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Hello! Thank you for feedback and likes on the last chapter! Chapter Six is below. :)
Chapter Six
The wind whistling through the trees, Maan closed his eyes as he rocked Geet in his arms. It felt almost unnatural to hold a woman simply to comfort her instead of in pursuit of more physical pleasures. But it also felt . . . pleasant?
Maan had little time to reflect on this feeling, as Geet suddenly broke away from him, struggling to climb to her feet.
Rising from the ground himself, Maan tried to focus. "You've just been through a traumatic event," he said, trying to keep his voice even. "If you just come inside, then --"
"You -- you keep asking me to call you my king," said Geet, pulling her satchel close to her chest. "You will never be my king, do you hear me? Never, never, never!"
"Geet," Maan said sharply, grabbing her arm. "Come inside."
"No!"
Maan clenched his jaw. "You've given me no choice," he said finally, bending down to pick her up. He tossed Geet over his shoulder and made his way back to the palace, the girl thrashing against him the whole way.
---
"Let go of me!" Geet screeched, pounding her fists against Maan as they crossed the threshold into his bedchamber. She was shrieking so loudly that Maan had simply taken her to the nearest available bedroom -- his own -- lest she rouse the entire palace.
"Stop this behavior right now," Maan ordered, setting Geet down and grabbing her wrists in one fluid motion. "You know good and well that I cannot allow you to leave, especially after . . . after what just happened in the garden."
"Stop pretending as if you care."
"I am not pretending." The words flew out of Maan's mouth before he even realized it. The two stared at each other in silence, the grandfather clock ticking like a pulse in the background. Closing her eyes, as if overcome by the events of the night, Geet sighed and wilted in his arms.
"Sleep," Maan said quietly, walking her toward the bed. He tucked her underneath the gold-threaded quilt and smoothed her hair away from her face. Within moments, she appeared to doze off.
Maan walked backward, watching Geet sleep, and seated himself in a chair near the clock. Even though they were safe in his bedchamber, he vowed to keep vigil as long as possible. What, oh what, was he going to do with this mysterious girl?
---
"Sire? Sire?"
Maan's eyes flew open and he immediately cringed at the stiffness in his body from sleeping in a chair. He looked up at the voice calling his name -- one of his staff members, a young woman holding a cup of morning tea.
"Uh -- yes. Thank you," Maan said hoarsely, accepting the cup and attempting to orient himself. Why had he been sleeping in a chair?
"Should I, ah, fetch some tea for the lady?" asked the staff member, awkwardly motioning toward the bed.
Maan swiveled to face the bed, where Geet was sleeping peacefully. The turn of events from the night before came flowing back to him in a rush and his eyes widened.
Maan cleared his throat. "No, that's quite all right. Thank you."
As the staff member let herself out, Maan stood up and stretched his cramped limbs. He walked over to Geet, who looked like a maiden out of a fairytale book, her hair spread loosely over the satin pillow. "Who are you, Geet?" Maan murmured. He smoothed a palm over her cheek, only dimly aware of his action.
Geet stirred and Maan quickly removed his hand, watching her eyes flutter open. A look of perplexity passed over her face.
"What -- what am I doing here?" she asked.
"I brought you here," replied Maan, "after what happened last night. . . . Remember, Geet?"
He watched as realization dawned on Geet's face. She quickly sat upright in bed, clutching the quilt to her body.
"I slept over there the entire night," said Maan, motioning toward the chair in which he had dozed.
Geet furrowed her brow. "Why did you not take me to my bedchamber?"
"You were screaming quite loudly," said Maan. "And it was faster to bring you here than to take you to your room all the way in the east wing. I did not want you to wake the entire palace."
Geet eyed him suspiciously, then swung her legs out of the bed. "I am returning to my bedchamber," she announced.
"Fine," said Maan, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Come to the library after you freshen up. We have to attend to unresolved matters."
As if not even hearing him, Geet flounced out of the room, leaving Maan to only shake his head at her departure.
---
Surrounded by his senior officials, Maan ticked through the day's palace agenda at his desk, delegating tasks for the day.
"And as I was saying," said Maan to Adi, pointing to an item on the agenda, "we --" Maan stopped short as Geet wordlessly walked into the library, back with her trusty satchel.
