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2021-04-04 18:37:32The autumn leaves crunch under foot as Elan and I walk through the forest toward the nearby village.
Having a Summoner as an escort to this town is bad enough, it just so happens I don't trust him, and he doesn't trust me either. I just have to remember that I'm doing this - going into the town to look for rebel sympathisers - for Kailor's trust, and to eventually take down Marek and Vaia.
"I was hoping we could be friends," Elan says from beside me, pulling a branch up for me to duck under. We may be walking a common track, but it isn't exactly a well-kept. If we took a carriage, it would
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The King’s Seduction 18
I don't look over my shoulder until I've weaved through a few streets and emerged back onto the main road further into town.Marek will be following me...I know he is. I just have to get back to Elan as soon as possible. I doubt Marek will appear when I with someone else, since he hasn't done so before, and as Kailor's personal guard, Marek may be intimidated by Elan. Although I doubt it. I can imagine how a stand-off between those Summoner's would go.No one takes much notice of me as I walk down the cobblestone streets, pulling my hood up over my head some more. Everyone here is going ab
Last Updated : 2021-04-06The King’s Seduction 19
Defeated, I have to fight the urge not to collapse onto the ground in a heap. Instead, I wipe at the blood splattered across my face.“Of course,” I mutter, throwing my hands up. “Of damn course.”Marek sighs, leaning down to wipe the blade of his knife on the shirt of the now deceased man. I watch, stomach churning as he slips the knife back into its place behind him, unbothered by the dead bodies that litter the clearing, thick scarlet blood pooling in the grass. I fight the urge to throw up, knowing what I must look like.
Last Updated : 2021-04-07The King’s Seduction 20
I walk through the forest down the worn path, unable to shake what just happened.The ghost feeling still lingers on my skin from Marek’s touch, contrasting with the dried blood still smeared across my face, my elbows and knees scuffed from my tussle with those men. Knowing now that there are people who want me dead that aren’t Vaia and the rebels...I don’t know what to do.And what about Marek?Marek has to
Last Updated : 2021-04-10The King’s Seduction 21
The next few days were a blur.Most of Kailor's men have been investigating what has happened to Elan, but haven't found answers. I've been interrogated on multiple occasions upon Kailor's request, which also hasn't lead to anything being accomplished. Tai has made me speak to someone seeing Elan dead, but that also hasn't been able to rid of the constant feeling of dread sitting in the pit of my stomach.Tai has been sleeping in my room, albeit on the floor. He's insisted on it, not wanting to push me. Nights have been the most frightening, so I've liked having Tai near me in case I wake
Last Updated : 2021-04-15The King’s Seduction 22
My soles of my feet slip as I struggle up onto the roof for the second night.Tonight it’s cooler, an ice kissed breeze from the far-away Azure Province mountains play with the ends of my loose hair. Thick, livid clouds crawl lazily across the sky, casting shadows amidst the pale moonlight that traces the roof.I quite prefer this weather. The cold numbs my cheeks, daring to glide under my cardigan that I keep wrapped tightly around my limbs.
Last Updated : 2021-04-19The King’s Seduction 23
Kailor sits in front of me behind a veil of smoke, regarding me with a rigid smile.The smell of his cigar is overwhelming, the scent of spices and cedar, making my head spin. I sit in a leather chair in front of him, painfully uncomfortable being in his private suite right now, although it's the only place he would agree to speak with Tai and I."Tell her she's insane father," Tai insists, pacing behind me. Kailor's dark gaze tracks his son, a thoughtful expression on his face.Kailor waves his hand. "Tell me that again.""I would offer a negotiation with Vaia,
Last Updated : 2021-04-20The King’s Seduction 24
It was around midday when I arrived at our meeting spot.Just in case, I have a knife strapped to myself under my top shirt, although I imagine once Vaia gets a hold of me, it will be confiscated. I wonder if Marek is here, despite our agreement that no one else would be joining us.The smell of Vaia's floral perfume guides me into the tavern - the neutral ground. Sure enough, the room is void of anyone at all, aside from Vaia, who sits at a table in the centre of the room, drinking what looks like beer. I would have never imagined Vaia opting for that drink, although by the looks of her,
Last Updated : 2021-04-21The King’s Seduction 25
Marek’s firm grip on my arm doesn’t release until I’m in the room.The one he has brought me to is unfamiliar, likely in the servants quarters. The fawn brown curtains have already been drawn, the room relying on just one full light to chase away the shadows. A single cot bed is pushed up against the far wall, dressed in plain white linen sheets, next to a sturdy bedside table.That’s it. And a pair of chairs.
