As soon as his lips touched mine, my first attempt was to push him off, but not even a second into the kiss I felt myself turning weak with his ministration. Both his lips were massaging my bottom my lip, nibbling and sucking on the soft pad.
All my sense were lost as I gave my body to the man who I despised the most, to the reason of my mother's death. But who could blame me.
Its not as if I had a choice, the Gods had warned me about my plans, ever since coming up with the idea, my nightmares haunted me of this very moment, with the Prince in my bed doing sinful things making me moan in pleasure. The result of those dreams would be me waking up in the morning covered in sweat with heat between my thighs.
"Your taste is very unusual"
The Prince pulled back from the kiss leaving me to feel empty. Another side effect to my illusion, it not only changes the appearance of the person but also their smell and taste.
"I'm sorry to displease you, your Highness"
I backed away ready to grab my basket but my bad luck was only getting worse as the sun sunk deeper and deeper.
"Wait, don't go"
He stretched his arm out and came closer to me,
"Come here, let me touch you"
His curse tickled up my skin like thousands of ants crawling on wet ground, I wanted to brush it off and burn it but I would never be able to free myself without betraying my disguise.
"Your Highness flatters me, but please, I must go or otherwise my Master will be most upset"
The desperation in my voice surprised even me. I guess some part of his dead soul felt pity for me as he gave me a small nod and I let go of the breath I didn't know I was holding on to. He turned his back towards me and lifted his hand wavering it in the air for a send off. The nerve off the guy, he was making me feel as if I was no worse than trash but now that he had his fun with me, I was trash to him.
My head was feeling heavy and my body began to lose any energy which would allow me to walk. If it were up to me I would have fainted right on the spot. But one more second in the same room as him could result to much more than a mere kiss.
I gathered my basket in my hand and draped the cloak around my shoulders, bowing down to him I made my way out the room until I was in the safety of my own living room.
"You did it" I was welcomed by Humeira's sweet voice, I gave her a small smile but soon saw her expression change. Her big eyes narrowed at me and for a while I was confused, not understanding why she was behaving this way with me.
"Who are you?"
Before I could answer I saw a refection of myself in the glass doors right behind her, with glowing candles against the shadowy night, I saw, not Zoya but the Fire Girl instead. For a while, time slowed down allowing me to think, if I did reveal my identity to Humeira the Prince may later compel her to tell him about my plan. Although the thought of lying to my sister sickened me, I had no other choice.
"I'm a friend of your sister, Zoya. She asked me to help her out with the Prince's situation"
"Are you a Wiser too?"
"Yes"
Humeira didn't reply this time, she simply moved past me but not before giving me look over as if I was about to rob the house. Her eyes followed my figure for a while before she disappeared behind the walls of the house and into her bedroom.
I sunk into the softness of the sofa. My body suddenly drained out of life, my elbows were on my knees with my head buried in them. Replaying the events of the day, I couldn't help but smile. I just didn't know whether it was because I succeeded in my plan or because I kissed the Prince.
With time, my mother's spell was wearing off leaving not a trace of evidence that it was their in the first place. Normally after an encounter with the Prince the spell would play its trick and rub off any memories I had stored, but of course like any other spell, without the one who brought it to life fueling it, it will also die, meaning in a couple of weeks there would be no barrier that could protect me from the Prince. If he so much asked for me to pleasure him in his bed, I would easily comply no thought on it.
I was still awake when the cookshed fire came to life. Draping the duvet around my body I sat in front of the fireplace feeding it more twigs. Once again the fire showed me the scene taking place in the Prince's bedroom in our house.
He had Humeira and Tanveer fully clothed sitting side by side on the foot of his bed. By their body language, it didn't seem as if they were feeling anything but being close to them I could sense the fear the was brewing in them. The reason for their fear was no worse himself, like a caged animal he was pacing back and forth in the perimeter of his room ready to attack anyone who dared to disturb him.
"You promised she would come to me, you promised you would not sleep until she came to me, and yet you slept today."
"She must have come to you." Tanveer's voice held no concern for the topic.
"I was wide awake the entire day in this very room, my eyes not leaving the door once, how could she have escaped me?"
I hated that he asked such a simple question. I watched closely as Tanveer tried to resist for as long as she could but at last the truth came out her mouth through clenched teeth filled with as much control as she had in her.
