A/N: Hey Readers! Sorry for posting a blank chapter. It took me a while to notice it because I was away. Thanks for being patient.
-HER-
I could hear my heart ramming in my chest painfully as Alex took me deeper into the garden labyrinth. I couldn't see a thing in the darkness, but he seemed to know where he was taking me. I trusted him for the moment, but something felt odd about how he moved. It made me wonder why he was hiding in his own garden.
I wanted to ask him, but he clamped my mouth and took me deeper and deeper into the labyrinth. Meanwhile, I heard footsteps. There were at least four people following us. We exited the labyrinth before Alex scooped me up and ran somewhere downhill.
He finally set me on my feet under what seemed like the bridge. I could hear the stream of water somewhere nearby, but I couldn't see a thing in the darkness except for his glowing eyes.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Never mind," He growled, sounding on edge.
"A King being chased in his garden.... Interesting," I muttered while watching him scan the whole place. After he made sure no one was around, he turned to me. His glowing eyes seemed to glow brighter whenever he looked at me.
"Not being chased," He corrected me, stepping closer. "I don't want them to know it was me," His hot breath tickled my neck as he spoke.
"What's the difference?" I asked.
"I don't want people to know about us yet," He told me. "At least not like this," His hand descended to my hips. I put my hands on his chest and pushed him back slightly.
"There's no us to be found out about," I reminded him before he could start planning things that wouldn't happen. His eyes glowed in response as if I had challenged him.
"You wanted me between your legs just a few moments ago, yet you keep denying it," He grumbled, trailing his lips across my jaw, giving me butterflies in my stomach. I swallowed. Well, he was speaking the truth, and no matter how much I denied it, things wouldn't be different. "I wonder what you get out of it?" He whispered.
"I don't want this to get more complicated than it already is," I told him, and he froze. He pulled back from kissing my neck and looked at me.
"Complicated?" He asked. "There's nothing complicated here. You're my mate, and I brought you here to keep you safe from your brother. I'll mark you and mate with you and make you my queen while I defeat your brother and finally annex Somirea—"
"— you're going too far," I told him. He thought it to be this simple because he didn't know that I was a priestess yet. My priestess status alone complicated the whole issue. For once, this made me wonder how things would have been if I weren't a priestess.
Would I have given into this relationship then? I couldn't help but think about it, but at the same time, when I looked at Alex, I wondered how he'd react to finding out about my priestess title. I didn't have a good idea about it.
Cromireans hated priestesses, but then again, priestesses weren't everyone's favourite. I wondered if he'd be so eager to make me his queen if he were to learn about it.
"Too far?" He asked. "All I want to do is take what's mine," He muttered. "Where's the problem in that? I want you, and I know you want me even though you deny it. It couldn't be simpler than this, Theresa," He told me confidently, and this hit me the wrong way.
"You have no idea what you're talking about, Alex," I snapped at him. "The only reason we are in this situation is because of that stupid mate bond and that animal inside you acting up. Would you still want to be with me if you remove it?" I tested him.
Silence.
"I'm not surprised," I spat.
"I'd have still saved you and given you asylum in return for your favour. Mate or not, being together would greatly benefit us," He had the audacity to speak after that, pushing my buttons. "Politically, our union makes sense if you ask me,"
"I fucking hate this, Alex. Let's forget our titles and act like normal people," I told him. A brief silence followed before he asked, "Then what do you want to be today? A whore, a healer, a royal servant or the lady in waiting for your fake self?"
I was about to burst, but he moved closer, wrapping his arms around me again and whispering, "I prefer the whore. I can be your peasant then,"
I wanted to snap at him again, but I gave up. It didn't seem like he was in a mood to listen. Not after what happened between us earlier in the evening.
"Tell me what you want to be then?" He kept urging me while I gave up. He pressed my body against his. I tried to fight the butterflies in my stomach but failed.
"I wish I could be a commoner," I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder. I was tired of fighting now. I wanted to go back and sleep, but a part of me wanted to stay with him here like this for as long as time allowed us.
"I wish that too," he whispered, "but you've got what you've got,"
"You say that as if you cannot give up everything and walk away. You have a brother, after all. I can tell he'd be happy to take over, especially his wife," I told him. He chuckled.
"Even if I wish to do that, no one would allow me. I'm bound to the throne by a curse," He told me. There was something dark in his voice I couldn't comprehend. His tone switched almost instantly, sending a shiver down my spine.
"What curse?" I asked, intrigued. He fell silent for a while.
"I'll tell you about it some other day, but for now, all you need to know is that I must be the king. That's the only thing I can be. I'll be the king as long as I live. No one can become king while I live, and no one can kill me to become king,"
"Wow," I breathed, wrapping my head around that. "I wouldn't call that a curse," I laughed, but he said nothing. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me tighter as if he was afraid I'd leave him.
"I hated being a king, but I don't think I'll hate it as much if I have you by my side," He whispered, tugging at my heart. I didn't say anything. He was dreaming, and he was going to wake up soon and find out the reality. Until then, I decided to let him dream.
~
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