SIX

Word Count: 1820

Tai and I stand on the beach, looking out at the water.

The moment we arrived we found an abandoned shack, spending most of the day clearing it out. It's small, but it will do. Our next stop will hopefully be back in the Jade Province, where we will meet with Tai's father, Kailor. From there, we don't know, although we hope to get Tai's throne back to him.

All I know, is right now, I'm standing beneath the Golden Province sun, the beams mellow and rich, drenching me in warmth. It's such a contrast to the icy winds and crystal snow of the Azure Province, only beaches here, no mountains.

"You're smiling," Tai notes from beside me, making me jump. I glance at him, realising that he is right. For once, I feel relaxed, happy. I'm not sure when the last time was when I properly smiled.

"I'm home," I say.

This Province is where my father came from, where I'm sure I have extended family. I won't be bringing them into this, though. I don't Vaia to have any way of getting to me more than she already has, even if I'm not her main focus.

"You're going to fit in here so well," Tai notes, kicking a the sand before us. It's almost stark white, bleached by the sun, stained darker the closer it is to the shoreline. "This time, no one is going to question you."

My brows furrow. "But they will question you."

"Golden Province members are used to foreigners passing through. Hopefully they won't think twice," he mutters with a shrug. They won't question him, but it raises the probability of someone having seen Tai before, knowing he is a King. If word gets around, Vaia and Marek will hear about it, and they will come straight here before we can get away.

"Let's go touch the water. I haven't been this close to an ocean before," I decide. I grasp the soft fabric of my dress, one that Tai slipped away to a nearby shop to buy me, since almost all our clothes are for the colder climate of the Crystal Province, pulling it up and away from my ankles as I stride toward the shore.

Tai follows closely behind, stooping down to roll the cuffs of his pants up slightly. The moment my toes touch the water, waves creeping up to meet me, I pull away, giggling despite the cold.

"How did your father meet your mother?" Tai asks, watching me with bright smile, green eyes glittering, close in colour to the deeper greens and blues of the ocean closer to the horizon.

"She was preaching in the Golden Province," I tell him, watching the white wash from the waves brush over my feet, bubbling away magically. "My father never really agreed with her belief in her Tani, but he loved her so much he accepted it just to keep her happy."

My heart aches just thinking about them.

"That's wonderful. I knew there was something about your father I liked," Tai murmurs, following me as I walk further into the water. Now that I've been standing in it for awhile, it's wonderfully pleasant.

"The waters so warm," I voice to Tai.

"The sun always shines in the Golden Province. I don't think there has been rain here in years," Tai tells me. I close my eyes, letting my head dip back so my hair tumbles down my back, basking in the warmth of the setting sun. Why didn't Tai and I come here sooner? Now that I'm here, I never want to leave.

"Where and what are these predator Tani meant to be?"

"They are some kind of half human half fish like creature that lives in the ocean during the day and dwells on the beach at night. Light burns their skin, so they are easy enough to ward off, but a hassle for people who want to stay here for a long while," he explains. I know he will do his best to protect us. "Don't worry, they swim much deeper out."

I look out toward the sea, wondering if Tai is telling the truth about how deep they are swimming. I shiver, taking an uneasy step back from shore.

"So we shouldn't swim?" I question.

Tai grabs my arm, stopping me from fleeing back up the shore. "We can swim."

I nod numbly, smiling weakly. He lets go, leaving a ghost feeling of his touch. There's been a strange tension between us recently, as much as I don't want to admit it. I don't want things to change, yet those feelings from earlier have arisen again, and I'm seeing Tai in that different light.

Trusting that Tai is being truthful, I step deeper into the water until it is up to my knees. I'm not bothered that the hem of my dress brushes along the surface of the waves. Despite a few awkward moment's living with Tai, walking in on him naked once and getting a glimpse of what is forever burned into my mind, I'm not comfortable shedding my dress to swim.

"I haven't enjoyed myself in so long. I feel free," I admit, twirling around in the water, letting the salty breeze blow my hair back over my shoulders.

