Make Your Move Katherine

But your Majesty

Katherine

Kat hurriedly opened the tap from the sink, put the cigarette out under the water flow and tossed it in the garbage before running out to see what the matter was, her body injury was forgotten, but she ceased her steps when she saw how they were gathered. Lined up against the far wall of the living room, opposite her bedroom, their faces red from the reflection of a dancing flame.

Turning to look at what they stared at, she saw on the outskirts of her bedroom, a laser-beam-looking light but in mid-air and about a foot long, surrounded by blue and orange flames. The flames grew and rotated in a spiralling motion, similar to a tornado but parallel, as did the beam. Kat's mouth hung open and she pointed but no sounds came out. Then heat. The place was hot like she was near a burning campfire.

A few seconds later a loud screech was heard, and a flame of feathers was seen followed by a human-looking form before it proofed and vanished and, in its place, stood a naked Oscar, whose body was slightly covered in soot and embers.

Kat fell to the floor as her weak knees gave out.

She couldn't see his face as he was facing the other wall, so her back was to her. His lean, muscular body tensed as he turned to his men on his left and tilted his head to face her. The embers died within three seconds but the horrified look on her face did not.

How was he just on fire and not burnt?

Kat sniffed the air for burning flesh- nothing. Just plain old smoky smell like from a fireside. She glances over at the wall to see if the men are as startled as she is, but her eyes encounter an odd sight- the men are on their knees with their heads to the ground.

What the hell?

"Rise," Oscar commanded and the young athletic team of men replied, "Yes, your Majesty," and rose.

Kat's jaw dropped just like her knees did seconds before and she saw one of the men rush over to Oscar holding out the duffel bag she had seen him with earlier outside in the hallway. He opened the zipper of the bag and held it out to the tall man with his head downcast.

Oscar pulled the sweats on looking at her then spoke to his men still looking down at her for she was still on the floor," Everything went well?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, all went well," Anthony answered.

"No, trouble?" he murmured looking at her.

"No, Your Majesty."

"Good, we are leaving this evening," Oscar turned to the man giving him a tight smile as raised his foot, one at a time while another man stopped to his knees and held open a pair of vans on the floor to him. Oscar then started walking towards her and Kat's eyes widened but he walked past her and into the kitchen.

"Er- there is something you should know, Your Majesty."

Why were they calling him that?

Anthony followed Oscar into the kitchen and mumbled something that Kat didn't quite catch, and she stood up, looking at the remaining men who still had their heads slightly bent. Everything about today was confusing- in fact, everything since her unwanted and forced reunion with Oscar had been since.

"What is going on?" she asked the men, but they ignored her.

"You can feel free-” Oscar paused what he was saying and finished with a mutter, “Speak Anthony."

"But Your Majesty!"

"She is my soon-to-be wife, so I can't have secrets, can I?"

Am I supposed to be following this? Kat wondered as she gaped at the sight and conversation happening right before her. 'Is my mind playing tricks on me right now? I must be asleep.'

 Yup, this had to be some weird dream of hers like she used to have as a child. She used to dream about the wolf eating her from ‘Red Riding Hood’. She was also ‘Dorothy’ a couple of times from the ‘Wizard of Oz’...

Anthony sighed, following Oscar back into the room and she saw he was holding a water bottle in his hand. Twisting the cap, he drank the entire contents and held out his hand for another that Anthony passed along to him. He emptied that too and Anthony took the empty bottles to the kitchen.

"You drank two bottles- hey," she called out as she saw Anthony opening the door under the sink to put the bottle in the bin, "Put it over there," she pointed to a box on the corner of the table and he complied. "I recycle." She did. She took the bottles to the back of the building and emptied the contents into the large recycle bin there, whenever it was full.

Oscar's lips thinned as he looked at her replying, "Three. I had one in the kitchen. In case you didn't notice, I was on fire."

"I- I- Is that normal?" she stuttered, wondering why she hadn’t fainted yet.

