The first thing she noticed when she stepped on the soft carpet was the splendor of the throne hall and it left her… stunned. There were seven chandeliers that hung from the ceiling with gold chains. Thousands of candles burned in them and not a single drop of wax dripped below. The courtiers were sitting in the side rows, their chairs lined with soft furs. The walls were lined with portraits of previous kings and queens with torches set aflame in between each of them. Crimson and gold tapestry hung from the arched windows to filter the sunlight.
As Morava walked with her father, she tried not to be influenced by the opulence. It was far more than what she had expected and was more extravagant than what was even in her father's throne hall. Stars danced in her eyes realizing that she would soon become the queen of this place. A ragged breath left her mouth. She gathered her wits and wild imagination as she stared at the king himself. And when her gaze met with his, disbelief exploded in her chest. The man was beyond handsome. He was the type songs were written about. A powerful aura radiated from him as if it was his second skin. Arrogance rolled off him like it belonged to him. She gulped at his too good to be true handsome features. He was sin incarnate and she was ready to be sinful with him. A resolve set in her mind—she was going to marry him and do whatever it takes to fulfill her desires.
They drew closer to the king and as soon they were near, they bowed to him. She couldn't help but stare at him because of how extremely attractive he was. No wonder he was the most sought-after man in the whole of Araniea… by females.
Alpha Alrakis introduced them to his son. "This is King Biham and his daughter Morava."
His face was etched with nonchalance, Eltanin dipped his chin. "Welcome to the Draka Kingdom."
Morava could see a kernel of interest in his eyes when their gaze met again. A moment of silence stretched between them.
"May the moon shine upon you always," King Biham replied. Then he pointed at the servant who was standing behind them with a gold tray in his hand, covered with a red satin cloth. "I have brought a small gift for you."
The servant sank to his knees as he moved forward and handed the tray to a guard. Eltanin waved his hand for the guard to hand it to a servant behind him without even looking at it. "Thank you," he said with a tone that carried a slight dismissal.
King Biham understood it and realized that he didn't need to stay there any longer, so he bowed again and said, "We'll take our leave, Your Highness."
Morava didn't want to leave. She wondered if she had made an impression on Eltanin. But when her father nudged her, she bowed and the two left with Alpha Alrakis.
---
Eltanin watched them leave, irritation lining his insides over the fact that his father chose to bring Morava in the court in order to silently introduce her to everyone as his future wife. He could gauge the interest in her eyes and a faint smell of her arousal. That was nothing new. In fact, he would have been surprised, even shocked, had she not been aroused. He had the kind of personality and features that evoked… emotions. His eyes darted to his courtiers who watched him with interest and then back to Morava, who was walking away, excessively swaying her hips for his display. The girl was beautiful in his opinion, fit to be his wife. Marriage—
His chest seized in denial at the thought and if he didn't control his emotions, they would show on his face. He tamed himself. This was essential. He had to marry her. With that resolve, he clenched his jaw so tight that his molars hurt. Once again, his beast wanted to surface. Once again, he wanted to shift and run to the forest, an uneasiness prickled at his heart. He focused on the princess and shoved his thoughts away. He decided to meet her later that evening.
The court was over soon and at lunch he half expected Rigel and his father to show up. However, he needed time alone. And he seriously didn't need his father to add more praises about Morava or Biham. When he reached the dining hall, the servants scurried around serving him the best. He sat at the head of the table as usual. Thankfully, his father wasn't there. Yet he asked a servant. "Where is Father?"
"Alpha Alrakis is having his lunch with King Biham and the princess in the guest quarters," he replied with a bow, not daring to meet the king's eyes.
Eltanin waved him off, happy that for once his father wasn't there to nag at him but at the same time knew what was going on between them. He started slicing the ham in front of him when he picked up the scent of Rigel.
Rigel came to sit on his left, his eyes shining. "Man, I had a wild night!"
"King Biham and Morava are here." Eltanin plucked ham from his fork.
"I tied them both to the bedposts and had fun. I made them tie me and had fu—" Rigel stopped. "Wait. What?" The tartness in his voice was apparent.
Eltanin pursed his lips as he tossed the fork down, the metal clanking against the porcelain. "They are here," he said, his voice tired. "It can't be delayed any further. Biham is going to put pressure on my father."
"So?" Rigel crossed his arms across his chest as he leaned back. "You can always delay the engagement. It's not like anyone can force it on you. You are the fucking king!"
Eltanin shook his head. "I don't think I will be able to delay it… There's too much at stake," he murmured.
Rigel narrowed his eyes. "Do you mean that you won't be able to delay the engagement or the marriage?"
"The engagement. That will need to be done while Biham is here."