Maan leaned back in his chair. "That will be all for now," he said to his officials. "We will reconvene later today. Adi, you may please stay."
As they filed out of the room, one of the officials said quietly -- yet still within the earshot of everyone in the room -- "There goes the king's new mistress."
Geet's eyes widened in horror. "What?" she exclaimed.
"That's completely false," Maan barked, but the line of officials had already exited the library.
Geet spun around to face Maan angrily. "What was he talking about?"
Maan waved his hand dismissively. "I do not know. Pay no mind to it."
"Pay no mind to it?!" Geet cried. "Did you even hear what he just said?"
"Ah, Your Majesty, I should probably get to today's work --" Adi began nervously.
"Yes, I heard it," Maan said, impatiently standing up from his chair. "And I told you to pay no mind to it. It's just idle gossip."
Geet shook her head in disbelief. "How can you even say that?"
"What does it even matter?" Maan retorted. "You and I both know you're not my mistress!"
"But I don't want other people thinking that I am!"
"Why do you suddenly care what people think?" Maan said, slamming his hands down on the desk. "You traipse around my palace as if you own it! You still have not yet told me why you even snuck into my abode!"
"You deserve no explanation," Geet said, crossing his arms. "None!"
Maan let out a mirthless laugh. "Oh, you slip of a girl, you constantly forget that I'm the king of the most powerful ruler in the world! A king who defeated your country! You, of all people, owe me an explanation about why you've trespassed here from enemy land!"
Geet uncrossed her arms. "For being the most powerful ruler in the world, as you say, you are quite ignorant about the people who live in your kingdom."
Maan clenched his jaw. "Excuse me?"
Geet opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "You are quite ignorant about the people who live in your kingdom," she repeated.
"That is utter rubbish," Maan snapped. "I am very good to my people and am well-informed of my populace."
To Maan's surprise, Geet smirked. "You are not as well-informed as you believe," she said.
Maan furrowed his brow as Adi cleared his throat nervously. "What are you talking about?" demanded Maan.
Geet straightened her posture. "Despite your accusations, I am not a trespasser from enemy land," she said. "I am a citizen of *your* kingdom."
---
Thank you for reading! I would love to hear what you thought if you have time to provide feedback!
Chapter Six
The wind whistling through the trees, Maan closed his eyes as he rocked Geet in his arms. It felt almost unnatural to hold a woman simply to comfort her instead of in pursuit of more physical pleasures. But it also felt . . . pleasant?
Maan had little time to reflect on this feeling, as Geet suddenly broke away from him, struggling to climb to her feet.
Rising from the ground himself, Maan tried to focus. "You've just been through a traumatic event," he said, trying to keep his voice even. "If you just come inside, then --"
"You -- you keep asking me to call you my king," said Geet, pulling her satchel close to her chest. "You will never be my king, do you hear me? Never, never, never!"
"Geet," Maan said sharply, grabbing her arm. "Come inside."
"No!"
Maan clenched his jaw. "You've given me no choice," he said finally, bending down to pick her up. He tossed Geet over his shoulder and made his way back to the palace, the girl thrashing against him the whole way.
---
"Let go of me!" Geet screeched, pounding her fists against Maan as they crossed the threshold into his bedchamber. She was shrieking so loudly that Maan had simply taken her to the nearest available bedroom -- his own -- lest she rouse the entire palace.
"Stop this behavior right now," Maan ordered, setting Geet down and grabbing her wrists in one fluid motion. "You know good and well that I cannot allow you to leave, especially after . . . after what just happened in the garden."
"Stop pretending as if you care."
"I am not pretending." The words flew out of Maan's mouth before he even realized it. The two stared at each other in silence, the grandfather clock ticking like a pulse in the background. Closing her eyes, as if overcome by the events of the night, Geet sighed and wilted in his arms.
"Sleep," Maan said quietly, walking her toward the bed. He tucked her underneath the gold-threaded quilt and smoothed her hair away from her face. Within moments, she appeared to doze off.
Maan walked backward, watching Geet sleep, and seated himself in a chair near the clock. Even though they were safe in his bedchamber, he vowed to keep vigil as long as possible. What, oh what, was he going to do with this mysterious girl?
---
"Sire? Sire?"
