The silence that followed Onochie's question was deafening. It roared in his ears, a threatened lion, as he waited for a reply. For her reply. Perhaps he had lost his mind, but that was what she did to him. She made him take risks, to do what he had never done before and probably would have never imagined without her.

First, he'd welcomed her into his kingdom with nominal apprehension, ignoring the tiny voice of reason niggling at him, asking him to be more careful in dealing with her in case she was a spy from another village, out for his harm. The circumstances in which he found her might have been a ruse. Though, he strongly doubted this, as he was yet to meet a person who would be willing to sacrifice their life all in the name of ruining another.

Furthermore, he'd been willing to visit a woman who did not have the best relations with those around her, who feared that she was a bad omen. Onochie further remembered his reaction at receiving news of what Ifediaso had done to Ezinwanyi. His bones still rang from the hollow rage that had driven all passions aside in a thrice.

Now, here he was, speaking of the truth of his mind without trepidation. She awakened something in him. What it was, he yet had no inkling of. But it existed nonetheless. It was there, centred in his core, shimmering and shining and vibrating so violently that its warm waves echoed in him, against the walls of the cave in which his truest essence lay, hidden. She was coaxing it out gently, steadily, without hurry, and it surprised him to know that the rivulet of emotions slowly trickling into his being was gratitude.

Onochie was grateful to her, and he wanted her to know. The world be damned, he would let her know. If she'd let him kiss her, then she would understand how he felt at this moment. She would grasp the extent of the sentiments be could not put in words. But he knew her. From what he'd seen of her character, Ezinwanyi was a stoic woman who was not easily moved by outward desires as he was.

The world would have to end before she agreed to him.

"You can kiss me if you do only that; you cannot touch any part of my body without my permission, and if you meet a condition I am yet wondering how to put in words." All certainty was instantly shattered into nothing.

Onochie's eyes rounded like tangerines as he regarded the beautiful woman before him like she was a novelty. "Really?" He'd hoped she'd look favourably on his proposal, but he hadn't expected it to come true in any manner. She had given him the go-ahead as long as he kept to rules. Rules that he thought were beyond easy to heed. He still had to hear the last condition, but he would do so once he was over his delirium. "I cannot believe you said that, Ezinwanyi."

"Keep your shock to yourself, you wayward man." Ezinwanyi huffed, scowling at him. If glares could hurt, she'd probably have slashed some flesh off of him. "Why is it surprising that I agreed to be kissed when you asked me to in the first place? Do not be so bewildered. It embarrasses me."

Onochie blinked. "I am sorry. I simply did not expect a positive response from you. In fact, I half-expected that you would break my teeth in with a weapon of some sort."

"I would never hurt anyone like that."

"Indeed, I know you would not. I exaggerated what I expected to be your reply."

"You know, not only men want to have experience outside of marriage. I have no concrete hope of finding someone reputable to ask my hand in wedding to him. Thus, I shall live my life according to my will. You, Onochie, can kiss me if you meet my last condition."

Onochie's heart must have doubled in size as his blood was racing through his veins at the pace of a stallion at its max speed. The organ was beating so fast that it hurt to breathe. "What is this condition, Ezinwanyi?" He mumbled with difficulty, pained that his lips still weren't pressed against hers.

"It is one you must truthfully answer to. Will you harbour regrets if you kiss me? If yes, do not kiss me. Walk away without looking back. If no, I give you permission to take my mouth in yours."

"I do not want to think of the future, Ezinwanyi. I can deal with regret later. There is no reason why I should labour over them now. I wish to kiss you without contemplating the consequences."

"No!" Ezinwanyi snapped, and Onochie met her gaze, expecting to glimpse anger; all he saw was a mournful sadness. "I will not allow a man who is betrothed to or belongs to another to take liberties in me. That would be hurting a woman I may or may not have met, and I do not want to play a part in such evil. So, enlighten me, Onochie," she arched her elbows on her slight hips and stared at him crossly. "Do you meet any of those criteria?"

The king gulped, feeling less of a monarch or an honest man, as Ezinwanyi had thought him to be, and more of a traitorous scoundrel. How dare he chase after a woman when he had feelings for another?

It was true that he had no surety of where he stood with Ozioma at present, but it did not mean things had changed. He hadn't yet talked to her to know her sentiments about their relationship. He had not made that clean break from his commitment to her that was needed for him to be a single man, romantically yoked to no one.

"Ezinwanyi, I do not want to hurt—"

"Do not play with my intelligence, Onochie. Tell me the truth."

Onochie sighed deeply. He had no choice but to
tell her what she wished to know. It wasn't a secret in the first place. Yet, he was ashamed that his womanising habits had locked into place,  loosing his sense of judgment for far too long. It was either that or she was that prepossessing, so much so that he could not resist. But then again, he knew that was a stupid reasoning to employ. There would always be another woman prettier than the last. Was this how he would live his life out? Chasing after every person that caught his fancy?

Gods, I'm a fool. Ozioma deserved better than what he had done. He'd been faithful to her since the beginning, yet, one hitch in's their relationship, and he's gone to beg another woman for her affection. If he were to marry her or anyone else, for that matter, how fair would it be for him to gaze upon another lustfully however compelled he might be to do so? It was not right.

