Word Count: 1921

Jessa.

I'm writing to let you know I'm safe. I have no doubt me leaving abruptly in the night troubled you, but know everything is okay.

I have a job now, a better one. You'll never believe it, but I'm working for a King. I wish you and Fran could get a job too. I miss you two. Anyways, I hope you're doing well, and if you wish to write back, then send it to this address.

Akara.

I set the pen down, mulling over my words.

I spent only a week and a half with Jessa and Fran, and already, there's a hollow space in my stomach left behind in their wake. It's hardly as strong as the dull ache that persists through my daily life as I think about my mother, my old life I may never get back. Perhaps my connection to the girls is due to them being apart of my first experience in my new life, away from home.

All I know, is it felt right to have this written down, even if I can't convince Tai to allow me to send it. It feels to easy to broach the subject of speaking to my mother, especially with the Noble's arriving.

Suddenly, my door bursts open, making me flinch.

Tai walks in, crimson tinting his cheeks, dark strands wildly mussed around his forehead. I stumble back a few steps, thankful I'm decent, yet still taken aback by his sudden intrusion. My mind tumbles into dark places, as I consider the likelihood of Tai coming to finally make me his mistress.

"Taius...what are you doing in my room?" I question anxiously, fingers fidgeting with my necklace out of nervous habit.

"The Nobles have arrived," he says breathlessly, laying a palm over his chest. My breath hitches, not expecting their arrival to be so prompt. Tai only received notice that they were to visit a few days ago.

"Your fathers friends?" I query.

Tai pinches between his brow. "Yes. They are here to ensure everything is running how it should."

I loosen a stressed breath. It was always evident that Tai's life is far beyond what I could ever imagine, or handle myself. Dealing with Noble's, who Tai is not a fan of, does not sound fun, nor easy, so I can't say I'm envious of his position.

"And you came to my room?" I test, unsure of what brought him here, when he should be dealing with them.

He brushes past me, his scent of earth and sandalwood making me shiver. "I needed a moment to think."

Looking out into the hallway, I quickly close the door, concealing us inside and away from prying, gossiping workers who roam silently through the manor. It may not mean anything, but the last thing I want is for people to start speculating about the King coming to my room. I want to get out of here with as little of a trail following me as possible.

"You're the King, you don't need to fear anyone," I remind him, turning around to see him sitting upon my bed, looking wistfully out the window, as if he is considering getting up and leaving himself.

"I don't fear them, I fear my father," he explains, raking a hand back through his hair. I watch the way it falls perfectly across forehead and ears, the evening sunset tinting it with a rusty reflection. "Everything I say to them gets fed back to him. One wrong move and he will come here himself."

Two King's? I don't think I could deal with that.

"If he wanted to come, he would come. These men he's sending are just a formality," I say in way of comfort, unsure of whether any of it resonates with him. I wonder if I should sit next to him, create some proximity, but I quickly decide against it. I don't owe him anything.

Tai frowns, eyes widening. "Men? They are women. Powerful, poisonous women. They bleed me dry every time they come here, it ruins me for a week."

"Just be nice, I guess," I advise meekly.

"Nice? I don't think they know what nice means." Tai puts his head in his hands, not emerging until I clear my throat. When I meet Tai, he seemed to be overly confident and sure of himself, which is now being torn apart by the threat of these women.

"Taius," I say steadily. "You're the King. You should go down and speak with them. They are your guests."

"You must come with me, but they must think you're my mistress, not some prisoner I'm allowing to walk around my estate. If my father even thought that..." he breaks off, that pained expression saying more than his words ever could.

He's telling me to be what a mistress should be at an event like this. I should be by his side, but not on an equal level. I must remain silent, not noticeable, there for the King and nothing else. To the Noble's I will not have a name, a family or a back story; I will be nothing to them, which is fine by me.

I look down at my fingers, which tremble slightly. "Okay. I guess I can do that."

"Let me explain who these Noble women are. Obviously you won't talk to them, but knowing who they are might help explain their odd behaviour," Tai offers. I nod, curious but also slightly reluctant. I don't want to be involved in this world any more than I have to, which includes knowing anything about these Nobles.

I sigh. "Go ahead."

"There's Nesrin. She's the blonde one, who always has a sour expression on her face that could suck out your soul. She's always serious, never smiles; I don't know what my father sees in her," Tai mutters, his erratic hand movements casting shadows across my bedspread.

