Zebian was screwed to find any good in her words. It only evaluated his fury. Slamming his fists on either side of her head. He fanned out heavy breaths on her face while fixing his stare on her.Renai flinched poorly. “A whore like her can never be my woman,” His hand snaked to her neck and he wrapped his fingers around it. A fresh coat of sweat smeared against his fingerpads. “She can’t be called her grace, for it is only for a woman who I shall choose,” He pulled her close, bent to her level and joined his forehead with hers, inhaling her breaths. Their lips had a fraction of an inch gap. “Which I had chosen long before when I had sealed her lips with mine beside that tree. I chose her the moment I fell in love with her. I chose her to be my woman, be the queen of my heart and realm and produce me an heir for my throne who would run my legacy,” his hand trailed down her dress only to slip it beneath the fabric. His fingers precisely caressed her joined knees, gliding all the wa
38This all was too much for her. His hands everywhere on her body, his kisses all over her skin, his words threatening to spellbind her mind, his affection extracting sense out of her system. Everything was too much. His love and hatred were wrecking her whole existence.She couldn’t fight off the dilemma. Her tears silently vacating her eye-sockets as he skimmed down the bridge of his nose to her cheek and placed his soft lips on the track of her tears, line by line he drank all of them. His warm breath suffused tingles all over her upper-body. One moment she wanted to surrender but the next, her mind would reel off those vicious moments that she and others had borne because of him. He was the one who commanded that man Larford to trick her. He was the one who locked her up in that dark room and instructed Basina to whip her back just for his gratification, he was the one who kept those women as slaves because they resembled her and tortured them for something they were unknown of.
Zebian sighed heavily and pressed his lips before facing his back on her. He sat in a kneeling position while Renai read his movement. The cruel sight had caught her eyes, those torrents of tattered scars gracing his skin. She gulped when she began scrutinising the bruises. Some were new, some were faded patches but all of them were equally spine-chilling. The old scars were lighter than the newer ones but they equally told a story. Every scar had its own different story. The older ones were severely carved on his skin, the rough patches were tattooed on it and they made her wonder when did he get them. “You see them? What do you think they are?” Zebian asked her, causing gooseflesh on her skin. Renai’s eyes flitted on the back of his head and gulped yet again. “I don’t know,” She cloaked through her parched throat. Zebian smiled.“Look closely, you may find an answer,” He said. Renai breathed deeply and scooted an inch closer. Her eyes attentively roamed at the patchwork. The bruis
39Arlet was running in circles as she replayed the insult in her mind. Her eyes were red-rimmed and she seemed haywire. Her chambermaids watched her achingly as her tears kept on tumbling down.She shook her head. “No, this is not going to happen anymore,” She mumbled to herself and sprinted here and there before pulling to a halt. "I can't..." She choked on her words and dashed out of her chambers. Her chambermaids followed her with agitation eating their insides. Arlet was headed to the queen's chambers. The guard watched her coming furiously and before they could stop her to enquire about her suspicious behaviour, she pushed them and hurled open the door. “Hey!” The caption-commander yelled but she had already crossed the territory and stepped inside the Queen's living room where she was present. Meriall hurriedly turned around and saw fuming Arlet glaring at her. “Arlet, sweetheart,” Meriall coated her with a smile but Arlet was in no mood to regard her with formalities. “I
Looking up, Evelyn gulped. “Is everything al…alright? Are you…okay?” Renai felt hesitant to match her gaze. She bit her lower lip, snuck a glance at her and nodded shyly. “Why are you in this…and your hair?” Evelyn couldn’t stop herself from asking instead of taking her to the bath hall. At first, she assumed the worst possible but then her eyes darted to her hickeys. Realisation dawned upon her, and her shoulders loosened. It was the king. For only he could mark her.A cruel gust of cold wind whirled around, stabbing Renai’s bones. She tightened the sheets around her and shuddered. “Can we take this inside? It’s cold out here,” Renai said through her clattering teeth while glancing at the sky. Evelyn shook her head thoughtlessly and then nodded. “Why not, my lady, my apologies,” She curled her arm behind her back and pushed her toward the bath hall. The moment Renai stepped inside the bath hall, she sprinted toward the tube and hopped inside. The warmth of the hall engulfed her be
40“S..she was not at Aylin’s house last night. I m..met her this morning,” “What!? MOM! You heard that! She is spying on me and don’t tell me you are going to believe this pickpocket?” “I’m not lying, aunt. I’m telling you for her betterment, that boy…he is not good for her, he will taint her purity,” Gaia slapped Renai, hard. She fell on the floor.“Who are you to tell her that? Who are you after all? A bootlicker who had a past of being some third-grade prince’s keep?” Keeping a hand on her cheek, she glanced up. “I’m only saying it for your betterment, you are like my sister,” Renai glanced up.“I don’t need a sister like you, bitch. Rot in your own hell!” Gaia gnashed. Celina watched everything with a straight face. Renai’s eyes flitted to her aunt. “Please, believe me, I’m not lying, I want the best for her, she doesn’t understand now but she will…” Celina cut her short. “Enough! I have heard…enough!” She tightly fisted her hands while glaring at Renai. Renai flinched back
