I've decided: 48
The raging fire that was built inside the King wanted nothing but prey to hunt. His eyes were dangerously close to destroying the entire space but something deep down his heart pulled him back each time.
The thought of the mortal Queen staying somewhere near the place and having to witness his monstrous side stopped him from burning the hell down.
Lucas never wanted to look like this before his own people. He wanted no one to witness his dark side that had been kept hidden from the naked eye.
His eyes were streaming, unable to withstand the thought of staying away from his mate.
The guys had no idea to further take up their...disastrous discussion.
But Aslan among them was somehow determined to get the truth out of his mouth by hook or nook.
They were extremely overprotective over their Mistress which could muster them to stand against their Master but, Aslan couldn't disagree that Lucas had, still, power over them.
And the particular dark aura erupting from the King in front of their eyes did nothing motivating for them to get up from the floor but bury themselves.
" Master- " Ignatius groaned when Lucas immediately pushed his stare towards him which stopped the guy from saying whatever he was about to say.
" What do you want to say? Accuse me of parting her again? Do you want to accuse me? Do it then! I dare you, Sezral Ignatius Delano. You're just the viewer of what I let you see and now I'm ashamed of showcasing who I am. " Lucas's teeth were gnashing together as he walked a bit away from the circle to stare at the cloudy sky which gave them the opportunity to inhale enough oxygen.
" Master, we're not accusing you. You're doing the wrong thing by keeping everything within yourself. " Aslan dared to raise his head but Lucas decided to overpower them again.
Lucas honestly wanted to let them run away but Aslan's comment then made him change his mind. He stared at Aslan's back of the head nearly pushing all of his wrath towards the circle of the young Knights. Isaac's trembling but fisted hands didn't fail to be noticed.
Lucas knew Isaac was somehow affected more among them. He had been with the Queen all time of the day since the last July and the King could pinpoint what was the reason for his misery.
The presence of his mate had done the magic.
He fisted his hands and forced a sigh.
" You can't stand it. "
The silence that was prolonged for a few minutes helped all of them to ease the situation. The presence of the dark dominance seemed to fade away within a few minutes as Isaac slowly opened his eyes to find the King staring through the window.
Lucas's lips were tugged to a dry smile as he saw his sisters playing with his mate in the garden with a golden rescue dog that barked happily running around his woman. The sight of seeing her laughing with others, just like everyone, helped ease his restless heart.
He stayed quiet sensing the guys getting to their feet behind him. He kind of felt guilty for lashing out at them out of the blue and honestly blamed his shitty mind for overpowering him at the very wrong time to open up the sealed vault.
Immediately after getting to stand, Aslan couldn't help but send a worried glance to the side to see if Isaac was alright to which Ignatius kind of rolled his eyes and got back to his feet.
But the younger knight was only focused on the King.
" Your Majesty... "
" I'm sorry, " Lucas sighed closing his eyes to keep the sight to himself that he could bury in the sealed vault of his heart. " I don't want to talk anything further. "
" But- "
" No, Aslan. It's okay. I'm fine, " he simply shook his head to turn and look at them staring at him, equally worried. " we don't want to have the talk. Just remember, I don't want to reject her. I'll never do it. I'm trying to find a solution to the mess that I've gotten myself into. "
He slowly leaned on the table, folding his arms with a vague shudder.
" I'm afraid it is not easier than it sounds, Your Majesty. "
Aslan stared at Isaac, who talked in a soft tone, his eyes looking at nowhere.
" It's not. " The King agreed. " But I'll try. "
" So...which means you're going to just find her way back home? "
" Yeah... I'm trying to do it quickly as possible because day by day, it becomes harder and harder to coupe myself. " he sighed staring at them. " I'm just afraid I'll stop her from attaining her real happiness. "
" In the end... we'll never have a Mistress then... " Isaac mumbled, the empty feeling lingering at the pit of his stomach, making him squirm internally.
" I'm sorry... Though I need her in my life...I can't have her. "
Why must he do that if he had other choices? Ignatius had to ask that loud to stop the King from feeling apologetic.
" But why can't it last? Why can't she know the truth? Just let her know you. " his nostrils flared in rage while the Knights stared at the King as if agreeing with him. " You're trying to destroy both of you. By the end, we'd never know what might happen. Why don't you just give in to your feelings? "
He was almost pleading by the end. His eyes were desperate for a reaction from the King. They were tired of seeing him run away like a coward.
But Lucas shook his head and only gave them a tight smile.
