Make Your Move Katherine

Restrictions

“A fam-” Oscar gaped looking around the room. He knew what a familiar is rumored to be. Evil-looking supernatural entities that pretended to help with spells after they died. The truth is that they used the witches, unbeknownst to them and overtook their bodies.

He grabbed Ju’s hand and pushed her behind him, blocking her with his huge frame in a protective manner, looking about the room for any creature resembling an animal. He knew they took the form of animals usually to fool the witch into trusting them. “Where is it?”

“It? Orh, the familiar? She’s standing in from of you-ah,” she finished when Oscar swiped at the air with his hand. She glared and said, “She’s really short- um no legs and all.”

Oscar jumps back, his hand clasping behind him, grabbing the tiny framed woman as he did so. Ju pulls herself out from behind him and mumbles, “She is harmless, trust me.”

Possibly, he agrees somewhat but looks around guardedly still. The mage goes on as if the conversation was the most natural one to be having and truth be told it actually is. At least between both of them anyway. “My king, I think the beast is you- well maybe your ancestors directly but you-er, now.,” she goes on saying a deep-set furrow on her facial features. “But still you. Please stop,” she added in an almost tired-sounding tone. “If she wanted me dead, I would have been already?”

Okay. It’s unsettling but not surprising. Witches have been behind them, trying to end their existence, he knows that. Vampires not him being a king- being king is probably the only thing saving his life as they seem to respect that. Their attempts were always futile as far as he knew, other than that one failed time when he had now returned but he had been crowned prince then so...

It is her other words that echo in his brain. “The queen, she wears the symbol that the witches created.” She paused for the words to take effect before she adds, “I think she is part of the spell that was created to destroy you- your kind.

Oscar paced the floor of his chamber room, his mind in a whirl. Why would his father’s mage protect the enemy? Yes, enemy. If Katherine was indeed a descendant of the witches, then he had to consider her as his enemy and not the high school hate sort of enemy but the death of a king.

His father’s teaching of 'family is everything' comes to his mind now. ‘Never betray blood.’

That meant Ju could not be trusted also for the book of spells belongs to her ancestors. But the mage is part of his family just like Eric. Anthony, Yeon- heck his chosen people were his family- his group of human hybrids are his chosen family. Ju and Katherine were blood relations, no? Where exactly did Ju’s loyalty lie? With him or his wife? And Kat is now his family too- his enemy is under his own protection?

‘Well, isn’t this just a royal f*ck up.’

His actual royal blood family is the ones he did not trust despite all his father instilled in him. But still, he could not help but ponder on if the former king might be right after all. Oscar felt a headache coming on.

“My love,” Nuwa’s silky tone meant one thing- she wanted him. He turned to her as she walked in and crossed his arms across his chest. Not this again. He would have to instruct the guards to revert the permission he had granted to her from entering his chambers.

First Anthony now this?

His Royal Guard had begged him to let Katherine go some weeks ago. He had refused. Then he had made a confession- one that had rendered Oscar speechless for a minute.

“I love her- you know this.”

Oscar knew how Anthony felt but still, he was hoping it wasn’t so. He hoped that Katherine did not have feelings for him either but he knew he was wrong there too. He also hoped that if it was indeed true that Anthony would know his place and never disrespect him as king. If Katherine had to die by his own hands, then so be it. He would grant Anthony any wish but not Katherine. It would be easier to ask him for water from the moon.

“I cannot watch her die- not by your hands my king. I am pleading with you,” Anthony had begged, his face looking crumpled as the emotions had overtaken him.

Of course, he would not intentionally kill her but if he has to, he would. Is that what Anthony had meant? His country- his people, the citizen of Demkas will come before anything. If her death meant peace for the nation then her death will be.

“Are you requesting to take my wife and flee?” he had simply asked his guard, c*****g his head to the side, a bit curious to the reply although he already knew. He wanted to hear the pleas nevertheless.

“I am begging you.”

