Shackled Sorceress

Chapter 4 - Loyalty

Kalliope felt disconnected with the world when they arrived at their marital chambers, her chambers, redecorated to suit a pair of newlyweds. She didn’t even recognize it, under all the flowers and banners of Aleria and Caelora’s merged sigils.

“They moved my books.” Kalliope heard herself say, disconcerted and not without disdain.

Malus closed the door behind them with a quiet click, amusement in his voice, “You just got married to a stranger, and that is the first detail that concerns you?”

“And whose fault is that?!” Now that they were alone, Kalliope felt her ire quickly rising. 

She knew what was expected of them, after the wedding, in this room, the very room where she grew up. 

The thought alone made her skin crawl. Kalliope didn’t ask for this. She didn’t ask for any of this! All she wanted was a quiet life, where people would leave her to her interests until her sister was ready to be Queen. Together, they would herald a new era for Aleria, ushering in a new age of freedom and knowledge!

...That sounded empty, even in her head. 

Perhaps she was groomed to be the next Sorceress Supreme. Perhaps that was what her Mother wanted and envisioned her children to become. Perhaps it was never her choice in the first place, but Kalliope was led to believe that they all wanted the same thing, the same future…

With a keening hiss, she slashed the air with her arm. The wall in front of her, decked out with garish tapestries and garlands, cracked under the sudden pressure as groves were carved into stone. 

“Impressive.” 

Angered, Kalliope whirled around and faced Malus. Casually, he was discarding his armour pieces, as if Kalliope wasn’t about to put a hole through the wall.

For a moment, Kalliope contemplated killing him. And anyone who was foolish enough to stop her on her way out.

“Relax, dear Princess.” The War-Prince chuckled, slipping off his shin guard with a thunk, “I will not hurt you, and I assure you that I will not give you any cause to hurt me, either.”

“Considering what I’ve just done, shouldn’t you but putting on more armours instead of taking them off??”

Bottomless blue eyes met hers, challengingly so, “Why, is that a threat?”

Kalliope narrowed her eyes, “It can be. I can crush stones with just the air around me. What do you think I can do to human flesh?”

“Ah, I quiver with fear.”

Bewildered, Kalliope stared at his smiling visage. 

This Prince...This Malus…

He truly was mad.

She told him so.

Malus graced her with another blinding smile, “You can say that I am. Forgive me that I doubt your intentions of bringing me harm.”

This time, it was fire that blazed on her tightly curled fists, “You don’t know me.”

To Kalliope’s surprise, Malus approached her. Instinctively, she took a step back.

“Perhaps not.” He said, still advancing, ”But what I do know, is the eyes of a killer. And you, Princess, do not have the eyes of one.”

 Malus reached out and, before Kalliope could react, caught both her wrists in his hands. Unflinching of the flames licking at his skin. Undamaged.

Shocked, Kalliope stared up at Malus, lips quivering, “What...How?!”

Smiling, Malus had the audacity to wink at her, before pulling both her fists up to place a kiss upon them. Flinching, Kalliope willed away her fire, but not before it made contact with his face. But his skin remained smooth, not a single blemish to be seen.

“You do not know me, Kalliope the Elusive.”

An insult was at the tip of her tongue, but Kalliope bit it back.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I desire you. Have I not said so to your Queen-Mother?”

Kalliope’s eyes narrowed to slits.

“If you so desire someone, wouldn’t it have been better to go to my sister?”

Again, to her surprise, Malus barked out a laugh, and went to pour them both some wine.

“I have said and I will say it again: Princess Venus is not who I wish to marry. It is you, my dear elusive Sorceress. Besides...desiring Princess Venus would be a little too… easy, don’t you think?”

Kalliope accepted the glass from him, but instead of drinking it, she eyed Malus suspiciously over the rim of her glass.

“So I am just a conquest, after all.”

“Princess, forgive me, but I am appalled that you would accuse me of such boorish behaviours.”

Kalioppe slammed her glass onto her (painfully empty) reading desk, “Then tell me, Prince, why are we here? Why did you choose me? Does your country not have Sorceress who would be far more willing to take up this position?”

Malus took a long sip of his wine, “Yes, but none of them are you. You see, Princess, I am no ordinary man, thus my agenda is not ordinary either. Would it have been more conventional to ask for your sister’s hand in marriage? Yes. Would it have been easier to pick and choose a common Sorceress, rare as that breed is? Of course. However.”

He, too, placed his glass down, albeit a lot gentler than she did. Malus slipped a warm hand under Kalliope’s chin, tilting her head up.

“You, Sorceress Princess, you are one of a kind.”

Unimpressed, Kalliope sneered at him, “So a curio then?”

“Not at all, my Princess.” Malus chuckled, “In the unique position you are, you have no desire for more power than what you already have at your fingertips. You are demure enough to follow basic orders, and yet have the will within you to see what you wish into a reality. You are quiet and well-spoken, yet there are barbs on your tongue, and even those who pulled strings behind the curtains knew enough to not push your buttons.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is, Princess Kalliope…” Malus purred, leaning closer. Stubborn, Kalliope held her stance, glaring, “The real reason Queen Virille is not willing to give you away so easily is not just because of your powers. Your value goes beyond that. Your undying loyalty to your sister for example, to the future Queen, is commendable. Do you know how many royal siblings, left in the shadows all their lives, would be eager to upstage the intended heir to the throne for the slightest morsel of power? Deranged as your sister is, it would have been far too simple for you to usurp and claim the throne for yourself. And yet, here you are, still loyal, when they sold you for meager treasures and men, to a Conqueror, heedless of how priceless your loyalty truly is.”

Heart hammering in her chest, Kalliope was struck speechless by his words. Malus chuckled again. This close, she could practically feel it, vibrating against her arms braced against his chest.

“And I, Princess Kalliope, unlike any ordinary human, I desire that loyalty more than anything in the world.”

Malus swooped it, sealing his declaration with a searing kiss.