black dress pants finished his elegant, polished look. In the few years you hadn't seen him, prince Rei seemed to have become even more handsome. Despite your quick observation, you knew you couldn't waste your time on polite conversation.

"Seran- my husband, where is he?", you hurriedly questioned, still convinced he was alive, that what you had seen was merely a nightmare. A horrifically realistic nightmare.

Prince Rei huffed, staring down at you with an imperious look, green eyes glittering with avarice, much like the fox on his brooch, which had blazing emerald for its eyes.

"Dead and six feet under, my dear.", he coldly replied, before throwing a look at your protruding, round stomach before frowning, distastefulness evident in his feline-like eyes.

Your throat closed up as your heart sank heavily, reality crashing down upon you with his unforgivingly harsh words. You buried your face in your shaky hands, new teardrops streaking your cheeks.

"Oh God..."

Seran was dead.

"...Why?", you helplessly mouthed the words, feeling a darkening fog descending upon you, freshly tearing your heart apart once more.

As if hearing your silent question, the prince continued, slowly pacing around the room.

"Oh, you know why. Marrying such a criminal character, you should have known better."

The words left your lips before you could fully process his words.

"Criminal? Don't you fucking dare accuse him of something he never did! It was a false confession, the way he was tortured, anyone would have confessed to a crime they never committed!"

The green-haired man glared at you, a warning in his dark, stormy gaze.

"Don't you dare talk to your future Emperor like that.", he softly said, his voice on edge, words infused with venom.

"And if you already knew, why question in the first place?"

You looked at him with disbelief.

"You- it was you, wasn't it? This gross act of injustice, it was all orchestrated by you! Why? What did my husband ever do to you?"

Prince Rei let out a short, loud bark of laughter, casting a cynical gaze with a tilt of his head.

"Why? You already know why. Do promises mean so little to you?"

Before you could voice your confusion, the young man continued. He swiftly walked towards your sitting figure and before long his cold, slender fingers tightly grasped your chin, forcing you to look up.

"You promised to be my bride. You were mine, to begin with. Yet you went around marrying some pathetic schmuck and getting yourself knocked up, as well! I should be the one asking, how dare you? How dare you let some other man sully your purity that was reserved for me alone?", he sneered, baring sharp, gleaming white teeth like a predator about to pounce on his prey.

You stared up at him, drops of tears falling from the corner of your tired, red eyes. Who was this person? You could no longer recognize him as the boy you grew fond of for so many years.

The prince's thumb slowly brushed over your lower lip, before reaching behind the back of your head, taking a fistful of your h/c loose hair and pulling you forward. His lips were on yours the next second, ravenously kissing you like a man dying of thirst, his burning hot tongue licking your lips before forcefully, arrogantly entering your mouth like it belonged to him, before wrestling your limp tongue and tasting every nook and cranny of your wet cavern.

You gasped, struggling to breathe, and thankfully, the prince finally untangled his lips from yours a few moments later, gasping for air, his hot breath mixing with yours as he recovered from his assault on your now bruised lips.

"Do you know how angry I was when I received your letter from that maid?", he whispered, placing light kisses on the side of your neck between his words.

"But, no matter what, you are back in my arms, in your rightful place. No man shall ever touch what's mine.", he spoke more to himself, lightly biting your earlobe before delicately licking it once.

"Rest up, my doll. Once you... give birth to your child, we shall formally marry. By then, I will be officially sworn in as the new Emperor."

His words rang in your ears, causing you to look up at him once more.

"...The new Emperor? What about your father and prince Shuo?"

As soon as the words left your lips, prince Rei sneered.

"My father is dying. My poor excuse for a brother will join him too if he steps out of line. The throne was always destined for me, so I shall take it as my birthright."

He quickly pressed another hard, unwanted kiss to your lips before letting go.

"Sleep now, sweetheart."

Before he could leave, your hand grasped his shirt. He stopped, looking back at you with a raised brow.

"Are you- are you really going to marry me?", you asked in a daze, voice faint.

Prince Rei frowned, green eyes glaring at you sharply.

"What part of being mine do you not understand?", he icily questioned you.

"If you do anything to oppose me, Y/n, I'll have that thing ripped out of you. It will only take one word from me, my doll. So think carefully before you speak."

With those venomous words, he left you, the clear threat hanging in the air like a noxious vapor. You fell back on the bed, choking back tears as you mourned for Seran.

Your hands protectively cradled your stomach as you willed yourself once again to be strong. Your unborn child deserved to be born, and you could never forgive yourself if Rei got his bloodied hands on the child before it could take its first breath.