"Our sister, Zoya, she's Wise Woman"
I half expected to see some element of shock or surprise on his face but I was baffled to realize that not an inch of his muscles moved. Like a rock, he stood there digesting the new information after a moment he nodded at the two authorizing them to continue.
Try as they might the two couldn't resist his power, so choosing their words very carefully as to not give away too much information they spoke
"When her mother died she managed to cast a spell on Zoya which has been protecting her from your curse for years."
When Tanveer stopped, Humeira took over,
"But of course like all spells, hers is also becoming week so Zoya is trying everything imaginable that would act as a protector to her from your curse"
Pretending he didn't here any of what they shared, he asked
"Is she wicked?"
I could sense the anger that was bubbling in Humeira, but she hid it well as she replied,
"What does wicked even mean to you? She hypnotizes ravens to peck the skin of one of my lovers and laughs as he calls for help as the birds bite into his skin, but she does it thinking she's protecting me. Sure, her methods maybe wrong, but her heart has always been in the right place and I will never doubt her love toward me, her sister, her family"
"She loves?" The enthusiasm in the Prince's voice betrayed his stiff posture.
"Yes she loves, not easily but when she does, she does it with all she has"
The Prince turned away from my sisters as well as the fire not allowing me to see his expressions. He was silent for some time, lost in his thoughts. Finally turning around, he placed a sincere kiss on my sister's foreheads.
"You both have done well, you may go now"
My sisters exited his bedchambers but I continued to fuel the fire and watched the Prince as if it would allow me to enter his mind.
I don't know why he found it so important whether I loved or not, there was only one reason which came to mind but just the thought of it scared me to no extent.
Most girls when they find out about their ability to perform magic, follow darker path then mine. Most feed demons their blood in trade for more power while some even feed their children believing it will expand their years of living.
When Suitors find out about my powers they always take the precautions by asking my sisters how committed I am to the other side. Only once they have all their answers do my lovers approach me.
Today the Prince sounded no different then any of my other Suitors when he questioned Tanveer and Humeira. It softened me towards him to think that maybe he wanted something more than just a bed mate from me. But that very thought also frightened me.
Soon enough, the Prince became a habit to us all. He hosted parties, he ate, drank and slept all under our roof. The Nobles that followed him showered my sisters with Jewels and lust, always satisfying their every need.
Razia had enough money to buy more servants as well as the carriage that was lost in my father's accident, and to thank her for her service, the Prince sent her a pack of horses along with stablemen's to accommodate the carriage.
As the Fire Girl, I had made my home in the cookshed. My days were lonely without my sister's pleasant smiles and our warm gathering as I began to curse over what I had missed out on with the Fire Girl's disguise.
To the world she was a sweet innocent girl who could bring no harm. Because of that very reason I began to loathe a thing that I created. I hated how she managed to make anyone talk to her or even smile at her even when not asked for. With her as my disguise I cried over what I had missed out on all these years when my head was buried in spell books.
Two weeks after his invasion on our home was the night of the full moon. That night he didn't come over, as always he shut himself up in his palace, blocking any sight that could be laid upon him. I always laughed at how he was too big of a coward to show his true face but after my journey as the Fire Girl I understood his reasons.
When his geas on Tanveer didn't work. He ordered his men to hunt the streets of Gallia for me carrying purple bags stuffed with silver coins as bribe the ones who wouldn't spill.
But if he was smart then I was cunning. Remembering an old spell I had managed to erase any memories of Zoya that my neighbors may have held, thus when asked the questions, only confused look would be given as answers.
With time, my hard work paid off as the guards began to lighten down on their daily searches. His guard still asked for me but after the little replies they had gotten, they weren't even sure about my existence anymore. Rumors had it that the Prince was going mad with his obsession over a certain witch who didn't even exist.
Perhaps it was due to my success did the carelessness take over. I was so bored of the same routine everyday that I didn't think about putting on the ring everywhere I went, thus showing the real me. Whatever the reason maybe, on one full moon night I had nearly slaughtered my own freedom if the Prince's guard were present at that moment.
Around midnight, I heard a commotion coming from our small stables. Curious, I called the fire on my palm which gave me enough light to look around while not attracting any attention. When I opened the doors of our stables I saw a man in the Prince's employ struggling to quieten a panicked horse.