"Forgive me, Ezinwanyi." He dragged a palm down his face, tugging down his bottom lip with shaky fingers. "You are right. I cannot kiss you without regrets, for I have a woman." The disappointment that crashed onto her face like violent waves imprinting pain on the sands of her shore shook Onochie at his core. He'd betrayed her trust. He could tell at the wounded look that thinned her lips and edged into her soft eyes, hardening then into dark jewels.

"Why did you lead me thus far as if you would reach a destination indeed?" She queried calmly. All too so. Onochie would have expected her anger to scorch and burn him, but she stood before him no more angry than she was happy. Instead, sadness blanketed her in its folds, and it somehow caused him more grief than he would have borne if she had shown fury like he'd predicted.

"I am sorry. I thought–no, I forgot—"

"You forgot that your heart belonged to another? How does such happen, Onochie?" Now, he could detect the traces of anger beneath her hurt. He preferred it this way, that she would be piqued rather than in melancholy.

It was selfish of him to think this way, he knew. But he couldn't help it. The thought of tears springing to her eyes because of him was haunting. He noted that he could not stomach the idea any more than he could snails. Just a bite of the latter could keep him in the outhouse for hours, causing him to ban them entirely in his kitchen. Imagining her in emotional turmoil had the same effect on him.

"I am sorry. Ezinwanyi."

"So am I."

"Why would you show repentance when you have done nothing wrong?" He wondered aloud, allowing her to note his confusion.

"I am sorry because this is the end of whatever relationship we have or might have had. Our acquaintanceship is over. Do not speak to me in the future. Pretend not to have glimpsed me, for I wish to never see you again. I pray you keep your distance from me. I will not regard you as one whom I know onward.

"No, Ezinwanyi. You cannot do this." Onochie stood against her, refusing to yield to her wish. This was a worse reality than he could have dreamt up. How could she think to leave him and never again treat him as a non-existent entity? It was a decision that threatened to rend him into bits.

"I shall do what I want." She said flatly, defiance radiating off her into crossed blades that snapped at him. "Goodbye, Onochie."

"No! Please!" But her back was turned to him. He could not change her mind no matter what his best efforts were. It was her choice that mattered this time. He'd made his own by betraying her and an unknowing Ozioma. Now, it was the season for reaping the repercussions. It was what he deserved, the bitter pill he was to swallow for his transgression.

So he watched as she strode into the darkness: his eyes strained as it swallowed her up. Downcast, he remained on the ground. What need did he have to be up to return to his empty chambers where he'd rot in loneliness? With all his contemplation, there was not one feature of that expansive room, with a roof so far off it appeared to lord over him, that he found appealing. Everything paled in comparison to her.

It was as he was finally readying to rise up and trudge sluggishly to his abode that a light splitting the night's shaded curtain caught his mind. Hope instantly flared in his gut, shooting his entire system into luminous radiance as he assumed the best of what could be. She could have come back. Perhaps she was willing to have a conversation with him, one in which he would find the right words to beg her mercy, and all would be put back in their places. Could it be as he wished?

It wasn't. The one who approached was Kamalu. Onochie forced a smile to appear on his face. He couldn't be ungrateful. Though, there was no beating around the bush: he was sorely disappointed. However, Kamalu was a good face to see, one he had not glimpsed since the early evening. Onochie carefully mulled over a myriad of reasons for his visit.

The chief guard, until recently, was stationed at the main palace. However. Onochie, spurred by the events of his near successful assassination, requested that he be transferred to the queen mother's court. The powerful man would do a better service of protecting his mother than wasting away his talents at the main palace.

"Kamalu." Onochie greeted cheerfully until he detected the petite figure flanking Kamalu's larger one.

"Greetings, my king. There is someone to meet you."

There was no need to ask who it was. Onochie already knew. But the smile he would have ordinarily worn at seeing her was a frown.

"Why have you come, Ozioma?"

"My lord, please hear me out. I have an explanation for all that has happened. All that I plead of you is that you listen to my story and then judge me. You can choose to forgive me or not afterwards."

Onochie stared at that fair, angelic face, and he felt a tug on his heart's strings. She was as beautiful as the first day he set his eyes on her when his mind became made up that she was to become his; he'd onward chased her with the ferocity of an animal in mating. How could he say no to her? He could not, and he would not. If she needed him to be attentive to her pleas, then he would do just that.

He still belonged to her, body and soul. There was no other way to it. Yet, he also had to confess his sins to her. Ozioma was a woman who deserved honesty from the one who claimed to love her. If he let what happened today become a secret, then he would be nibbling at the block of their strong relationship, shaking its foundation like a quake.

"I will hear you out, Ozioma. But I also have my own tale to tell." He heaved a deep sigh as curiosity flitted onto her features. She was truly exquisite. He longed to hold her in his arms, to relish the warmth her nubile body created, but he had no right to until he let the fowl out of the bag.

"Let me hear it, my lord. I am eager to hear of it."

"Do not be so keen on gaining knowledge of it, for it is a sin I have to confess."
•
Hello, lovelies. I hope you all are well. This chapter is unedited, but I will get to editing it soon.
Also, to those who may not have noticed, my days for updating are Wednesdays and or Sundays. Cheers!