Chapter Fifty-Eight: Even If You Do Not I
2006 Words
Azalea Oleander Cursix
“Is…is all you do make enemies? Do you not have satisfying pastime hobbies?”
“Pleasing past time hobbies? Like what canoodling with the maid's daughter?”
He stiffened.
“No, I meant like, apple picking or winemaking, but judging from your response, picking fights is clearly your area of expertise?”
“Is it such a chore to believe that I am a well-rounded individual?”
“No,” he growled, “I would just hate for that to be the case.”
The carriage drew to a halt. Both Aleu and I shifted our gaze out the window as the temple knight at the gates peered in.
Because of the magic cast on the carriage, I knew for a fact that he could see nothing inside, yet he still craned his neck and squinted his eyes as though his superior was riding his shoulders.
“How many are inside?” the knight asked the men up front.
Darius’s voice sounded as he gave a curt reply.
“Two.”
“and what about the purpose of visitation?”
“Confidential.”
“Confidential?” the knight sneered.
“Do you see my uniform,” Darius asked the knight; however, his question was followed by tense silence.
“The reason for the visit is confidential.” He repeated.
Knight uniforms elicit respect and fear because, in the knight hierarchy, imperial knights were at the top of the pyramid, followed by templar knights, personal knights, and finally regular knights that acted as detectives of sheriffs.
That was the reason why I was sure that the diminishment of most of their statuses was not taken positively. However, I also understood that some would take that as an opportunity to train harder.
The carriage began moving once more.
“Boy, the temples here in Mayflower sure are guarded,” Aleu said.
“Yeah, well…” I muttered as I continued peering outside the window because, for some reason, it felt safer than gazing at Aleu’s body.
The courtyard was beautiful and oasis styled. A completely different style than the last time I had been here as Mariette to give offerings. There was also the addition of a rose garden and two fountains. All of the new additions begged the question, who was financially backing the temple.
The carriage door was opened by Darius, and Aleu slid out first.
I half expected to scold him over hurriedly walking in front of me; however, he turned and extended his hand to me, like a gentleman.
I was torn. Rather, my heart was skipping disrespectfully all over my chest.
“Quite the gentleman,” over the tense silence my hesitation had warranted, I spoke the words.
Realizing that I still hadn't moved, I cleared my throat then placed my hand in his.
We had never touched, even now, while both hands were gloved, I felt it, the familiar thrill of electricity trailing up my spine.
In the past, I used to be able to tell when Oberon had entered the room, I always knew because my body would blush at his presence, and it was no different now.
His gaze dropped to my ears which no doubt stained crimson. However, before he received the opportunity to examine me further, I stepped down from the carriage then pulled out of his grasp.
Only, only he was more attentive than I was because all my nearness had offered was access to my waist.
I moaned as his arm tickled deliciously across my lower back. All too easily, a smile crept up his face as though he had found a soft haven for his hand only… his pinky trailed dangerously close to my buttocks.
“Ale…u”
“I thought we were to play fools in love.” He said, immediately silencing any protest in my mind.
He was enjoying this.
“Right..right.” I agreed. However, I could not get my mind off the burning sensation lining everywhere he grazed,
“What was it you said? Even if I cannot stand you, I need to act like your pet?” he continued.
“Exactly,” I said a little too hoarsely, “Which kind of pet lays a hand on its master without permission.”
“The good kind, can we not assume that I have been a good boy and that this is my reward?” He whispered the words so dangerously close that I could still feel the hotness of his breath against my skin.
“Yes, but…” I smiled, then placed the tightening hand on my waist into mine and twisted it away from me, such that his hand remained twisted unnaturally between us. “That is not how I treat my pets.”
“Greetings, Your imperial majesty,” a warm voice said, “Welcome to the temple.”
“Mmm.” I hummed rather than verbally thank the attendant.
“Lovely?” I called to Aleu, who was nursing his hand, “Lovey?”
“Yes, my Empress.” He responded.
“Carry me to the Head press office.”
“Oh, the head priest is not taking any visitors to-,”
“That sounds like a ‘you’ problem,” I warned the attendant, who cowered with one sour look.
“Darius, stay with the driver. We will not be gone for too long.” I said, “Let us depart, pet.”
*
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Aleu Diox Luciano
She was not as heavy as he had anticipated. However, she was soft, softer than his wildest dreams.
Her hand stroked the curls of the back of his head periodically as she made small talk..well, threatening small talk with the attending help. Still, it was enough to drive him insane.