"You look beautiful when you're enjoying yourself," Tai notes, following me with every step deeper I take. "Actually, you look beautiful in every moment."

I look at him, shaking my head playfully. Tai loves to be over-complimentary.

Letting him hold my hand, I guide him into the water, now up to our waists. The waves are lazy out here, tilting up our bodies, rearing up no further than our chests. Tai suits the sun, skin glowing, eyes glittering warmly. The humid air has changed his curls from perfectly shaped to a frizzy mess atop his head.

"Are this charming with everyone?" I tease, knowing that he completely reserves this just for me. I like to remind myself of that, though. There's something special about being desired by such a handsome, kind man, regardless of whether he is King or not.

"You should know by now that I'm not. That you're special," he murmurs, the sound of the sea blending with his words.

He tugs at my arm, pulling me toward him.

I gasp, stumbling through the water until I'm pressed up against his chest. His shirt is wet, yet beneath my hands I feel his warmth, the strong, muscled planes of his torso from all his wood-cutting making me flush. One arm is wound around my waist, pressing me intentionally against him, the hand reaching up to brush the hair from my face.

"You shouldn't be saying these things," I exclaim quietly, all the breath suddenly vacant from my lungs.

He looks down at me, gaze intense beneath the damp curls that rain down past his brows. "Why not?"

For a moment I don't know what to say. Tai has chosen now to finally push what has been playing between us for awhile now. If I said the word, he would kiss me right now, which is a confronting concept. He's only kissed me once before, but I like to think that never happened.

"I can't give you what you want," I remind him, not wanting to hurt him again, but this time he doesn't flinch away. "I can't love you."

"You don't have to love me. I'm not asking for love, yet," he tells me, raising his hand to run it along my cheek. It's wet, water running off his fingers and down my neck. Yet. He knows he is going to keep fighting, and by the way he is holding me, he doesn't think he is going to have to for much longer.

Part of me doesn't remember why I shouldn't allow him to kiss me right now. What would it lead to, though? My blood heats at the sinful thoughts that flood my mind, trying not to allow myself to imagine being in that position with him.

"Then what do you want?" I ask softly, careful with my words.

"For you to relax and let go for a moment," he tells me, basically instructing me. He knows I'm holding back, and he knows I'm running out of reasons why I'm doing it. "I want you to be happy."

I turn my head, not breaking the spell with his fingers still pressed against my skin, but looking out across the surface of the water, I see a moment to truly let go for the moment, even if there may be frightening Tani dwelling beneath the waves.

"Then swim with me," I murmur. Tai nods, letting his hands glide off of me.

I only just catch the mischievous glint in his eyes. "As you wish."

Before I can dive under the waves, Tai splashes me, the droplets raining down on me, the salt stinging my eyes for a moment as I wipe them in protest. When I can open my eyes, Tai has waded further away from me, smiling brightly as he sweeps his curls back, anticipating me splashing him back.

"Hey! I said swim not splash me in the eyes," I growl playfully, fighting my way through the water toward him. He topples back into the water, sinking below the surface for a moment before remerging, shaking his hair so it sprays more water against me.

"My bad," he shrugs, although the look in his eyes suggests he doesn't feel bad at all.

My mouth goes dry as he pulls his wet shirt up and over his head, tossing it back to shore. The setting sun casts a golden light across his skin. I quickly avert my eyes as he turns back to look at me, not wanting to be caught admiring his physique.

Distracted by a wave that nearly knocks me off my feet, I don't notice Tai advance on me. Before I can react, he grabs a hold of my wait, lifting me up and over his shoulder. I shout in protest, pounding playfully onto his back to no avail.

My life my be a complicated mess at the best of times, but at least in this moment I know that I'm caring about the right thing.

And that right thing is Tai.

🤎••🤎

If you guys want to read ahead, you can read more of KING'S SEDUCTION on Radish! It's chapters ahead of Wattpad (:

You'll will find it under KING'S POSSESSION on Radish, as season 2!

🦦••🦦

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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~Midika 💜🐼