Kingdom of Kardias

Τρία / 3

Prince Adonis

The very next day after the celebration of their recent victory, the army went to work. After a very heavy training session in the morning, the Prince and the King had a meeting to plan their next move.

"The West has been gaining more power." It was Adonis who shared this information that made the King's hand freeze in its motion.

"I'm sure it's a word of the wind and we needn't worry."

"It is a word of the wind from the West. And I believe we should be worrying. The last time we defeated them was nearly a decade ago, do you believe they were doing nothing all these years?"

"No. But we need more intel before we declare war again. Leave that to me. For now, we'll concentrate on defending our boundaries until our next attack." The King replied firmly and it was decided then that it was his final answer. Prince Adonis was sharp enough to be aware that the King had his own spies but he never questioned it even out of curiosity. So far things had worked in their benefit, so he had no reason to interfere. But even he could not deny that a part of him was always curious about the spies and how they worked.

After being excused from the King's chamber, the Prince decided to walk around through the garden towards his stable. It was a beautiful evening to ride his horse, he thought. But as he was walking, he first smelt a familiar beautiful fragrance and then he heard her lovely laugh from a distance. Every bone in his body immediately went rigid and he could feel the hair on his arms stand. A shiver went down his spine and he wondered if the evening was already cold. But it wasn't. He decided to follow the sound of the giggles despite every single cell in his brain told him not to. His body would not listen.

He found himself in front of the palace hot bath. Without thinking twice he walked up the stairs that led to the bath. The bath was covered with walls on all its sides, and it was big enough to hold more than twenty people in it. The steam from the bath made it hard to see but with his vision, he immediately knew where she was; Diana. As the fog lifted a bit, their eyes met each other.

"Brother! Do you not have any sense of decency! You cannot-" Hestia was immediately cut off by Adonis with no regard.

"Mother wants you in her chambers right now." His voice held such power that Hestia had no choice but to decide to leave. And it the lie told by Adonis was not entirely a lie, Mother did want to see Hestia; to help her pick colors for the palace interiors, but it just was not an emergency.

"You're incorrigible!" Hestia yelled at Adonis but he paid no attention to her or anything but the beautiful lady half-submerged in the water. They heard Hestia get up from the water and leave but neither Adonis nor Diana looked away from each other. Diana's face was red and flushed from the steam or the obscene thoughts that ran inside her head. Everything was quiet except for the running water and their thoughts.

"If you are just going to stand and adore me, why don't you do it elsewhere so I don't have the unfortunate luck of seeing you," She said to Adonis, "My Lord." Ending her sentence with a taunting tone. She slowly turned away and walked out of the bath towards her robe. Adonis really could not speak at all now. He just stared at the water drops roll down her beautiful luscious body and he nearly forgot how to breathe.

What is she doing to me?

"You look like an angel, you walk like an angel, you sound like an angel," Adonis finally found his voice and slowly walked towards her, "But you..."

"But what, my lord?" She turned her head to the side and in a second Adonis had her backed up to the wall with his hand on her throat. She gasped and tried to push him but she had no strength to deny his touch. He kissed her neck ever so softly making her whimper in his arms. And it took every ounce of will in his body to not take her right then and there.

"You do not belong to me." He whispered and looked up at her. He could see every emotion stir inside her through her eyes. Anger, pain, hate, and love. Diana had enough of the Prince's games, so she did what any girl would do. She pushed him away with all her might and anger. Adonis was genuinely shocked at the incredible strength she had for her little body. She had so much strength that Adonis flew at least ten feet away when she pushed him.

"Then I beg of you, Lord, if I do not belong to you, then leave me alone. Do not look at me, do not talk to me, and for heaven's sake, do not touch me. I promise you I will bring the hell up if you test me. And I keep my promises unlike you." With her final promise filled with venom, she walked away with her head held high.

What was hell even? Thought Adonis. He honestly did not even know what he expected from Diana. Diana was a strong woman who bowed down to no one and he was nobody different. But at the same time she was not of royal blood, she could not be his mate. This was the tradition of their culture and he could just not break it. Did he even love her? Or did he just love being with her? Even if he knew what he was supposed to, which is marry a royal princess, why could he not forget this dark beauty? What witchcraft had she done on him? Why can't he get rid of her from his mind?

Some nights when he spent them with her, he would imagine a faraway land in a forest by a lake, and in the midst of all the beauty of nature, the most beautiful one; Diana, and he would lay by the flowers listening to the water falling while they held each other. No kingdom, no war, no glory, no pain. Just him and Diana. His beautiful, Diana.

No- What am I thinking of? I must have become crazy, I have a Kingdom and I am in the middle of a war. I will bring glory, even if it means pain, and Diana- No. There is no time for this pointless play. I am not a child and I'm not in love. I am not in love. I do not want her. I do not need her. I am not in love.

I am not in love, am I?