No more than that, her body was pressed to him, smelling of ripe lotuses and something else that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. However, the woman in his arms felt eerily similar to the woman in the theatre. He couldn’t identify why, other than their scents.
Of course, they were different. His feelings with the woman in the theatre had been wild, intense and terribly heartbreaking, akin to the feelings he got from the woman in his dreams. However, with the empress, it was perhaps simply mild attraction because of her unbounded beauty.
Still, despite his reasoning, he had m*********d to her more than once.
Late yesterday he had sent a letter to Calvin, asking him to seek the blonde woman out. Should he find her, he wished to invite her to his harem. However, the Empress seemed to dictate most portions of his existence thus far, so he bore second thoughts to the idea.
Nevertheless, Aleu had told himself that he would know what to do with simply one look or conversation. He would know what to do, ask and feel about his current predicament because a part of him believed her to be the missing link.
“If you could wait in the present waiting room for the-,” the attendant began; however, just as quickly, they were interrupted.
“I am not waiting. The mere suggestion that you ask me to do such a thing borders treason.”
“However, your imperial majesty, I am-,”
“‘a mere servant of a priest too great to greet the Empress’,” Her majesty mocked, “of that I am aware.”
“Then your majesty-“
“Enough, your voice is annoying.” She said. “I have said what I want and what I intend to do. The rest feels like your issue to deal with.”
Seriously, she has to be talented in driving people insane.
“My love, about the agreement.” He began, hoping to lighten the mood.
“Which one?” As natural as breathing, the Empress turned in his arms to face him.
Again his heart could not tell her apart from Fuscia.
By now, he was used to his body reacting to the mere waft of her scent. However, that had been the limit. His heart was exclusively taken. There was no room for her coldness there.
“The one on my second condition, whereby I will be your only-,”
“Ah, that…that will be a no from me.”
He stiffened.
“Excuse me?”
How? How could she say that when she nearly creamed herself at his touch, it was apparent that the Empress wanted him, so why was she refusing the condition?
“I do not think it a good idea. Firstly, none of my rules control your libido. Plus, I do not wish to cross that line with you.”
“Liar.” He whispered, and in his arms, he felt her body tense.
“I said that I would sleep with you should the need arise, but I will not have you as my only partner. s*x with no attachment works better when all in the party have their freedom.”
He knew that, of course, he did; he was not stupid!
However, a sick and twisted part of him wanted her to love him one-sidedly. Call it pride or…whatever you will, but there was something about the woman in his arms that sat bitterly within him.
Aleu made that revelation during his morning shower, as he had released himself using an image of her, tear-stained and exhausted, crying out to him as if he was her only salvation.
All in his life that he felt strongly for depended on him for their survival. However, she did not.
She would be fine no matter what; is what he realised because, in all the conversations they had had, she never relied on his responses for an emotional reaction. In fact, he never really had any room for creative answers on anything but his conditions.
And even then, she did not permit him to be unreasonable.
There was nothing that he could say to move her to nervousness. All she did was…dismiss it. Dismiss him.
“So then, do I need to come up with more conditions?”
“Yes, yes you do. I will not give you a deadline.”
“Fine.” He replied as a gnawing thought taunted him.
He needed to come up with something reasonable…yet significant enough to affect her. Was his reasoning a little immature?
Perhaps, yet still, he wanted her to need him.
“Please, kindly wa-,” the attendant began; however, again, the Empress interrupted.
“Through the halls to the white marble door, Aleu.”
-For f**k’s sake!-
Aleu groaned.
Why the hell was she dragging him into this!!
“YOUR MAJESTY!!” the attendant called loudly, attracting everyone’s gaze. Still, there was very little that they could do to stop them, partly because Aleu was fast and mostly because she was the Empress, so despite the attendants insistent calling, it was too late.
Aleu barged into the enclosed and isolated corner office, only to find a sketchy-looking man dressed like a priest, seated across three nuns with their gowns lifted, exposing their nakedness to him.
Startled, he halted in his tracks, unsure of what to say or do as the scene was in no way textbook.
However, as the sound of laughter pooled from the woman in his arms, he realised that she had anticipated the scene before them, meaning that even in this situation...his rationale would not be of use to her.
He hated it. Not the feeling of being strung along, but her being in control, in the know...indestructible...he hated it.
“Wow…” the Empress marvelled before breaking out in laughter once more, "And here I thought my arrival would have been treated with simply tea and biscuits."
“Let me down, love.” The empress whispered to Aleu, and though reluctantly, he let her go.
- Writer
