Chapter 19 Chapter 19
Thalina's POV
I feel my cheeks burn in an instant. I bit my lips to suppress my smile. "Will you punish me then?" I looked at him my eyelids somehow felt heavy for sensation I couldn't control. "Will you punish me for disobeying you?"
His gaze lingered, studying my face before he shook his head. "You've been a bad girl but you're hurt. I can't punish you right now,"
Those words pushed me to my limits. The smile that I was suppressing so hard slipped from my lips, almost tearing my lips off. Thaddeus knew how to use his words well. I no longer wonder why Princess Atasha is crazy over him. He had his way of making you lose your sanity.
I buried my face on his chest ashamed of the way I am reacting. I thought he would tease me about it but he continued walking until we reached his chamber. There is a huge king-size bed where I can roll around without the fear of falling. He made me sit on it and my mind automatically wandered to somewhere else.
"How many women have you laid in here?" I asked.
He looked at me over his shoulder while holding the door of the fridge. "I can't count,"
I scoffed at his answer. Why did I even bother asking? He is manwhore of course he lost count of his women. Maybe for him changing women was as frequent as he changes his clothes.
Instead of stressing over him and his women I roam my eyes around to distract myself. A few paintings hang on his black wall. His room was way too dark with a touch of wood and gold. It was way too manly but I must commend his servant for keeping it clean. I couldn't even see a drop of dirt.
"Are you allergic to color?" I couldn't help but ask.
He sat below me, holding the cold compress while gently raising my injured ankle to his lap. "No. I just prefer black. It looks peaceful," he said as he carefully applied a cold compress to my foot that was filled with bruises and blisters. I saw how his jaw tightened as he stared at my feet. "How long did they train you to walk?" He asked his eyes still fixated on my foot.
His tone was filled with rage contradicting the gentleness of his touch.
"I forgot," I lied even though I could clearly remember that I walked for four hours without any break. "Princess Atasha and Regina were just following your orders. They don't want me to look like a fool in front of everyone and they don't want you to look foolish for choosing a woman who can't even walk properly,"
His jaw clenched even more. He then turned to me with a darkened gaze. "You really have your way of making me feel guilty, Thalina,"
Did I offend him? I was just telling the truth. It was he who demanded that he wanted a perfect Queen. Princess Atasha might have an ulterior motive but I couldn't blame her when King Thaddeus gave her the right to train me.
“I am just telling the truth,"
I have no idea where I am getting the nerve to tell him everything without even filtering my words. Maybe it was the frustration I had been keeping inside me the entire time Princess Atasha and Regina were training me. I am dying to pull their hair earlier until they turn bald.
"I don't think Princess Atasha and Regina would be too hard on me if you didn't permit them. You are practically telling them that they are free to punish me,"
He continued pressing a cold compress on my ankle but his gaze was all on me as if he listened to everything that I would say. "So you want to give up?"
I immediately shook my head. "Why would I give up? I have been through hell in Magnus' territory. The physical pain that I am feeling now was nothing compared to the pain Selene and Magnus had caused me,"
"Are you still affected by Magnus.? Are you still in love with him, Thalina?"
He stared at me seeking for answer. It feels like a chain was wrapped around my neck making it hard for me to utter even a single word or even take a breath.
A long second of silence passed between us before I managed to utter a word. "I don't know," I answered with all honesty.
As a matter of fact, I couldn't tell what I feel towards Magnus. Whenever I look at him I still feel my heart racing but it was a painful kind of race. It feels like my heart was getting bigger and bigger occupying all the space inside my chest...breaking everything inside me. Whenever I look at him all I remember is all the pain he had caused but there are moments where the happy memories we shared slipped.
"Magnus may have hurt me but the pain he caused doesn't erase the fact that he used to be my mate and I gave him everything that I have at some point,
His stare lingered. His jaw tightened even more then he looked away and stood up, gently lying my legs on the bed. "I will call Juliet. She will treat your blisters," he said without even looking at me. Is he mad again? Is he mad because of what I said? I am just telling the truth and besides he doesn't seem the type to get jealous over someone. He thinks highly of himself so I doubt he will feel jealous of Magnus.
"Are you mad?" I tilted my head a bit eager to see his face.
He didn't speak but a few seconds passed and he finally looked at me."Once your feet heal you will continue your training. I don't want to present you in front of the kingdom looking like an idiot,”
After saying those degrading words he stormed out of the room leaving me dumbfounded. He really won't let a moment pass without insulting me. He will always find a way to rub in my face that I am not good enough to be his queen but this time I no longer feel too offended. I am slowly getting used to his insult.
A few minutes after King Thaddeus left the door swung open revealing a woman wearing a white coat. She must be Juliet.
"I am Juliet. King Thaddeus sent me here to check your feet,"
She wears a sweet smile that somehow made me feel relieved. I thought I would deal with another Princess Atasha. I am glad this woman welcomed me with a warm smile.
I fixed my position, leaning my back against the headboard while Juliet pulled a wooden chair and placed it beside the bed. She started examining my feet then after a while she spoke, "King Thaddeus seems to care about you. He only calls me whenever someone is on the verge of dying but now he summoned me just to aid your blisters," She lifted her head meeting my gaze, a smile still plastered on her lips. "Mate bond does hold a special power,"
I forced a smile unsure of how I should react. If she only knew how that man insulted me before he stormed out of the room.
Juliet brought her gaze back to my feet then she grabbed the white bag that she brought. My eyes widened when she pulled out a needle and was about to prick my blister.
"What are you doing?" I asked in panic as I tried to pull my feet out of her hold but she held them firmly.
"Relax. I will just squeeze the liquid out. Don't worry it won't hurt. It will just feel like a bite of an ant,"
Those words are a scam. I would rather be bitten by an ant than get pricked by a needle but I guess there is nothing I can do about it.
I squeezed my eyes shut when Juliet started poking my blister. I held the pillow clutching it tightly just to mend the pain. When she was done squeezing all the liquids she started applying ointment and covered my feet with a bandage.
"Keep it dry for a few days and apply some ointment so it won't leave a scar,"
She started packing her things but before stepping out of the room she looked at me again still wearing the same smile she wore when she stepped in.
"Hang in there, Thalina. Princess Atasha will do everything to torture you but I hope you won't give up. You are King Thaddeus mate, fight for your spot,"