Word Count: 1816
"I can't believe you convinced me into this."
The golden glow of the lamp light above guides Tai and I down the street, the moonlight bathing the cobblestones of the street with a pale sheen. The darkness of the night is a stark contrast to this morning, when Tai approached me and asked me if I would come to dinner with him. I didn't expect us to go so far out from the estate.
"I promise it will be worth it Akara," Tai murmurs. I glance at him, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, his emerald eyes watching me with gentle intention. He's dressed nicely, simply. There is no evidence in his attire that he is a King, although it's so obvious in his face. He has a regal nature about him, the tilt of his lips, the sweep of his cheekbones...You could see one picture of him and never forget what he looks like.
I adjust the belt that's strapped around my waist, suddenly wishing I hadn't decided on this dress. "This city is beyond your territory line, isn't it?"
"Yes," Tai notes. "Planning on escaping, are you?"
"I was just curious. I suppose it's a good thing no one here should know who you are," I remind him. He nods toward a small restaurant tucked into the corner of the street, pulling the thick wooden door open for me to step through. Inside, there are few people, all of whom pay us no mind as we take our seat in the nearby booth, sitting opposite each other.
Despite myself, I can't help but smile. This is a strangely intimate atmosphere for Tai and I to be in, since that moment in his room, when I nearly found myself entranced by him and the sudden uprising of feelings within me that I've yet to address.
While I still desire Marek in the way I do, I refuse to look twice at Tai.
"Yes, a wonderful thing," he breathes, matching my smile, the warmth of it mixing with the comfy shadows of the low-lit restaurant.
I look around the room, ensuring that no eyes are on us, which they aren't. Some linger longer than a moment, but all are innocent, simply admiring Tai for the beautiful man he is, not because he is a King. He must come here often, to escape the rumours and title that would be associated with him if he were to explore the Jade Province.
"In truth, I brought you here for a very specific reason," he exclaims softly, bringing my attention back to him. He's sipping his water uneasily, his gaze dark. "I want to talk about actually marrying you."
My breath hitches. "Like a wedding?"
"People are starting to question my power more than ever now, and I'm afraid they are spotting weakness," he tells me, waiting for an explosive reaction, for me to start cursing him out in the middle of this public restaurant. But it's never been about that; we've always come to a civil agreement. "I think it's time."
I'm not angry, although I'm mildly surprised. I never thought it would get to this point, where we would actually have a wedding, but now it's here, and I can't pretend like it doesn't exist anymore. More than ever Tai needs my help, but part of me flinches back, thinking of Marek, what my future could be.
"When?" I ask warily.
"The next week or two." He looks apprehensive. I know that if I told him no, that I didn't want to marry him, he would allow me to leave immediately, and the deal would be off. But I need him, and what he can do for my family.
"And then I'm just stuck here? Forever?" I question. Stuck forever, with Tai...It's a thought I can hardly comprehend, I mean, what would marriage to him entail? Marek won't wait for me forever, and if I marry Tai, he may no longer desire to pursue me.
"It won't be forever. I am working on it," he assures me, looking over his shoulder as if he fears someone is listening.
"Are you? Because your men beat Marek for not obeying your orders. You're killing innocent Tani...Everything seems like it's completely out of your hands," I remind him, trying to not let my voice raise, although frustration bleeds through into my tone, making Tai blink in surprise. I may not know what he does behind the scenes that I'm not allowed to witness,
"Right now it is, and I'll be honest, I don't exactly know what to do," he admits running his hands through his hair, shoulders tense. "But I'm trying. I know it's not fair, and I don't deserve you, but I need you by my side right now."
I release a long breath, seeing how flustered he is. He looks so youthful, so frightened. He doesn't have his father's influence much, as far as I am aware, and no one above him to advise him.
"What if I want to be with someone else?" I find myself saying. "What if I'm in love with someone else."
"It's up to you, truly," he assures me, although there's a tension to his voice, a pain. I won't pretend like I don't know Tai feels something for me, but in most cases, I want to pretend like those feelings don't exist. "I know I promised you that you could return to your old life soon, and I meant that."
