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"Impossible! I won't do it! " Kashara cried out. Fallon smoothly got up from the chair he was reclining on and towered over her.

"You will, from now onwards reside here, in Atil  (their spaceship and current 'palace')  until we take off from Erth. I will not allow you to put your safety in jeopardy...or try to run away." Fallon retorted shrewdly.

"I don't even want to marry you! Don't act as if I have accepted!"

"There is nothing to accept. No question. No answer. I don't need it! You're marrying me. End of discussion." Fallon retorted patronisingly.

"Well, me too! No question! I'm not!" Kashara pronounced and turned to exit the room but Fallon caught her wrist and twisted it behind her back.

Kashara cried out in pain and protest, but Fallon simply pulled her closer. He was using a bit of heat in his hands, this made her wrist sting even more.

He bent down until he was level with her ear and whispered, "Listen Princess, don't get any romantic ideas about this, I'm doing this because you hate the protector. I don't need an spy or undercover agent in my planet, and you are the only option. If you are nursing any ideas about me doing this because I desire you or something, forget it! I don't care about you or your welfare. The only think I care about is my Planet. Unfortunately, I need a mage as my queen to save it, so you are coming with me! You can fight!, but-"

His voice had slowly risen, fraught with emotion and anger however it suddenly dropped into a low throaty whisper, that made Kashara shudder.

"-but you won't win. And believe me when I say I will enjoy it"

He proved his point by twisting and burning Kashara's wrist further. Kashara protested with a cry and Fallon released her hand, satisfied that Kashara believed him.

Kashara did believe him. She rubbed her hand over her poor tortured wrist, soothing it with a bit of healing charm as soon as he released her hand and stepped away from her. She needed no convincing on the fact that he was an innate sadist.

'Sadistic bastard!' she thought furiously repressing a shiver that threatened to slip out, and moved away from him. She collapsed on the bed in that room and let out an sigh of relief as she heard Fallon exit the room. Confusion and questions swirled in her mind like a snowstorm. The pain, anger and all other emotions would come later.

For now Kashara was overwhelmed by exhaustion and fatigue. Fallon had dragged her here immediately after the ball and she had just spent half the night arguing and being tortured. It was almost dawn, but Kashara closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. She needed to rest before she could think properly about what she could do now.

'Sleep then scheme...and try not to be tempted by Fallon, even though..... his whispering was extremely distracting and persuasive and close proximity...'

Kashara didn't get to rest, even her dreams were plagued by a black crow who had a disconcerting habit of swooping down to her ear and whispering ...something....

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This chapter was especially hard because of their interactions. I didn't want a cliché romance scene where hero threatens her and she feels like she has no option but to marry him. I wanted to make it original and fresh. Something with a flavour of both their characters...the persuasion was even harder...I didn't want to write Fallon simply blackmail Kashara using her friends or her brother (which was what I wrote initially-the shame). So now its more Fallon-y ( notice what I did there? fallon-y; felony :) )

Besides, if you read Fallon's charac more closely, he is an total nationalist, or rather cares much about his planet. Kashara on the other hand is the opposite actually. (can u blame her with Lord Protector as her leader?) so this is a KEY POINT IN PLOT and I think it would be cool if u kept this in mind when reading the story. Thanks for reading and please commoenttt!!! and vote :):):)