All those little mannerisms and tiny seconds that painted the unique picture of someone’s soul. Whether it be a certain laugh, the way they played with their hands when upset or even the way they nodded when agreeing with something on the TV when they thought no one was looking.
The little sighs of pleasure when eating something they liked or wrinkling up their nose when eating something they didn’t. What could be the most annoying noise to one, could just as easily be the most endearing to another. That was the crucial part of finding your soul mate and what it was all about. It was finding the puzzle pieces that fit and connected together unlike any other. And most of all it was about the picture you became when you were finally put together and for the first time in your life, you felt whole.
Which was why I was still grinning like a crazy woman even when Draven walked to the door and opened it even before Ranka had chance to knock.
“My Lord, the items you requested,” she said first handing him an elaborately carved box and something rolled up in cloth. Then she asked if that would be all and left when Draven told her it was. He closed the door and walked over to one of the small tables to place the box down and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to and was about to ask him what was in the box when he nodded to the sunken seating area and asked me to sit. I did as I was told and didn’t have to wait long before he joined me. He sat opposite me as though purposely trying to put some distance between us, which had me worried for a minute. That was until he relaxed back onto the high cushions and said,
“Now, tell me about you.” I couldn’t help but take in a deep breath but it was in relief not because I was feeling relaxed like he was. In fact, I was surprised that he was feeling this relaxed considering there was an army awaiting him.
“Can I first ask why you’re not worried about them?” I asked nodding to the window.
“Because it is not a battle they can win, if there is even a battle at all.”
“You seem so sure, has this happened before?” His mouth quirked up at my question before he responded as to why he looked so amused.
“I must say that talking about war was not something I thought to be doing with you tonight but given your views on politics, then I am intrigued to see where this will go.” I didn’t know what to say to that so said nothing at all.
“In answer to your question, then yes, I have seen many an army at my gates and none more than the Romans, as like the Parthian people, they are ambitious, that much can be said. But they are arrogant and it is usually their belief in their own superiority in battle that tends to be their downfall.”
“Ah, I see.” I said smiling and forcing Draven to ask,
“Explain that look to me,” as he leaned forward towards me.
“Someone once said to me that assumption is the mother from where most mistakes are born.” I told him remembering the day he said this to me. Draven grinned at me and rubbed his beard as he leaned back once more.
“Those are wise words indeed. It is true the Romans assume victory too easily but as they travelled a long distance to get here, their soldiers are often worn out before even stepping foot in battle.” I looked towards the flickering lights in the distance and had to ask,
“Then why do you let them rest, why is it you do not strike whilst they are weak?” At this question Draven burst out laughing and hit his hands on his knees in his amusement.
“Upon my word, for someone so against the acts of war, you are surprisingly cut throat!” he said through his laughter. I couldn’t help but blush knowing he was right, it had sounded bad and a complete contradiction to what I had said about war earlier.
“You’re right, that did sound bad.” I agreed.
“It sounded like the act of a desperate ruler and one I am fortunate enough to say I am not. My men are always ready to fight as they train daily and are the best at what they do which, first and foremost, is to defend their city. It was what they were born to do and it is what they choose to live for.” I understood now why it must have meant something to him to hear me talking about my views of war. When I said about the man who fights by your side because he chooses to is the one you also want fighting at your back…well no wonder he had looked at me the way he did.
“To have that kind of faith in your army is answer to your earlier question and the reason I do not worry about such things. It is also the reason I allow the enemy this time to meet us in battle at their best, because I believe we can beat their best and I will have none of my men believing otherwise.” I couldn’t help but smile at him and then did something that was out of character for this time but not for me in mine. I got up, walked across to him and placed both hands on his cheeks before kissing him quickly then saying,
“And that is what makes you a great King.” Then I sat back down. He looked utterly stunned by my actions and the look he gave me was one that could only be described as confused. It was as though he was trying to figure out who I really was without asking me but by asking the Gods. But this was the point where he decided to ask something completely different and it felt as though if he didn’t ask it now then he would go mad without the knowledge.
“Whereas all the other girls cowered away, you ran to her blade…why?” I was taken aback by his question, making me repeat it,
“Why?”
“Yes, why did you save me?” I looked away for a second, but this wasn’t to look for the answer as it wasn’t one I would ever need to search for. It was because I knew the answer.
And I knew the point had come to tell him the truth of it…
“Because I love you.”
Chapter 61
Beauty in a Box
“Because I love you.”
My answer obviously had hit its mark as he looked as though I had injected the very words of love straight into his heart. I’m sure that I hadn’t been the first person to speak of my love for him but from the look of things, I had been the only one to do so that mattered.
“You love me, yet you were prepared to run from me…why?” he asked after we spent long silent moments looking at each other.