"So if I agree, it's purely to help you?"
Tai has done a lot for me, and I know that whatever I need, he will give me...Now, after everything, it's going to be me who does this for him, gives myself over to him for his own political stability. Maybe I could last a year at the most as a married woman, even if it's not with the man I truly want.
He reaches over the table, grabbing a hold of my hands, his grip feeling strangely real and intimate without the cold bite of his rings against my skin. "If you do this for me, if you marry me, even for a short amount of time, I will give you anything you could ever want."
A lump form in my throat, dry and painful to swallow past as I realise what I need to do. The moment I agree to marry Tai, I'm going to hurt Marek. As much as I want him to stay here, we can't keep dancing around this, waiting for a moment to get away. I need to get him away from here, let him resume his life. Maybe then, after some time, we can come together again.
"I want Marek to have freedom. Any punishment he should have had, he will be exempt from, and will be able to leave immediately," I demand. "But you must force him to do this. I'm afraid he won't leave, even if he has the option."
"Of course," he murmurs."Anything else?"
"Send my family to the Golden Province, and have them in a nice home. I don't want them shouldering the villages mourning after losing the Beast. They need a life," I finish, breathing in deeply. Everything I care about will be gone, far away, but this is what needs to be done. I will marry Tai, until the rebel presence is no longer an issue, and I can find Marek again.
"Done," Tai says with no hesitation. I lean back in my seat, examining Tai as the reality of what I just agreed to floods through me. Tai seems eager to change the topic of conversation. "Can I ask what made you fall in love with Marek?"
I'm taken aback for a moment, unsure of why Tai wants to know the answer to that. When I mentioned earlier that I may be in love with someone else, both Tai and I knew who that was. Yet he doesn't seem hurt, but genuinely curious, even if a sense of darkness plays in his eyes.
"I'm not sure. It just felt right, like it was meant to be," I admit, fumbling over the words. "He intrigued me at first, and it grew from there."
Marek more than intrigued me...He drew me in almost immediately, the allure too much to resist. Neither of us intended for it to happen, yet now it seems like it was always inevitable. Him and I have a connection that I can't explain.
"Do you ever think you would fall in love with me, now that we are going to be married?" Tai asks tentatively.
I blink, unsure of what to say.
"I'm not sure," I admit, knowing that it's true. "I would have never guessed I would be a part of any of this, and now I am. Anything can happen."
Tai and I had so much between each other from the beginning that inhibited us from ever sparking much of a romance. Now that there is a sense of contentment between us, like we are finally settling into the reality of our unique situation, feelings are coming to light that I hadn't realised were there. It's as unsettling as it is intriguing.
"That makes me hopeful," Tai smiles warmly. I've hardly given him much to work with, but he already seems sure he will win me over.
"Could you make it any more obvious that you want me?" I half joke, although the amused tone dies as it passes my lips. Tai regards me curiously over the rim of his glass. Once he has taken his sip, he licks his lower lip and considers my words.
"I'm very much attracted to you Akara, you know that," he reminds me gently, his voice reaching lower tones than I imagined he was capable of. "I don't mind that I'm being obvious with how much I want you."
The intensity of his gaze makes me shiver. I'm not used to anyone being so straightforward, but with Tai it isn't an issue. I'm surprised that straightforward nature hasn't gotten him into more trouble.
"Should we order some food now?" I ask breathlessly, suddenly wanting to speak of anything else.
He nods slowly. This may be a long night.
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So KING'S POSSESSION is now completed on Radish! The sequel, KING'S SEDUCTION is now up and available to view.
Do no, and I cannot stress this enough, read King's Seduction without completing this novel. It will spoil everything!!
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I'm officially rewriting Alpha Jasper's story now on Radish! It will be following the same storyline with the same characters, but with revised scenes and some new ones!
I love Jasper's story so much that I wanted to go back and rewrite it. I hope you guys will enjoy it, you can find it now on Radish (:
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