-HIM-
"Welcome back to the court, your majesty," Flavius greeted me the next day at court. It had taken me immense self-control not to go to Theresa and beg her for a chance first thing in the morning. Although I was still yearning to do so, but she was adamant.
She left no room for any understanding last night.
She didn't want me.
It hurt me to think about it, but at the same time, I was selfish enough not to let her go. Yes, her life was in great danger due to her brother, but even if it weren't, I still would have kept her here.
"We were expecting your return next week," Flavius commented, masking his uneasiness under an apologetic smile. I glanced at him grimly.
"Why? Were you up to something in my absence?" I questioned. He shook his head.
"No, it's nothing like that. It's just that we had thought the negotiations would take longer. After all, the Somirean Emperor is known to be quite headstrong," Flavius explained while I skimmed through the scrolls that had collected in my absence.
It was all the usual stuff— some news about the rebel activities in the east, updates on my Warlords' expedition in the west, some notes from the revenue departments reporting a rise in the sale of our weed produce and all the other things that I couldn't care less about at that moment.
I could only think about Theresa and what to do next. She was adamant about leaving, and I didn't want her to. I wanted her to stay here and give our relationship a chance.
That's all I was looking for, and that's all I needed — just one chance, and I'll prove to her that I was more than capable of loving her despite her being my enemy. I just wanted one chance to love her. That'd be enough, but she was pretty hellbent.
I kept thinking about her while the other officials filled me with news from different parts of my kingdom regarding trade and the people. I was not paying much attention. She was still on my mind.
"Glad to see you back on the throne," Dervis announced, interrupting the court session. Today I met with only the most important officials to finish the priority work. I was supposed to meet with the rest of the nobles tomorrow, but it seemed my brother couldn't wait.
His tactless arrival instantly plunged the whole courtroom into awkward tension. The officials nervously greeted him. I looked at my brother with a straight face while his eyes gleamed shrewdly.
"I thought you'd be busy with your new guest," He remarked, taking his seat.
"Do you have anything important to add to today's session?" I asked him, getting straight to business. I knew why he was here. His eyes gleamed with treachery.
"No," He answered sharply.
"Then you can excuse yourself today," I ordered.
"No, I'm going to stay here. I deserve to be aware of the court matters," He demanded. "What else did you bring from Somirea except for that girl? Did you strike a deal with the Emperor and get her in return?" He sneered. I clenched my fists as rage flew through my veins.
This wasn't the first time when my brother was doing this. It was quite a common attribute of his to interrupt important meetings. Previously, I had always been forgiving, but this, something snapped inside me. It was because he talked about Theresa.
The rage I felt at that moment was something I had never experienced before. As I looked at him, I wanted to leap from my throne and rip his head off.
It took every fibre in my body not to give in to my dark thoughts. The rest of the court watched our exchange in silence, the tension in the air thickening.
"Don't trouble yourself with the court matters, my brother. The Nobles are better at handling it on your behalf," I commented coldly, chewing out my words. My patience was hanging by a thread.
Dervis' cunning smile slipped slightly due to my comment, but he masked it instantly.
"You know I'm not here for the court matters, Alex," My brother spoke. Everyone in the court tensed because he called me by my name. "Tell me about the girl,"
"And how does it interest you?" I asked. This made him snap.
"Oh, it interests me in every way. It's the most important matter to us. You ought to tell us who that girl is and why you're keeping her with you," He demanded, looking stern. Meanwhile, I could feel my patience slip away from the gaps in my fingers like sand.
"I told you she's a friend of mine," I gritted, clenching my fists until I could hear my bones snap.
"I want the truth, Alex. I know you have something more than friendship with her. I knew it from the way you looked at her. She isn't a friend! And if she is who we all think she is then I must remind you of the oath you took, Alex. You are not allowed to—"
A thundering growl cut him off, rippling through the whole court. The chandelier above me shivered, and the blood from everyone's faces drained. My brother shut up almost instantly, but the damage was done.
He had gone where he wasn't supposed to go. I felt my wolf rising to the surface, making it harder to hold myself back. I was on the verge of losing control, and it was never good when I lost control.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Flavius asked, carefully edging closer to me. My eyes were rapidly switching from normal to red. Along with the wolf, I felt the presence of the demon slowly rising inside me.
Another thundering growl ripped through the whole court. It was louder and more guttural than before.
"Your Majesty," Someone gasped. I stood up and descended from my throne, heading towards my brother.
I needed to set some things straight with him. In the past, I had let him get away with a lot of things, and that was because I didn't care much, but now, things were different. I wouldn't let him get away this time, especially when he dared to demean Theresa.
My brother's face was pale as he looked at me in fear. He was shaking as I stood in front of him and grabbed his face. I heard the rest of the officials gasp and murmur among themselves anxiously.
"You keep forgetting what I'm capable of doing," I reminded him. "Don't make me do something that leaves your child fatherless,"
~
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