MG FF: Bound to the King - COMPLETED [ch. 10-13 posted June 2018] - Page 50

December04 - thanks so much. :) edit: Stay tuned... :)

hey kumari3 read your works while you were away...and love them all but for the love of child most...hope you would conclude this one
and would definitely read anything coming from awesome writers

Maan rubbed his eyes and slid on a robe. Who could it be at this late hour?

Opening the door, Maan could have sworn he was dreaming. Geet was standing in front of him, in a simple periwinkle dress, her hair in a low scraggly bun. Her eyes were rimmed red.

"Yes?" Maan crossed his arms, even though it was all he could do to keep his jaw from dropping. Geet had come to *him*? And this late at night?

"I've come to take your leave." Geet's voice was low and cracked slightly.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm going. Back to my community. As per the Head Councilman's orders."

"What?" Maan opened the door wider and motioned for her to come in.

"Yes." Geet straightened her spine before walking inside and Maan then noticed a small suitcase was propped up against the wall of the hallway. Geet's suitcase.

"I've thought a lot about it," Geet continued, casting her eyes downward. "You were right, all this time. I was ungrateful . . . about how benevolent you were to me, after sheltering me and feeding me and giving me work here. But how long can I stay? And what good will it do? I have to move on. Move back, rather."

"Geet --"

"So, I wanted to say thank you," she interrupted. "For everything. Before I go."

"You realize that your parents have selected a groom for you? As per the Head Councilman's letter?" Despite the late hour, Maan was now wide awake.

"Yes," she said plainly.

"And you remember telling me that some men in your community can be . . . barbaric?"

Geet sucked in a breath. "Yes."

"And you still want to go? Go back there?"

Geet bit her trembling lip and Maan felt his heart ache. He had never seen her so vulnerable and it was physically paining him.

"I don't see another way," she said finally. "And everyone in the kingdom knows that your policy is not to meddle with a council's affairs unless there is a good reason for it. I know you won't want to break that policy for me. For me, who's been such a nuisance the entire time I've been here." She gave a watery chuckle.

Geet took another deep breath. "So, I don't seem to have a choice but to go back . . . what is the alternative?"

And it was then that Maan started to have a peculiar set of flashbacks: seeing Geet for the first time in chains, seeing her diligent work in helping to deliver Pinky's baby, holding her while she was sobbed after being assaulted by the guard, seeing her face light up when playing with Rosie . . . . He felt the resolve that had circled his heart earlier that very day began to crumble, brick by brick.

And Maan realized with a start that he was, unequivocally, in love with this woman. That he had been for a long time, and that it was a shame that it had take his mind so long to catch up with his heart. And that there was no way he could lose her, especially to get married to someone else.

It was out of the question.

Geet's question rang in Maan's ears. *What is the alternative?*

"This," Maan murmured, pulling Geet close. "This is the alternative." And with that, he pressed his lips against hers.

As Maan deepened the kiss, Geet moved her arms around his neck. But almost as soon as she gave herself into him, she pulled away abruptly.

"Geet . . . ." Maan was all but panting. What was wrong?

"I'm sorry," Geet said, breathless. Her eyes darted around the room before landing back on him. "I'm sorry. I can't -- I won't --"

"Geet, listen --"

"I can't," she said, her voice now breaking completely, tears rolling down her cheeks. She ran through the doorway and swiped at the wall for her suitcase.

"Geet, stop. Right this instant." Maan's voice took on a tone of such guttural authority that Geet froze in her tracks. He grabbed her by the elbow and spun her around. "You're not going back," he said lowly. "This is your home now. Do you understand me?"

"But --"

"Do you think I'd let you go back to where you've come? To where you aren't valued? To where you'll marry a man who might treat you badly?" He steered her back inside the room, kicking the door shut. "I won't hear of it, all right?"

Geet took a shaky breath. "I don't know what to say . . . . I don't understand . . . ."

"It's simple." Maan stepped closer to her and watched as Geet's eyes grew wider. "You'll marry me."

"What?" Geet's eyes widened to an almost cartoonish degree.

"Yes. You're right about my palace policy. I don't meddle in a council's affairs unless I have a reason to do so. I refuse to set such precedent where I violate that principle. And if we get married, well, that's a reason for you to stay. A big reason. Obviously." Maan realized that he was speaking nonsense. He was the king and could do whatever he wanted, precedent or not. But it was an attempt, a foolish one admittedly, to win her over with reason.

Geet looked more than doubtful, and Maan took a deep breath. "Listen. It's late. Get a good night's rest. and meet me tomorrow morning in the east garden. Where the cedar blue bird feeder is. We can discuss it then. I know it's a lot to take in at once."

Geet looked down at her feet, her grip on her suitcase tightening. After several moments that felt like an eternity, she looked up at Maan, and nodded.

---

Unsurprisingly, Maan wasn't able to sleep a wink for the remainder of the night. In the morning, he put on his latest bespoke suit, one that he had not even worn yet and that was more appropriate for a gala, and headed to the east garden. He expected to be there before Geet, and was shocked to discover that she was there, sitting on a stone bench, her suitcase at her feet. Maan's stomach sank.

"Maan," Geet said, rising from her position. Several birds had already gathered at the bird feeder and were chirping sweetly.

"Geet." Maan refused to look at the suitcase. He took her hands in his and smiled. "Good morning, sweetheart."

Geet began to speak in a jumble and without warning. "Surely there's some other way to keep me here without us getting married? Maybe I can still work here? As a palace worker? To help with the playroom."

