FF: Royal Pain Season 2: link pg 140 - Page 87

thanks

What you are about to read is Donna Paulsen approved.

(Chapter 19)

Bloody Love

A/N: The following scene may remind you a bit of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. That was the vague idea but, the execution is vastly different.

DISCLAIMER: I know some of my readers are young and impressionable. You should know that I, by no means, endorse this form of relationship and love. This is a flawed, unhealthy marriage. Please do not use it as your guide to ideal love. You are smart.

Some triggers of self-harm present. References to violence discussed.

"Your Majesty, Your Grace", a middle aged man questioned the royal couple in a nervous voice. "Can I call you by you first names?"

"You have some nerve", Rishabh poked his sharpest fingernail into the man's growing pot belly.

The man pressed on his metal glasses and forced a small smile.

"Of course you can", the queen spoke in the words just a little louder than a whisper. "Yes, you may".

"I don't understand"

"She has a twisted sense of humor. She was referring to your earlier statement...anyways, the moment has passed Madhu. She is a little slow in this department", the king scoffed with a condescending look aimed at his wife across the room.

"Excuse you sir. I am many things but I be damned if I am ever treated like a submissive housewife. I am not your..."

"Ananan...cut it out you two". The man in the middle suddenly found comfort in knowing that his king and queen were no different than any other married couple.

"Shut up!" They yelled in unison. Well, atleast they were on the same page on this one. They hated the man in the middle.

"You are not what? My wife? Cause you haven't been doing that at all lately".

"Is that what you married me for? To have some one to sleep with at night?"

They were practically barking now. Lord help the man who was caught in the crossfire. He cursed the heavens for letting him take this stupid job. He would be anywhere but here.

"I didn't have a choice". Rishabh folded his fingers into a fist. When did this argument escalate to a call of war? His queen was in no mood to back down. Neither was he. There is only so much sexual frustration a man can take.

"If you had a choice I wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be here. You would have a harem, isn't that right?"

"Jesus Madhu, is that all I am worth?"

"Excuse me", the man in the middle was sweating bullets by this minute.

"What?" Another angry scream from the couple.

"Can I go now?"

"Who is this guy Rish? Have you checked his background? Clearance level? I don't want our dirty laundry spilled on TMZ".

"I heard he's good. Clinton and Hilary...I mean you said you loved Hilary so I thought...don't give me that look. I am sorry, okay?"

"It's a little too late for apologies. Get him out, have him checked. I don't want us to go south".

"We are as south as they come Madhu. If I were not the king, we would be long separated. You know sometimes, I don't want to be in the same room as you. I don't know if you are going to love me or stab me in the back. You are unpredictable. You are cruel".

"Cruel", the words played in her head like a broken record. "I am cruel. But, all this while, I thought I did it for you. You didn't even bother to stop me. Not once. Not even a verbal challenge. You didn't put up a fight, you willingly came with me when I killed em. You wanted me to kill em. You needed me to kill em. You left me no choice and I am the one who is cruel?"

The queen showed no mercy in her eyes. The stare was burning the hairs fearfully sticking out of the necks of the men in the room. One death glare at the husband and another one at the so-called marriage counselor. The words sounded more like a cuss in her head. This rough patch in their life had extended well beyond its time. And no, the country couldn't afford a royal divorce in this economy. Neither could she. Rishabh may not be her foremost reason to live but, he was a close second. They were going to make this work. That is what he said to her every night she turned him away in bed. She felt dirty. She told him it was like Macbeth after killing King Duncan. The blood won't come off no matter how much she tried. No soap, no cleansers could get the filth out of her hands and the last thing she wanted was to make him dirty with her touch. Like a tornado that destroyed everything in her wake, she was only prolonging his mystery dragging him with her through the hellhole of a life she had built. She wanted to leave him for good but, he wouldn't let her. No way was a common woman deciding what was good for the king. Hell, she was contradicting herself even in her thoughts.

