The King's 11th Wife

Chapter 5: Vapid Plan

Morielle swayed her body to the semi-upbeat tune of the steel tongue drums and harps. Her sword hands masterfully twirled the weapons and swung and s***h the air as she moved from one side to the other, spinning or jumping. She could feel the cool breeze kiss her exposed skin, and yet, she felt hot as her orbs met and held with the Naim King’s lusty eyes. She could feel the warmth that crept on her face.

No, he has nothing to do with this. It’s because of my sword dance. Nothing else. Not him, she thought firmly.

Nonetheless, yes, she could read the way his eyes followed her every movement, gawking at every inch of her body. It was desire that she clearly saw in those magnetizing look of his. She was innocent but not that naïve. She had seen male Naims look at the women they fancied. She observed them well ever since she joined Yet’hoda.

The truth was that, she deliberately chose this type of sensual outfit to distract the King, not knowing if it was really effective since it was her first time to wear such clothing. She thought that having ten wives wouldn’t earn her such an appraising and admiring stare from him, but she did hope he was going to. To say the least.

Just so she could kill him.

Notwithstanding, she calculated that her first close contact with him earlier was not going to be her first and futile attempt, since she was curious to see him up close. Regardless of what she felt when she first laid her eyes on him, seeing that he looked magnificent in his black shiny robe at a fair distance, she couldn’t wait to get close to him. When she did, all she could do was to take in his smutty physique.

Coyukh ki! (Damn it!) she thought irritably.

Never had she imagined that the Naim ruler was actually drool-worthy. At the age of forty, he looked tantalizing with his obvious well-built body that was proportioned to his tallness. She had no clue that his greenish gray eyes were arresting that made her heart skip a beat only to beat hard and fast. She even caught her breath.

His straight nose was gorgeous that went perfectly well with his thick blond brows and pinkish lips that looked hard when they were set.

She did hear about his loathing for Prevoya Viarren, hence her invitation to the latter as well in their residence. She lied about requesting his presence first, before knowing that the King would come. She did it in the pretext of sending the message to temple the night before she learned of her father’s invitation to King Raithen, trying to pin an anonymous servant who passed on the message late for some reason. Hence, she could not take back such an invitation for the venerated high priest.

A secretly ordered servant was also sent to watch out for the King’s arrival and to send her a bird sound signal to let her know he had arrived. With that, she prepared her performance just in time for him to grace the venue of the gathering. She did it on purpose, to get his attention. She knew that she must try to seduce him subtly at first to execute her plan well.

And yet, she now regretted it, thinking it was completely a bad idea.

Why did I even think of seducing him in the first place? I’ve already replayed in my mind the way I’d kill him. It’s quick and precise. It’s sure as the sun rises in the east! It doesn’t even matter if I’d be killed afterward. But why did I change it in the last minute? Is it because I want to know my enemy first and hence delayed his execution? I’m so stupid!

She momentarily closed her eyes, murmuring, Forgive me, Father, Mother, Uncles… my friends…

In her head, she already kicked and beat herself for being so foolish. She was so close… too close… that she could even smell his invigorating, fresh and sporty fragrance—a mixture of citrusy and musky scent. She could have just beheaded the two keepers in front of him and plunged the blade into his heart… but she threw it to the wind for nonsense logic.

No, it wasn’t even logic. It was an impulse, a curiosity. And it might just kill me before I can even take my revenge. Oh, Morielle! You’re an i***t! You’ve been dreaming this for a decade, but you just wasted such a golden chance!

She played again in her head the what-could-have-been scene. It would have been easy to cut the second keeper’s hand and neck before slashing Rhyphas’ own neck. Even though he was Tallahir’s close friend, she didn’t care. She could have killed the crown head right after executing Rhyphas. In her calculation, she could have done it in less than five seconds! King Raithen’s head would’ve rolled already before the other keepers or her father could react.

Coyukh ki! I should’ve done it then, not just thought of it belatedly! And now, he’s just there, sitting and watching me dance. How can I even give him such a titillating entertainment?

She felt so wretched inside. She was seething, but she learned to not let her emotions show on her face. When she didn’t want to be read especially, she would cast down her eyes, just like she did earlier. She just stared at the King’s boots instead, realizing he quite had large feet.

He didn’t even carry a weapon with him. It just proved that he felt safe in Tallahir’s premises. The keepers were just there for precaution if in case there was ever an ambush.

For Morielle, the ambush was another way of killing King Raithen. She thought it was going to be the last resort and if or when her real identity was revealed. So far, none had realized that she was a Reoc. And she thought it was good that way. She could then have her revenge easily in the near future, if not tonight…

Still, I will try if I can do it tonight, she thought with determination, glancing at the keepers who stood in front of the king. Hence she had no clear way of propelling the sword to the King.

She gave him a neutral look, but she refused to stare as he drank the goblet of amber wine and the way his throat bobbed when he swallowed the refreshing liquid.

How I wish I could s***h that sexy throat of yours right now, Vacushta!

Okay, she did stare at his throat. She couldn’t help it.

Coyukh vah, Morielle! (Damn you, Morielle!) Focus!

She could not understand why she was just too distracted by her enemy she so wanted and swore to kill, as though she was caught off guard by his attractiveness at close range, thinking he must be another Naim dressed in the King’s robe.

Just think of the past, where you were almost got killed a number of times just to get here.