Chapter 206 Chapter 205
Rayena had begun to play with his hair, enjoying how lustrous it felt in her hands. She would never admit it, but she was jealous of his beautiful two-toned hair. Why does a man need such long hair? "What happened next?" she asked when she noticed he had stopped talking and was now staring at her.
An indescribable emotion crossed his eyes, but he cleared his throat and continued speaking, voice low and measured.
"Well, since I can’t stand women, they couldn’t live in the palace. So I erected a new building far away and moved them all there. That way, I could have my peace of mind."
"Oh..." Rayena muttered, glancing at him. That was definitely a plausible reason. "But now that you've found me to help with your ruts, what does she want now?"
"She wants me to make her my queen."
Rayena stiffened, her heart skipping a beat. The words echoed in her chest like a threat she hadn’t prepared for. "Did you agree?" She cautiously asked.
He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "No. I told you this before—other than you, I can’t stand any more women. Haven’t you noticed there aren’t any female workers in the palace?"
"I definitely have noticed that. Found it odd." Now that he'd confirmed it, it was indeed strange to realize she was the only woman in the palace.
"I can’t have her as queen and make you my mistress. I’d lose my mind. Why would she even suggest such!? Who the hell is comfortable with that kind of arrangement?"
Rayena chuckled, liking the way he was irritated by it. She began stroking his hair. "I don’t think Ysolde will take this news well."
"I don’t care. All I know is I’m not putting a woman I detest as my queen—betrothed or not."
Rayena started weaving his hair into a braid, brow furrowed in concentration. "If you won’t be making her your queen, who do you want it to be then?"
"You." He said without missing a beat.
Her hands froze. Rayena snapped her head to look at him. "Me?" she repeated, unsure. He nodded. "But... I’m human. I’m not sure your people would accept that."
"Who cares what they think? Aren’t they the ones who gave me an ultimatum to find a woman and produce an heir? You’re my mate, so you’re the most eligible. I’ll fight every one of them to prove you’re worthy of being at my side. You don’t have to worry."
Rayena smiled, touched by his devotion toward her.
She leaned in to kiss his temple. "Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me. But what if they refuse anyway?"
"I’ll run to the hills with you. They can have the kingdom to themselves."
"Wow, you’ve had this all figured out."
"I do," he muttered in a resolute tone.
"Still, thank you for thinking so highly of me. I wish there was something I could do to repay you."
He closed his eyes, letting out a breath. "Your presence is already enough, but it would help if you didn’t stop braiding my hair."
Rayena's heart softened. For once, he looked utterly human not a king, not a beast, just a man. One that needed all the affection the world had to offer. And in that quiet moment, she realized how easily she could love him. Too easily. Too deeply. Her heart stuttered in her chest, warmth spreading all over her.
She gave him a soft smile, eyes sparkling with amusement. Picking up his hair, she gently smoothed it.
"I’ll get right on it."
.
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More days passed, and eventually, Rayena was fully recovered from her night with the king. She had spent all that time cooped up in his chambers, resting, reading, and embroidering. It almost hurt to leave when the time came. The blanket she was making for the king was almost done, save for some finishing touches.
She couldn’t continue today, though—for today was a special one. Xenon had told her earlier that he would be taking her on a run in the woods after his routine checks of the realm and attending to some matters, and she was looking forward to it. Checking her appearance for the umpteenth time in the mirror, Rayena fluffed out her hair, trying to hide her jittering nerves with a gentle smile on her face.
Time seemed to crawl by as she waited for him. As she sat down on the couch, trying to distract herself with the book she wasn’t really reading, she allowed her mind to wander. These past few days of being so close to Xenon had allowed her to see more sides of him than even he seemed to know existed. Beneath all that cold, aloof exterior was a very clingy male whose primal nature dictated how he acted for most of the day. Sometimes he was as languid as a cat basking in the evening sun; other times, a young puppy that wanted back scratches.
Rayena chuckled, remembering the times he’d subconsciously burrow his face into her chest, absentmindedly nipping on her skin until it was sore. “Well, he does have two animals prancing around within him,” Rayena thought out loud. “He’s bound to oscillate between the two.”
A knock finally rapped against the door, and before she could respond, it swung open with the king stepping in. Rayena’s heart did flips in her chest as she shot to her feet, a broad smile growing on her lips. She barely remembered to curtsy, but he was already upon her, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he scented her, simultaneously licking the mark he had made. Rayena shuddered, biting back moans, but a soft one slipped out as she held on to him.
“Your Majesty…” she breathed, hoping her voice didn’t sound as aroused as she felt.
He grumbled a response, still breathing her in. Warmth spread all over Rayena’s body, a slight tremor taking over. She forced herself to think straight. “How was your routine check?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Xenon finally pulled away from her, his gaze raking her from head to toe. Then he shrugged, clearing his throat. “Uneventful, as always,” he mumbled.
“Uneventful?” Rayena repeated, brows furrowed.
“Boring, really. There were the usual feuds I had to settle, complaints I needed to listen to, and judgments to make. Those are never-ending. It gets tiring after a while. I needed to leave.”
Rayena’s heart skipped multiple beats as concern flooded her veins. “But you’re done with your duties, aren’t you? I don’t want you abandoning them just to see me.”
Xenon stared at her, bobbing his head once. “Don’t worry, I’m done with all. Let’s go for that run. I need to stretch these sore limbs.” He groaned, eyes flashing with impatience.
Rayena gave a relieved smile. “Okay, I’m ready!”