'I am water,
soft enough
to offer life,
tough enough
to drown it away.'

-Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey
***

Rayna stood agape, staring at Algar in a stunned silence.

“You look either awfully pleased at the proposal, or utterly horrified. Though, for your own sake, I hope it’s the latter.”

Resisting the urge to throw the nearest pitcher against his skull, Rayna tried taking calming breaths.

“You must not mean that. Marriage? I cannot marry you, when I am already married to someone else.”

Algar’s face hardened a notch, as he sighed.

“You should not be making this difficult, Rayna. As I recall, your marriage is not a concern here. In the eyes of the law of this land, it didn’t happen. The customs of your land are not accepted here.”

Rayna threw her hands in the air, replying in a desperate voice,

“That does not make my marriage invalid!”

A muscle twitched in Algar’s jaw, as he left his place near the window, to move towards her with measured steps.

“Yes, it does. I cannot take the ministers’ naggings anymore. I am required to marry, and you are the most convenient candidate.”

Rayna’s eyes were crazed with fury.
She had assumed that she could understand how this man’s head worked. Apparently, she had been glaringly wrong.

Nothing could have prepared her for this announcement.
Surely, he knew why even the thought of this union was absurd!

She was an abducted prisoner. Nothing would ever change the fact.

The ministers he talked of, were well aware of her identity- especially after her father’s visit. They knew she was a married woman.

She could not imagine any probable circumstance, where even a single one of those minsters would accept Algar’s decision.

“Certainly, you can find another woman for yourself in this entire Kingdom. There are others more desirable than me. You can have whoever you want.”

Algar smirked and lowered his face to her flushed one.

“Oh, definitely I can. But I won’t.”

Rayna wanted to pull at her hair. Her eyes burned with tears of resentment.

Why was he refusing to see reason?
She could not allow this to happen. For, if it did, then she will be trapped here forever.
The only thing keeping her sane, was the hope of escaping this place someday.

She had pacified herself with the thought of freedom; even promised her father to return. However, this particular development might rob her of that dream- that possibility.

She saw her hopes crumbling before her eyes.

“The ministers will never agree to this. You know that.”

Her voice held no fight. She could already see herself losing.

“You do not need to worry about that. If they have any issues, I will be happy to listen to them, and have them sorted.”

Rayna knew exactly how he intended to sort those issues. She did not question his ability to wreak havoc on the lives of all those who dared to question him.

“But-"

A displeased click of his tongue forced her to bite back her words.

“I am beginning to think that you are not too fond of the idea. Do you, perhaps, find it unappealing?”

The glint in his eyes, held all the warning she needed.

If she were to protest any further, the consequences might not be in her favour.
But she wanted to know- why?
Why go to such lengths?

He already had her at his mercy. He could do whatever he wanted to her, and she would have no other choice but to comply.

Then, why marry her?

This was the last thing he needed right now. The Kingdom must already be in a disarray for him to take such a drastic step.

And this was his plan- marry a woman, who was already someone’s wife? A woman who had another man’s child in her womb?

He was clearly more insane than she had earlier presumed.

“N-no, that is not the case. You know I have already pledged myself to you. But I am afraid you’ll regret this decision in the future. I do not want anyone to raise their fingers at you, My King. And once you marry me, people are bound to question your wisdom. I am afraid it will not bode well for your rule. They might even accept me as your wife, but they’ll never accept my child.”

Algar’s face twisted in a scowl upon hearing her words. She knew she was pushing his patience, but she was ready to face any risk at present.

“What about the child?”

Rayna ignored the darkness of his voice, as she replied in a quiet voice,

“You are the King. You need to have your own heir. I cannot burden you with another man’s child.”

She steeled her heart against the guilt of saying the words. Her son was anything, but a burden. Nevertheless, she could not leave any stone unturned to get them out of this hellish situation.

She stiffened, when she felt Algar’s hand upon her abdomen the very next moment. His gaze was heated as he spoke on a fiery tone,

“This is my child. The day you pledged yourself to me- body and soul- was the day this child became mine too. I will not have you remind me of its parentage ever again.
As for my heir, we have plenty of time to produce as many as we want. The people know you have been with me ever since you came here. They will not dare to question the legitimacy of this child. As far as they are concerned, it is my child. And anyone who protests, will meet a fit response.”

