-HER-
His wife was definitely surprised by my demand and so was he but I'd given my price. If he wanted me then he had to make me his queen. It was as simple as that yet I saw the doubt and uncertainty in his blue eyes. It was clear. I wasn't for him. He may be a king but he didn't have it in him to afford me.
"I cannot make you my queen," He told me after a brief stretch of silence. He didn't need to say that. I already knew that.
"Then you cannot have me," I told him shrugging and he definitely didn't look happy with it.
"I cannot make you my queen," He repeated, "Yet but I can already start treating like you one," He added his catch but I was a woman with my priorities straight. I knew exactly what I wanted and I wasn't going to settle for anything less no matter what.
"Treat me like one? So that you get all the benefits without ever giving me the title? You wouldn't have me that way," I told him clearly, holding his uncertain gaze as I slightly leaned back and watched him. I glanced at his wife briefly. She looked confused.
"And besides, you have her already. I'm not going to be anyone's second," I made it clear and saw a new flame in his eyes.
"I am not willing to comprise either of you," He told me, "I want you both and I will have you both when we get back to my palace. Until then, I'd take care for both of you,"
I shook my head at him. Why was it hard for men to understand that it was as hard for women to share their partners as it was for them?
"You don't get me," I told him, "If you wish to have me exclusively then you'd have to be exclusive for me as well," I told him.
"I'm a King. I'm supposed to have as many mates to make sure I have an heir,"
"I'm not interested in giving you an heir. You can leave me and besides, the one waiting for me back home wants only me," The latter was a big lie but I needed to lie at that moment.
I could see it in his eyes that he was deeply smitten by me... or rather by the way I looked and he was having trouble accepting this that I had my own conditions if he wished to have me. I think it was the first time for him when a woman didn't throw herself in his arms just because he was the King.
Well, good for him. At least he got to know that there were a different variety of women out there who didn't want him regardless of his royalty. After all, variety is the spice of life.
"Ruel," He spoke this time with an odd calmness. His voice sounded soft as he told me, "Both of us know at the end what's going to happen but if you don't wish to accept it then that's fine. I can give you time. In fact, you have a lot of time until we return to the palace. You must come to terms with what I told you until then,"
The nerve of this man! For a moment, I considered all the possibilities of him being Ezekiel's lost brother. I'd be damned if they shared any relation because they seemed like the birds of the same flock.
"We'll see about that," I told him, crossing my arms on my chest and narrowing my eyes at him. I wanted to stab him already but I decided that would have to wait.
"Ruel," The wife spoke up for the first time. Her voice was tranquil and soft, "You should take your time to think about this. He's a good man. He'll take good care for both of us,"
If she really thought that then I felt deeply sorry for her but at that moment, all I could do was play along because I had to keep my neck attached to my shoulder.
"I don't know," I grumbled even though I knew where this was actually going to go.
"You should listen to my wife. She is wise," The King of Drakkons spoke, raising from the chair, "I'd have to excuse myself for some important matters. I will meet you again at dinner," With that, he left the tent, leaving me alone with his wife.
I turned to her, waiting for her to take off her charming mask but she never did. Instead, she smiled at me and asked, "Would you like to eat something?"
In response, my stomach made a sound that could easily pass off as the mating sound of whales. She giggled before ordering me so much food that was easily enough for all my wolves. I was hungry so I ate as much as I could.
The King's consort was very hospitable to me and I was starting to feel bad for her, knowing how this was going to end but I didn't let that get in my way. I needed to find a way to send the news to Ezekiel. As soon as I was full I started showing more interest in the camp matters and the King.
"Kine, How long have you been his wife?" I asked her as she helped me braid my hair.
"For a year now,"
"How did you meet him?"
"My father is a minister at his court. I was promised to him when I was a girl," I couldn't have felt worse for her but I did my best to not let this get in my way of judgment.
"Oh," I breathed, "Do you like him?" I asked. She smiled and answered, "I love him. He's very caring and compassionate,"
"You're ready to share him even after you love him?" I asked her in surprise.
"I love him that's why I am ready to do whatever makes him happy,"
"Even if that requires him leaving you for another woman?" I questioned and she fell silent for a while. It was after a long stretch of silence when she finally spoke, "I am a woman. I have to be content with what I get otherwise I'd get nothing at all."
I was speechless at this.
"He sounds truly caring and compassionate," I muttered under my breath. I spent the afternoon touring the camp with Kine. I did my best to memorize the mountains around us. The mountain behind which my wolves had previously set a camp was not far from here.
After confirming the locations, I started digging about the soldiers and their patrolling patterns. I got as much out of Kine as I could without raising any suspicion but whatever I got from her wasn't sufficient. Our tour was almost at its end when someone came to see us, or rather meet me.
"Where's she? I heard my master has taken interest in another woman?" I heard a voice behind us as the two of us were walking back to the tent. This made the two of us stop.
"Rednor," Kina greeted, "I was looking for you! This is Ruel. The King's soon-to-be consort," Kine introduced me in a way that I almost cringed but I didn't say anything and played along.
"Hello," I greeted the grim-looking Drakkonian in front of me who was looking at me in a scrutinizing way that set my alarms ringing. His features were very different compared to other Drakkonians here. His eyes were dark red while the rest of the Drakkonians had orange eyes except the king. His spikey scales were more prominent on his left shoulder.
"Ruel, this is Rednor. The King's second in command,"
"Ruel," Rednor spoke my name, tilting his head aside. "Nice to meet you," There was something off about the way he'd said that.
"It's my pleasure," I tried to sound enthusiastic but when his eyes raked up and down my body, I couldn't help but send him a glare.
"I've never seen someone like you," He told me slyly.
"Well, now you have,"
"Where are you from?"
"From the valleys,"
"What are you?"
"A valley girl," I shot. In response, he cocked an eyebrow at me and gave me a long and hard look.
"Interesting," He commented, taking a step closer to me while his eyes wandered all over my body shamelessly. "I'd like to find out more about you," His words and his sudden closeness made me somewhat uncomfortable.
Unconsciously, I reached for my hip but almost cursed out loud when I didn't find my sword there. The lucky bastard.
Surprisingly, Kine stepped in to save me, "Rednor, we must go now. Meet you at the dinner," With that, she pulled me away. "Don't let him find you alone," Kine whispered in my ear as she tugged me away.
"Why?" I couldn't help but ask. Judging by his behavior, I could already tell why Kine had advised me to do so.
"He's not that polite. Talk to him only when necessary," Was all she told me before she took me back to the tent where she continued to show me her possessions and she was kind enough to give me some of her beautiful dresses to wear. I was playing along with this but at the same time, I was very much aware of the time that was slowly slipping through my fingers like sand. I needed to do something soon. I'd already wasted three days here.
When it was time for lunch, Kine seemed to have gone somewhat busier. I used this opportunity to sneak out and go to the tent from where the King operated officially. Since it was lunchtime
, everyone seemed to be busy and I was lucky enough to find the tent empty.
Unfortunately, I didn't find anything useful in that tent either and even if there was something useful there, I didn't have the time to search for it. I was just looking through the papers when I heard some voices approaching the tent.
I needed to get out of there somehow without getting caught but at the same time, I needed to take something with me otherwise coming here would be unfruitful given the risk that I was taking.
I scanned the tent again quickly and this time, something interesting caught my eye. I grabbed it quickly and exited the tent through the back and raced back to Kine's tent. It was still empty. I caught on to my breath as I examined the object.
It was the Drakkon King's seal.
_
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