Surprised and shocked, I turn around to face the King. I couldn’t believe my ears. I didn’t want to acknowledge what I heard to be true.
"What did you say?" I asked in a trembling voice as I gave him a confused look to the King.
The King sighed before repeating himself, “I won’t allow this unhealthy union.”
I stared at the man in front of me before biting my trembling lower lip to swallow the sob threatening to pass through my lips. I turned around to face my mate and looked up to see his reaction. I didn’t even notice that I was crying until he rubbed the tears away on the corner of my eyes.
He wasn’t showing any emotions, but his eyes were enough to speak to me like an open book. He wasn’t as shocked as I was. It only meant one thing. He already knew that the King wouldn’t let us be together. But he didn’t seem to have given up yet. I hid my face into his chest and prayed the Gods, so the King would change his mind.
“I have to ask you the reason behind this. You must be aware that we are indeed mates and now that we met each other, it will be suicide to separate us. I do not need to explain why, do I?” Ryan stated confidently while gently caressing my back.
“You do not need to explain the basics. Keith is from a high standing family in society and giving him away to the enemy’s King without any compensation is unthinkable,” the King calmly argued as a matter of fact.
What did he say? A king? I glanced up and saw my mate glaring at the man who just spilled his secret. My mate, Ryan Manson, was the King of the Ignis clan?! If the King spoke the truth, then there was hope, right? Ryan had the power to fight back against the King right?
"Is this the only reason?" I asked weakly while turning around to face the King.
Instead of answering my question, the ruler of our Kingdom stayed silent with a troubled expression. Did he know something that he didn’t want to share with us? But no matter what it was, he did have another reason to prevent me from living with Ryan.
"No, it isn't," the Prince who has been silent until now finally spoke. “The other reason is a personal one,” he shortly stated without explaining anything.
The room stayed silent as everyone waited for him to elaborate. Instead of that, he took a few steps forward while always staring at me. He only stopped walking when our chests were almost touching. His lifted his hand, and a feeling of dread invaded me when he gently caressed my cheek.
“The reason is simple. Keith, I have always wanted you. Please, come with me,” he finally explained as I could hear Ryan click his tongue before pulling me into his chest.
“Ryan is my mate! I won’t be with anyone else, but him!” I argued shocked by his revelation.
“It is true, but you haven't completed the mating yet, right? This is why you came back to ask for our approval. But deep inside, you don’t want to mate with our enemy, right? Who knows what would happen if you are to mate with this savage,” the Prince glared at Ryan. “If you choose me, I promise that I’ll do anything to find your father and give you back your wings," he smiled gently.
I stared at the man in confusion. Why would he go to such length to drive Ryan and I apart? Did he really have any feelings for me? Was it why he was always so kind and considerate with me? But no matter how sincere or how much in love he was with me, I couldn’t possibly accept his feelings. After he insulted my mate and his people without even knowing them was unacceptable. I never wanted my mate to be so self-centred and impolite!
“I’m sorry, but I can’t reciprocate your feelings. Also, you’re wrong on two things,” I started my explanation ready to fight for my mate. “First, Ryan and I are already officially mated. Second, they aren’t savages, you are!”
“I don’t believe you!” the Prince shouted before he tore my shirt apart to see the same patterns Ryan and I shared.
The mark on our chests bonded us until death does us apart. After seeing the proof of our mating with his own eyes, he took a few steps back as if he had been slapped. After a short moment of silence, his eyes turned even colder than before looking back at the King.
"I seem to have no choice then... I didn't want to say this, but it seems I have no other choice," he said with his back to us. "If you accepted my offer, I would let the trespassers go, but since we seem to have a disagreement I hereby declare that Ryan Manson shall be executed for trespassing and attempting to kidnap a citizen from the Aquilam Kingdom!" the Prince declared with a smirk as the guards present in the room pointed their swords toward us.
"You'll kill us both! The one who loses his mate will soon follow the same path!" I screamed in anger.
"Not if the one who lost his mate is mated again soon after!" he also answered back angrily.
"If you seek what is mine, I challenge you! The first one to find my mate's father and take him back here alive for his punishment shall have Keith,” Ryan proposed in a calm, but cold tone.
I turned around to face my mate with tears already filling my eyes once again.
"Don't cry, my Angel. I'll win the right to be with you. Didn't I promise to always be at your side?" he whispered into my ear as he gave me a hug.
"What if... he finds him first?" I sobbed frustratedly by everything that had been happening in my life. "I can't imagine myself live with him..." I whispered back.
"Trust me," he answered as he looked into my eyes as I nodded. "Your answer?" my mate spoke to the Prince while patiently waiting for his answer.
"I shall indulge in your game, but if you don't hold to your words, your head will be the price."
"Then, everything's concluded. However, Keith is to stay with me at all time."
"Rejected. You can always try to escape," interjected the King.
“I will allow guards to monitor my movements if it can help you sleep at night. However, I don’t want to see or hear them. If you think about refusing my request and you happen to win, I shall follow my mate to the afterlife with or without your consent. Please keep that in mind,” I explained with a smile to the Prince.
He was obviously unhappy and was ready to argue against my proposal, but if he really wished to have me as his mate, he would accept. That was what I hoped.
"Fine. But if I win, you are mine!" he answered before leaving the room closely followed by the King and their guards.
Even when they left the office, the tension was still palpable. Soon after, my mate and I were escorted to a room as Ryan’s men occupied the room beside us.
As soon as we were left alone, I fell to my knees and kept repeating, “I'm so sorry, everything's my fault.”
“No, it is not. Something like that was doomed to happen since we are from different Kingdoms,” he whispered into my ears with his arms protecting me from the coldness of the night. “Let me hold you until your tears are no more than a distant memory," he gently soothed as he posed soft kisses on my neck.
"Please, make me forget what happened today,” I whispered back before kissing him passionately.
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