*Adriel's POV*
I was failing.There were four spies in my castle who were refusing to confess who sent them,an angry partner named Erica who did not want to speak to me, and my plans were moving too slowly. Yet, I wasn't bothered.
I had heeded Charles' advice not to visit my failed murder attempt. But not because he said so, I had decided not to go to test my self-control and to test just how obsessed I am with this Kiara. The results left me puzzled. I could stop myself from going to Whitman Castle,therefore neglecting a vital opportunity to see her. At the same time,I could not get her out of my head. Every memory that she existed in replayed in a loop. And it was frustrating to the core.
If I can't control my mind,how am I supposed to control my body? I had already tried other activities to get my mind off it. I went on a hunt with Hendrix and tortured the last witch,women. And yet,those hazel eyes haunted me.
"You are up already?" A female mumbled beside me as she woke up. Her eyes roamed the room before setting on me. I felt her smile but kept my gaze out the window. I did not want anything to do with her.
"Good morning," she said in a very breathy voice.
I kept my eyes outside, praying that she would take a hint and throw herself out. I should have known better. The heavens didn't listen to my prayers.
Her hands touched me, and my frown deepened. How uninterested must I look before she gives up? She placed a kiss on my shoulder as her hands went down my stomach. Caressing and finding its way to my member. It would have been a skillful move on other days and in other circumstances.
But instead, my irritation grew, and I grappled the hand doing the touching—it was a little too tightly than I should have, but I didn't care. She gasped dramatically at the violence, and I threw her hand out of my grasp.
"Get out," I commanded.
She froze, and that got me even more annoyed. I waited patiently for her to leave, but she didn't. She found her voice.
"If you are stressed,we could fix that." she said, crawling closer as her voice turned seductive. "That's why I'm here."
I finally turned to her. Her green eyes were a sharp contrast to her ginger hair, but it seemed my preference was a bit of honey-softened eyes and blonde hair these days.
"What is your name?" I asked.
Her face lit up in a childish manner. "Anne."
"Anne,did you have any trouble with hearing as a child?"
"No,"she mumbled in confusion.
"What of now?"
"No."She chuckled.
"So you did hear me the first time?" I frowned.
The humiliation washed her face, and she crawled out of bed,picked up her gown from the floor, threw it over her head, and gave me a pitiful glance as she scurried outside. I returned my gaze to the window and breathed.
Now I could worry in peace. The irony.
I groaned loudly and hit my head against the pillow until my brain shook too much to think.
I climbed out of bed and headed to the shower,praying I could hurry and find another distraction before she crept back in. But, as I said, the heavens didn't listen to my prayers.
* * *
Kiara's POV
"Did you pack enough fruits?" I asked Carlotta as I adjusted my gloves correctly on my fingers.
"Yes,she replied, trying to keep up the pace as I made my way outside. I did a small bow to my family while playing board games.
"Where do you think you are going?" my father asked, taking his attention slowly off the chess board.
I turned around with a small sting of surprise. He sounded mad already.
"I'm going to visit the children. I haven't visited them since.l—"
"No." He cut me off sternly and resumed playing as if that were the end of the discussion. I managed to find my voice out of my bafflement.
"Why?"
"It's not safe out there,"he said, pondering his next move and paying very little attention to me.
"Oh, please, father, don't start with this again." I laughed heartily as I continued walking to the door.
But I quickly stopped bluntly in my tracks when the guards as the door crossed their spears,forcing me not to venture any farther.
"What is the meaning of this? Are you going to lock me in forever?" I lamented loudly. That earned me a disapproving look from Carlotta, but I didn't care. I felt my anger come to a boil as my father ignored me.
"Father."I called as I walked towards them. The family was quiet, as always.They always appeared deaf when my father became unreasonable.Barely noticing that my father had decided to make me a prisoner. Even grandma was quiet.
My father raised his gaze to meet mine as I hovered over him. "It is for your own safety."
"Yes,because obviously those kids could hold me down and force poison in my mouth." I said it sarcastically.
"It's no joking matter, Kiara, and until you realise that,you won't be going anywhere." My father said coldly.
"No,you can't. I have to…They have no one. It's my responsibility to look out for them; you don't understand."
"And it is my responsibility to look out for you. Why don't you understand?!" My father barked at me, his eyes bulging red.
I backed away from his yell as waves of fear hit me.
"Denzel…"Grandma cooed softly.
Carlotta came to my side and patted my back,silently warning me to stop. I should have listened to her and stopped there, but I didn't. I was foolishly stubborn.
"Is that how you were with mom?"
My father's eyes shot at me with a seriously dark look.
I wish I could take it back. But it was already out, churning in his head.It was just a wish, a type that could never come true. I cowered farther away as he rose from his seat. Something about the calmness of his actions terrified me greatly.
"Im sorry." I whispered regretfully, but it was covered by my own gasp as he grabbed my hand and began to pull me back to my room. It was only during this that I truly realized how weak I was. I was pulled along like paper. I couldn't even root myself to the ground in protest because I was too damn weak. I hadn't properly healed, as I wrongly thought.
He pulled me up the stairs, threw me in my room, and locked me in.
It was two hours later before I heard my door open slowly. I glanced to see who it was, and thankfully, it was just my nona. I don't think I would have handled another scolding from my father or his sister.
"You shouldn't have spoken to your father like that,"Grandma said, walking towards my bed with an elegant sweep of her white hair.
Perhaps I spoke too soon; the entire family were the same,I would get a scolding anyway. I played with the fabric of the blanket a bit and focused my gaze on the ceiling.Hoping to find peace in the everlasting white up there.
I knew I shouldn't have brought her up; I was wrong and all but sometimes it's not about whether you are doing good or not; it's about how you do it. My life had enough restrictions already; cutting it down would turn me into a literal cage bird.
"I just want to sleep now, grandma."
She came above me,blocking my view of the beautiful peaceful ceiling.
"He was not like that with your mother,"she said with a weird smile.
"Seriously?" I asked, highly doubting. It was hard to believe my father was anything apart from his main trait.He protected everybody so much I felt like being overprotective was part of his DNA. And imagining him without it was a new and strange thought.
"Isabella was almost like you; she saw darkness but chose to believe in light, a free and rebellious spirit, and I must add a very sharp tongue too." My grandma chuckled as she sat on the edge.
That made me smile a bit.Being compared to my mother always sent a strange but warm rush down my veins
"Your father could never contain her, he was more of a pessimist so he only warned her about certain things, but Isabel also trusted a bit too much, you know? Their whole marriage was against everything the nations believed.It was an abomination in all laws. Finding out she was pregnant just made things worse,"my grandma narrated, looking far into the distance.
I stared at the side of her face as she spoke solemnly.
"A few months after your birth,her family invited her back home for reconciliation; she went and was executed the very next day." She ended as she turned to pat my hair. "The only reason you didn't go with her is because Denzel was being paranoid.That saved you."
I shifted my eyes away from nona as I recited the last words with her.
"He just wants to protect you."she echoed.
The door busted open, and my dad stood at the door with a startled look.He cleared his throat and folded his hands behind him.
"She seems to be taking the news pretty well,"he said to his mother.
"Which news?" I asked, glancing at both of them.
"Your wedding," my father said with a smile, then quickly shutting his mouth when he glanced at his mother's facial expression.
"Alright," Grandma said, patting my shoulders as she stealthily planned her exit. "I think it's time for my tea." She smiled and headed outside but not after she gave my father an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"What do you mean?"I asked, realizing the mother's story was just sweetener for the bitter pill that was about to be shoved in my throat.I should have known.
My father sighed and shrugged."I've arranged a profitable marriage for you."
"What?!"