••• Cinzel •••
"I had to do something to win his trust." I told Zaniel casually who was getting furious that me and Prince consummated our marriage.
"But that doesn't mean you... you will.. Do this." His voice faded in between from fury to dolor, lowering his head.
"Don't bother too much. It's fine." I shrugged, looking out from the balcony.
"Is it fine to you?" He asked, arching a brow.
My heart skipped a beat by his question whose answer was undeniable- It was more than fine. So I tried to shift the topic.
"Leave Prince. I want to thank you for hiring De Villiers to make my identity known." I grinned, turning to look at him.
"Who?"
"De Villiers. The person who was behind spreading my name, he says he works for the Plague Doctor- funny. Why would the literal King of the underworld help me?" I told him with a chuckle, not understanding if it wasn't him then who could know I am an Alroy.
"You must have misunderstood something, it wasn't me and De Villiers is... Plague Doctor's right hand. His best sniper, one of his strongest men."
"What...? Why?"
I was taken aback for a second, then how did he reach me? How does he know me and aimed right at my locket? I thought only he and Prince knew...
"Leave it, you should find a better place to assassinate Prince."
The moment he said it, my eyes widened in horror, igniting my whole being in a force of rage, pressing my teeth against themselves, I glared at him.
I would rather kill him right now than to hurt Prince.
"No." I said sternly.
"Why?"
"It's not the time yet. Besides, the summit is next month, gotta wait till then." I sighed, making up a random excuse.
"What? Is there going to be a summit?" He asked, shocked as I laughed mockingly at him.
"So your Father didn't even bother to tell you." I taunted smirking.
"How are you supposed to take me away, Zaniel when you don't know the way out?" I sneered, walking to him, closing my arms, noticing the embarrassment creeping upon his face.
"Zaniel." Penelope's voice came from behind.
"Your Father is calling you." She said, He nodded and left without saying anything else.
After he left, Penelope came, "Stop taking advantage of Prince's leniency toward you, Cinzel." She hissed.
"I believe it's my status as Mrs Silvester here." I smiled scornfully.
"I just don't want you anywhere near my son. Please."
"It's your son who comes near me. Say this to him." I said seriously.
"You are flying too much because Prince is crazy for you."
"Oh, thank you for the information." I chuckled dryly, increasing her irritation.
"If I saw you two together again, I will tell Prince"
"As if you haven't done it before." I smirked. A grimace appeared on her face as she felt furiously. Sighing, I went back to Sky and the kids.
"Mama, play hide and seek with us." Sky said.
"I will but first, tell me where your Aunt Astrid is." I said, looking for her.
She has been avoiding me after knowing about everything. Yes, I told her everything. Was she scared of me?
"Auntie, Mama said she was not feeling well so she is resting."
"I see. Okay then, we can play-" I began to say but a voice came from behind.
"Or I can take you guys somewhere nice?"
A grin appeared on my face after hearing Prince's voice lingering on my skin, sending goosebumps.
Chuckling, I turned to look at him, "Welcome home and thank you for your generous offer but we are fine here and if you want to join you can."
I smiled, pulling away and looking at him. "Yeah, Papa! Play with us."
"Yes, Uncle! Play with us too!" The kids beamed.
"Of course, Papa's turn." I declared, "Hey-"
"Give me the fold." Sky grinned and gave me.
"I don't have any options, can I?" He sighed.
"Nope!" Sky tittered as everyone got excited that Prince was going to play.
I wrapped the fold around his eyes and moved back. "Count to ten and then come."
Left with no option, he tried to find us, and we began to play. Prince was searching, it was fun to be like this once in a while with sounds of laughter echoing but somehow in half an hour we ended up in an argument.
"You were cheating!" I growled, pointing my finger furiously at him.
"No, I wasn't." He shrugged innocently.
"You did, how can you find me twice? You were cheating this whole time." I reasoned angrily.
"I wasn't. You are a loser. Ask the kids."
"Uh.. I think you were, Papa." She mumbled.
"See!"
"Whose side are you on?"
"Don't blame the kid, you were cheating!" I enunciated.
"I told you, I wasn't! I am too good at games and you don't know how to play." He said proudly.
"What's this fuss?" Penelope came with Astrid after hearing us.
"Prince was cheating!"
"No, I wasn't. She is a loser." I gasped.
"No, you were peeking all this time and caught me."