Renai sighed and stepped inside his chambers. She was about to turn to his bedroom when one of the imperial guards came to guide her toward the dressing hall where the king was present. She fisted the sides of her dress and stopped for a moment once the guard opened the giant door for her. “Lady Renai of his majesty,” The announcer bellowed out. Renai sighed again and stepped inside. Before she could glance around, she found the whole army of his servants bowing and stepped back to leave. Renai saw the head who was buttoning his royal coat stopping in the middle and leaving. Once the door was shut, Renai licked her lips and glanced at his way. Her heart skipped a beat as she collided with his intense eyes that were sealed on her face. He stepped down from the soapbox and glanced down at his sleeves, playing with his cufflinks. Renai watched him with held breath. “Come here,” He commanded all of a sudden. Exhaling her breath faintly, she complied and stepped closer. Zebian smirked w
41After serving them lunch, the servants retired to their other duties. It was now the king, his mistress and his sword of honour present in the hall. Lucian had occupied a corner while the two of them had their meals under the golden hues of sun striking through the looming window behind the king. Zebian was quietly taking his food whereas Renai was just fumbling with the beans. Despite feeling famished, she couldn’t bring herself to lift the fork. Her mind continued driving her back to the threats that sonorous voice had made. How many times she had tried to shut her thoughts but apparently her mind was too stubborn to listen to her. She sighed tiredly and carried on to stare blankly at her plate.Zebian was methodically chewing his morsel when his eyes fluttered to her filled plate. He glanced up, finding her lost in her own bubble. His brows quirked. She was blinking recurrently but her forehead had strained lines. He swallowed the morsel and cleared his throat, seizing the lin
******All the royal children were present in the hall. The hall was echoing with chirping voices. Little birds were spread everywhere until the king and queen’s arrival was announced. The boys back-stepped on the left and the girls took to the right lane. Zebian and Renai treaded between them and took to the stage. They settled on their respective thrones. The instructors rushed close to the stage and bowed. Zebian nodded and permitted the class to begin. They explained the moves and coordination to the children and showed how to combine the steps. After that, they paired the couple. Zenia was paired with Aurelio and that happened on the king’s order. He wasn’t unaware of her daughter’s interest in his sword of honour’s son.Lucian glanced at Zebian and smirked. Zebian smirked back and watched the pair stepping closer. The instructor told Aurelio to place his hand on her waist and grab her hand. Zenia put her hand on his shoulder and began swaying along to the music. She was deeply
Stepping inside the hall, the announcer proclaimed their arrival and both of the kids stood from their seats in respect. Rebian, who turned fifteen last month, was on the right side of the table along with his sister. Zenia will turn ten next week. The youngest one watched her parents advancing close with blurry vision. She wiped her tears with the back of her hands and dashed toward them. Zebian stepped faster and kneeled with his arms open. Zenia hurriedly slammed into his chest and hugged him tightly. He lifted her in his arms and stroked the back of her head. Her soft muffling caught him cooing. “I missed you so much, papa,” She mumbled against his neck and wept. Zebian smiled and closed his eyes. “Papa missed his angel too. Now, why are you crying?” He asked as a tear smeared over his skin. He tried to pull her face away but he snuggled into him and shook her head. “You didn’t come to meet me last night,” Zenia grumbled. Renai smiled and watched Zebian grin. “I thought you w
Bonus Chapter “Oh…oh…oh..ss…s…stop it, you are…t…tickling m…” Renai held his head and tried to pull it away but her husband was keen on sucking her neck while tickling her belly with his unforgiving cold fingers. The queen was erratically wobbling underneath him and he was chuckling against her skin, making it more hard for her. Zebian undid his lips and pasted a mischievous smirk before glancing down at his artwork. It was raging bright and purple sitting on the side of her neck. He was proud of every mark he owned on her body. “Will you ignore me again?” He aligned himself outside her entrance and gritted contemptuously. The mushroom tip was massaging her clit. Renai bit her lip to press her smile and nodded her head, doing hard to keep an offensive frown on her forehead. Zebian lifted his brows and stared at her in amusement. “Are you sure, my queen?” He leaned closer to her face and locked her gaze with his stern one. “If it comes to our children, I shall be ignoring you f
