Elara glances at his retreating back before shrugging and munching on her food.
The king stops in his tracks. Is she,... eating without permission? He swiftly turns around to find her munching on a chicken leg.
How umbrageous!! He hovers behind her for a minute before gripping her neck, making her look up to him.
She slowly swallows her food, his hands feeling the food slowly go down.
"Did nobody tell you it is punishable to eat before royalty?" Her blue eyes widen a bit as she kept on glancing at him.
She slowly shakes her head. He tightens his grip on her chin. "Speak up."
"No"
"No what?"
"I was taught that" he shoots a cold look to her face before his focus turns to the smudged sauce near her lips.
That seemed to make him more enraged, so he averts his eyes ... .to her cleavage. Her breasts rise and fall with each breath she takes turning him into a feral monster.
His hands itches to touch it and he was about to do so when she broke the silence.
"Can you please turn around, my head is aching and I can't hold on much longer" he grounds his jaw before forcefully releasing her and getting out.
•••
The king tried to focus on his duties but everytime he closes his eyes, all he sees is Elara's perky breasts. He grounds his jaw trying to concentrate on what the councillors are saying.
"Your majesty!!" Blood spurts out as he glanced at the quill drawing blood from his finger.
The general steps forward with curt bow before instructing the end of the meeting. Once they were outside the general rushes to the king.
"I'm fine" the king reassures but the general wasn't convinced. He gestures to the king's hand.
"If I may your majesty" the king nods before the general checks on the injury.
"You might need the royal physician. Let me call him" the general turns to leave but the king grabs his arm.
"There's no need for that. It's just a minor injury" he gestures to his finger that's still spewing blood out.
"You need stitches. How is it possible this is the first time you're hurting yourself with a quill?"
The king grounds his jaw averting his gaze from the general. The general mistook that as a sign the king misses his Queen.
"I'll request for the Queen so you can quench your thirst" the general bows before getting out.
The king cannot deny the general because that would mean he's thinking of a lowly tribute girl and that's unacceptable.
He tore his cloth— wrapping it around his finger before dedicating his time to his work.
By the time the king was done with his duty, it was dark outside so he decided to go to the Queen since after all; the general requested for her audience.
Before he got up, the Queen's court maid came in and bows low. "Your majesty, the Queen regrets to inform you she's on her period and cannot spend the night with you"
He nods his head before gesturing for her to leave. He has never had quite a big attraction to the Queen, she's beautiful and graceful yes but there's just something about her that the king hates.
Since when he got married to the Queen, he had never spent the night with her, nor has he actually conversed with her.
The king then decided to go to the mood garden for some fresh air. When he reached there he heard a soft whistle of a tune.
He slowly trails towards the sound, his hand reaches for his sword indistinctively.
"Really? I thought so too. But sometimes it's hard you know? One minute you're a cat and the next, you're a dog smelling butt" he knows that voice. It sounds so familiar.
Like being graced with air after being in a dark cave for five years. Like the soft lullaby to a broken heart.
The bird chirps back and a soft chuckle escapes her. The king didn't like what was going on in his heart, so he clears his throat before showing himself.
"Great, just what I needed" he heard her grumble as she turned around sporting a frown.
She realises it's the king before bowing. "What are you doing here?" The king ask as he lets go of his sword.
Elara was about to answer when she noticed blood dripping from his hand. "You're injured" she stands up properly.
The king's face is pale—even under the mask, his lips have lost their colour. Elara steps forward but the king stops her.
"Touch me,..and you die" he grumbles, his eyes losing focus. Elara, as stubborn as she is; grips his hand to see how bad it is.
The king wanted to snatch his hand and bring out his sword; so he can finally end his burden.
But all he could do was gaze at her long lashes as they flutter slowly.
Elara then guides him to the bench there, she unwraps the cloth he wrapped to see how bad it is.
"Stay here. I'm going to get some herbs" she rushed out and ran to the lower halls to request a lantern.
Elara remember when she got injured at the age of 12 when her parents were absent for five days, so Elara had to find a way to get food in her stomach to survive.
She was cleaning windows for five bucks everyday, and one day she grazed her hand with a glass.
She knows how painful it is. She remembers seeing an old woman with herbs putting it on her palm before gently patting her head and leaving.
Elara searched the whole outer realm for calendula and yarrow herbs. After a long while she found it and ran all the way to the lower halls then the moon garden.
By the time she reached there the king wasn't moving.