CONDITIONS
2200 Words
LEVIATHAN POV
I leaned back in my chair, a smirk on my face as Clark read Porsha's letter, “...I shall patiently await your arrival, until then I forever remain your humble fiancee Porsha Bridget Helga” He concluded his reading, closed the scroll in his hand and handed it over.
I clenched the scroll in my hand, quietly taking in her sweet Lemon-rosy scent as a smile began creeping to my lips.
Who knew the almighty princess Porsha could lower herself to the level of writing a letter to me. It is at times like this that wish I could read.
"My king, what would your reply be? Should I send words that you wouldn't be able to make it?" He asked, his tone laced with displeasure.
His brave assumption took me aback, so I turned to him, a confused frown on my face and asked the question that plagued my mind, “And why wouldn't I?"
"Simple my king, you command people to come to you and not the other way around. What right does princess Porsha have to demand your presence?" He doubted, his tone venomous.
His eyes were laced with untold anger, that I am forced to laughter. I rose to my feet, walked towards him and stopped at arm's length before him.
"You call it demand, I call it a request. Princess Porsha has simply begged for an audience with her prospective husband and as her fiancee it seems only fitting that I grant her wishes, don't you think?" I asked and his eyes widen in shock.
“But my king she should be apologizing after what she did instead of making pointless demands," He said, his voice thunderous. His eyes blazing with anger.
“And she will, it's just a matter of time” I said, turning my back on him, “Make preparations, we'll leave in half an hour to pay my fiancee a visit”
“As you wish my lord” He said exiting the room.
With him out of the tent, I reflected on Porsha's beautiful face, her arrogance, the way she carried herself in the market place, and her violent assault.
“I will so enjoy breaking that woman” I thought to myself, running my hand over my eye patch, a spark of excitement kindling in my heart.
“For a man with a bad eye, you seem excited" A familiar feminine voice echoed from behind me.
My intrigues were immediately plagued, I turned to see the face of the one woman I wanted to see, the most important woman, the woman who raised me, my role model, Aunt Matilda.
Immediately our eyes met a wave of excitement coursed through my veins.
“Mom!" I exclaimed, my chest racing as I pulled her into a hug.
“How have you been my boy?" She asked, her tone laced with ecstasy.
“Fine mother. How have you been?" I doubted sharing in her joy.
"Good son, but I see you aren't doing so well" She said narrowing her eyes as she fixated on my eye patch.
“I assure you, my eyes are good. The eye patch is just for formality sake” I confessed sincerely with a small laugh.
“Good to know" She said with a smile, gently caressing my right cheek.
“So what brings you here mother?" I asked, my curiosity plagued.
“Oh yes! I came to celebrate your upcoming wedding" She confessed, her voice bubbling with excitement, “Congratulations son"
“Thank you mother but you didn't have to worry, I assure you I don't want to give my new bride anymore importance than she already has" I informed calmly, as I squeezed the scroll in my hand.
"Exactly,” She mumbled, her tone thunderous, “I don't know why you are giving that woman any importance at all, especially after what she did"
“How did you...." I asked with wide eyes but she cuts in.
“How did I know???" She completed, maintaining her tone, her eyes blazing with rage “I know everything that concerns you my dear. I know what that woman did to you so I can't understand why instead of punishing that woman by making her a slave, you have decided to reward her as your wife"
Flashing a smile her way, I looked into her eyes and calmly explained my point of view.
“It's simple mother. Making Porsha my slave would have made her more relevant. She would have had to submit to me because she was forced to but by making her my wife, she would have to submit to me because she will be obligated to. She would obey me because she'll be my wife. She would have to take care of me, and satisfy me, untill I grow tired of her and throw her in the trash where she belongs. I assure you mother no punishment could surpass that, I bet she would cry herself to sleep everyday for the rest of her life” I informed my tone hinting at laughter as I blew a spark of fire on Porsha's scroll in my hand which immediately erupted in a fire that consumed the scroll instantly.
Mom lips moved from a down pull to a straight line then to a smile almost immediately.
“That is the man I raised, truly vicious" She said, her voice bubbling with excitement, and I burst out laughing. “That's exactly what I wanted to hear. You know, for a second there I thought you had fallen in love with our dear Porsha” She added and my laughter intensified.
“I assure you mother that would never happen, after all I don't have a heart, my humanity was killed when I was just five, remember?"
“How could I forget my boy. I was there through it all” She said with glittering eyes, “You really have grown since then you are no longer that kid who yearned for a family, and home. Now you own an empire, the people worship you. You have surpassed the rank of a king, you are now the emperor of the Ember nest empire”
"What did you expect, I learnt from the best, you” I complimented planting a kiss on the back of her hand, indeed I owe everything to her.
