Chapter Sixty Nine

Waking up the next morning with a heavy heart was expected. It took me a long time to dress up and by the time I got to the entrance of the King’s room, I paused slightly. I had to deal with Jonathan again.

Taking a deep breath; I slowly knocked on the door and drifted into my ears. I pushed the door open to see that Jonathan was on the floor doing pushups with one hand. One of his hands was behind his back as he lowered himself to the ground over and over again. His upper body, which I had seen so many times, was soaked with sweat and Instinctively swallowed as I watched him.

“Should I come back to your highness?” I asked and Jonathan chuckled.

“No” he replied as he lowered himself to the ground and upwards a few times before He finally stood up, his whole body drenched in sweat. I stared at his upper body and followed the trail of the sweat as they ended into his trousers. My eyes snapped upwards and meant Jonathan’s amusing eyes, I immediately lowered my eyes.

“My apologies, your highness,” I said and Jonathan burst into laughter.

“Get me a bowl of water and help me clean up” Jonathan said and I immediately raised my head to him.

“Huh?” I blurted out, ‘But you don’t let anyone attend to you ro dress you up” I muttered slowly and Jonathan chuckled.

“You’ve touched me quite a number of times, don’t be shy” he replied and I winced as I walked towards the bathroom. I had never stepped into the bathroom before and I quickly noticed how clean and tidy it was. Jonathan did really live up to his reputation as the king of cleanliness. I immediately prepared a bowl of water and grabbed a towel before walking out of the bathroom. I placed the bowl down and squeezed the water, walking towards Jonathan slowly and dampening the sweat on his body with the towel.

“How’s the medicine room going? I heard your scar removing paste is now popular” Jonathan said and I rolled my eyes.

‘Popular? Who said that?” I asked.

“I heard it, isn’t that enough?” he asked in reply as he turned to me and I shrugged.

“Well, i didn’t know that until yesterday” I replied and he laughed.

"Apparently, I’m easy to talk to as well,” I added for no reason. I knew that I should be looking for ways to kill the conversation, to not say a word to him but I couldn’t help it. I was talking and speaking so naturally before I could stop myself.

“I thought everyone knew that” Jonathan replied as he moved forward a bit allowing me to clean his back.

“Oh really?” I asked and he nodded.

“You are certainly easy to talk to” he replied and I paused, “Your highness finds me easy to talk to?” I asked and Jonathan laughed.

“What else?” he replied and I chuckled.

He found me easy to talk to. That’s all.

“You don’t believe that I do?” He asked and I shrugged behind me.

“I dare not” I replied as I moved forward. His gaze on me was firm as I wiped the sweat on his chest.

“You don’t believe” he repeated again and I raised my head to quietly meet his eyes. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe, it was that, that wasn’t enough for me. I didn’t reply and just kept wiping the sweat when he suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Amira, look at me” he commanded and I raised my head to him.

“I believe in your highness. I honestly believe you” I replied as I slipped my hands from his grasp and finished wiping his body and rose to my feet quietly.

“I’m done your highness” I said, bowing slightly and Jonathan turned to the table, sitting down and pouring tea into the ceramic cup.

“Sit down,” He said.

“I can’t your highness” I replied and I was yet to try and figure out why when Jonathan grabbed my hand and pulled me to the seat beside him. I stumbled on the seat and he quickly steadied me, a frown on his face.

‘Why don’t you listen at all? Do I have to repeat myself more than once for you to listen to me?” He asked and I swallowed.

“Not at all your highness” I replied.

'Why does my power as the king become non-existent each time I’m around you?’ he asked and I quickly bowed my head again.

“My apologies, your highness,” I muttered slowly.

“Oh here we go again with the apologies” Jonathan said and his voice sounded like a child whining. It made me want to giggle or laugh.

“Tea for you” He said as he raised one of the cups to his mouth and took a small sip.

“Don’t say no or give me jargons about you being a slave and this is royal ware and everything you like you say when you don’t want to talk to, I don’t want to hear it. Just enjoy the tea” he said as I opened my mouth and at the end of the day, all that escaped my lips was a chuckle.

I stretched towards the cup, picking it up with the same grace as I would in the palace and sipping the tea quietly. The tea was obviously freshly brewed as the scent was although mild was still fresh and I could feel the refreshing feeling down to my bones. I slowly placed the cup down.

“You still have the same grace Princess” Jonathan said and I chuckled at him, irritation suddenly gnawing at me.

“Do you suppose I would have lost years of my life because I’m now a slave and being held hostage by you?” I asked and Jonathan immediately noticed the change in my tone.

“That’s not what I meant, you should know that i wouldn’t mean that” he immediately tried to defend himself and I chuckled.

“It’s nothing, your highness. Your style of keeping me in check is amazing. You offer me a royal tea dn then subtly call me a slave after. Is all of that necessary though?”