Word Count: 2144

Tai pulls the curtain back, glancing through before closing it again.

Beyond, people chatter, seated as they await the beginning of the ceremony. The nerves in my stomach accompany the sound of their unbothered voices, knowing that I'm going to have to step out there soon and exchange vows with Tai, and then kiss him in front of all those people.

"Don't be nervous," he murmurs, turning back to look at me. Mercifully, Tai has ordered the seamstresses to keep my dress as minimal as possible. The fabric and beading is still decadent and soft, the veil I've pulled behind me is beautifully sheer, hanging off a small crown glittering with silver jewels. This wedding isn't about the show, but about the substance, about what a union will mean for his kingdom.

Tai has easily slid back into his King facade, opting for both his rings and a crown, which sits magnificently atop his perfectly shaped curls. His jacket is black, the shirt white, looking simple yet regal. The perfect groom, to be the perfect husband. As my eyes glide over him, I think of all the girls who silently dream to be lucky enough to marry him, or to even be in his presence for a moment...And here I am, the one he has chosen.

Surprisingly, the idea of him having been able to chose anyone for this position haunts me, as I am nothing but a space filler. I just happened into this due to our very bizarre circumstance.

"Who are all these people?" I ask, glancing through a crack in the curtain, seeing magnificently dressed people sitting a top white benches decorated in bunches of white flowers, and lavender ribbons.

"People who need to see this," Tai replies. "They are all wealthy and have so much time on their hands they will not struggle to gossip and spread the news about this wedding."

That's the whole point, yet it bothers me. Jessa is my only friend here.

"We have to appear like me love each other, don't we," I mutter, trying not to think about being on the alter with him, hands linked, sharing words that are meant to have a deeper meaning than the will. I'll just have to concentrate on the fact that I respect Tai, that I want this wedding because I care about him.

Tai looks solemn, realising the enormity of what he is asking to do. "It's not too late to change your mind Akara. Don't feel like you have to do this."

"We are helping each other. This isn't forever. Everything will be fine," I assure him, although my breath quivers with nerves. I reach forward to grab his hands, letting the warmth quell my fluttering heartbeat. I have to remember that Tai is my friend, when I'm out there, and that I can trust him.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he murmurs, the intensity of his gaze unrelenting, meaning every word. "I'm so lucky to be marrying you, regardless of why."

My smile is genuine as I motion over him. "You don't look so bad yourself, King."

Instead of replying his attention shifts to outside of the curtain, nodding at someone through the gap. It's time, I realise, for the ceremony to commence. It's a terrifying reality, but one I can't escape from anymore.

"I suppose I will see you out there," Tai murmurs, smiling at me one last time, before he slips through the curtain, the thick material rippling tauntingly.

I wait in position until I'm summoned by the sound of sweet piano music, a women pulling the curtain back for me to step through, revealing the grand room full of people, the stained glass windows casting tinted sunlight across the floor, across the faces of strangers who watch me walk, examining me with careful precision, looking for anything out of place.

To them, I look like any other commoner, who just happened upon this lucky position. It's a story to inspire all those in nearby villages, to create a bond between the King and his people. In sit right in the middle of that bond, holding the two ends together.

Pressing my shoulders back, I stare straight ahead at the alter, where Tai and officiant wait beneath a pretty wooden arch painted white, flowers threaded through with lavender ribbons. The weight of the guests eyes are heavy, as I step carefully onto the alter, facing Tai, who immediately grabs a hold of my hands. Feeling his touch allows me to breathe in deeply, to finally calm down.

The officiant begins his speech, making us exchange very basic vows to appease the crowd.

"Will you take the King's hand, and pledge yourself loyal to not only him, but to his crown, which you will share as rulers of his territory?" the officiant questions, holding his book against his arms, his milky, aged eyes glazing over me.

I don't hesitate. "Yes, I do."

He turns to Tai. "Will you take this lady's hand-"

Before he gets a chance to fully address Tai, a figure stalks into the room through an alternative doorway, battling off a guard before striding through the stands, right past mortified guests legs before stopping right in the centre of the aisle. It doesn't take me more than a glance to know it's Marek, dressed in the exact same attire as last night.

"Stop, I have something to say," he exclaims, breath rushed as he wipes his sleeve over his mouth. His eyes are wild, hair all over the place as he looks over me, and then Tai, a feral sense of anger passing over him.

"Get out of here Hunter. This has nothing to do with you," Tai growls immediately.

"I won't let you marry her...I refuse," he demands, taking a step forward, but no more, as guards threaten to approach. Tai puts his hands out, stopping them from attacking him, knowing there is more to this that needs to be addressed.

I press my hand against Tai's chest, ignoring the blatant stares from the guests. "I'll talk to him."

