Word Count: 1350

~Akara

I stare down at my hands, numb.

I can think back to many times since the rebellion that I've wanted to see Vaia suffer. Her death was something I greatly anticipated, even if sometimes my reasonable mind would tell me she should be given another chance.

She killed me, or tried to, at least. I should be celebrating his death, and yet strangely, something about it doesn't feel right.

Walking into that room...seeing that she had been killed.

Tai must have talked one of the guards into doing it. It's not surprising, since most of them hated Vaia as much as we did. It's just disturbing to know that Tai still has reach around here to get whatever he wants.

"This isn't a bad thing," Zavian says from the opposite end of the table. He was surprised when we told him about Vaia, but it was obvious from his first reaction that he wasn't entirely bothered by it.

Marek wasn't either. In fact, I swear when he stood up from checking whether Vaia was alive or not, he smiled a bit.

His problems with Vaia ran deeper than I could ever truly know.

"It just doesn't feel right," I sigh, swirling my drink around my cup. I probably shouldn't be drinking alcohol like this, but for once, I just don't want to feel what everything with Vaia has dug up.

"It's done now. We should be grateful she is out of our lives," Nakoa says sourly, picking at her nails.

"Who cares about Vaia," Marek says. "What happened to you, Akara?"

"Essentially, I was brought to the Scarlet Province by that man, Grey," I tell him, hoping to ease some of his concerns. Clearly through all of this, all he has been able to concentrate on is why I disappeared. "He found Tai's mother."

Zavian's eyes widen. "Really?"

"And I spoke to her, and she is willing to help us dismantle Tai's reign," I tell them excitedly. She's the key to unlocking whatever is inside him that made him such a way. It's what we spent the last few days talking about, as we came up with a plan that I truly believe is going to work.

Nakoa takes a long drink. "Finally, some good news."

"We need to get her a platform to speak to as many people as we can," I tell them. They need to know she is alive, they need to hear what she has to say. I genuinely think many people will be happy to see her, and will be willing to listen.

"What is she going to say?" Marek asks.

"She is the rightful heir to the throne through her marriage to Kailor. They never divorced," I tell them. She chose to run away, but that doesn't mean he's right to the throne was ever affected. And if she takes over, Tai loses all his power.

Zavian frowns, considering it. "But she isn't blood related..."

"Doesn't matter. Marriage is what is most important, at least according to what happens in the Jade Province. Hence why I've been bound to Tai for so long, but once he's no longer King, I won't be bound," I tell him, unable to contain my excitement. I just want to be away from this all, and I can't wait.

"So if she comes into power, the weapon can't be used?" Zavian asks, his mind still on what is most important.

"We have to get the location of it out of Tai so we can destroy it," I tell him grimly. That will be the most difficult part, to get him to do the right thing. It's why his mother coming in is extremely important.

"Then we kill him," Marek says, itching to get his hands around Tai's neck.

"No Marek. We don't kill him," I admonish. I think we all equally want to be the one that kills him, but it's not up to us anymore. "It will be his mother's choice."

"After everything, you're really going to let him get away with this?" Zavian questions.

I shake my head, Maria's warning echoing through my mind, reminding me that just because they are related, doesn't mean Tai's safe. "He won't be getting away with anything. He will be losing what he truly desires, which is power."

"Fine. How do we get this information out of him? About the weapon?" Nakoa questions, unnerved by the thought of having to talk to him again.

"We bring his mother to him. Who else would be able to get to him?" I say.

"You, Akara," Marek mutters darkly.

"He knows I don't love him," I admit. He made it clear in the prison cell that he knew my heart belongs to Marek, and that he now mostly holds spite toward me now. Even if he did escape, or our plan with his mother didn't work, he wouldn't want me back.

Zavian sighs tiredly. "I'll trust his mother can do this. But if she cannot, he dies."

"Trust me, she will be more than willing to do it," I promise. They all look wary, exchanging glances, but do we have any other option? Not exactly.

"Akara, can I talk to you outside?" Marek asks.

"Of course." I get up, following Marek beyond the dining room entrance, leaning against the wall. "What's wrong?"

He takes my hands in his. "I just want to tell you how much I love you. I'm glad you chose me."

I can see it in his eyes, how much he means that. My heart melts, grateful that despite everything we have been through, we are here together, right now. Nothing has been able to keep us apart, which is proof enough to me that there is no one else I'm meant to be with other than Marek.

"I've always loved you, Marek," I breathe.

"The moment this is over I'm taking you far away, and we are going to spend weeks together alone in a small cabin," he tells me firmly.

I the gleam in his eye doesn't go unmissed. "Sounds good."

"And I'm going to marry you," he announces, squeezing my hands.

I blink. "Really?"

That is the last thing I expected him to say to me right now, but it's not as if I haven't dreamt about it before. How I feel about him isn't going to change, and it would be incredible to spend forever with him.

"If you want it. I would understand if you were scarred from all your terrible marriage prospects," he says, his joking tone making me giggle, but I know his words are tinged in truth. Were I to deny him on that basis, he wouldn't be offended, and he wouldn't bring up the subject again.

I step forward. "No, I would love to marry you."

He grabs my waist, pressing me against him. "Good. But first I need those weeks alone with you. There are so many parts of your body I wish to thoroughly explore."

"I'll happily take you up on that," I murmur, standing taller to kiss him.

He holds my face between his hands, murmuring lowly. "And no man will ever hurt you again. Okay?"

I nod, holding back all the emotion that threatens to flood out as I look into those beautiful blue eyes of his.

"I'm looking forward to a relaxing life with you, Marek, but what about everyone else?" I ask gently, nodding toward the room.

"They won't need us. Zavian will rule here, like he's always wanted, and Nakoa has Clea. Those two are happy together, which Nakoa deserves more than anything," Marek says, smiling warmly. He doesn't have to like them, considering everything that has happened, but naturally, he has been nothing but gracious with them, and they have with him, too.

"She really does."

Marek slides his arm around my waist, nodding at me to walk with him. "Come on, you deserve some rest."

🖤••🖤

Remember that you can always find this story 10 chapters ahead on Radish (:

You will find it under King's Possession Season Three!!

~Midika 🐼💜