I was practicing with Morel when I heard the familiar footsteps early in the morning. My heart rate picked up but I kept concentrating on balancing my soul energy. If Nazereth can control his Firepower I can handle my power as well.
But as he got closer, his fragrance, his feelings, his emotions overpowered my senses.
A fear lurked inside my hurt which no one will understand for me, what if he doesn't trust me again. What if in time of despair he would choose killing for revenge over me, what if he will hate me after knowing my reality?
Queen, you are stressing again.
"Zephora." He called out softly and I tried to remember all the reasons to not just give in.
I kept my eyes closed and tried to feel every fiber of my soul, the power it held, the light and dark part of it but somehow my focus was on his soul now. It was as if I could see his soul like mine. I could feel his worries, his stress, his anger and that sorely persistent pain that my made my heart wrench.
And yet when my opened my eyes, there was warmth, for the little black coal in the center it was almost hot fire, a fire that sent shivers through my body as if the flame-licked my skin.
I sighed as I saw his face right in front of me, my whole point of focusing now destroyed.
"Yes?" I said in a calm tone, unlike my heart.
"What are you doing?" He asked genuinely curious.
I am the spirit-princess and I am trying to hon my power. I am trying to learn to live with everything I feel triple to what others feel.
"Mediating, for peace of mind," I said lying escaping my mouth.
Queen, now is the time you tell him.
"Do Blood Assasins all mediate?"He said with a scoff like meditating can bring no peace.
Maybe he tried.
"No, it's just for those who end my waking several times at night crying in misery."
Or those whose memories have been fuddled since childhood or those who suffered so much pain in their childhood that they wanted to forget a part of it but then suffered as slaves.
The wave of agony from Nazereth hit me and I looked at him. He clearly looked guilty.
He ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated gesture but I found it attractive.
I cleared my throat at the thoughts building inside me.
"I wish we didn't meet in such horrible circumstances." He said in a soft tone.
We didn't meet in horrible circumstances, we met as kids where you showed me fireflies to guide me.
"We wouldn't have met then," I said in a regretful tone.
He realized what he said because before me there was Dalia who held his heart, maybe some part of him was still there.
"All you did was take my pain and all I did was hurt you. Now It's my turn to protect you. Let me do that Zephora."
I waited in silence at his words and their weight on me.
He wanted to protect me and those words made me feel safe, feel like I had a home. I wanted to just nod my head and follow him along wherever he goes but I couldn't now. I was hesitating after having my heart shredded to pieces.
"I was a slave," I said trying to change the course of the topic.
He sat down right next to me not speaking a word and not even looking at me which somewhat brought me ease.
So I continued, "I don't remember much from my childhood, yet." I told him the partial truth.
"But I remember the time I woke up on boat filled with people crying, inured, beaten and bleeding. The only thing I had on me was the broch, only part of my past I couldn't remember. And for the next three days I lived through hell, I threw up and the sea made me dizzy. My whole body would ache and they would whip us if we made too much noise afraid of getting caught at the port."
I sighed my whole body curling up in discomfort on reliving everything for the first time I have never told anyone all this before.
Maybe he noticed this because he gently grabbed my hand and held it in his giving me an unsaid sense of support and warmth.
I sighed and continued before I lose courage.
"The sun gave me rashes for some reason at that time and I didn't understand why. For several months I was taken from one place to another with the slaves and I was made to stand in the market as people gauged me as an object they would like to buy or not. Every time my skin crawled with discomfort and disgust.
And every night I would cry myself to sleep.
That is when Drian gave me courage. He was a young boy who I helped and since that day we were each other's family. Imagine how I felt when I thought you were going to kill him." I gave him a dry chuckle.
"I thought he was your lover from back home, that made me more angry and jealous than you know." He confessed and my breathing hitched.
He can't say those things while I am telling my life's sob story.
"King of Udairis used him to make me keep quiet and never tell who I actually was. While he promoted Drian to be his bodyguard. And sometimes I wish the poison didn't have a cure."
This made him sharply turn his head," Never ever say that. You don't how I felt back then, I hated myself and I would have horrible nightmares of you dying in my arms from poison while I watch helplessly. Don't do this ever Zephora, I have lost enough people for all lifetimes I think, don't leave me, ever."
I was left speechless now. Don't leave me, ever.