"It was your fault for being too slow."
"Prince." Penelope called him. "What?!"
"How old are you?" She asked.
He made a bewildered face, "Huh? 36, why?"
"I agree with her, he is a cheater. He always cheats, that was why we stopped playing with him." Astrid added with a giggled.
"Astrid!" Prince gasped when she gave away his secret.
"Understandable if it's Cinzel but aren't you too old for a childish argument." Penelope added with a frown.
"It's a serious matter!" I interrupted, gaining their attention.
Prince looked at me for a long time, narrowing his eyes and began to laugh.
"What?!"
The sound of his laugh echoed in the room astonishing everyone while I was annoyed.
"To think it's a dire matter." He laughed, directing that among all my problems, I call this trivial argument a serious matter but I couldn't help it- he cheated.
"We are with Auntie. Uncle was cheating." Astrid's kids supported me.
"Yeah, we are with mama. We will cover Papa's whole face next time." Sky nodded.
"Hey. I am your Uncle and Father. Why are you taking her side?"
"Okay, time out. I think that's enough games, go kids do your homework." Astrid sighed, leaving with them as we also went to our room.
"Did you have fun?" I asked, chuckling a little when we entered.
"I was too focused to see you are relaxed, moreover yourself with me." He said sweetly, laughing a little, brushing his nose on the side of my face.
I smiled sheepishly, looking away. "Did you expect me to get scared in front of kids?"
"So you won't feel afraid in front of them.. Hmm?... too bad I can't kiss you in front of them." He said, faking disappointment.
My breath hitched, pulling away from him, "P-Prince!"
He giggled, moving back. "Just kidding, I was glad to see you happy with me."
With his sincere words, he left for the bathroom, leaving me a baffling mess, filled with doubts of what was happening to me. I had begun to crave his presence as a source of addiction and solace to my soul.
...And before I knew it, I became addicted to his presence...
I was about to fall into a peaceful slumber but Prince's voice came, fingers tracing over my shoulder moving down to my hand and then back again.
Repeating it like a loop of tender feelings, curling my lips, I submerged in the beauty of his touch.
"Cinzel..."
"Hmm?"
I sensed him shifting closer to me, pressing his chest firmly, kissing my nape, moving gradually to my neck, "You okay?" I asked.
"They say you have blinded me... they say because of you I have begun to fight the world... but.. After doing all this. Why are you still not mine?" His tone came out sad, murmuring.
His hands stopped at mine, twirling his fingers with mine harmonized with his heartbeats calling to mine, bringing it close to my chest, falling into a lull.
'What can I say when I think I have begun to do the same? Choosing you over the world.'
"Who says I am not yours?" I asked with a feeble chuckle, pulling my other hand over his, astonishing him for a second.
"I see..." His whisper came after a prolonged time, sensing his smile over my skin caused me to smile too.
"Glad to know." he said as we remained like this for a while but I called him this time.
"Prince..."
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you something?" I said, hesitantly, turning to him.
"What is it?" His faint tone eased my heart.
Captivating my form in the allure aroused by his existence, making me feel what I never did with anyone before.
"Why do you scare me? I know you do it deliberately... But Why? You know this fear is the obstacle between us then why can't you remove it instead induce it more?" I asked softly, desperately.
Knitting his inscrutable eyes with mine in a mystifying demeanor, a low husky laugh escaped his lips, caressing the side of my face.
My hammered against my chest, constricting. The more these sensations embed over my skin, the more I found him darkening my heart.
"Am I scaring you now?" He asked in a whisper, shaking my head no.
"Do you- No, Trust me, Cinzel. I don't hold any bad intentions. Just trust what I am doing."
"I do, Prince. But I want to know why? Why? You said it yourself you don't want me to be terrified then why do you even try?"
My hurried tone caused his actions to halt and pull me in his embrace to loosen this suffocation gathering in my body.
"Please trust me and stick by my side. That's all I could ask from you." He whispered, kissing my head.
"I am, Prince. I am with you." I replied, gripping his shirt.
"I am doing all this to protect you." Perplexed at his statement, I couldn't fathom which harm could dare to graze me in his presence.
"Protect me from what, Prince?" I asked, looking back at him.
He smiled emptily, taking my hands in his and kissing my knuckles, murmuring the reply I wasn't prepared to bear.
"Your own self."