Rayna was baffled. To think this man, ready to accept her son as his own…
She could not wrap her mind around the idea.

Whatever possessed him to do this?

Had she underestimated the extent of his fixation for her?

“My King, I still-"

All air escaped her lungs, when she felt his hands tighten around her throat. Her defences immediately kicked in, and she began clawing at his fingers, gasping for breath.

“N-No!”

She shivered at the intensity of his look. He held an almost animalistic gleam in his eyes- a gleam that promised unimaginable pain, were she to protest anymore.

“I think I failed to make myself clear. I plan to make you my wife, Rayna. I will have you for myself, whichever way I want. And at the moment, I would like to have you as my wife. Make no mistakes, I am not here to ask you of your opinion on this. I came here to inform you- as your groom. Do I make myself clear?”

Rayna nodded her head as furiously as she could, with his iron hold restraining her movement.
She could feel her vision blur, and felt a deep fear descend over her.

Her son!

To her immense relief, he removed his hold on her after a short silence. Rayna wheezed as he retracted his hands, looking at him with teary eyes.

“See, you made me angry. I told you not to do that!”

His words held a mocking exasperation, leaving her with a feral urge to stab him to death.

She was still recovering from his assault, when he pulled her to him, rubbing his fingers against her sore skin.

“Tch…you poor thing. It must have hurt. You should have listened to me.”

Rayna throat was coarse, as she struggled for a scathing reply.
She wanted to curse the boy to hell.
That cad!

However, she was too shaken to let any emotion cross her face. The horrid thought, that her one mistake could have cost her son’s life, sent a paralysing chill down her spine.

It became all the more apparent to her, how her and her son’s life, was depended upon the whims of this monster.

She could not even gather the strength to pull back from him, when she felt his lips press on her forehead. He hummed against her skin, holding her shaking body in his embrace.

“I have given you my word, Rayna- not to harm your child. Do not make me renege. You have to keep this in mind, love- I will have you all for myself, or I won’t have you at all. And you know what happens to you in the latter case.”

Rayna bit back a sob.

Oh, she knew exactly what he meant.
All she could do, was nod her head.
______________________________________

“Your Highness, this will set an abominable precedence for your rule. Please reconsider your decision.”

Algar cast a bored glace at the minister who had so eloquently voiced his concern.

“Would you care to elaborate, Raquel?”

The entire court buzzed with approving murmurs, as Raquel stepped froward with a defiant stride.

“This union will be disastrous for the peace of the kingdom, Your Highness. You should be marrying a woman of noble birth, forging alliances with neighbouring kingdoms, and assuring the stability of your land. This marriage will have none of the desired effects.”

Algar felt some vestiges of his patience slipping. This was clearly not as pleasant as he had desired it to be.

“Do you intend to chart the course of my matrimonial life? I doubt that’s the area that requires your concern. As for the benefits of this alliance- must I remind you that my bride’s father is a chieftain who wields influence over much of the northern clans. There is no questioning the advantages of this marriage.”

Raquel flushed at his comment. To Algar’s surprise, the geezer continued in an opposing tone,

“The people will never accept her as their queen, Your Highness. Though you do not grant legitimacy to her previous marriage, the people will never care for that. In their eyes, she is a married woman. And what you plan to do, is nothing short of blasphemy. Moreover, how can we expect Chieftain Edgar to agree to this? He has already challenged you once before. We cannot expect him to be quiet after this. The general- her husband, will be just as opposed to this. What do you propose to do if they return?”

The rest of Algar’s patience dissipated upon the mention of Rayna’s husband.

Adding fuel to his anger, was the voices of agreement amongst the rest of the court.
He felt Walder’s tense gaze upon him.

“If the Chieftain returns, I intend to welcome him with open arms- as befitting my wife’s father. And I will appreciate it if you avoid taking talking about anything else regarding my bride’s past.”

“But this is important, Your Highness. I-I heard she is carrying a child.”

