The King And His Goddess Of War

Chapter 9: Betrothed

I had been summoned by the King and I was pretty nervous. First of all, he's my boyfriend's dad and second of all, I have never met with the king personally before. He was known to be quite intimidating despite being claimed by Fremus. I breathed in and knocked on the door to the king's office, my heart racing quickly. 

But Fremus was also the god of truth. 

Well, I'm f****d.

"Come in."

I step inside, my hands loose at my sides. I see the king on the couch farthest from me, resting his feet on the coffee table in front of him. He wore no crown, just dress pants and a button up shirt with some loafers. He gestured for me to sit on the couch in front of him and I did, sinking into the soft cushions. It felt just like my bed, warm, soft, and just amazingly plush. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did. Colby and Zuka have spent much time with you and they both consider you more than a minor friend. Therefore, I would like you to come to a council meeting. Some of the elders of the castle would like to speak to us royals, but as our guest, you would have no word in any matter we discuss. Maybe when you're an older Guardian, you may join us, but for now, you are a spectator," he says, his hand motions expressive.

"Really?" I say, excited.

"Yes. I like you anyway," he nods. "Zuka won't shut up about you."

"Does he?" I say, rolling my eyes. "He's very... talkative once you get to know him."

"I just want him to open up more, and it seems you're helping dramatically."

Zuka and I walked down to the courtroom where the meeting was being held, my chair with the two princes beside the Queen and King. The full council sat in the rows in front of us, their gray hair and dentures very noticeable and I could see Zuka's urge to comment about it as he drummed his fingers secretively on my knee, his eyes bursting with need. Once the council members were all situated, the meeting commenced, starting with the main elder to come up onto a podium and present some issues or improvements that the elders believed we should deal with.

"Firstly, King Theseus, your son is about to turn twenty-one and will be ready to take over the crown. He needs to start preparing to take over the kingdom three months after his birthday," the main elder stated, grumbling slightly. "No matter how much you want to stay King Theseus, the law clearly states that when the firstborn of a kingdom turns the age of twenty-one, they are eligible to take over the crown and protect the people."

"Of course, First Elder, I was ready for this already. We discussed this years ago," King Theseus asked, his hind gripping the sides of his chair. "He has been ready to take over as King for a while now. I made sure of that."

"Yes, but there was a rule that we neglected for a while because we haven't had to deal with it for a long time," the First Elder grumbled, shifting through the papers on his podium. Everyone waited hesitantly as he found a paper and lifted it to read better. "If a firstborn has not found his wedded match before twenty-one, he must be betrothed to our closest ally available. In this case, Princess Jasmine of the Southern United Nations. Has Prince Zuka found his wedded match and will be getting married anytime soon?"

The King stood abruptly. "Not that I know of, but why this now? I know I was married to my wife before I became King, but why must he have a Queen at his side immediately? I'm sure Prince Zuka would look for someone that he loves rather than someone he was forced to wed."

"Yes, but every King needs a companion at his side," the First Elder argued. "Princess Jasmine would be perfect to be his companion and would benefit the whole country for trade, more land, and more resources."

Zuka stood, his fingers laced through mine. "So you would sacrifice love for gaining items?" He growled, narrowing his eyes at the First Elder. "Maybe I won't get married before I turn twenty-one, but maybe I want to spend time with someone else instead of forcing myself onto a woman whom I have never met."

The First Elder seemed frightened by his words and how he spoke with such fury. "Prince Zuka, if you have no one to present to the council, I'm afraid I cannot help you." Prince Zuka looked at our hands wound together, lending my strength to him. He looked into my eyes and Colby seemed disgusted by our interaction. 

Zuka suddenly detached our hands and went to the middle of the floor, and I thought smoke would come from his head like in the comic books. "I have a woman to present to the council," he announced. The First Elder and the royals raised a brow at his claim. "I believe I love her and I want her by my side."

King Theseus stared at his son, confusion spreading across his face. The Queen sat hesitantly, her fingers playing with her dress. The elders were watching Zuka as he nodded, his dark eyes darkening in challenge. "So who is this woman, son?" King Theseus asked, standing. "A woman of elegance?"

"A woman of strength, father," he replied strongly. "Took out armies of African beasts by herself. She has caught my heart with our time together." King Theseus now has a hand on Zuka's shoulder. Zuka breathed in and looked over at me and Colby, who was messing around with his hair to pass the time. "Kleine Rose?"

My breath caught and I stood, making my way down to Zuka. He smiled at me and took me in his arms for a hug. I watched the expressions of the royals, none of them smiling besides the King. The Queen looked even more terrified than she did at the arena and Colby was looking pale, his lips forming a straight line. The elders were shocked and murmurs spread among them.