" I can't. Don't ask me why. That will scare you. "
Ignatius rolled his eyes. " I've seen worst and heard worst. I don't think your paranoid thoughts would be anticipating, "
" Im telling you. " Lucas repeated. " You'd not want to know. I was different before her arrival. I'm different with her beside me. I'll be totally different when she'd not be with me. " His tone was lower than an octave again with each gulp he took before completing.
" Just don't take me wrong, Your Majesty. Whatever you have in your mind, let it be. We're not sure about how long she'd be here as your mate, as the Mistress, as the Queen. But before she goes back to her place where she'd be nothing but Ava Winslow, please, I request you, do her some favours. " Isaac suddenly spiked not even wanting to decrease the tone of his voice.
The hair of his skin was spiked feeling all of their attention on him at the same time and meeting the King's eyes was harder than it could be said.
" She has an untold past that we're aware of and it could hunt her the minute she gets past the door. Not for you, not for us, not for the mate bond or kingdom sh*t, do it for her. " he pleaded in a whisper noticing the King's eyes eventually softening at the realisation.
Ava Winslow had definitely inherited some unfinished business without her own will because of Lucas's one mistake.
He never did that on purpose but still, the responsibility somehow tolled on him.
The thought of just assuring himself after sending her away that her family would take good care of her only scared his heart and tried batting the idea of letting her go. He couldn't imagine her struggling alone.
Forcing her to stay by his side than watch her struggling alone in an unknown universe seemed a much fair and better option to half of his heart.
He also would not agree that the corrupted thoughts of how he could make her stay, kept him awake all night.
But Lucas neither listened to any of it nor wanted to implement any.
What about the promise he made the very first day when he first saw her, when he first felt her, when he first sensed her heartbeat even before seeing her in person, when he first found his mate...?
Apart from everything, he was crucially exposed to the memories of Ava and Calix's first encounter.
Why was his heart crying for him to get them away from each other as soon as possible as if he already knew that Calix's presence could only make Ava's state worse?
Why did Ava react that much on seeing him?
Why didn't he ask her anything about it after?
And most importantly...what was Calix trying to do after getting to know that they were mates?
Lucas gulped. His eyes were strolling here and there in thoughts. He was honestly scared to let Ava go. Though he was sure Calix could never reach her if she was out of this universe.
However, something still stopped him. He just can't let Ava go. There were multiple holes in the part about letting her go.
" Please, Your Majesty, I'm not asking you to make her stay permanently. I'm not sure about her past and I'll never force her to share it with me. But I for sure know, Her Majesty is feeling lonely. As if she's somehow strange and weird among us. " Isaac's broken voice pulled Lucas out of his trance, harshly. " Show her what she had earned without an effort and for God's sake, please, let her be recognised as who she is and not what she is. "
After a long silence with no words exchanged, Lucas, with a sigh, stared at them with determination.
" I'll do. "
He had made his choice.
" What? " asked Ignatius looking around on not catching the point. " What will you do? "
Lucas broke into a small smile as he let out a deep breath that had been clogging his chest painfully for the past ten minutes. He no longer would care about others and his own self. The only thing that stayed inside his head was Ava...and her smile.
He'd do anything for the smile to stay.
" I'm... I'm going to tell her who I am. " he stammered feeling his heart racing equally to his breath. " I'm going to take her to Kouzlo as our Mistress. " The thought itself gave an enchanted frost of the everlasting, bubbling sound of chirping birds inside his body.
Was he going insane inside his head? No, not yet, probably.
" It has a lot of holes in that sentence. Don't you think we need more clarification-
" Okay, fine. Geez... " he shouted closing his eyes shut as the birds inside his tummy grew so big all of a sudden almost as if suffocating him from taking in breaths to survive. " I'll ask her to marry me...if-if it is... If it is possible... I- I don't know. I didn't plan it! This is-this is out of the blue. "
Aslan was thunderstruck and Ignatius gasped so loud while Isaac had to force himself from breaking into a fit of giggles seeing the King in a blushing mess.
It all happened in a blink and no one thankfully had no idea what was going on. They honestly didn't care. They were contented by just hearing that their King and Queen would be marrying though they were well aware that Ava's decision would be an exception.
Just with a small agreement, Lucas felt like no other tomorrow. He was happy and joyful to jump like a toddler as if he got a toy he had been fighting for a year or more.
But, still, the King had to restrain himself regarding the limits as he knew they were only for the time being and nothing more.
Nevertheless, the sudden silence by the King slowly got the Knights back to their sense while Aslan guessed what must've run through the King's head.
" We support your decision, Your Majesty. No matter how long it lasts, " he paused to stare at the other two. " we only want the best for the both of you. "
Lucas flashed him a smile full of gratitude.
A small nod from Aslan told him he could always rely on him forever.