“Wouldn’t you if you believed my heart belonged to another?” I asked and I could see his fist clench at the thought, no doubt thinking back to how he felt when I had foolishly said Draven’s name.
“No. I would kill the other so there would be nothing standing in my way,” he answered harshly and I had to hold back the urge to roll my eyes.
“Are you so sure about that?”
“I threatened the life of this ‘Draven’ didn’t I?” he snapped, obviously still feeling raw about it and proving my point.
“So if I’d have murdered your Stateira, your ‘creation of the stars’, then this would have been acceptable to you?” I asked making my own point and doing so by letting him know I knew what he had named her. He narrowed his eyes on me for a second but his smirk was easy to spot…he liked that I was jealous.
“A woman like her is motivated first and foremost by her own vanity and therefore expected a name like this to be bestowed on her.” I gave him a quizzical look back and said,
“Just because a screaming child wants to eat nothing but sweetmeats you don’t let it happen just because they want it.” I told him making him laugh and remembering that their version of gummy bears and fizzy cola bottles were usually fruits covered in sugar.
“You say I was wrong to feed her vanity?” he asked looking amused.
“Yes. A person like that needs to learn humility and know that the world doesn’t owe them a certain way of life just because they want it…or worse, expect it.” I told him and this time he tried to hide his grin behind his hand but I could see his smile easily enough in his eyes.
“I am curious then, how do you believe it is that people achieve their goals?” I shrugged my shoulders and said,
“Simple, I believe people can achieve anything when they put their hearts and minds to it and when they apply enough hard work to get there, I think it makes th
eir personal victory even more sweet.”
“And that is why I named you the way I did,” he told me looking proud and it made me blush.
“You think I am sweet?” I asked biting my lip.
“Oh I know you are, for I have tasted you for myself.” Now at this I really blushed and he laughed, obviously watching my cheeks deepen in their colour.
“In truth you are unlike any other woman I have ever met. In fact, I believe I could listen to your intelligent views of the world for days on end and I would still be asking you for more.”
“Now you’re teasing me,” I said smirking myself, making him laugh again.
“I wouldn’t dare, for your lips are far too dangerous to battle against.” This time I was the one to laugh and add my own brand of teasing when I said,
“Says the King who has won every battle when kissing them.” Now this comment made him really grin and it was a breathtaking sight, enough to make me sigh.
“Explain that sound to me,” he asked when he caught it for himself, so I told him.
“You are very handsome but when you smile it often takes my breath away.” I loved the way his lips twitched hearing this as though trying not to give me another reason to sigh but loving the idea that this was what he did to me.
“You compliment me greatly,” he told me, mimicking my own words back, making me bow to him in an exaggerated manner.
“Tell me about your life before you came here.” This was when my faced changed and my good humour fled me.
“Ah, I see I am not in for a happy story,” he commented and I remembered all that Pip had told me, which included words like ‘ambushed’ and ‘very sad’.
“No, not really.” I told him frowning but not for the reasons he thought. I hated that I was about to lie to him as I would have loved nothing more than to continue our flirty banter and make him laugh. I would also have loved to be able to be truthful, telling him about my family and the true home I came from. But I knew that would have been impossible as in this case the truth would have meant so much more.
That had been the beauty of ‘I have no memory’ for it was a lie yes, but one that was the lesser of two evils. I wasn’t a good liar at the best of times and when I actually ever managed it without being caught out I often did so more shocked than most. But Pip was right, with the added appearance of ‘my sister’ Ari, then to not say anything would have been more condemning than the lie I was about to tell.
So I did as Pip had suggested and pretty much repeated it back to him, trying to do so as if I wasn’t just reading it off a script Pip had handed to my brain.
“I must say I am surprised to hear so much intelligence coming from a simple merchant’s daughter,” he said and if I had been one, I would have been insulted.
“Well someone had to keep an eye on his accounts and besides, my father was an intelligent man and always encouraged his daughters to read from a young age,” I said, hoping this reason would suffice.
“I don’t doubt this but that is not the type of intelligence I speak of,” he said rubbing his beard as he looked at me as though once again trying to read my mind.
“I don’t understand?”
“It is the worldly knowledge that you hold that intrigues me and one not often found in a simple merchant’s daughter but one normally found in that of an Emperor’s,” he said pushing his point. I frowned thinking how I would answer that if referring to my own father and I decided to say what I would if it were true.
“Make no mistake in believing my father could ever be classed as a simple man,” I said getting to my feet in the face of what could be taken as an insulting comment.
“Oh trust me little lamb, I am starting to understand where that passionate nature stems from and believe me when I say I am more than thankful for it,” he told me then held his hand back out and said,
“Please Nāzanin, sit back down, for I meant no offense.” I gave him a little smile and sat back down.
“I may have over reacted,” I told him sheepishly making him smile back at me.