"That's an option," Maan said, nodding slowly. Then pulled up Geet's palm and kissed it gently, placing it against his heart. "But I genuinely want to marry you, Geet. I didn't suggest the marriage plan just to keep you safe, despite my talk about precedent yesterday. It's what I want from my heart."

Maan looked around at the garden, teeming with beautiful flowers, so carefully cultivated by the groundskeepers. It was a thing of beauty. Even though it paled in comparison to Geet.

Maan pulled her in his embrace, resting his chin on top of her head. "I love you," he whispered into her hair. "And I know from the way that you kissed me back last night that it's not out of the realm of possibility that you feel the same way."

Geet pulled back, and Maan was taken aback by the small smile that played on her lips. She reached for suitcase, which sent a momentary surge of panic in Maan's chest until he realized she was pulling an item out of it.

A journal. The one that Maan had seen her scribbling in.

"Open it," she urged softly. "Skim it. You'll see."

Maan flipped open the cover and caught snippets of entries that were dated. They began shortly after Geet had arrived:

*It was so nice to help with Miss Pinky's delivery, I felt useful again . . . .*
[. . .]
*Maan is making sure I eat, and, even though I have no appetite after missing Brother so much, it makes me feel like someone cares about my well-being. I never thought that would happen after losing Brother. . . .*
[. . .]
*I really am so pleased that Maan had given me a position in the playroom. I sometimes cannot believe how good he has been to me even though I am a trespasser in his palace. But despite my warming feelings for him, sometimes I miss Brother so much that I can hardly stand it. And it's Maan's fault, isn't it? That Brother is gone? Even though Maan had nothing to do with it personally. Still, my heart aches. . . .*
[. . .]
*I have been growing close to Rosie, a little girl in the playroom who misses her brother also. There was a moment today where Maan was also there and I felt like we were a little family. But what do I know of family? Mother and Father all but hate me, and Brother is gone. Sometimes I catch myself having growing feelings for Maan, but I stop myself right away. What is the use? . . . .*

Maan looked up, dumbfounded. Reading Geet's journal entries, it seemed almost as if . . . .

"I did," Geet said, keeping her eyes steadily at her feet. "I did begin to grow certain feelings for you. How could I not, after how well you treated me? You were the only one who had shown me kindness after so long. But I made sure to keep my emotions hidden."

"You did a good job," Maan said, his voice low. He smoothed his hands up and down Geet's arms. "I thought you hated me most of the time."

Geet shivered but didn't move away. "There was such a conflict brewing inside of me," she went on. "Not only because of what happened to my brother and your role, however tangential, to it. But also because I . . . ."

"Because what? What, Geet?"

Tears glistened in Geet eyes. "I worry about getting close to someone," she said, her voice splintering. "My brother was the closest person to me and I don't want to lose a loved one again. It hurts so badly."

Maan sighed and embraced her. "I understand, honey," he said, nuzzling her neck. "I do. I understand the worry and the anxiety and reluctance to let anyone in. But I will do everything in my power to keep you and me both safe, keep you happy. And I am truly sorry, with every breath in me, about what happened to your brother. If I could somehow undo that, I would. But I can't. We both have to move forward."

Maan tilted Geet's chin up and graced her lips with another kiss. "You still have to live your life, Geet. Will you live it with me?"

Geet looked up, tears dripping down her chin. After a moment, she graced him with a smile that nearly knocked Maan over from relief. "I will."

Geet shut the door to the mammoth bureau she and Maan shared in the master bedchamber of the palace, her earrings tucked safely inside the jewelry box. Her gaze fell and lingered on a large photo in a frame from the year before -- a wedding photo. Both Maan and Geet were donning traditional wedding attire, which had been carefully selected and altered for the occasion by the world-renowned designers. Geet had never worn so many jewels and fine fabrics in her life. It seemed that the entire populace had celebrated with them the day they wed, with confetti bursting and trumpets blasting from what seemed like every corner of the kingdom.

In the photo, Maan had his arms around Geet from behind, and both were grinning into the camera. Little Rosie was in the background, smiling widely in a fuschia dress with frills. Rosie and her parents and brother, who had thankfully fully recovered, would often have tea with Maan and Geet, which pleased the royal couple deeply.

Geet's parents stood off to the side in the photo, looking slightly bewildered that their daughter, a child they had thought little of, had ascended to the position of queen.

And indeed, Geet did not take her position as a royal lightly. As soon as the tiara graced the top of her head, Geet had sprung into action and immediately installed a ministry dedicated to strengthening educational opportunities for girls. Maan had done quite a bit to bring equality and justice for girl children throughout the kingdom, but Geet wanted to ensure that every single girl felt her worth and was given the opportunity to succeed. And in the year since, Geet had devoted herself to other causes individually and alongside Maan -- mainly to raise up the indigent and strengthen literacy rates.

Geet traced the Maan's face in the photo with her index finger. How much good she had been able to do being his wife. How good she *felt* being his wife. She was so glad that she had allowed herself to take the risk and fall so completely in love with him. It was the scariest and best decision she had ever made.

"Lost in thought, sweetheart?"

Geet suddenly felt Maan's arms encircle her from behind, much like the wedding photo.

"Not now that you're here," she said, turning around in his grasp and touching his cheek. "The meeting with the technology and innovation ministry is over?"

Also, just as a side note, I've been trying my hand at fiction with original characters so feel free to check out my novella The Nanny if you'd like! Many thanks again. :)

Beautiful finish to the story she took the risk to blossom in a beautiful relationship :)

Thank goodness you came back and finished this story 😃

Awesome ending