On the one hand, she knew she didn't deserve him a cold blooded killer could never make a good match for the man who wouldn't hurt a fly. Then again, he was controlling. Like his hunger for power didn't end in the courtroom. She had to be his subject too. She wouldn't stand in equal footing to this man looking for obedience. That world slipped off her tongue like a slimy snake. Oh how it stung to know the only two options were to jump off a cliff or drown in the river. Of course, the third one seemed unreachable but optimal. She could sink in the earth underneath her feet. That one was comparable to a luxury suite in her head. Sitting in a grave peacefully with all the other flag covered boxes. Soldiers, not coffins, not body bags, not sack of flesh and bones, soldiers. Felt pretty damn good to be called one.

If only she hadn't taken this cover. If only she hadn't been sleeping with the enemy. If only she hadn't fallen for the enemy. If only he was the enemy. She had. She did. He wasn't. He wasn't the problem, she was. He never wed an ax murderer. He wanted a naive, submissive queen. She had played the part for as long as she could. Personal enmity did show every now and then. But, that only humanized her. Now, finding out what they really wanted, all the need-to-know protocol out of the window, she realized he was too far in to the plan to back out. She made him watch as she spilled out the blood and guts of the men who poisoned her father,HIS father, her brother. She thought, at the time, she was taking him under her wing, protecting him from the big bad world. But, she had scarred him for a lifetime. He was tainted for good. The innocent charm, the smooth talking, the witty flirtations, were replaced by an overwhelming need to be in control. At. All. Times.

He was kissing her. She wasn't conscious in her response, it was involuntary bodily reaction. She convinced herself of some bullshit biology long enough for him to forget what she was feeling. Suddenly, she was no longed convinced. She pushed him to the other corner of the room with a forceful swing. One day after her hands were drenched in the blood of SIX overt intelligence executives, all he could think of was how much he wanted her?!??

The organized killing of all targets in one place. A pre-meditated master plan. No one would suspect a thing when the leader of the nation calls in a highly confidential meeting with his intelligence agencies. She didn't know who the real culprits were. There were three rogues, they had gathered from her father's graveside. But, the late prime minister didn't leave a clue telling who from the six men were responsible. So, she had to take them all. Three innocent lives lost. Three of her own. Three brave soldiers for the price of three filthy traitors. How was she any different?

"Did I hurt you?" Rishabh regained traction as his body recovered from the unexpected blow. He was in the dark, like always.

"It has been one day Rishabh". And the memories came rushing back.

"You've done this before...I am sorry. That came out wrong. I am sorry I didn't mean it like that...where does it hurt?"

"I don't know. I feel like I am covered in shame".

"They killed your family, my family, our family. You are not in the wrong". Funny how he'd thought he could never forgive a murderer and here he was almost making love to one. In fact, he was justifying her actions. Life has its ways.

"But there were innocent lives...their blood is on my hands. I am dirty. I am filthy. I am dirty. I will never be pure".

As the pungent smell of urine overpowered the room, Rishabh realized what was haunting her all these years. She had killed before. His wife was a spy, possibly an assassin but, most definitely a killer. He may have just fueled the fire.

Their relationship is so explosive... It has the capacity of nuclear reactor blown to bits damage... And they hurt each other out of love.. out of hate..

This relationship falls way below the line of healthy bordering self destruction!!!!

Given that they are prominent personalities with great responsibilities... their being together and not being together, either case end result is not looking pretty... well lets just say - people of their kingdom, i think its high time you look into immigration...

🤣

I understood the ending though. I love how you carry things along in your FFs and don't forget about them. In the end those little things turn out to shock us. Who would've thought that we'd have to remember the little urine incident from a previous update. You're an amazing writer to say the least Jassu.

If the leaders fought in the enemy lines, chaos would ensue. The drone strikes, even the guerrilla wars are played out by the instructions of the leaders who only watch from afar. Politics is the name of the game. Physical strength ultimately bows before the mental kind. What I am saying is, Rishabh may not have fought the way Madhu did, he may not been through hell and back but, he has had to deal with just as immense pressure.

If the gender roles were reversed, most would never call Madhu weak cause in a twisted way of the world, women can be excuse for their weaknesses. They are expected to be weak. But, in the end, the decisions he made were best for the country. He was not a good husband, never a good family man but, he was a good leader.

Proper ending...I don't understand. If you think I am ending it here, don't worry. I will write a chapter or two. If there is something else, please elaborate.

I think I have made up my mind. One more chapter and an epilogue.