Oscar’s eyes had widened then and he had sucked in a deep breath. “No! I refuse you. And you will no longer be with her,” and for good measure, he challenged, “I dare you to betray me.”

For the first time in his life, Oscar’s faith in the man had wavered and it shook him. Would Anthony really oppose him- for a woman? Katherine? He would forsake his country? Needless to say, Anthony has restrictions now when it comes to his wife.

Now he had to have a somewhat repeat conversation, with Nuwa.

“Nu- just give me a couple of weeks…months at most,” he added when she furrowed her beautiful face. He had told her weeks in their previous talk about this. It would take him that length he figured to get used to himself wanting his wife. Months to get used to the cravings and settle with the beast within her and himself. Months to learn to ignore the desire he felt for her to curb it. It had been eight days since he had been to the queen’s chamber and he had avoided that stairway that separated them both. He instead used the one on the northside that was reserved for staff use only. He did not even want to risk a glance or even the scent of her in case of the repeat, er, entanglement. Just the thought of wanting her had a headache coming on. Katherine of all people? He despised everything about her.

“What a year?” Nuwa inquires with a sad face breaking into his thoughts.

Maybe more than that but he could try for that, so he nods. He had been trying to get in contact with his cousin the dragon king but it was not happening as he wished it to. It seemed that the queen would be with them longer than he had anticipated and thus making it difficult to resist her now.

“You lie. I see it in you,” she accuses raising her right hand out to gesture at him.

“Nuwa-”

“Oscar, it’s been weeks now we haven’t shared a bed.”

They’d never shared a bed to sleep in. She meant when they shared adult naked time. The only woman he’s ever slept with is Katherine and even then, he rose up early and left when he felt the strings pulling in his chest.

No other person …well except that one time he’d woken up next to Yeon but technically that didn’t count because he had been drunk, and Yeon is a man.

But he did know where and what Nuwa meant. He’d set her aside and sent for the women instead because he did not want to soil his image of Nuwa when he came. For every woman that was sent to his chamber, he’d thought of Katherine. Their faces all became hers.

He did not want to do that to Nuwa- she deserved better than that.

“Oscar- are you hearing yourself?” Nuwa walks over to the chair next to his bed and covers her face in her hands. She was weeping.

He walks to her and pats her head lightly unsure of how to comfort someone. He’s never had to before as he was always the one being comforted. He frowns. Never actually hugged or even this- patting of the head. Is he even doing the correct thing?

Whenever his mind was preoccupied, he had women brought up to him. And well they made him happy for a bit. If his mind became focused on his grief of his mother or sister- he had a limitless supply of expert mouths that took his pain off his mind, exhausting his body until he could think no more and slept away from tiredness.

Another thought enters his mind now- he had become like his father. The old man was right- he understood now what he meant when he said he would know when he got older. This was also his father’s way of distracting his pain.

No- his father had always been a womaniser- a term never used on a king. Instead, he is allowed privileges. His mother had even tried to explain that to him when Oscar had gotten angry after seeing a woman who was not his mother kissing his father whilst sitting on his lap- naked. He’d been ten at the time. He knew they were not kissing the first time one of the ladies sat on top of him- what a disgusting image he had in his mind then but soon it faded when pleasure had overridden him. Literally.

S*x was the answer to everything he’d learned.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Oscar had become his father. He cheated on Nuwa- no, he did not. ‘I am king and I have needs.’

Still cheating, his inner voice came into play.

Nuwa had become like his mother- accepting of his ways. Would his queen be like her too? Was his mother like his father and had been unfaithful too? An open marriage? Did she have her ‘men’ too? He does not recall- but women can be sneaky and men can be so stupid…just look at how Katherine had him fooled. She could have her men- his head shot up from its down position where his eyes had still been on Nuwa’s hair, unseeing as his thoughts had taken over.

The woman was still weeping but he is unbothered as another stronger emotion washes over him. For a flash moment, he saw a male hand cupping Katherine’s delicate jaw and his upper lip twitched at the same time a heavy unexplainable feeling filled his chest.

Nobody is touching her!