Last Updated : 2021-04-29
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The King’s Seduction Epilogue
~AkaraVaia is merciless, shoving us into carriages, three security guards squeezing in next to us, giving us no chance to escape.Evolet's gaze is trained directly onto the floor the entire journey there, lost in her thoughts. Strangely, I don't fear my imminent doom. I'm more concerned about Tai's fate, once I drink from the river and die. And what about Marek? For all I know, he could have already been killed, or worse...Captured by Vaia to be tortured.It takes over an hour for us to make it to the river. There's only one way in, through a parting in the dense forest. People are usually prohibited in this area, although it seems this part of the P
The King’s Seduction 54
~AkaraMy body is propped up against a concrete wall when I wake.Wincing, I shift, tilting my head back and forth. I'm presuming Vaia is the reason for my sudden blackout that has led to a throbbing headache. As I lift my arms, I realise they are pinned down, my wrists cuffed with metal attached to chains pinned to the ground. No matter how much I tug, I'm trapped.And to make matters worse, I'm in a cell. This is in the prison section, rather than the room where Tai is locked up. It seems Vaia doesn't want to allow me a single mercy in her demented plot to destroy all of us.
The King’s Seduction 53
~AkaraMarek's grip is tight on my shoulders, gaze intense."I'm going to make you look like some random girl off the street," Marek explains calmly, as if I'm not about to step back into the hell I've escaped from twice now. I can only hope for a third time, accompanied by Tai. "Vaia doesn't care much for her guards, so as long as you have the uniform, she won't question it."We stand near an overgrown entrance to the tunnel that leads close to the estate. We can't get close enough that we would be spotted by any of Vaia's guards, who I'm hopefully going to blend into with Marek's powers controlling my appearance.
The King’s Seduction 52
~AkaraI stare at the cottage, quiet.Beyond the faded doors, are my parents, as Marek has assured me. The place is nice, perfect for them. With father no longer going to the war, they needed a place like this to settle down, and once this is all over, I doubt they will want to move back to the Jade Province."Are you okay?" Marek asks softly from beside me. I turn to look at him, noting the wariness in his eyes. He has been almost too gentle with me since we arrived, probably trying not to crowd me after everything has been revealed. I'm grateful for that, as I don't think I have it in me to look at him the same yet.
The King’s Seduction 52
~AkaraI stare at the cottage, quiet.Beyond the faded doors, are my parents, as Marek has assured me. The place is nice, perfect for them. With father no longer going to the war, they needed a place like this to settle down, and once this is all over, I doubt they will want to move back to the Jade Province."Are you okay?" Marek asks softly from beside me. I turn to look at him, noting the wariness in his eyes. He has been almost too gentle with me since we arrived, probably trying not to crowd me after everything has been revealed. I'm grateful for that, as I don't think I have it in me to look at him the same yet.
The King’s Seduction 51
~AkaraSurprisingly, Tyrien stood and listened to me explain the entire situation, not interrupting once.With the last words of my recount passing my lips, I settle back into myself. I've done everything but go back and get Tai myself, and if this doesn't work, then I'm going to be left with only one choice. Even so, I'm just grateful Tyrien is willing to even hear me blurt out my struggles, essentially on the verge of tears at this point."I wish there was something I could do to help you, Akara," Tyrien responds carefully. I know he means it, that he can't just go marching into territories, resolving conflicts on behalf of people. It would create a
The King’s Seduction 50
~AkaraI don't remember dozing off."Akara...Wake up." I jolt up, pressing my back against the wall of the carriage, staring back at Marek, startled. He removes his hand from my arm, successfully having shaken me awake."What's going on?" I ask, rubbing my bleary eyes. The carriage rattles uneasily, suggesting we are on uneven terrain. The flimsy curtain has been pulled over the small window of the carriage, watery light stream through it's sheer fabric."You fell asleep." Marek doesn't look as though he has slept, his clothing unrumpled and hair in relatively undisturbed condition. "We
The King’s Seduction 49
~AkaraThe sound of wheels grating along a gravelled surface roused me from sleep.Jolting up, my heart patters violently in my chest as I look around at my surroundings, memories struggling to come back to me. I'm in a carriage that sways back and forth, moving quickly, and sitting opposite me is Marek, with a solemn expression on his face.My mind tumbles back into a dark memory. Almost a year ago, when Marek first kidnapped me from the Inn, and I woke in a carriage just like this one, as confused as I am now with a man in front of me who was basically a stranger.
The King’s Seduction 48
~AkaraA dark, cold feeling of dread trickles through me."Jessa...You're here," I say slowly, my mouth feeling like it's stuffed with cotton. I haven't seen Jessa in months, but she looks no different. Maybe a little more haunted than usual, her dark eyes roving over me quietly."I am." The edge of her lips quirk up. "You look horrible."I release a long breath. "I'm sick."I'm not sure if I expect her to feel sorry to me, to pity us and let us go, b