The horse managed to break free of the man's grip and charged towards the stable doors. Towards me more clearly.
"Close the door" The man hissed
Jumping inside I roughly shut the door behind me but I was too late as the mare was on his rear feet galloping in mid air successfully hammering his hooves against my head knocking me off my feet. Trying to keep my balance I groped the air for some object to grasp but when none came, my knees gave up and I fell on the ground, my vision blocked by the pounding of my sore head.
The stablemen stepped in front of he frightened horse and caught its bridle. Pulling her back on all four feet he stroked the animal and blew air on her neatly brushed fur successfully calming her down.
"Shhh girl, all is well, all is well"
His low voice was so gentle I almost wished he were talking to me. After a while, when the mare was safe, the stableman led her back to her stall.
He seemed calm until he faced me.
"What do you think you were doing? You could have been killed." He wasn't shouting but one could easily sense the level of anger coming from it.
"I heard a commotion and thought I could help"
"Help? You come into a stable and practically sat in front of a panicked horse waiting for it to attack you, are you mad?"
Belatedly I remembered my ring. Ignoring my pounding headache I felt my right hand for the silver band. Unfortunately I felt nothing but bones.
I tried to stand and flee the one who'd seen my real face but a wave of dizziness punished me for my sudden movement. My vision faded again and when it returned I found myself in a straw bed with my head on the man's lap while his fingers massaged my head. He'd draped his leather jacket around my body which reached up to my knees. At that moment I didn't feel as if I was the girl being hunted by a beast, I felt quite relaxed even though the situation should have made my reactions quite the opposite. With the stress of the last few days finally draining me, all I wanted to do was snuggle up in the stranger's lap and forgot about my life. Like I said, I wasn't in my senses.
"Little idiot" I don't know whether he realized I was awake or not as he continued to soothe my headache with his gentle hands which worked like magic.
Once I was more into my senses I began to make note of the man, starting with his appearance.
He smelled of nature. That warm smell of rain and pine twigs which engulfed my nostrils and made me feel all the more relaxed as his hands which were once frantically massaging my head now felt so lovely and welcoming.
I sighed. I sighed like a love struck virgin lady dreaming of her ideal man.
He leaned over and met my gaze. He was quite handsome for a stableman, not that I mind men who are owned, I actually quite find them more appealing then their Masters. The man had a narrow face, each contour of his face was nicely defined and he seemed tanned from working in the sun all day. His nose was sharp, he had chocolate brown eyes which could hypnotize even the most wickedest of minds. His arms seemed well built, and his hair was the right length in the right places, in conclusion, I found him quite intriguing and appealing.
"Madam are you well?" Realizing I was caught ogling at a stranger openly, I masked my embarrassed face as I tried to get up.
"Well enough, thank you" Unfortunately the humiliation continued as my words made a liar of me and I wobbled while trying to get up. Like a gentleman, he urged me back down on the straw and sat beside me, continuing with his earlier work.
"You aren't well, you may have a broken skull. I should fetch a surgeon"
"No" I tried to shake my head but that only made the dizziness reappear.
"I'll just lie down and fix it tomorrow"
"Fix? It's not exactly an everyday cut that you can fix."
But picture of a surgeon with his steel knives working on my head crossed my mind. The image horrified me and I struggled harder trying to get up.
"No surgeon"
"Easy" His voce was soft and gentle, like the voice he'd used to calm the panicked mare, my wish did come true after all.
"Very well. No surgeon it is then, but we must make sure to keep you awake, head injuries are very tricky, if you fall asleep you might not wake up."
If I was in my right mind at that moment, I might have noticed the trace of worry in his voice. Taking my left hand between his palms, he rubbed them with the right amount of pressure which only made me all the more sleepy.
"Tell me something about yourself"
"Must I?"
"The quality of your voice would tell me whether your falling asleep or not"
"Very well" I tried to sound annoyed but he'd taken my hand around his and I liked the feel of him.
"What shall I talk about?"
"Start of with your name"
Since I didn't have a name for the Fire Girl nor did I have my ring on, I told him my real name thinking it could bring no harm.
"Hello Zoya, I'm Asad"
A/N: Really hate how this turned out. Hope you still like it, 50+ likes for next update
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