He said those words with so much intensity that I realized at that moment, I was too deep in love and I could not swim back to the shore, I did not want to swim back to the shore.
"Will you show me your scars?" He asked in a gentle tone.
"It will take time and courage. I still cry myself to sleep Your Highness, I am still living like a slave. I served the princess and then I was sent to you as a sacrifice. I came ready for your hate but going through all the torture again, I realized my life was filled with nothing but pain.
I came to love you too much, so much that I was ready to tolerate the hurt and torture just as long as I pull you out of misery and heal you. You were my point of faith, the thread that held me together and you just gave me the coldest look possible after all I told you about my feelings.
You stared right at me clearly stating that you will always hate me and that you were expecting bad from me and you knew I would break your trust. That is time I shattered again like the times I would get beaten with a whip or some angry owner broke bottles on my feet or the time I had to ate stale food just to survive for weeks. I felt that low at your behavior then.
Do you understand why I ran and why I can't easily give in no matter how much I want to." I confessed as much as I heart could take and in my long rant, he didn't utter a word or moved a muscle.
Pain emitted from him strongly accompanied by guilt.
I did not want him to feel guilty but then again, I needed him to know why I was this hurt.
I turned to look at him and acute pain hit my heart as I saw a tear slip his eyes.
"It's Nazereth for you, maybe if you want Azer." He said, his tone heavy with emotion.
Damn this Empath power.
I had the urgent desire to comfort him so I did what I could, I turned my head closer to him and cupped his face in my hand. He inhaled sharply at my gesture as if he was taken aback.
"This does not mean I have forgiven you but it turns out I will always protect you," I said and seeing someone as strong as him break down in tears broke my heart in million pieces.
I leaned closer and kissed his lips ever so softly, a mere brush of our lips.
Against my lips, he whispered causing my whole body to shiver," Come home with me then."
And he kissed me again, softly just like I did as if he was offering me a chance to back out of I want.
"I am scared," I confessed.
"Of me?" He sounded pained and moved away slightly.
I hated that and edged closer again brushing my lips against his," Of being hurt again."
He looked into my eyes and fire consumed me, making heat rising in my core to all over my body as his lips captured mine fiercely now the softness and hesitance gone. I gasp but his lips molded around mine and his hands pulled me closer strongly. His tongue seductively grazed my lower lips making me wild with desire and almost bit back a moan as his teeth lightly nipped my lips between the passionate hot kisses that made me dizzy.
His hands defined my ribs in soft motions that were burning up where he touched.
I was losing sense and heart all at once with his kisses that didn't seem to stop as his wet lips left a trail of kissed on my cheek, my jaw, on year lobes to my shoulder blade.
"Stop, stop, this is unfair." I literally had to put my shaking arms on his chest to stop him.
His eyes were filled with desire, mischief, and protectiveness.
"Unfair?" He chuckled lightly at my words.
"Yes, you know with everything that you are and my love for, you are playing offensive."
"To get my wife to forgive me. I don't think it's unfair to all my benefits."
He knew he was handsome, damn him.
"Come home with me Zephora, give me a chance and be my strength." He looked with the kind of eyes that made every resolve melt inside me.
But was I a strength? He doesn't know the whole truth yet?
"From what I can observe, she has lost to your charms so she will say yes," Markheen walked in and I was about to jump apart but Nazereth's grip tightened on my waist not letting me move.
"How can I help you?" He asked coldly making me realizing he was still that hurt broken King but he was completely another person in front of me.
"You two can leave, but you have to complete a mission first."
"I can leave with my wife whenever I want." He retorted.
"Umm, no every member of Blood of Assassin is binded till I let them go. She will be miserable If I don't set her free and it will be physically taxing. One mission and you are free to leave."
"What is the mission?" I asked before King Nazereth could fight back even more.
"Get the weapon of destroyed Spirit Kingdom from King Udairis' treasure collection." She said with a sweet smile like she was planning her death since the day we met because this mission was suicide.
"I will try," I said gulping my throat dry all of a sudden.
"No, you both need to complete it together for me to break the bind."
Perfect.
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The stupid laptop would not connect to the internet yesterday.
So, here it is today :)
Hope you like!
Also, if you are Zephora and Nazereth is playing this dirty what would you do? ;)
HAPPY READING Y'ALL and again STAY SAFE PLEASE!