"The young Guardian?" the First Elder asked. Zuka stopped the hug, but still stood beside me, his arm around my waist. 

"Yes, she is the one I have been talking about," Zuka confirmed, his eyes softening when he looked down at me, a small smile plastered on his face. "The daughter of Ellis Heather and claimed by Serria."

The First Elder's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "The girl claimed by Serria? You foolish boy, thinking that the elders would accept that vile woman as the next Queen of America! She is a curse to our great nation!"

Zuka's once softened expression turned dark and cold. His muscles tensed and King Theseus and I had to hold him back from beating the First Elder up. "Don't talk about Arianna that way or I'll make sure you won't be able to get another pair of dentures!" To be honest, it was the most threatening thing he could say at the moment. "She is better than any other woman I could ever present before you!"

That's when we had to leave the courtroom out of common courtesy for the elderly.

Much swearing would take place outside of those walls.

I sat on Mighty, my griffin, my eyes filling with...

Let’s just say my eyes were sweating because my face was red.

Mighty nudged his wing against my shoulder, trying to confront me, but nothing would work at this point. The feathers he had were enough for now. Zuka was betrothed against his will to a princess no one in the country had ever seen before. The First Elder put it up for vote among the council. 

Before my eyes, the person I had grown attached to over the time I have been here, has already been ripped away by another woman I don't know. Now I was given two options:

1. Stay here and watch Zuka get married in two months.

2. Leave to a war base camp we captured recently in Africa.

As much as I wanted to stay, my heart would break in two if I stayed here in the castle, watching Zuka with his betrothed and later, wife. Who knows what she would be like? All I know of her is that she was claimed by Lyra. I scowled at the thought of her coming here and claiming Zuka as her own.

Running her hands through his hair, kissing his lips I once kissed, sleeping next to him like I had. His arms around her, comforting her and kissing her temples like he did to me. I slid off of Mighty and wiped my eyes of- sweat and went to dinner, scared of what might happen between Zuka and I now.

I entered the room and everyone was acting like everything was normal, playing video games and watching crime shows. Some drank beer tonight and others kept themselves sober for their shifts tomorrow. Then I spotted my group. Tyson, leaning his crutches on the wall and sitting on his beanbag next to Colby, who brushed his hair to the side and only muttered in small talk. Then there was Zuka, his eyes sunken and filled with defeat. I had never seen defeat on his face, and I hated to see him that way.

Marriage here was forever. There was no divorce, no mistresses. Only the person you marry for the rest of your life. If you cheat on your spouse, you would spend many months in jail. Here in America, we took marriage seriously, but love was neglected, thrown to the side. 

I wish my mother was here to help me.

I sat down in my normal spot, my appetite gone. I sat there, my eyes pink and my arms crossed. Zuka looked down at me and ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Kleine Rose, we need to talk for a min-"

"Look, Zuka," I interrupted, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. "You're betrothed to Princess Jasmine. In two months time, you'll be married to a woman you haven't even met yet and forget all about me." I sucked in a shaky breath. "I can't see you that way, so I'm leaving."

Zuka yanks me by the wrist upward, dragging me outside the soldier's quarters and into another room, pushing me against a wall and pressing an aggressive kiss to my lips, holding me in my place. He moved his lips away from mine and stared into my eyes, taking dangerously slow deep breaths. "You won't leave me," he said breathlessly, but it was directed as a command. "You will stay here with me, at the castle."

"Zuka, there is a war to be fought-"

"So what you're telling me is that this choice you have made isn't influenced at all by the outcome of the betrothal that the elders proposed," he growled, grabbed my wrists with both hands and moved them to where he could hold both with one hand. 

"You're asking me to be miserable the rest of my life if I stay," I whisper. "You're asking me to watch you be with that woman, be at your wedding, watch you kiss her at the altar, watch the children you'll have grow up." A silence passed through us for a moment. "You're asking me to throw away my happiness."

Zuka slammed his free fist against the wall. I gasped as his fist went through the wall. He placed his forehead on my shoulder, releasing my wrists and putting both hands on my waist, the fist he put into the wall bleeding slightly. "Please, don't leave me," he whispered, a small cry releasing from his lips. I lifted his head so that he was looking into my eyes, which were now watering way more than before.

"I love you, Zuka, with all of my heart," I muttered.

"Then stay," he pleaded.

"Even you can't get out of the betrothal," I cried, tears spilling from my eyes.

"Stay," he begged, pulling me to his chest and embracing me tightly. 

I kissed his jawline once before leaving the room, glancing behind me to look back at Zuka. His lips were parted and tears were running down his cheeks, his pink eyes stuck on me.

"I hope you find happiness, Ein Starker."