He doesn't stop me, as I step down from the alter, brushing past Marek and behind the curtain again, knowing he is following me. The moment I disappear around the curtain, murmurs start up, forcing me out of the grand room entirely, finding myself standing in the foyer before Marek.

"Marek, what were you thinking?" I hiss, my hands digging into the fabric of my wedding dress, trying to reign in my anger, my cheeks already brightly flushed beneath my makeup from the embarrassment.

"I couldn't let you go through with this."

"It's not up to you to decide what I do."

You think I ask for this? You think I wanted this?" he questions, throwing his hands up as if any of this makes sense. He could have told me this last night, not walked straight into the wedding to ruin it. Now I'm so shaken I don't know if I will be able to walk back out there, which is exactly what he wants. He knows I'm not marrying Tai for love...Why is he doing this?

"I don't know what you want," I say breathlessly, unsure of why he felt like he had to do this, to embarrass me in front of everyone.

"I have to watch you with him, marry him to save people you care about. You shouldn't have to do that," he practically pleads. I blink, a haze over my mind as I comprehend the reality of what he is doing, what he has done.

"I don't have to. It's my choice."

"You're marrying this guy to give me a better chance at life. You want me to leave, to have freedom. Why?" he questions, so expression, tone and eyes so full of emotion it's impossible to read. I've never seen him like this, even when Tai died right in front of us, and his one chance to rid of his powers was whisked away.

I swallow, although it hurts, hating the way he is looking at me just because I want him to be free, to be safe. "Because I care about you, and you deserve it."

"I don't want that from him, I don't want that from his order. He's got everything I want," he breathes, looking toward the grand room as if Tai is going to walk out here and interrupt us, but I know he won't. I tried to get Marek to leave, to send him away...

"Like what? He hates his life here as the King."

"He's marrying you," Marek reminds me, taking a step toward me, but I match it back, nearly tumbling over the folds of the dress. I'm afraid of what he may do if he gets to close, what it may do to my mind. "Do you have any idea the things I would give up..."

"I'm trying to give you a chance at life, just like you said. Is that not enough?" I ask desperately. When I think about him living a better life, it pulls at my heart, but I want him to be happy, even if it's without me.

"I refuse to leave you here. I refuse to leave and not be here for however long it would take for you to realise you don't want this life," Marek demands, not bothered by those filing out of the room, looking at us as if we are insane. As far as they know, Tai is my true lover, and the marriage isn't arranged. If anything is going to change their mind, it's this.

"I'm not with him like that, if that's why you're-"

Marek suddenly grabs a hold of my wrists, the lace fabric clutched in his fingers. "Run away with me. To the mountains, where we can be free, live a humble and good life."

"I can't. My family need the money he sends them, and I need to make sure that I'm safe. Tai can give me that," I tell him, knowing he already knows this, even if it means nothing to him.

His expression falters. "And I can't."

"You can give me a lot. But not what I need right now," I tell him softly, seeing the hurt in his eyes, the way he considers that. He has no idea how he makes me feel, and I'm unable to put it into adequate words.

"I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to want you this desperately," he mutters, delving his hands into his hair.

"You should never have kidnapped me."

"Had I known that this would happen, I never would," he admits. I know what he means by that - not that eh wishes he never met me, but that he wishes I didn't have to live this reality. But if I didn't, my father would still be at war, the Beast would still be killing people, and my family would have no money. "You deserve better than me, but not to be with him."

"Tai and I have an understanding. We aren't involved like that," I assure him. Despite the strange connection that has grown over the past few weeks, we aren't romantically involved. I'm willing to wait for Marek in that department.

"Do you not see the way he looks at you? It would take one word for him...I don't even want to think about it," he mutters, letting go of me to twist around, taking a moment to face me again, still looking distraught, broken.

Suddenly I'm hyper-aware of the crowd growing around us, the wedding officially called off for the day. Every watches us, the gossip they will carry with them potentially more damaging to the entire point of the wedding.

"You need to go Marek," I mutter in a hushed voice.

"Put the wedding off tonight. And stay in your room," he tells me firmly, suddenly no longer flustered or distraught. A darkness has settled over his expression, his eyes.

I frown, not expecting him to say anything like that. "Are you warning me?"

He doesn't reply, giving me a lasting look before turning away, walking into the crowd, leaving me with an endless stream of questions.

🧡••🧡

So KING'S POSSESSION is now completed on Radish! The sequel, KING'S SEDUCTION is now up and available to view.

Do no, and I cannot stress this enough, read King's Seduction without completing this novel. It will spoil everything!!

🐼••🐼

I'm officially rewriting Alpha Jasper's story now on Radish! It will be following the same storyline with the same characters, but with revised scenes and some new ones!

I love Jasper's story so much that I wanted to go back and rewrite it. I hope you guys will enjoy it, you can find it now on Radish (:

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~Midika 💜🐼