6. The Deceit
1314 Words
It wasn’t too long before Tatiana followed the one and only Theodore King out of her ancestral home.
She had never met the man and yet he looked almost familiar. She didn’t know why she was reminded of Adrian each time their eyes met.
On the way from the airport to the palace, he received a phone call.
“Yes, Liam?” He greeted his brother curtly.
“What do you mean I should get ready?” She faintly heard her betrothed ask.
“Princess Tatiana is with me,” Theodore announced almost proudly.
She heard no answer and the call ended at that point.
She had a sinking feeling she was being played, and thus couldn’t help but ask in a clipped tone, “Why would you want your brother to become king in your stead? What’s your end game?” She paused to look at the dangerous dragon, and then went on, “I have a hard time figuring out a reason.”
She saw a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “I have my own selfish reasons,” he said simply.
“Well, it is true that you have always been a selfish and despicable man,” she agreed with a nod, and a scowl.
“Why the immeasurable resentment, Tatiana?” Was he playing the innocent act now? Seriously? “Is it because I was the one to end our sham of a mating?”
“You basically forced your brother into the arranged mating instead of you,” she couldn’t help but spit out at him.
“I did not, but he’s a pacifist,” he shrugged in a devil-may-care attitude, “Your father wanted to go to war to avenge his sole daughter’s pride. And Liam wanted to avoid that.”
That much, she could understand, and her respect for her betrothed grew a little bit.
“Be that as it may be, I do not understand the sudden desire to make me queen,” she said after a while.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” was his grin-accompanied reply.
Upon arriving at the palace at long last, Theodore stopped, seemingly to gaze at its entrance for heavens only know what reason… soon enough, a brunette came running and flung herself at him. And they were kissing within seconds.
A woman – a noble no doubt – had followed after the brunette and spoke up haughtily, “Your highness, a royal does not run in the corridors.”
Your highness? Tatiana frowned slightly.
“No harm done,” Theodore defended the woman in his arms.
“I missed you so much,” the brunette let out in a soft whisper.
“The feeling is mutual, dorogaya,” was his response before he pecked her lips again.
Ugh, mistresses nowadays, Tatiana thought with disdain. But seeing as she didn’t know the woman, she chose to insult Theodore instead.
“And here I thought you were a man made of stone, ice, and malice,” she told him sarcastically.
“Is this the princess?” She heard the woman ask timidly, and yet eyes narrowed.
His only answer was a nod.
“Kindly, princess, do not speak ill of my mate. I don’t take such offense lightly,” she told her.
“Your mate?” Tatiana echoed in disbelief, finding hard to come terms with such a revelation. “You found your mate, Theodore? Congratulations are in order then,” she said with envy almost. “But I am confused. Why would you want to abdicate the throne if you have found your mate?”
The brunette blushed but kept mum. He, on the other hand, briskly told her, “You have a ceremony to get ready for.”
Then, he addressed the noble woman and asked her to escort Tatiana to Liam’s bed chambers.
“You have yet to answer me, Prince Theodore,” she threw at him, not quite expecting an answer, and yet she received one to her surprise.
“My mate has no wish for the crown,” he told her matter-of-factly.
Her eyes widened and a shocked gasp escaped her lips.
Could it be as he said? Could it be he truly abdicated the throne for his mate?
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Upon approaching his bed chambers, Liam’s heart was thudding strong against his ribcage. He was even getting sweaty palms as he prepped what he was going to tell his fated mate whom he hadn’t seen in a few years.
Her scent is heavenly, he thought to himself as he inhaled deeply, and braced himself for the fight to come.
She opened the door to his bed chambers before he could, her eyes wide in alarm and excitement at the same time.
Oh, how he missed looking into those beautiful eyes.
“Adrian,” she breathed out seemingly in disbelief.
He shook his head negatively and helped her in the bed chambers they were going to share from now on.
“How come? What’s going on? Don’t tell me you work here at the palace,” she started pacing, seeming at a loss for words.
“I am to be your mate, Tatiana,” he told her softly.
She stiffened at once.
“Liam?” She asked on a gasp as she came to the right conclusion.
He nodded at her, and she stormed out of the humongous room. He followed after her, afraid of what she might do.
She screamed on her way to Theodore’s and Emily’s bed chambers, and then slammed the door open.
Liam could hear their exchange even from where he stood, leaning against the wall in the corridor.
“How dare you, Theodore King?” Tatiana demanded to know, quite angrily one could say.
He didn’t answer her right away, but Emily did speak up. “What is wrong, princess? Whatever it is, we can come to an understanding.”
“An understanding?” His mate scoffed indignantly. “You must be kidding me!”
Then, focusing her hatred-filled gaze on Theodore, she went on, “You threatened to expose my supposedly deceitful ways, when in fact the man I slept with four years ago is none other than your brother.”
“Yes, but you didn’t know that, did you?” His brother countered all too calmly. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be here, ready to commit murder,” he quipped.
“How can you trick me so?” Her anger was palpable and it showed in both her tone and her words.
“Look, little girl. I did what I had to do. Period.”
His answer did more harm than good.
“Oh, we got it. This girl has you wrapped around her little finger,” Tatiana spat out.
“Well, she is my mate,” he shrugged, a smile stretching his lips.
At that, Liam made his entrance and said softly, trying to placate her, “Tatiana, let’s get this ceremony over with first, and then fight later.”
“Always the pacifist, I see,” his mate said sarcastically.
“It should be alright though. You two are after all fated mates,” Theodore went on.
Tatiana froze at that whereas Emily gasped in shock.
“I despise your kind,” Tatiana threw at him in parting words.
Liam couldn’t help but heave a sigh at that. “I think she hates me.”
“There is a fine line between hate and love,” his brother winked at him. “Now, off you go. Let us get ready.”
“You better not be late to the coronation ceremony,” Liam told him almost threateningly as he eyed the couple with suspicion.
Emily had the decency to blush at that whereas Theodore merely chuckled.
And then, Liam took his leave as well.
- Writer
