The Prince's Indentured Bride

Why do you need me?

“Do you like oranges?”

“Yes. I take pleasure in tangerines.” He replied with his eyes fixed on my sleeves about to fall off my shoulder, which I’ve taken extra care to make it look as if about to slip yet be fixed on its position; my pro attempt of being a seductress to my owned husband.

Citrus smell. That’s what it always smells when the blue cap sentry comes to check shifts while reviewing the security around my room, and then he goes to examine the eastern palace, where I have zeroed down that someone is locked up, an old woman in all.

Is it like some of the regency times where there is that one bastard, or a woman who is considered a witch equal is set aside from the society to keep everyone safer from anything immeasurably rupture happening to people around?

“How are you liking this new title of a husband?” I asked, taking a step forward to where Gabriel just sat down. “Maybe, a little too much.” Oh, holy ice! His eyes, presently, they are so honest and exhausted, into the bargain of charming.

“It’s the first time the guards are like one kilometre away from me.” I didn’t want to laugh, because it wasn’t a silly joke, albeit I did. Because I could feel his frustration by just living a few days under the surveillance of people trying to keep my security as top priority.

The way he let his body fall freely on the couch, after labelling his coat on the other side of the seat, and then allowed his legs to swing as if a child having the time of his life in the local garden with his favourite strawberry lollipop.

"Do you know about madeira laurisilva?" I questioned, and let my dagger be on display on the table separating us. "No. Is it something everyone should know about?"

He replied calmly after loosening his trendy blue tie; that looked so sexy, just now, and it could definitely turn out to be a trigger for me to be weak again. Those slept feelings and the soft spot for Gabriel I always had, my once upon a time lit affection for him, and the subduing anger and vengeance for a payback on how he played with my emotions on a national television.

People might have not known about whom he was talking, but I know because it was me, nobody will understand my heartbreak as it just got to be portrayed childish lust, but I cried for what I went through. . . all alone, everybody said the pain of rejection and humiliation of betrayal will be gone and healed with fresh love, so I accepted it in my brain, but it always feels alive and on fire when I remember it, no new love could comfort my hurting of losing and being betrayed by my best friend, and then having my first love failure.

"Not necessarily. It is just some loads of nonsense. So how would you like to continue the night, now that I am finally having you to myself?" Particularly I didn't want to sound bitter, but damn these bad memories.

Emotions acts as stimulant of human behaviour, memories are the determinant of the emotions we have felt at that moment, and it defines to be a bad one or good. And my memories with him, during our ending moments back in India, were not lovey dovey to be cherished, instead a coup of emotional challenges I had to fight with myself and the world around me, and it's not like Gabriel had given me any special attention or time in his Kingdom to at least fill those bad times in secondary cloud space.

I want to believe, and let it happen too, that I've moved on, which I have, let go the past and forgiven him, but that face, his face, those eyes which made me go crazy for him, the lips which gave me a short compilation of comfort and that mighty presence of his which always made me want to have him, and only him. How can I forget all of that when I am again in his presence?

But I have to.

I am in a relationship with Kriag, and bringing back all those cactus emotions will only complicate things between the brothers, and of course me. When did things become this tangled and messed up?

"I deem you want answers. So, let’s do it for your pleasure first."

First? So, he wants something from me too. Pleasure, is he expecting us to have a s****l relationship now that we are match made in the church of councillors?

What should I ask?

Why me? But that is an obvious question which he will easily dodge by a vague answer.

What does he expect from me? I don't need to know that. One thing for sure, I am not going to be the dutiful wife he wants me to put an image with. I can be a good actor but my love life of reality is a mess.

"Why do you need me?"

This was the best shot I could pull while combining all the queries, an ice breaker which will further lead me inside... enough to find my father's murderer.