Word Count: 1998

I stare at my desk, laden with items.

First, I eye Tai's attempt at an apology. A blank book, with a variety of pencils, coloured and not, accompanied with a few other bits of stationary. All of this is vaguely familiar, but not something I've dabbled deeply into. He knows I have no skills, so I'm assuming this is his way of giving me the option to experiment.

I'm not going to pretend like it doesn't pique my interest. Later.

Next, I pick up a letter folded neatly for me, the morning sun casting a vivid light upon it. Warmth blooms within me. I know who this is from.

Akara

I'm glad you're safe and okay. Ms. Grier isn't the happiest you left in the night, but I'm just glad you're alive.

You and the Hunter left at the same time, did you know that?

Anyways, if your job is so good, and you're working for a King, then I want one! Write back to me, I want to get away from this cold place, I'm sick of blizzards.

Jessa.

Setting the note down, I consider how I'm going to approach Tai with this. I shouldn't be dragging Jessa into this terrible world, but as a staff member, she will likely fly under the radar. And having a friend here would a relief, until I can get out of here.

I flinch as the door suddenly bursts open behind me.

Twisting in my seat, I see Vaia saunter in, looking around my room with mild disgust. Her dark coffee coloured hair is twisted around her head today in a style she unlikely executed herself, the strands glimmering under the morning sun which drifts through my window. Today she is adorned in a cobalt velvet dress which traces her lithe figure neatly.

"I sent away the girl who came to tend you," she mutters flippantly, casting herself upon my bed comfortably, as if she owns it.

She likely does.

"Okay..."

"I wanted to talk to you," she says, examining her manicured nails as if they are more important than me. "Her message was simply that Taius wants to speak with you, but he can wait."

Of course he wants to speak to me; I'm almost glad Vaia sent the girl away, even if that means I have to deal with her and her unpredictable manner.

"I helped you with Marek, Vaia. What else do you want?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you that I did talk to him, and he's even more handsome up close," she gushes. She mustn't have any girl friends if she is confiding in me, who is the last person who wants to hear this, especially after last night. I haven't thought too much into what it meant, and why I felt that way.

I stay in my seat, afraid that if I get any closer she might balk. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I already know you're going to say no, but I was wondering if you could try get me a date with him," she wonders. The hopefulness in her verdant green eyes is sad, really. Marek didn't seem too interested in exploring a romantic relationship with Vaia, especially since him and I are planning to escape.

Does she know what Tai did to him?

"A date? He works for Tai, why don't you just ask him?" I want as little to do with this as possible.

"Tai would kill me if he thought I was trying to sleep with his staff, and I'm afraid Marek would say no. I feel like he would listen to you if you made me sound good," she replies. The stretches of logic she needs to achieve in order to feed her agenda is impressive.

However, her desperation could feed mine. "What do I get out of this?"

Vaia's mouth twists as she consider it. This deal with her could not only keep me a few steps ahead of the King, but maybe even get me out of here.

"Anything you want...my jewellery, my clothing, anything," she shrugs wistfully, lounging back on the bed as she stretches a long leg out, her silver heel glistening in the light. I've never been interested in material wealth and extravagance, which I wouldn't share with Vaia at the risk it would offend her.

"I want your freedom," I say firmly.

Vaia sits up, eyes darkening as her gaze sweeps over me, not expecting that to be my response. Is she aware that I'm basically a prisoner in this beautiful estate? I'm still struggling to see what her position is within this place, but it unlikely involves as much power as Taius has.

Vaia glances toward the door to ensure it's closed. "Don't tell Tai this, but often times I go to the nearby town by myself. I know exactly how to get there without being seen."

Perfect.

"I want in on that."

"Deal then. But the town is still within his guard. If you leave his exterior perimeter, he will find out, and bring you right back," she comments firmly, getting to her feet as she fiddles with rings adorned with crystals and diamonds.

"Thanks for the warning," I say. And I mean it.

****

I agree to meet Tai at the entrance to his Eastern garden, where Marek and I were just last night. However, we veer from it as he leads me instead down a rutted track toward an open meadow, where in the distance it is lined with a dark setting of familiar Jade Province trees. He must have created this meadow himself, as this is hardly a common sight here.

I'm not surprised to see he has laid out a picnic blanket amidst a choir of fragrant blooms which dot the meadow haphazardly. This is his way of apologising.