Sleep came to him after two weeks. After bending fate in his favour, he finally had her sleeping in his arms. His eyelashes fluttered as he woke up to her sight. Her soft petals slightly parted, her nose twinkling in pink hues. She was breathing peacefully as if she knew she was safe and protected. His heart drummed quietly against her left shoulder as he brought the back of his fingers to trace the outer-rim of her jaw. He keenly swirled his route down to her chin, grazing it with his thumb. As if her body acknowledged his touch, her lips got closed. He softly smiled and danced his hand all the way down to her stomach, underneath the duvet. He placed his hand on the bare surface and drew circles on it. She was only wearing gauze on her shoulder, the rest was her skin. Closing his eyes, he imagined caressing their baby. How much he dreaded losing him when she was injured by the arrow. That time he thought he would lose everything. Him, her. Every single hope to live.His heart walls
******Renai was being taken to the king’s chamber which was also hers now. Her chambermaids had dressed her in a black nightie and a gown concealing her beauty. “Her Grace, the Queen,” the announcer said. It felt oddly good to the queen as the doors opened for her. The king who was no other than her husband was gazing out with his hands tugged back. He was wearing a silk black gown like her. She stepped inside and the door shut behind her. Her gaze fell on the envelopes. Was he planning to tease her again? She wondered.He turned around. “My queen,” He stepped toward her and curtsied. Renai smiled amusingly. “You may rise,” “With all pleasure,” He straightened, both of them grinned.“You are holding something?” She mentioned. “Your wedding gift,” He presented it to her. She frowned. Wedding gift? Was it really a wedding gift in an envelope?She took it from his hands and took note of his reaction. “Open it,” He jutted his chin. She inhaled deeply and opened it. It was a paper
*****She squeezed the nosegay in her hands. Her palms were sweaty and she was slightly shivering in nervousness. She lifted her anxious eyes and glanced at the children dressed in royal suits and gowns ahead of her. They would escort her to the altar where she was going to marry the most powerful man in the world; who also happened to be her childhood best friend. Then why was she feeling so nervous? She didn’t know it herself. “My lady, it’s time,” Evelyn put a hand on her arm. Renai glanced at her with tears filling her eyes. She didn’t know why she was feeling mawkish. This was the biggest day of her life, it was supposed to make her happy. “This is the last time we are calling her ‘my lady’,” Cora piped in. Renai chuckled out of the blue and a tear tripped down as she closed her eyes. Evelyn smiled warmly and pulled her in a sisterly hug. “He will love you with his life,” Evelyn whispered in her ear.“You think so?” Renai whispered back.“I believe so, we all have seen in hi
Three Months LaterRenai detached the baby’s mouth from her nipple. His tiny lip formed a pout as he rubbed the back of his fist over his right eye. She purred seeing his little move. Her eyes admired his round, chubby sleepy face as he perfectly snuggled in her embrace. She brought her fingers and moved his fist down before bringing them to his cheek and lightly grazing his skin to the chin. The baby sighed in peacefully, coaxing a smile on his mother’s lip. She leaned down and placed two pecks on his cheeks, settling him on the mattress after that. She shielded his body by stuffing pillows around him as she had to leave him to take a bath. A chambermaid would be here to take care of him but she still chose to keep them for the safer side.Renai stood straight and was about to turn around when she heard the indistinct voices swinging from afar, coming through the window. It was early morning but she had been hearing these voices since last night. She smiled and thought to glance out
Renai had seen Zenner killing people. She first saw it when he was taking her to Calmia on Gordian’s—Bancroft’s Sword of Honour—command. She woke up in a carriage after she passed out in her house, looking around she discovered she was not in Sebria anymore. They stopped in a market. A few minutes later, she heard a commotion, she glanced outside the window and saw Zenner stabbing an old man for not giving him the apples on the rate he demanded. It was her first time witnessing a murder. She never recovered from it. Neither had she the courage to see people getting butchered by him. She also didn’t want him to hurt Zebian. King or not, Zenner was close to him. He could have easily killed him. “He said if I told you anything, he would behead you and your people would turn up against you. I didn’t want that, I never want you to get hurt,” Renai flitted her misted gaze at him and snivelled. Zebian was over the moon. His insides were dancing in happiness. The effect her words had on him
She was staring at his face as he blew air on the hot soup. His eyes were swollen and he looked exhausted. Of course, the war and fighting had tired him out. Her heart was filled with pity for him. He lifted his lashes to her mouth as he fed her. “You c..cried?” She asked, gulping the brew. His eyes flicked to her eyes. If only he could tell how many sleepless nights he had spent beside her, praying for her, feeling dreadful whenever he thought she would give up on him. If only he could sob in her lap and tell her how powerless he felt in all these days of misery.“Did you make it?” She asked him to change the topic as he was only staring at her face, it was making her feel awkward. A soft smile crossed his lips as he forwarded the spoon. “Who else could make it with such fine perfection, my beautiful?” He sneered, keeping his gaze on her sparkless orbs that still held the whole world for him. She looked self-conscious. A small bubble of wrinkle sat between her brows.“I’m not beau