His queen

Two

(9 years later)

My feet paddled towards the kitchen. I was greeted by Martha, the head maid. "Hi Lissa".

"Hi, Martha what are you making today?" I asked plopping down on the stool. She smiled kindly and told me she's making pancakes. My favourite.

She filled a plate with some pancakes with syrup and slide towards me. "Hmmm", I moaned taking a bite. No one can make pancakes like Martha. She'the best cook I've ever met.

"He's coming back today", she said to me. My hands froze midstep. He didn't say he's coming back when we spoke on the phone. I tried to remember when was the last time we talked. Oh right, that was almost a year ago. When I remembered he didn't call me for a year all my anger resurfaced.

He said he'll call me daily when he left to Italy 6 years ago. At first, he called me three times a day, then it reduced to one time a day, then after some time he only messaged and called once a month and at last, it all stopped. He stopped messaging me asking about how was my day. He stopped saying I miss you. He stopped caring I think. He forgot me and it hurts. It hurts that I love him but he doesn't love me back.

Tears stung my eyes and before I broke down I ran to my bedroom, ignoring Martha calling my name. I closed my bedroom door and took a deep breath to control my emotions. I didn't come out of the room till someone knocked on my door informing that he's home and that he's asking for me. Of course, I didn't go to welcome him. Why should I? He doesn't care about me so why should I care about him.

I stubbornly ignored my inner voice pleading me to go to him, welcome him with hugs and kisses like I used to do. But it's not like before is it. Before he always put me before anything and now he doesn't even remember me.

Someone opened my door and I know it's him. His smell wafted in the air, wrapping me in his musculin scent like a blanket. I didn't turn around, I kept my back towards him praying he thinks I'm sleeping and go away but of course, he knows I'm awake.

"I know you're not sleeping, gattina", his nickname for me made my heart flutter and I tried to ignore it.

I didn't turn around nor I acknowledged his presence. He sighed and turned me around to face him. I keep my eyes closed not wanting him to see how much he has hurt me. I know the dam will break once I see him.

"Look at me, cara", he whispered stroking my hair. His tone so familiar, so warm that it brings tears to my eyes. I opened my eyes slowly. His stormy eyes filled with warmth.

His hands stroked my cheeks lovingly. " I missed you, gattina", he whispered looking into my green eyes.

"You're lying", I hissed sitting up, all of my pent up aggression coming back. "You didn't miss me. If you did you would have called me. You would have come to see me. Six years Leo. You left for six years leaving me alone. You said you won't take long and that you'll call me every day. You left me here knowing how much I'm afraid of other peoples. You just forgot about me. Why won't you? I'm nothing to you. I'm just an orphan to whom you have taken pity'', I rattle out.

" It's not like....", he started explaining but I cut him off. "Get out. Get out of here I don't want to see you right now", I turned my back towards him, hiding my tears.

"Please cara don't push me out", he pleaded with me, turning me around to face him. He cupped my face in his large hands, "you mean a lot to me cara. You're not an orphan on whom I've taken pity. You're my queen. You mean everything to me gattina. No one can ever take your place and I certainly can not forget you. Ever. I'm sorry that I didn't call you regularly but I wanted to do all my work without distraction. My family needed me and as a leader, I've to take my responsibility seriously. I can't just turn my back on them", he tried to make me understand but I can't. The hurt was too much.

"Why didn't you take me with you?", I asked me. "Because gattina as you already know we're on war with a rival family and I don't want to put you in any harm", harm told me, kissing my forehead.

"Come let's sleep gattina. I'm so tired, I just want to sleep with you in my arms", he took my hands and took me back to be. I laid down practically on top of him. I didn't want him to leave me in the middle of the night and not seeing each other in years. He seems to know what I'm thinking coz he hugged my waist tightly.

We laid there in each others arm, savouring our moment, making up for the lost time. "I didn't sleep properly without you", he whispered after some time. "Me too", I admitted. I didn't get good sleep since he left. When I first came here I was placed in the room on the right side of his. I used to get nightmares of what I've suffered in past and one night when I was screaming due to nightmare he barged into my room and hugged me tightly, cradling me like a newborn baby.

He brought all my clothes to his room the next day. Since that day we always slept together till he left for Italy. After he for Italy left, I wasn't able to sleep properly. I was so used to him that I was really miserable without him.

Now that he's back I feel like I'm complete again. He makes me feel safe, powerful. I closed my eyes, years of lack of sleep catching up to me, I fell asleep quickly.

***