Algar’s palms tightened into fists. The murmur in the court grew louder.

“You heard correctly. The Kingdom is soon to be blessed with its first Prince.”

Raquel was too agitated to pay heed to the sliver of warning lacing Algar’s voice. His voice raised a notch, goaded by the men mood of the courtroom.

“I apologize for my indiscretion, Your Highness, but I am afraid there is not much evidence to lend legitimacy to that. The child could very well be her husband’s. And as long as there’s even a flicker of doubt in the people’s mind, regarding his parentage…they will never accept him as their prince. You have to consider the will of your people this time. Your refusal and stubbornness will only incite treasonous thoughts in their mind- propelling them to take drastic actions and plunging the kingdom in a deep state of unrest.”

By the time Raquel realised the fearful silence surrounding the courtroom, it was too late.
Algar had already stood up from the throne- his face the picture of suppressed rage, as he strode to him.

“And do you have them, Raquel?”

The man looked in the eyes of his king- a sudden prickle of fear running over the back of his neck.

“Ha-Have what, Your Highness?”

Algar fixed his unblinking gaze to his face, replying in a light tone,

“Treasonous thoughts? Do you have the same treasonous thoughts that you talked of?”

Raquel’s face blanched.

“Of course not, Your Highness. I was simply stating the possibilities.”

“You have been a loyal servant to my father, haven’t you?”

Algar felt animosity rage within him. This was what he hated- being ridiculed by his own men; men who were supposed to be loyal to him.

He knew that many of these rascals did not support his rule. They were all his father’s men. They had no desire to be loyal to him- a spoiled little Prince.
But this time, he had no desire to let them belittle him. If they thought they could criticise him in his own court, and get away with it, they were soon going to realise how wrong they were.

“I am a loyal servant to the throne, Your Highness.”

Raquel’s eyes had become guarded, aware of the danger that lurked before him.

“And you think that those who disagree to my decision, may develop treasonous thoughts in their head?”

The frown on the man’s forehead, was a testament of his confusion.

“I-I believe so, yes. I spoke for the good of the Kingdom, Your Highness.”

Algar grinned maniacally, before throwing his arms out in exclamation.

“Ah! You heard this, people? Raquel just stated that those who disagree with me will think of committing treason. Possibly even kill me.”

Then, turning back to a pale Raquel, he lowered his voice to a menacing whisper,

“And you, my dear friend, disagree with me. Hence, you must be thinking of committing treason.”

Raquel sputtered out anxious words,

“T-That is ridiculous, Your Highness! Of course I do not-"

Algar did not bother hearing his outraged protest.

“Before the very eyes of this entire court, our dear Minister has admitted to thinking about treason. Therefore, in accordance with the law of this land, I sentence him to death.”

Ignoring the horrified gasps echoing around him, Algar pulled out the dagger he tucked in the waistband of his robe, and sliced the man’s throat open, revelling in the feel of warm blood splashing across his face.

There passed another moment of muddled exclamations, interrupted by the agonised gurgling of the blood gushing out of Raquel’s slit throat.

Algar looked at the man at his feet with a chilling disinterest, savouring the moment the light vanished from his eyes. When the body’s convulsions stopped, Algar faced the harrowed gathering with a dispassionate face.

“And his sentence was delivered. Now, I will be pleased to listen to some more of your wise cousel. Do come forward with your suggestions, or disapprovals. And please don’t mind the unsightly mess; I’ll have the guards clean this later.”

Suffice to say, there was not a single squeak heard in the court after that.
______________________________________

It all seemed like a nightmare- one she could never wake from.

The elaborate decorations, the crowd and the music- all seemed to mock her.
The dress- one that Zaryna insisted was sewn from threads of silver and gold, felt like a cage restricting her body.

She could feel the disapproving glances of the people in the hall, their judgement boring through her skin.
But she could not care less.

Rayna knew she had no other choice than to accept this as her fate. She knew it the moment she had felt her life hanging precariously by the thread- the thread that Algar held in his hands.

She had deeply underestimated the boy- time and again.
She should have been more careful with him. She should have not have forgotten what he was capable of doing. Nevertheless, that was the last time she would ever make that mistake.

