To Wed A King

Love and Honour

Lucan grabbed the vial of alcohol, then gently moved, making Adeline lie back on her side. He removed the bandage and then raised his head to Angel, who had dispersed the servants.

"Bring me a honey ointment, wools, bandage, towels, and warm water."

Angel noddedband bowed before walking away, leaving them both again.

Lucan took off the bandage and the blood-soaked wool, then discarded them unto the floor.

"You gave me an option, Lucan. I chose to die. Why did you help me? Why did you not just let me bleed to death and be free?"

Lucan gave a small sigh as he dabbed the alcohol gently on her wound. "I gave you an option. I never said you were the one with the final say."

Adeline closed her eyes. "I will never forgive you, Lucan. You destroyed my life, separated me from the ones I love and..."

"For goodness sake, Adeline." Lucan moved, then grabbed the wools. "I do not care. When will you understand that?"

"Then you should have let me die. You do not care. You have so many other women. Please let me die!" She yelled, moving to meet his eyes, her chest heaving.

He shook his head, a small, mirthless laugh escaping him. "No. You shall not win against me by choosing what happens to you. I own you now, Adeline. I conquered Corvalon. I got your betrothed out of the way."

"Did I ask you to do that?"

"Silence! I do not care what you feel or how you feel. Death to whatever you feel. You are nothing more than a beautiful body, an intriguing face. One that I want. It would help you greatly to be more submissive."

Adeline's lips parted, and she nodded slowly. "You will have to force yourself upon me because I swear, I will never, ever grace your bed willingly. I swear it."

"I may be what I am, but never will I force a woman. Neither will I let her bleed to death."

"Do not touch me," Adeline said, seething. "Do not dare."

Lucan pinched his nose, his eyes closing for a brief moment. "I am mighty tired of your stubborness. What is it about your honour? What is it about you? What is it about your body that you believe can not be sprawled on my sheets?"

"I am a princess!"

"Oh, please. Every single w***e here with me is a princess. Was. She was a princess. Do I look like someone who would lay with a servant? None of them made this fuss about being royalty. None of them gave me such a hard time, and I am tired of trying to be civil with you."

Adeline swallowed. "You found really cheap princesses then."

He gave a laugh. "Olyndria is the smallest kingdom in all of the West ciast. That girl..." He trailed off as he tried tonremember her name. "Claude. Her. She was a princess of Rania. Rania is ten times the kingdom will ever be. She is my favourite because of how submissive she is. Because of how..."

"Your Majesty, I have brought the bowl of broth."

He looked up to Claude, then nodded. "There. She is Claude. Submissive, beautiful. Who do you think you are, Adeline?"

Adeline turned to her. "She is either very stupid or foolishly in love with you."

Claude gave a small bow, her eyes closing. "You are right, my lady. I am both stupid and foolishly in love with His Majesty."

Lucan's brows furrowed as Claude bowed again and walked away. "Love?"

Adeline turned to him. "Of course. To you, every woman is a vessel without feelings. That is not what I am. I refuse to share a bed with a man whom I do not love. Much less a monster like you."

Lucan was finding it hard to keep his anger at bay now. He swallowed, clenching his fists around the swabs of wool he was still holding.

"Do not make me laugh. You never did even with the man you claimed to love."

"And I regret it," Adeline said, her heart sinking with the mention of Evander. "I should have given my honour to him had I known this is how it would be taken from me."

Lucan gritted his teeth hard, then let go of the wool. "I shall not treat you anymore. Bleed to death if you must, but I am taking you to Vahrenhall tomorrow. If you try the same stunt you did earlier, I swear to God I will make sure you are unable to recognize the face of your beloved when I am done with him."

Adeline swallowed as he walked away, a curse leaving his lips. She blinked, tears filling her eyes from both the pain of separation and the pain of the wound on her side.

She lay back in bed, her chest heaving, her lips parting slowly. She closed her eyes, the tears escaping from underneath, her chest rising and falling steadily.

Lucan brought the hookah to his lips but slowly dropped it again, his fists clenching. That woman was threatening to drive him insane. Never in his life had he ever had to go through so much for one woman, and it felt rather humiliating.

He sighed, just as Claude pulled off the robe he was wearing, so his upper body came into slow view. She held her breath like this was the first time she was seeing it, then moved to his neck.

Her eyes closed as she slowly started to kiss his neck, then trailed lower, to his arm, and then to his chest, her kisses growing even more needy.

Suddenly, Lucan grabbed his robe and stood up, Claude falling off him. She gave a small gasp, but before she could protest, she headed down towards the chambers. He stopped by the door, then slowly opened it. It had been a while, and Adeline was asleep, her lips parted, tears staining her cheeks.

He had promised not to treat her, but... his eyes drifted towards the wound. He gave a small sigh. One more humiliation for tonight, and it will finally be over. He just hoped she would not wake up this time, and he would not make the mistake of falling asleep beside her.