“And I am very proud of the man you have become" She said with ecstasy.
Just then we hear a knock at the door.
“Who is it?" I asked.
“Clark, your majesty. All preparation has been made for our visit to Vikland” Clark informed with a hoarse voice.
“You may leave, we will be there in a bit,” I commanded before turning to my mother who still had her smile plastered on her face. “Shall we mother, I will like you to see my bride"
"We shall" She gave in, her face radiating with excitement as we walked out of the tent.
And with that we exited the camp, in under an hour's time we arrived at Vikland.
When we got to Vikland the palace was already decorated for our arrival. We were met with by the king and his twin sons, bored to him by his second wife, a former servant in the royal household.
“Greetings dragon king Leviathan. Welcome to Vikland” King Williams welcomed with a bowl. I just loved how humble their greetings are, it shows their true position on the life chain.
I didn't say a word instead I just offered Ember nest's greetings (A hand raised to my nose).
“We have been awaiting your arrival. Follow me king Leviathan, I will lead you to your bride..." He said once more but this time he got interrupted by mother Matilda.
"Pardon my interruption king Williams. I mean no disrespect but where we come from honor is given to him who honor is due" She said, plaguing my intrigues, “So I believe you referring to his majesty as a king is nothing short of an insult. His highness is an emperor”
My gaze turned to king Williams, his eyes doubled in size but instead of feeling insulted by Matilda's outburst, he lowered his head and quickly apologized, “Pardon my wordings, I meant no disrespect emperor"
His apology stunned me, and I remained silent for a couple of seconds before regaining my composure.
“It's fine, I don't expect any formalities from you, we are going to be family after all" I informed him calmly with a small smile.
“I am glad you feel that way emperor," He said with a smile of his own, leading us in, ”This way to your bride”
We walk foot to foot into a lavish hall, at the center stood a gigantic chandelier and two lavish chairs. There she was, Porsha seated on one of the two chairs, dressed in a glittering black body hugging sleeveless dress with high gloves, and an elaborate matching hat. Her hair was braided into one large braid, embroidered with large crystals. She wore dark red lipstick that suited her perfectly. Even though I couldn't clearly see her face, I could tell she was breathtaking.
I walked into the hall and everyone rose to greet me. Porsha on the other hand didn't move e but I wasn't annoyed in the slightest.
She smelled like roses, and lemons, and had this air of elegance radiating around her that made her disrespect worth it.
I took a seat opposite to her and she lowered her head, making it almost impossible for me to see her beautiful face.
“You sent for me?” I asked, a smile creeping to my face.
“Yes" She said, her angelic voice booming through the room like a beautiful symphony, “I want to begin by thanking you for honoring my invitation”
“You don't need to thank you princess. What I do for you I do for my wife” I voiced with a smile, as I awaited her next sentence, thinking it would be an apology but what she said next stunned me.
"About that, I invited you cause I have some conditions”
“Conditions?" I doubted, a frown crawling to my face. The guts of this woman to make demands after her unprovoked assault on me.
"Yes, I have two conditions. Firstly, if I am to get married to you, you are to promise not to subdue me to any of your customs. I shall maintain mine fully" She said, her words hard to swallow.
“And the second?" I asked through gritting teeth, my eyes turning red with rage.
“I will not be subdued to be merely a house wife. I will like to be a working wife, I have a passion for fashion designing and will love to pursue it" She added.
Her words took me aback, and I rose to my feet, my heart racing with anger, as I asked the question that plagued my mind, “If I don't agree to your conditions then what?" I asked pacing back and forth as I stared down at her.
“It would mean you have rejected this marriage" She said, her tone hinting at excitement.
I clutched my fist in anger, pacing infront of her as I pondered her words.
It was no secret that I was making plans on how to integrate dragon customs back into society through my wives and that none of the women in my harem were allowed to work as a sign of my pride, and wealth as an emperor.
Porsha obviously had done her research in her effort to ridicule me, but I wouldn't let her defeat me. But what am I expected to do.
I stared back at my mom, who had a disturbing frown on her face, her head shaking, hinting at a refusal.
In confusion, I glanced down at Porsha and for a brief moment could see a smile on her lips, in that moment it was decided I was going to defeat her.
“I accept” I declared stunning everyone, their gasps echoing through out the room. Porsha immediately looked up at me with an open mouth, her electric blue eyes beginning to water as I spoke.
"Now if that's all, I will like to be excused. I have to prepare my teeth for the mating ritual tonight," I declared and she immediately burst into silent tears that made my heart swell.
“I would hate to not mark you properly, who knows it might end with another broken eye”
***********************
- Writer