So, she masked all her hatred for the man, and smiled in a way fit for a bride.

She smiled in the way she had smiled for Gillian…

What would Gillian think when he learnt of this?
Will he be angry? Sad?
Or will he be relieved to be finally rid of her?

She wanted to believe it won’t be the latter case; but she had long stopped depending on her beliefs.

Here she was- a married woman, about to pledge herself to another.

These customs were alien to her. They were nothing like those of her land.
Did they matter?

She was married to another. They had pledged their souls to each other.
Did their vows not amount to anything?
Will she be punished for the sin she was about to commit?

She recalled her wedding; recalled the way her heart had soared with elation when she was bound to Gillian for eternity.
His wife. His woman. The words had felt like the sweetest melody to her ears.
After all she had done to have him for herself!

She had been so happy….so naïve.

If only she had known what was in store for her.
If only she had know that loving him will bring her nothing but ruin.

If only….
______________________________________

Algar beamed as he took in Rayna’s appearance.

She looked akin to an angel. The dress, one he had employed the finest craftsmen of the Kingdom for, looked splendid on her.

The shimmering fabric, flowing elegantly down her figure, conspicuously highlighted the curve of her ripe womb.
He kept his palm against it- proudly displaying it to everyone present; and challenging them to voice their objections.

He knew the ministers were much against his decision. They made it aptly clear at the court-meeting he had held a week before.
They had made clear, their disapproval of his marriage to Rayna. In a deftly-restrained tone, they had informed him of the folly he was supposedly committing.
There had been an unappetising incident, but it had been unavoidable.

Had he not laid down an example, the men would have been impudent enough to voice their disapprovals.

Walder had been especially anxious since then, insisting that this was the silence before the storm. He was deeply troubled at the prospect of the ministers, turning against Algar.

Not that Algar was going to pay heed to such petty issues.
What did it matter to him, if they were unhappy with his decision?

He was the King. They had no other option, but to obey him.

He wasn’t going to let their pestering actions, dampen his mood. It was his wedding, and he held his breath-taking wife in his arms, her womb ripe with child- his child.

He could sense her stiffness, likely the result of the fiasco of a few days ago.

He already regretted letting his temper rule him to that extent; but she needed to learn that lesson. She needed to understand that though he was showing her much leniency, she should never forget her place.

Yet, he realised that he had been too harsh.
He could have hurt her- and the thought unsettled him.

It still surprised him- his inability to cause her pain. He had never once regretted hurting someone; but for some inexplicable reason, he did not like seeing her in pain.

If anything had happened to the child, he would have been deeply distressed.
The realisation that he was getting increasingly fond of her, troubled him.
The need to possess her, expanded every second.

And it was finally the time to make her his for eternity. His to claim. His to own.
Till death and beyond.
______________________________________

Rayan stiffened the moment Algar stroked the tender skin of her neck.

Zaryna had tried hard to mask the print of his hands, much in vain. The bruise had dulled to a light shade of red, but it was still very much visible.

“You shouldn’t have made me angry.”

His words, surprisingly soft, caused her to grit her teeth.

“I am sorry for my impertinence, My King. I will take care henceforth.”

Rayna had realised her mistake, and vowed never to repeat it again.
Algar wanted her subservient and agreeable, and he will be getting just that. Anything else, was a risk she wasn’t willing to take.

“See…wasn’t so hard, was it? That is what a good wife should be like. Now, this is our first night as a married couple. And I intend to make consummate use of it.
Face me with a smile, and all your mistakes will be forgotten.”

Rayna’s eyes burned with indignation as she turned to face him in the glow of the candlelight. She wanted to lash out- to shout and scream; instead, she schooled her expression to that of an eager lover.

“Hell, you’re beautiful.”

She smiled with hollow eyes as he lowered his face to hers.

Hope.
She needed hope. And she needed it now.

______________________________________

Author's Note-

Hello to all my wonderful readers!

So, did you all expect Algar to go through with the wedding?

So near the end. 🌸

Here's a cool gif to enjoy in the meantime-

Till the next time 👋🏼