Forbidden Lovers

The Forbidden Apple

Arthmael didn't even understand how Nick's sword was half an inch away from his neck in a split of a second but it was. Dominic winning a duel with Arthmael had rarely ever happened; not to say never. And this wasn't because of Dominic's abilities on swords fighting, he was one of the best warriors of this kingdom. It was just that Arthmael was the best of the best.

He was not their Commander for nothing, after all.

However, this was not one of his best days. He hadn't had one of his good days for awhile now.

"Well, well, if you keep doing this, the day I take your position won't be far away," Nick teased him, still keeping the sword in his neck. "I want the old Arthmael back. You aren't even a challenge anymore," he obviously hyperbolized, which was typical of him, nothing to be surprised about.

Arthmael didn't answer to that, though. He wasn't in the mood to keep up with his friend's stupid jokes.

"Are you even here? I feel like I'm talking to a ghost, what has she done to you?"

Arthmael sighed. What had she done to him? Oh, Nick couldn't even imagine that.

"Arthmael!"

"It's been days, damn it!" Arthmael finally let it out of his chest, his voice pained as he spoke. "I haven't seen her in days."

It had been a few agonizingly slow days. Days without touching her soft, pale skin. Days without seeing her beautiful face, her ocean blue eyes. Days without his wolf taking in her warm scent of jasmines. Days without having her near, even if it had to be just for a family meal, even if it had to be just a formal meeting, it was better than nothing.

He had thought this would be for the better. The only way for him to not do anything stupid — again — but it hadn't worked to the slightest. It had only made him want her more.

"You know this isn't healthy, don't you?" Nick was suddenly his serious self, which happened rarely. "You're obsessing over her because you can't have her. Because she's the only one you can't have — the forbidden apple."

Arthmael took a few seconds to think of it. Was it the only reason?

As much as he wanted to believe so, as this was much easier than to believe he was indeed falling for his mate, as if the mate bond wasn't already enough; it was hard to suppress that hidden, buried part of him that said otherwise.

"You're right," he told his best friend. Maybe if he lied out loud, it would become true eventually.

"Then if you have her just once, you want crave her like this anymore." Dominic gave a shrug, as if what he was saying was the most normal thing in the world.

"The bloody hell Nick, do you know what you're talking about?!"

"No one will know. It's as harmless as a bird."

"Enough, Nick! I'm not about to touch her and that's final." Arthmael's voice, even though low, it was dangerous.

"Then reject her."

"f**k, no!" Only after saying the words and seeing the smirk rising up in his stupid best friend's face, he realized he had fallen right into the trap.

Nick let out a small teasing chuckle and Arthmael didn't even know how the man could find his misery funny. "Don't mind me, just proving my theory. Not only the obsession I thought it was, apparently."

Letting out a exasperated sigh, Arthmael put the sword in his scabbard of his belt and turned his back, ready to leave.

"What are you going to do, man?" This time, Nick looked sincere. Sincere and utterly worried.

Shrugging his shoulders, Arthmael shook his head slightly. "No idea. Just going to stay as far away from her as possible."

"Will that work?"

Would that work? Honestly, he didn't think it would for his entire life, but it was the only thing he had left.

                                       ***

A laughter. That's what stopped him from heading to his room and finish up with some paperwork and his body just followed it by itself, as if he hadn't any command on it whatsoever. He could be the Commander of an entire army of warriors but when it came to his body when she was around, he was as good as dead.

Because that soft laughter did belong to Evelyn and it didn't matter that Arthmael had never heard her laugh before, he would know it from miles away. His wolf would, no doubt about it.

He crossed his arms in his chest and leaned by the door frame, taking in the view in front of him. It was indeed Evelyn, but not alone. There were Estelle, Julian and Luis too, the ones he considered no different than his own siblings. It didn't matter that they weren't blood-related, all three of them were his family and they would always be. And seeing them bonding to Evelyn, it was twisted, but as long as she had that smile on her face and as long as her laughter filled the room, it was okay by him.

Arthmael didn't know what he had missed his entire life that hadn't had a laughing Evelyn in it. It was just music to his ears.

And the reason they were all smiling like little kids made a smile cross his face too. Evelyn was using her magic powers to cover the wooden furnishing in dust over and over again, and the old maid didn't understand why they were still dusty after cleaning them up several times. She would turn back to clean them again, a big frown in her face as the young royalties tried hiding and sniffing their giggles.

Yes, they were definitely acting like little kids. Which Arthmael right now adored.

This was just a new side of Evelyn he seemed to have longed for without realizing himself he had.

"Arthmael!" Little Luis ran and threw himself in his arms and only then, when she took him in, there at the door frame, Evelyn realized Arthmael had been watching all along as she acted all childish and stupid just to make Luis laugh.

Her cheeks blushed crimson instantly and this time he wasn't able to hide the smile that made her blush even more.

"Her powers are awesome!" Luis spoke affectionately. "Evelyn is awesome, isn't she?"

The way his eyes lingered on her and her blushing cheeks the whole time, it made her hear skip a beat or two.

"Isn't she?" Luis asked for a confirmation again, just because he loved his big brother's attention.

"She is," he admitted, for a second forgetting Julian and Estelle were there with them.

"Look who decided to pass by," Julian mocked, giving him their usual handshake.

"For real, you've disappeared for days." Different from Julian, Estelle looked upset about it and it only confirmed Evelyn's suspicions more. Estelle indeed saw him more than a big brother and that left a bitter thing on her mouth once again.

"Just working and training." He waved it off, making Evelyn wonder how he couldn't see the truth right in front of his own eyes. He was just so blind sometimes.

"Maybe you work too much lately, Arthmael." She raised one of her brows at him. "It almost feels like you haven't been around much since I came here." She knew it was blunt, yet it didn't mean she had to be okay with him avoiding her like that.

His eyes widened. "Not at all, my Queen, I'm sorry—"

"Oh, relax Arthmael, I'm just teasing you." Faking a smile over her shoulder, she grabbed the long skirts of her beautiful pale pink gown and made her way away from there. "And stop being so tense around me, I don't bite wolves." And with that, she knew she had risked a lot, but oh she could care less right now.