Mated: An Enemy King

Fear And Anger

“What do you think of me growing out my hair?”

“I beg your pardon, your majesty?” My hair dresser paused and stared at my reflection, fear and confusion clouding his expression. “Have my skills perhaps not satisfied his highness?”

“It is not that at all.” I waved the man’s thoughts away. “I simply wish to know if you think I would look better if it was longer?” I could not picture myself in such a hair style, but after last night, after hearing what Aryn had said to her sworn protector, I couldn’t help but wonder. “Would my features suit this kind of hair style, in your opinion?” Would she perhaps look at me the way she had her own guard?

The wolf hesitated. “I guess it would just be a matter of whether his highness desires to wear his hair longer or shorter.” I snorted at the unsatisfactory answer before gesturing for the man to hurry up and be done with trimming my beard. It wasn’t his opinion that I longed to hear anyway. Seemingly sensing my oncoming foul mood, the man worked at lightning speed, albeit carefully. Snipping and cutting, the sound of the trimming equipment filling my quiet tent, but it was not enough to drown out the reason for the question I’d asked a moment ago.

“Why could it not have been you?”

“...it would have only been fit for the moon goddess to…”

“Don’t tell me you never thought of it–”

She’d thought about it herself. My mate had considered that wretched guard as her mate. Hell she had even been waiting for him. To choose him.

Her voice that was so full of longing still rang out in my head as it had the entire night, robbing me of precious sleep. Not that I’d had any while I watched over her carriage from the shadows. I had no business being there, but after the events of last night and listening in on her conversation with the red head, something I had no business doing either, a war had broken out within me. Fear and anger warred against each other. Of which anger I was familiar with, but it was the fear that was the strangest thing.

Whatever the circumstance, I never in my entire life gave in to the likes of it or the appearance of it, but that had all changed last night when with one look I felt it overwhelm me. In that one look that my mate gave me which bore nothing while she handed back the bracelet. Not anger nor hatred. Not even annoyance at my lover who’d surprised us both with her presence. It was as if I’d ceased to exist in her world altogether and it was that that had left me captive in the clutches of the wretched feeling.

I cursed at the memory even as I decided not to give it anymore of my attention.

“Does this satisfy his highness?” My hair dresser stood at a distance as though he were afraid of getting his neck slashed for missing a spot. I stood to look. Whatever he’d done was perfect as always, but I did not feel as satisfied.

“It will have to do.” I waved him out of the tent and the man did not need to be told twice. His disappearing figure was replaced by a familiar one.

“Good morning, your majesty!” Koberic wore a bright smile and looked very dapper in his official royal robes. I should have been proud, but I merely scowled at the older wolf. Who was he trying to impress? “Is something wrong with my dressing perhaps?”

“Nothing.” I slumped into my seat, barely keeping the annoyance of my own thoughts away. “What can I do for you?” When my question was met with silence I looked up, right into an amused face.

“You know as king, showing up at your guests’ entrance to bid them good morning is not only good manners, but it sure is going to brighten your mood too.”

“My mood is just fine.” I bit out, knowing very well what Koberic’s intentions were. I couldn’t even if I wished to. “I do not think she wishes to see me.”

“That might probably be the case, but seeing as the princess is still so passionate about setting up those trade routes, you are going to have to stop sulking and actually be there to officially welcome her as you should have in the first place.”

“She’s staying?”

“You would have known that and a lot more if you had stayed– your majesty?”

I was out of my tent at Koberic’s words. That one look had not only roused fear and anger in me, but it had presented a possibility of her not stepping into Leif at all. This had to mean something right?

The sight of her made my belly flutter even as my gaze fell on both her wrists. I hoped to spot the bracelet her grandmother had taken from me. Disappointment awaited me, however. She’d chosen not to wear it. Only those exquisite jewellery pieces of Xatis sat on her flawless skin. It did not matter for now, I decided.

“Your majesty.” Zakariel cleared his throat beside me. “You are staring.”

“What is he trying do?” Ignoring my best friend, I sneered at the red head standing proudly beside my mate. He’d let his hair down, the red of it making him stand out in the crowd. Just as she liked it! Was that for her? Did he wish to get her attention that easily? Not having her lose him in the crowd?

It turned out that their heart to heart had deepened my loathing for the wolf. They were not just best friends. He was not just her sworn protector either. She’d hoped he was her mate and wished for him to address her so freely. The thought of that had me gritting my teeth in anger even as I turned back the way I came.