A King's Seduction ✔️

TWO

Word Count: 1894

The keys rattle in the lock as I press my palm against the heavy wooden door, heaving it open.

Buttery warm light greets me as I step into the cabin, kicking off my boots at the door. The warmth from the fire greets my stiff limbs, fingers numb as I pull them from my woollen gloves, letting them drop into the basket at my feet. The snow never stopped falling my entire half hour walk back up the hill to the cabin. It would be nice to be closer to town, but being so far, tucked in a small woods, means we are less likely to be seen together.

As I hang my coat on the hook after dusting a layer of snow from it, I wander around the corner and into the joint kitchen, following the rich smell of meat and vegetables cooking.

Tai's back is to me as I lean against the archway frame. The sleeves of his shirt are pulled up around his elbows as he stirs around a pot with a wooden spoon.

"You're cooking," I muse.

Tai has cooked for me often while living here, since I usually don't return home from work until late, yet this is the first time I've walked in to witness it myself. He turns around as I speak, flinching slightly. Both of us live constantly on edge, as if Marek or another rebel may stroll through the door at any moment.

"Trying to. I'm not exactly good at it or anything," he says uneasily, raking a hand back through his hair, although it does nothing but disturb his curls. Glancing down, I notice a wet patch around his stomach where he must have splashed himself with water. I smother my smile, enjoying seeing him so flustered at such a simple task.

"Well that's what happens when you're raised as a King, and everyone does everything for you," I murmur, half-amused as I come to look down at what he has cooked. By the looks of it, he has done well so far. "You didn't have to do this."

"You work harder than me. It's the least I can do," he says with a shrug.

I rest my back against the edge of the counter, drawing in a breath. Although I may work more hours, Tai's job entails more physical work. Over these past couple months, his slender build has shifted, as more muscle frames his arms, leaving me to imagine the beautiful sight that may linger beneath his shirt. He isn't the soft, manicured King anymore. Even his hands are rough, littered with calluses from swinging an axe around all day.

"Speaking of working, I'm being harassed about going to this work party next week," I tell him. I watch his eyes glaze over slightly. Here, in the Azure Province, his eyes have lost their original emerald shine, having turned darker in our dull environment.

He turns the element off, rubbing his hands on a wash-cloth. "You should go."

"It's too much of a risk," I say immediately, shaking my head. Being scared, being frightened to even step outside has become a normal part of Tai and I's life. Anything that can arise suspicion is avoided, even if it means sacrificing everything that keeps us happy.

"They need to think you're normal. Skipping parties and never spending time with any of them outside of work is going to raise suspicion," he reminds me.

It's a talk we have had before.

"It already has," I mutter, kicking my feet around on the linoleum floor. This is an old kitchen, but at least everything in here works...Most of the time. I can't count the amount of times Tai has had to learn to fix a broken appliance. "Noa has been asking a lot of questions recently."

Tai crosses his arms over his chest, the intensity of his gaze striking me for a moment. "What do they know?"

"They think I have a husband who works here and who I followed here because my home life wasn't great," I tell him. He knows this already, but I think hearing it makes him feel better. He likes that no one here truly knows him. It's riskier for him, since there is a chance that someone here has seen his face before, as a King.