Hey everyone, how are you today?

I am so sorry for not updating in so long...to be honest I really haven't be up to writing recently. A family member I loved very dearly passed away not long ago,  and I've just finished school so I've been trying to balance a lot of things. 

Hopefully,  there will be more updates very soon, probably later this week. 

On a lighter note, Thank you guys so so so much for 100K+ reads, I cried when I saw that we had reached this amazing goal. And also, thank you so so much for 3.3K followers! I never thought I'd achieve these goals. 

ALSO PEOPLE I HAVE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! I am entering this story in "The Wattys 2017" so please please please give Unmarked some love! 

Please vote, comment and share. 

Remember to be good to each other! 

Bye  

Word Count: 1540

Chapter Fourteen:

"Why is the girl not dead?" The booming voice shot icicles through the chilly air of the throne room. Not only was it cold, but it was freezing. To the point where the soldiers were shivering in their boots. 

The throne room had overseen more than eight-hundred monarchs, each from the same line of men, who found their true mates and settled to create the next king.  The Queen cannot physically bare females, which was ideal when Aldmist began. There is no explanation for this, but none of the queens had ever had a girl, nor did most want a girl. The king wanted a boy to take over his throne, and to most men in the royal family, women were small, delicate objects. It was a strange feat, for women not to bare girls, something probably created by Fate himself. 

"The Crowned Prince, sir,  he was in the way.  I told my men to back off, in fear of killing the future king." The head marksman stood in front of the King's throne, his eyes leveled at the kings feet, embarrassment evident on his features. He was a tall, well-built, simple minded man, who quivered at any sign of authority. It was the way most  Royal Guards were taught, "Bow to your superiors and make yourself inferior." 

The King, looking livid, his face burning a beet red, and his hands clutching his cepter so tightly his knuckles were white, stood from his seat on the throne, and took a step towards the fearful Marksman. "What did I tell you?" The King hissed, his eyes narrowing as he looked over all the skilled archers standing in the room, their quivers and bows hanging from their backs. 

"K-Kill The Crowned Prince if we have too..." The head marksman lowered his head, fear swelling inside him. He knew the king would kill him if he had done something against the crown - which he had. 

"And did you?" The King said quietly, stepping closer to the shaking man. Without a word on his tongue, the man shook his head, his shoulders slumping from their confident-looking state. 

"Exactly."

A dagger was plunged into the Head Marksman's stomach and twisted. Pain filled the poor man as he let out a soft cry. He stumbled, choked, and fell to the tiled floor, blood pooling around his now dead body. Lifeless eyes stared up the high half-sphere ceiling, the skin already paling to a sickly white. All the other men, who stood at attention behind their leader, knew this kind of death well, Poison had been on the edge of the dagger. 

"Take this as a lesson, men, you do not disobey my direct order. If I discover any of you have, or are planning to, there will not be death. You will not deserve death, but worse. Your disobedience will be punished with torture, of you and your family, who shall never see the lights of day again. Now," The king looked between the marksmen, "Who is ready to kill the girl who plagues your future king?"

---

"Love," the word was spoken barely above a whisper, a warm palm gripping my shoulder. It shook me lightly, pulling me from my slumber. "Love, wake up, you must be hungry. I have some breakfast for you." 

At the sound of breakfast, I sat up like a rocket, looking around for the elusive creature that is food. I was starving, and I could not remember when I had eaten last. My mind was in a dazed state, and the abrupt sitting up motion had made me dizzy. 

The room I sat in had the warm smell of hot syrup and coffee drifting through the air,  which made my stomach growl loudly. 

There was a light laugh from the side of the bed I was laying on, and I turned to see Prince Adrian, his mouth playing at a smirk. 

"I think you like food just a little too much." He let out a hearty laugh and handed me a plate that had food I had only wished for since I last ate. 

There was fruit, coffee and orange juice, toast, and a light pink rose on the side. 

"Yum..." I mumbled grabbing a piece of toast and shoving it into my mouth forcefully, "You've feally foutdone yourself, Adrian." I said with my mouth full. Crumbs started falling out of my mouth and I blushed in embarrassment, swallowing the toast. 

Rolling his eyes, Adrian stood  from his seat on the bed and walked towards the window. Glowing orange light shone in from the glass panels highlighting the features on Adrian's face, making his pale skin glow.  Navy blue curtains were strewn across the top of the window pane, blocking off some of the sunlight from touching the carpet below The Prince's feet.  The room we were in was entirely different from the last the two,  it was larger, and darker colors decorated the walls. White and gold accented chairs, table cloths, and a lamp on the right side of the bed. It was more of a boys room than anything, which surprised me,  had Adrian taken me to his room?  

"Prin- erm Adrian....is this Um...your room?" I awkwardly glanced up at him before looking away, embarrassed that I could be laying in my future kings bed. It was soft, unlike the uncomfortable Forgetful Foam that everyone seems to be buying. The sheets were black cotton, and seemed so delicate I feared I might rip them if I were to move.  

Adrian looked from the window towards me,  a smirk playing at his lips.  "Yes,  mate." 

I blinked, taken aback and stared at him.  I was sitting in his room. On his bed. His space. And he had just officially called me his mate. My stomach fluttered at the thought of it. 

I took a deep breath and was shocked to find that the room smelled just like him.  It was an intoxicatingly warm smell and I had to hold myself back from inhaling anymore of it. 

"Why?" I asked timidly, looking down at my suddenly forgotten food.  Adrian's footsteps were heard slowly coming closer to me until I felt his warm hand grasping my chin and tilting it up so I was looking him in the eyes. 

"Because it is not my room. It is our room, we will share this space soon enough." He took a breath,  "That is, Until I am officially crowned king and we are moved to the King Suite. We are soulmates it is destined to happen. We are destined to love each other, to know each other, physically and mentally." His green eyes stared deeply into mine, his pupils dilating as he looked at me.  

Why did he want to be with me so badly? We may be mates, people perfectly picked for one another, but it does not mean he should lust for my presence at every moment. Maybe I didn't want to be his mate?  I've been alright with not having a mate for years. I've been satisfied with the fact that no one will ever love me as deeply ad a mate would. So why now?  Why when I am properly ready for not having a mate am I suddenly thrust into the situation of finally having the missing piece of my soul? 

"Perhaps I don't want to be mates with you?" I said daringly, my eyes challenging his. Adrian looked suddenly furious, his nostrils flaring, eyes narrowing, and eyebrows furrowing. Why did i have to open my big fat mouth? 

"From the moment I met you, Jade,  everything changed. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on, and I just knew I had to get you, no matter how difficult it was.  I had to find you and make you mine. Please be mine." Adrian gave me a pleading look, before his features went back to their deathly stare. 

I feared his reaction if I told him I didn't want to be his, that the only person I belonged to was myself, but something in the back of my mind was telling me that I did want to be his and that I wanted him to be mine.  

Adrian leaned in, his lips about to touch mine. "You know you want to be mine. " His voice was deep, husky, and lustful. Butterflies danced in my stomach at his close proximity, the voice in my head screaming for me to tell him I was his and that we should slit our wrists and rub them together to begin the mating process. 

Instead, I decided to play his game. "Never," I whispered, keeping my eyes leveled with his. His eyes became a fire of green, a dragon ready to fight the armor clad challenger, taunting him with their silver sword. 

Adrian grabbed my wrists and shoved them above my head, holding them against the bed with his warm calloused palm. He delved his nose into the crook of my neck and took a slow, deep breath.  "I'll convince you to be mine," he hummed, "You'll be mine." 

With that, he pulled his head away and leveled it above my lips,

  "Forever."