“On the contrary, I find you fascinating.”
“Why?” I asked dumbfounded, as fascinating wasn’t a word I would ever have used to describe myself or was it just down to the blinding differences between me and the other women from this time.
“Because you have not allowed your misfortunes to ground such a passionate soul into submission. You have not let your struggles in life taint strong views and good morals which makes you unique. Your faith in the good of others has been tested time and time again yet you still believe it is there to find, where others would not.” He took a moment to look out of one of the windows before he continued,
“To not let the cruelty this world has forced upon you to take a hold and break your spirit is a rarity indeed, but to wake and see its beauty with every sunrise is astonishing. That is why I find you so fascinating.” He finished and I was nearly in tears hearing how he viewed me. But I doubted he would think that way once he knew the truth. When he found out who I was and how I had lied about everything…what then?
It didn’t bear thinking about.
“You do not trust in my words?” he asked after obviously being able to read the doubt on my face.
“I think you might be biased,” I told him making him laugh in one short surprised burst.
“And I think that you are too modest, whether you think my feelings for you are classed as biased or not. Speaking of which, I think it is time for my prize,” he said and I watched him get up to fetch the two items off the table. He then placed the box down on the small table between us before sitting down with the long item that had been rolled into a cloth.
“I haven’t looked at this yet but as I am curious to know how it is you see me, I can wait no longer.” After he said this I knew what was wrapped inside before he started to unroll it from its fabric. I bit my lip knowing it wasn’t my best as I hadn’t been used to the materials I had been given to use. In fact, I suddenly had the urge to run over to him and snatch it from his hand, which was exactly what my impulses made me do. He looked so shocked from my actions that he seemed too stunned to react, making grabbing it an easy feat.
“Uh…sorry but I just…well I think I need to explain and …um, well I…” I started babbling and it didn’t help that he was still looking at me as though it was the first time anyone had stolen anything out of his hand, which it probably was.
“Did you just take that from me?” he asked tilting his head at me and I couldn’t tell if he wanted to laugh or bend me over his knee and teach me a lesson. Well at least only one of those options would most likely lead to sex… ironically something I was currently forbidden to have.
I gulped and then shook my head.
“Nope, more like borrowed…yeah, I borrowed it,” I said, this time definitely making him grin, only it was all bad boy and mischief.
“It seems I will be needing what is in that box sooner than I thought,” he teased cryptically then he leaned forward quickly to grab me but I was quicker. I jumped out of his way and from the looks of things he didn’t expect that either. He raised an eyebrow at me as though trying to make sense of my actions but then he saw my playful grin and knew what to do. He shook his head to himself like he had never dealt with someone like me before and was still trying to twist his mind around it.
“You like playing with fire, little one?” he asked leaning forward like a predator about to spring for its prey. I licked my lips then held the bottom one in my teeth for a few seconds before bravely answering him.
“Only when I feel cold,” I replied with a cheeky grin I couldn’t wipe off my face. I watched as his lips twitched with amusement, which ended up being my only warning before he pounced. I shrieked as I turned around and ran from him but unsurprisingly I didn’t get far. He grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me up over his shoulder as I giggled and snorted. Then he jumped back down into the sunken cushions with me like a sack over his shoulder, proving his immens
e strength as he made it seem as though I weighed nothing at all to him.
Then just as he was about to sit he brought me down from his shoulder and swung me around before placing me in between his legs. I tried to tease him further by lurching forward but he was much quicker than me as I knew he would be. And to be honest I just wanted to feel his arms wrapped securely around me, which was precisely what he did.
He first placed his left one across me so that he could trap one arm and reach the other to hold it down. This then left his right one free and I shivered against him when he used it to start touching my body.
“Still cold?” he hummed in my ear and I could only manage to respond with a little shake of my head.
“Mmm, I am addicted to your scent.” When he said this I didn’t know whether he was informing me of this fact or just speaking to himself. It was the way he ran the tip of his nose up the length of my neck and inhaled deeply as though getting lost there.
“It makes me want to bite you,” he confessed before taking my flesh in his mouth and holding me there by his teeth something, unknown to him, he had done many times before to me. I could feel the length of his fangs growing and I moaned back against him further letting him know without confessing too much how I loved this natural side of him. In fact, I arched my neck further in the ultimate act of submission making his chest rumble.
“Careful what you offer little lamb, for I may take it and never let it go,” he warned after holding me immobile for a second longer then retracting his fangs before they had chance to pierce my skin.
“I am not afraid of you,” I told him trying to keep my voice as steady as I could when he made me feel this way.
“Not yet you’re not but I would rather not take any chances so soon,” he said, not knowing that I already knew what he was referring to.
“Are you afraid I will run from you?” I asked, smiling a little when my words made him react by strengthening his hold on me.