Does his father have a relationship with her? It's a question I want to ask, but it gets caught in my throat before it can reach my lips. Tai hasn't mentioned anything about a mother, a Queen. Right now may not be the best time to bring it up.

"Gotcha."

"Evolet is the loud one, with dark hair, always saying the inappropriate things, trying to seduce me. She doesn't like dealing with my fathers business, and especially not me. And when she's bored, she acts like the devil," he vents. I don't like the sound of Evolet already.

"Sounds...intimidating."

Tai gets to his feet, turning back to look at me. "And then there's Nakoa, the least threatening. She has the red hair, always quiet, hardly speaks. But he stare is just so creepy."

"Well, I suppose it's not much use talking about them. Maybe we should go downstairs...?" I offer.

Tai loosens a breath, reaching out for my hand. Once I go downstairs with him, there is no turning back around if I get uncomfortable. If I do that, they will know I have a place here that isn't by Tai's side or in his bed. Just thinking that makes me shiver...will they look at me and wonder what our relationship as King and Mistress is behind closed doors?

Taking his hand, I let him lead me downstairs, lowering my gaze to the floor in submission. I hate this role. It makes me cheeks heat shamefully, my better judgment cursing me for doing this so willingly.

Entering the foyer, a group of three people standing by the door settle their attention upon us. Immediately I can decipher who these Noble's are from Tai's descriptions.

"Ladies, how was your trip?" Tai announces , exuding the same confidence he had when I first arrived. The King façade has fallen over him, ready to fool these Noble's into thinking he is the one in control.

Instead of focusing on Tai who is speaking, all eyes fall upon me, drinking in the sight of a meek girl holding the King's hand. I'm struck by the pure, raw power of these women standing before me, adorned in pure luxury and wealth. They regard me with a mixture of curiosity and disgust, like the sight of a mistress is hardly worth acknowledging. They don't need to. They know what I am.

"Fine. I see this place hasn't changed a bit," one of them mutters tiredly, looking around the magnificent atrium as if it isn't a spectacle to behold.

This must be Evolet.

She's more beautiful than I could ever imagine. The curvilinear form of her black dress eventuates her shapely body that anyone, including me, would envy. From that, and the purposeful sweep of a décolleté neckline that shows seductive amounts of collarbone and the very top of her breasts, I'm surprised Tai is bothered by her advances.

She's likely Scarlet Province born, with sultry features and golden skin, violet eyes sharper than shards of ice. All of these women are far taller than me also, bred from powerful, strong lineage that surely includes magic somewhere.

Tai doesn't even look at Evolet, dismissing her with a single glance, not giving her a single opportunity to avert his attention.

"Nesrin, can't say I missed you," he says, instead focusing on a slender blonde, appearing nearly a decade older than the other two Noble's, yet just as beautiful. She has the direct link to Tai's father, which means she is the most important for him to address.

A white cashmere scarf is wrapped loosely around her neck, covering the neckline to a very simple baby blue dress that clings mercilessly to her body. If she's cold enough to wear a scarf, she must be of Golden Province origin, although that was obvious from her golden hair she has pulled from her face, and eyes a pure atlantic blue.

"Thankfully you don't have to have missed me for me to be here. Your father wants to ensure everything is going well," she comments, raising her brows.

My eyes flicker to the one Noble who doesn't speak, determining that this is Nakoa. She is devastatingly beautiful too, which seems to be a common trend between them. Despite her vibrant red hair that sweeps down in gentle curls to her mid-section, and beautiful navy gown, it's her eyes that intimidate me the most. They dig achingly into me, making me shudder at the intensity.

"Everything here is fine. I don't want any dramatics," Tai remarks, as if that would be enough to send them on their way. Evolet rolls her eyes, the more youthful of the three.

"Well too bad, because I'm hungry," she drawls, brushing past us. The way she walks alone is enough to have Tai's gaze following her, as she offers a wink. "Come entertain me, King."

They know what to do, where to go. This isn't their first interaction.

Tai gives me a lasting look before nodding at me to follow toward the dining room, where I have no doubt this night will only get more eventful.

🤎••🤎

If you guys want to read ahead, you can read more of KING'S POSSESSION on Radish! It's chapters ahead of Wattpad (:

🧸••🧸

I'm officially rewriting Alpha Jasper's story now on Radiah! 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 💜🐼