" Besides we were only worried about how the dumb king would manage both the kingdom and Kouzlo at the same time. Thanks to the Goddess, he got some sense," he smirked at the frown on Lucas's handsome face as he rolled his eyes, huffing a sigh.
" Whatever. The marriage ceremony has barely a month and I have a mountain of things that should be done before the new year. I'll try confessing her soon... " his eyes eventually lost their bright when he was met with the hurtful reality.
" Which means you'll just tell her that you love her, right? " Ignatius tried keeping his voice low but Lucas could hear it clearly which was then followed by a silent chuckle.
His eyes bore something deeper and deeper that no longer had a verbal meaning that he could explain to them.
" Love? " he only asked in a voice that was so low and fragile as if he was somehow shaken and threatening to get broken any minute.
With a small knowing smile, the King walked away leaving behind the unanswered question.
#
After a late dinner with her companions, Ava was nudged by constantly-jumping Layla asking for a movie time with them in the personal living area of the third floor.
Who was Ava to refuse?
She immediately agreed after pestering Isaac to accompany her to the movie along with the elder Princess who among them seemed too excited for no reason.
" What should we watch? Action or horror? " Autumn beamed going through the collection of movies, with a wide smile, that the Fletcher sisters stole somewhere.
" Why don't we go for something...feel good or something like that? " asked Isaac being forced to sit between the Queen and the Princess, who was equally beaming wide like the other three.
Alaia rolled her eyes with a dramatic sigh as she almost punched Isaac's biceps with her small fists, of course, which didn't receive a worthable reaction from the said male, who only shrugged with a snort.
" You're no cool, General Martel! We'll go for some psycho-thriller, Miss Malfatto, "
Autumn flashed her a knowing smirk as she picked out a particular CD, mumbling mostly to herself. " I see how our little Princess got the spooky vibe, babe. "
" Hey, no, I'm not into psycho thrillers! Why don't we try thrillers and mysteries? They're so cool! " It was Ava this time that spiked up with a vibrant smile making the others slightly feel giddy as they didn't have the heart to refuse her request.
You see, it's unusually strange and rare for the Queen to voice out her wants by herself among her own squad of girls. She never spoke otherwise if they dragged her to play cards, chess or sometimes board games which, unfortunately, Ava never had an interest in.
She doesn't try to stop Alaia from dragging her shoppings on weekends which makes her worn out at the end that she could barely open her eyes the next day.
She never said no whenever Mr Stone offered her coffee which Ava had a never-ending dislike of. She no longer desired drinking coffees that reminded her about her grandparents' sweet cafe that held so much of a part in Ava's history.
Coming back to the movie, within a few minutes, they were settled on couches and loveseats with all the lights turned off. Isaac lazily made himself comfortable between the Queen and the Princess and hugged a small pillow to his chest that smelled of something...like lavender and for some reason...Aslan.
Isaac inhaled the scent for a bit more and sighed heavily closing his eyes.
He was yet again forced to remember the events that happened earlier throughout the day. The encounter they had to have with the King, the impact he had when the King lashed out, the uncomfortable pain of being forced to submit to the dominant power he had ever witnessed and the painful aftermath of Lucas's outbursts.
Isaac felt himself sagging into the seat as his eyes lost them into the darkness with small steps. He hugged the cushion close to his heart where he felt a painful tug of whatever that was reminding him about the fading colours in his life.
Isaac yet again felt something so horrible at the time when he saw the King was almost forcing his power over Aslan.
Of course, Isaac had no power to stop him but, still, the anguish of being forced to the ground by something bigger than him made him more worried than ever as he barely wanted to stay away from Aslan even if Aslan happened to send him judgemental glares all through the day.
Isaac didn't care.
At least, that was what he was telling himself for the last 2 hours in which Isaac hardly moved out of the King's Study, barely letting Aslan go out of his eyesight.
But when Ava herself appeared in the King's doorway searching for the young Knight, he had no choice but to accompany her to the living room area.
He barely felt himself after getting out of the same room as him. It wasn't even 20 minutes or something since he came with the Queen and already, Isaac was craving for Aslan's presence that he'd never want to accept.
" Isaac, look! I saw this guy on your phone- Hey, aren't you watching the movie? " Ava shook her Knight's shoulder, who flinched blinking like a deer caught in a red light.
Before he could make up a false story of how he was dream-walking his fish, the door to the living room area was banged with fast knocks.
Emma, who was sitting close to the door pulled open the door with a small frown and immediately bowed
" Your Majesty! Oh my-
" Hope you guys don't mind us joining you. " Lucas flashed a grin with Aslan, who was also dragged along with a bored Ignatius, closely standing behind him with a small eye-roll.
To be continued
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