WARNING: CONTAINS A R-RATED SCENE
HALE'S POV
"What was that? What in the world were you doing on the interview, Hale? Are you okay?"
I sighed disappointedly at my luck. I couldn't even have my dinner peacefully.
So much for being the damn king.
"I don't know, Davina. But what I do know is that we both are having dinner and it would be a lot better i-"
"I don't care what you know. I want to know what the hell you were doing, Hale. It was the live television."
I licked my lips after gulping down the whiskey. I will be needing that.
I will be needing a lot more than that.
I didn't want to lift my head and have a whole staring contest with her right now.
For some reason, the heaviness on my chest just got more suffocating after the evening. Maybe it was the whole flashback.
Maybe not.
His words had lost the effect they had on me.
But I couldn't pinpoint the exact reason I felt this way.
I had a feeling that even though I was living, and I had everything, a big chunk of me was missing.
Just taken away from me.
I brushed it off, thinking it was just me missing being a healer.
"If I would have known why that happened, Vina, do you think I would have let that happen? I know it was the live television. I know what was at stake. I am not new to this, Davina."
When I didn't get a reply, I forced myself to look up.
Davina stared at me, with a flicker of hurt in her eyes.
I messed up and she didn't need to say anything for me to understand that.
"Fuck!", I whispered under my breath.
"I am sorry, Vina. It's just not been a great day for me, okay?"
She shook her head and sipped on her favorite wine.
Merlot.
She had it the first night I brought her into the palace, and has not stopped drinking it since then.
"I get it, Hale. I was just concerned. You have never choked up, that way. And I just couldn't help but worry if you were doing well. Is it the stress? Is it the ball and the new queen? What is it? I am here to listen to you. Because that's family does. And I hate that you are pushing me away."
A maid that I hadn't realized was standing behind me, came a little forward and poured some whiskey into my glass.
"Thank you!"
She bowed and went back to where she stood.
"Davina, you're my family. And you'll always be that for me. It's just that, I don't think I can do this right now. It's probably just the stress. I probably just need to sleep it off."
Thankfully she just nodded to that and we continued to have our dinner in silence. It took another ten minutes or so, for us to finish our dinner.
Once we were done with that, we both retired to our rooms. I wanted to look over some documents from the treaties I signed with Rosabella, but I was too exhausted to go over them too.
The walk back to my wing was exceptionally long today. Almost as if the length of the path was changed.
I shook my head at my stupidity and continued walking back to my chamber.
The annual ball was in three days.
It was usually in these weeks that both the empires were very tense.
One with the planning and the other, with plotting to either ruin the ball or hoping to outdo them the next year.
It first seemed very silly to me, in the beginning. But later on I understood the importance this ball held.
To the common, they were just events that raised money. But it was us that knew that the balls were much more than that.
Ostensibly, these events raised money for the various foundations and causes championed by the rich and bored nobles, but in reality, they were business meetings.
Political allegiances for this candidate or that were sounded out; potential donors were identified and wooed. Business deals began here, and marriages in the upper reaches of society began here as well—because among the wealthy, what were marriages but lifelong business deals?
Marriage
An unmarried ruler was always called out for being too selfish. I wasn't a believer of the concept that a married ruler gives the kingdom a lot more than an unmarried one.
However, I knew, that one day, I would have to get married. Bring someone into my life and start a family with her.
The idea of it might sound appealing to some, but it didn't to me. I was never much of a relationship man.
Even before I began to rule, I don't remember having anyone in particular. It's funny how much of my past I don't remember.
Maybe, it's for a good reason.
But I couldn't help but hate how my memory ended up pushing out any good memory I had and only leaving the bad ones.
It was cruel of fate to do that. But what else could I do now, other than accept it for what it is.
I heard a slight commotion outside my chamber and immediately halted when I saw her standing by my door.
Clarissa.
We met in the first year of my reign at the annual ball held by the Lormeians.
She was the daughter of one the councilmen. What began as just one night, ended up becoming a series encounters when we both needed a release.
The guard outside my chamber was reluctant to let her enter.
"Your Majesty!"
She curtsied.
Clarissa was pretty. The kind of pretty that men wanted and women yearned to be.
With blond curls framing her face, and blue eyes that were brighter than the ocean itself, she had everything a man could possibly wish for.
I nodded at the guard and let her into my chamber.
She was wearing a dark red dress made with velvet. It was flimsy, in a way that attracted attention.
The low neck of her dress didn't leave anything for one's imagination
Her hand came onto my shoulder, as she reduced the distance between us significantly.
The scent of jasmine intoxicated me.
"How are you this evening, Your Majesty?"
I wasn't in the mood for this small talk tonight.
Not even a bit. I smashed my lips on hers, hoping to not make any more conversation tonight.
A moan left her mouth as I ran my hand down her slender waist.
We were both breathing rapidly, as our hands searched for something we both knew we couldn't get from each other.
"I want you so much, Hale!"
Her lustfilled eyes looked at me as I untied her dress from behind.
She reached for my neck and wrapped her arms around me. Pulling me closer than I even was earlier.
The jasmine scent only got stronger.
A gasp left her when her dress fell to the ground after I had untied all of it.
Her head pulled back, as I kissed the sweet spot behind her ear.
She moaned loud enough for the guards outside to hear.
"Clarissa, you know what this is, right?"
Her hand took of my coat while fumbling with the buttons on my shirt.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know."
Once I got the confirmation from her, I let it all loose.
My shirt came off, and in not more than a few seconds, we both were stark naked.
My hands were touching her just as quickly as her gasps were filling up the room.
Familiar with each and every curve of each other's body, despite not know what lied inside each other, I knew where to touch to make her feel good.
But I didn't know what to say, that she would actually feel better.
At the end of the day, we were just two strangers that were awfully familiar with each other's bodies.
The night went on for long. For the first time in days, I felt hopeful enough to get a few hours of sleep today.
But, the world never worked the way I wanted it to.
Once we had both found our release, I rolled off of her.
We were lying next to each other, trying to catch our breaths at the same time.
"Thank you, Hale."
I nodded. We usually talked about what bothered us afterwards, but I was in no mood to do so, right now.
I began to turn away from her when she spoke.
"I- I am getting married, Hale."
I could feel the closeness between us turn almost suffocating instead of comforting.
When I ceased to reply, she continued to speak.
"Father thinks it's the best for me to settle down now. So does mother."
I could sense her turn towards me.
"Who is it?"
I didn't feel any kind of remorse. I didn't see her anything more than what we did on the nights when the noise of the world got too loud.
A friend, at the most.
I just wanted her to go into a family that treated her well.
After all, if I was losing a friend, she should gain one.
"Some noble's son. Albert. I only met him twice, so I don't really know much about him."
I nodded.
I couldn't do anything more than that. This was going to end one day or the other.
It was just a matter of time.
Her hand came up to my shoulder and rested there. As I lied, facing away from her, I tried to think of all the people I had built a relationship worth saving, but only Davina came to my mind.
She was my family.
And she was worth everything.
But I couldn't help but let the loneliness engulf me with every passing second.
I hated that I had no one. And I hated it even more that it was mostly my fault that I didn't have anyone.
I heard soft snores from behind me. Clarissa usually spent the night. I used to wake up before her and got ready quickly so that she had the chamber to herself for a while.
The next morning, she was gone. Leaving a strong scent of jasmine behind her.
It would have been a surprise, but it wasn't after her confession last night.
This was probably the last time I saw her, before her wedding.
On her side of the bed laid a piece of paper with a few words, delicately written on it.
"You're a good king, Hale. And an even better friend. Thank you for the last seven years. Looking forward to seeing you on my wedding day."