"Normal for a –"

"Your Majesty!" Anthony interrupted him again and Oscar smiled.

“-vampire,” Oscar finished saying. "Anthony does not want you to know for he does not trust you," Oscar informed her, and Anthony turned his face away when she looked at him.

Why was Oscar making jokes at a moment like this? Now wasn’t the time for this colourful humour he seemed to have developed.

"You don't know me," she addressed Anthony with a sneer on her face.

"He knows you enough," Oscar commented dryly as if he knew something that she didn’t but was supposed to.

"You don't know me either," she accused and grabbed the A.C remote and sat down heavily on the sofa switching the unit on. It was off for she rarely used it as she was always getting fresh air from the height her apartment was at but at the moment the place was heated.

"No, I don't know you, tch but you are to be my wife anyway," he sucked in his breath a muscle twitching beneath one of his eyes before sitting down on the opposite side and continued, "And Anthony- poor man," Oscar bent his head shaking it and Kat saw Anthony still had his head turned away from her and he scratched his ear uncomfortably. "My man Anthony saw you in a- er- compromising situation."

‘Compromising situation? What did that even mean?’

Kat scoffed and rolled her eyes before it dawned on her what compromising situation he meant. The one with the mayor. Her eyes enlarged and Oscar confirmed it was the same one she was thinking. She pointed at Anthony and then at Oscar blowing out a short breath.

"It wasn't you following me- it was him!" she accused.

"Correct. Now I have to go to my condo, for I need to shower and get a suit. I have to thank the President and then we shall be on our way?"

"Why can't you call her?" she muttered, not even bothering to question if the letter was authentic or not for her mind was in such turmoil trying to comprehend what she had just witnessed. And just where did he expect her to go with him?

"Because I am not rude, and she did save us a war."

"I can't just leave here-” Kat started to say but Oscar cut her off.

"Come with me and your parents will be debt-free. I promise. Don't ask any questions- not now but I give you, my word."

What would she say to her parents? And how? She was not allowed her phone. It's not like she could mail them a letter- she hoped they understood that she was doing this only, so they wouldn't be bankrupt. When was she leaving? Did she have to go with them tonight?

As a reporter, Kat valued her privacy but this time she prayed for once that she would be disturbed. Kat had hoped her doorbell would ring. Why wasn’t her bell ringing? She needed someone to distract the men so she could make her escape, but nobody came. She even wished her p*rvert neighbour would show up as he always did with his robe open to ask her for tea.

Left alone once again with the Royal Guards, Kat slept away hours later after exhausting her brain, because the medication the doctor prescribed was also a drowsy one. The guards just ‘happen’ to have her prescription. There was only so much one could do without a phone and nowhere to go. She was too worried about what was happening in her life and what was real and what wasn't. She knew for certain that she was not seeing things and what Oscar had said was true- the President confirmed it.

Feeling drowsy from the medication, she closed her eyes, waking hours later when she felt heated and sweaty. First, she saw Oscar holding a thin shiny silver-looking blade and swiping the air with it. Second, she realized she was in the arms of one of the guards, but she did not struggle against him, for she was too fascinated by what her eyes were seeing. Next, Oscar opened a vial and she saw drops of liquid fly through and landed on the shimmering sword. Then he held it up in the air pointing directly upwards, and she saw spiral flames coming alive on the tip of the sword down to the handle by his hand followed by clouds of thick white fog.

A flashing of light almost blinded her, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Never in her wildest dreams did Kat envision that she would leave her apartment in such a way. This had to be a dream, right? This could not be real.

‘Wake up Kat. Wake up!’

Why would she dream of Oscar, anyway? She would understand if her fantasy was about the men because were all young with their slicked-back, thick hair and good looks. With their sharp jawlines and suits. She could tell by the way they walked and held themselves that their bodies were trained and toned ... And although Anthony was the oldest among them and clearly the leader, he was by far the most attractive to her. But Oscar?

Never! So, this had to be a reality...

‘You're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.’