"I will forgive you, if you allow my friend Jessa, who is in need of a job, a position to work here," I say, breaking the very awkward silence we had been sharing since I said my first hesitant greeting earlier.

Tai looks down at me with raised brows, the caramel tinted sunlight shifting across his ebony hair, alighting the strands in a unique colour.

"That's it? That's all it takes?"

"It's a good place to start," I say with a shrug. Tai has no reason to treat Jessa any different to how he does with the rest of his staff, which so far appears to be fair and respectful. "But she must be paid fair, and well. She must live here too, and tend to me as her full time job."

Tai's smile is warm and soft, eyes glowing. "I will pay her better than any job she has had, she can sleep with the other servant girls, and will tend to you as you wish."

Releasing a sigh, I can't help but share his smile. If one person can benefit from this, I'm glad it will be Jessa. I don't know much about her, but she helped me feel comfortable at the inn almost immediately.

"Thank you," I say honestly.

The blanket is wonderfully soft beneath me as I settle down, admiring the vivid colours of the flowers around, tempted to tug at one and bring it back to my room. I'm not forgiving Tai, however, this is a nice outing. For a moment, it almost feels as though I'm free, to leave and to never come back.

"You make the demands of a Princess. It suits you," Tai notices, nudging me playfully with his elbow. He looks so much less like a King in the midday sunlight, the golden glow to his skin and hair representing the more youthful, careless side of him that is a contrast to the cold, impassive King I met last night.

"I need company...female company, that isn't your sister," I tell him pointedly, lounging back on the blanket. I doubt he will be surprised his sister's company doesn't suit me.

Looking up at him, I notice the way he is looking at me, the corner of his lips turned up, eyes sweeping over me.

I narrow my eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just can't believe you came into my court, made me favour you, and now you're making demands like you're my wife," he comments warmly.

It takes all of my self control not to flinch. Wife. It's such a daunting word coming from his mouth, as being his wife would mean being a Queen...It would mean so much more than that. Loving him would be impossible, right? Anyone could look at him at face value and see a beautiful, desirable man, until they dig into the dark politics that surround his lifestyle.

"I didn't have much choice," I remind him. If I'm not bold and don't make demands, I'll never get out of here.

Tai loosens a breath, resting back with me, the sleeves of his tunic bunching around his elbows. "Of course not. Sometimes I forget that you're not exactly here by choice."

I don't have a chance to respond, as both our gazes fall to a figure emerging from the line of trees in the distance. It takes a moment of squinting against the gold-white streaks of sun to realise who is approaching.

Marek. Of course.

Tai stills next to me, noticing something I don't from here. And then it hits me, that Marek isn't approaching to join us in the meadow, but has a more malicious reason in mind. As he comes closer, it becomes very apparent that he has something large draped over his shoulders; likely a common animal.

"What the hell is he doing?" Tai growls, bracing himself up on his knees. He must have broken off from his hunting group, coming here to...what is he doing? Likely here to make a scene, or to perhaps get back at Tai for last night. Just don't do anything stupid.

The closer he gets, the more my stomach sinks. Rivets of blood run down from the animal's wound, trailing down the lines of exposed muscle on his arms. Even his grey tunic has soaked patches of blood upon it, matching the smears of it on the lower part of his neck and chin.

No words are spoken as he stops right before us. He doesn't need to, we all know why he is here, and what he is doing. He's making a point, in a hideous spectacle of sweet revenge.

I'm on my feet in a moment, anticipating what he is about to do. Tai remains sitting down, refusing to move for the Hunter, who has promptly done his job in the most disturbing way possible.

As I predicted, he dumps the dead animal before Tai, it's grey hide streaked with blood, it's death swift, likely originally planned for a King's dinner by the hunting group. Maybe it's a metaphor, to suggest Marek's disgust toward last nights happenings, the reality of dining with Nobility and Royalty, and to induce a visceral reaction.

Or maybe I'm just looking too deeply into this.

Marek doesn't even look at me, as if to not involve me in what is going on between him and Tai. The King doesn't acknowledge the dead animal before him, only inches away from his lap.

"Have a good day," Marek mutters, shaking blood from his fingertips as he turns away, triumphant in knowing Tai isn't going to punish him.

💗••💗

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 (:

Instagram: Sophie_Midika

~Midika 💜🐼