Maan's eyes flew open and he immediately cringed at the stiffness in his body from sleeping in a chair. He looked up at the voice calling his name -- one of his staff members, a young woman holding a cup of morning tea.
"Uh -- yes. Thank you," Maan said hoarsely, accepting the cup and attempting to orient himself. Why had he been sleeping in a chair?
"Should I, ah, fetch some tea for the lady?" asked the staff member, awkwardly motioning toward the bed.
Maan swiveled to face the bed, where Geet was sleeping peacefully. The turn of events from the night before came flowing back to him in a rush and his eyes widened.
Maan cleared his throat. "No, that's quite all right. Thank you."
As the staff member let herself out, Maan stood up and stretched his cramped limbs. He walked over to Geet, who looked like a maiden out of a fairytale book, her hair spread loosely over the satin pillow. "Who are you, Geet?" Maan murmured. He smoothed a palm over her cheek, only dimly aware of his action.
Geet stirred and Maan quickly removed his hand, watching her eyes flutter open. A look of perplexity passed over her face.
"What -- what am I doing here?" she asked.
"I brought you here," replied Maan, "after what happened last night. . . . Remember, Geet?"
He watched as realization dawned on Geet's face. She quickly sat upright in bed, clutching the quilt to her body.
"I slept over there the entire night," said Maan, motioning toward the chair in which he had dozed.
Geet furrowed her brow. "Why did you not take me to my bedchamber?"
"You were screaming quite loudly," said Maan. "And it was faster to bring you here than to take you to your room all the way in the east wing. I did not want you to wake the entire palace."
Geet eyed him suspiciously, then swung her legs out of the bed. "I am returning to my bedchamber," she announced.
"Fine," said Maan, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Come to the library after you freshen up. We have to attend to unresolved matters."
As if not even hearing him, Geet flounced out of the room, leaving Maan to only shake his head at her departure.
---
Surrounded by his senior officials, Maan ticked through the day's palace agenda at his desk, delegating tasks for the day.
"And as I was saying," said Maan to Adi, pointing to an item on the agenda, "we --" Maan stopped short as Geet wordlessly walked into the library, back with her trusty satchel.
Maan leaned back in his chair. "That will be all for now," he said to his officials. "We will reconvene later today. Adi, you may please stay."
As they filed out of the room, one of the officials said quietly -- yet still within the earshot of everyone in the room -- "There goes the king's new mistress."
Geet's eyes widened in horror. "What?" she exclaimed.
"That's completely false," Maan barked, but the line of officials had already exited the library.
Geet spun around to face Maan angrily. "What was he talking about?"
Maan waved his hand dismissively. "I do not know. Pay no mind to it."
"Pay no mind to it?!" Geet cried. "Did you even hear what he just said?"
"Ah, Your Majesty, I should probably get to today's work --" Adi began nervously.
"Yes, I heard it," Maan said, impatiently standing up from his chair. "And I told you to pay no mind to it. It's just idle gossip."
Geet shook her head in disbelief. "How can you even say that?"
"What does it even matter?" Maan retorted. "You and I both know you're not my mistress!"
"But I don't want other people thinking that I am!"
"Why do you suddenly care what people think?" Maan said, slamming his hands down on the desk. "You traipse around my palace as if you own it! You still have not yet told me why you even snuck into my abode!"
"You deserve no explanation," Geet said, crossing his arms. "None!"
Maan let out a mirthless laugh. "Oh, you slip of a girl, you constantly forget that I'm the king of the most powerful ruler in the world! A king who defeated your country! You, of all people, owe me an explanation about why you've trespassed here from enemy land!"
Geet uncrossed her arms. "For being the most powerful ruler in the world, as you say, you are quite ignorant about the people who live in your kingdom."
Maan clenched his jaw. "Excuse me?"
Geet opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "You are quite ignorant about the people who live in your kingdom," she repeated.
"That is utter rubbish," Maan snapped. "I am very good to my people and am well-informed of my populace."
To Maan's surprise, Geet smirked. "You are not as well-informed as you believe," she said.
Maan furrowed his brow as Adi cleared his throat nervously. "What are you talking about?" demanded Maan.
Geet straightened her posture. "Despite your accusations, I am not a trespasser from enemy land," she said. "I am a citizen of *your* kingdom."
---
Thank you for reading! I would love to hear what you thought if you have time to provide feedback!
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