“I also share this story with you in the hopes that you will tell me about your past in the days to come.”
“I will,” I promised.It would be a short and boring tale, but he’d trusted me with his past.It was the least I could do.
“We found my father barely clinging to life, my mother dead,” Karim continued with his heartbreaking story, sounding so composed.“We took him home for healing, but he was doomed.He asked my sister to share the throne with me.In his name and for the sake of the Kingdom at a time of war when my knowledge of my mother’s world could prove invaluable.I wanted nothing to do with the throne, but I took that oath just like my sister did.Then he was gone.”
It was my turn to sigh.“Your father was a wise king.”
“I thought him weak,” Karim admitted reluctantly, and passed a wet hand through his hair.“He abandoned his kingdom for a female, he died because of it… My sister held little love for him, since he chose a human over her mother.Also, he put the weight of thecrown on her shoulders at a time when he was still fit to rule and she had a child to focus on.”
“She lost the child, didn’t she?”I said softly.
“Miscarriage.But it later happened again, so it became clear there was a problem.She broke her braid linkage with her first partner, despite her strong feelings for him.She believed the problem lay with him and was desperate to fulfill the royal duty of bearing an heir.With her second partner, she couldn’t conceive at all.”
“Oh gosh.”
“She holds no love for her position as queen, and would give it up were I eligible.As it is at the moment, we share a throne none of us wants while pretending I’m nothing more than her advisor.”
“She hopes you will have an heir with a pure-blooded she-elf, so that you both could step down in their favor.”Now that I knew the whole story, I didn’t find the Queen so unsympathetic.She was just a woman put through hell by the crown and trying to do right by the Kingdom nevertheless.
“Yes, that is her hope.”
Karim went to stand under the cold water springing from the wall, letting it wash away the remaining suds and–I supposed–the dark memories.I tried to shake the heavy feelings off myself–something I used to fail at before but had gotten better at in the past months.No time like the apocalypses to learn to compartmentalize better, because while you dwelled on the bad, you missed the calm before the next bad.
Several minutes passed in silence under the peaceful sound of the flowing water.Then Karim turned to face me again and met my gaze.
“I will not repeat my sister’s mistakes, Jasmine,” he said resolutely.“I will not leave the Kingdom like my father did, but I will also not let royal traditions smother my happiness.I will not give you up for the sake of legitimate heirs who may never come or may perish along with the Kingdom in this war.”
“Oh…” Where was he going with this?
He paused before stating, “My father wasn’t weak.I understand that now, because I feel it with my whole being when I look at you.He listened to his heart.And there is no stronger male than the one fighting for what is in his heart, my flower.”
“Umm.”That was all I could manage.No words seemed enough after that proclamation.
Karim chose that moment to climb out of the pool.More likeascendfrom it.Every step was graceful, his muscles flexing and shifting under my wide-eyed gaze.Water droplets, shiny like pearls under the dimmed lights, slid down his skin.As he began walking slowly toward me, my brain shut down entirely.
I clutched the long-forgotten bowl of food to my chest.My knuckles went tight from the effort to hold on to it when all I wanted was to put my hands on Karim.To meet him halfway and run my fingers and lips over every single part of him, chiseled like a marble statue.
But I knew my legs wouldn’t hold me.My knees had grown weak the second he’d headed my way.Because there was no longer any water to hide thewholeof him from me.
My breath caught and became erratic.My pulse drummed in my ears.Liquid heat pooled in my core.Holy… No man could ever compare.
Chiseled abs led to a well-outlined V directing my eyes down.His wet cock, a darker silver than the rest of his smooth skin, pulsed under my gaze.So thick and just the right size to make me see stars, it was the most well-proportioned cock I had ever seen.To take him inside me…Gosh.
I was close to passing out from all that raw male power focused entirely on me, when Karim abruptly changed directions.I nearly groaned out loud when he put his hands on his clothing rather than me.
But it was better than way; had he touched me, I wouldprobably have combusted.I would be better prepared for his devastating effect on me the next time.Ifwe survived until then.
Karim must have realized his little display, tease or whatever he’d intended this to be, was about to get out of hand.He had his dress on and the gold chain belt clasped around his waist before I could put the bowl away.
“Won’t you finish it?”He nodded at the barely touched food.
It took me several seconds to recover my ability to speak.No one should be allowed to look so hot in a dress.It was dangerous.
“I–I lost my appetite.”Since concern showed on his face, I quickly added with a shy smile, “Forfood.”
His lips curled in a knowing smile.“Sabinem.Then you can help me place the royal jewelry in my hair.”He handed me the gold box.
I opened it gingerly.This had to be the most expensive item I had held in my life.Inside lay the gold beads I’d seen on Karim and the Queen.But he must have worn a very small part of the collection, because the box contained more beads than I had ever owned.And I used to wear a lot of beads in high school.
