Chapter 18

Mary tried to ignore the dagger-like looks being thrown her way by the woman who introduced herself as the chieftain’s fiance.

For someone engaged, she has been unusually touchy with the queen’s knight, even publicly touching his arm and whispering things in his ear.

Mary felt something bubble up her chest as the woman leaned closer to Dominus while she was serving him his dinner. Dominus doesn’t seem to mind and so did the rest ignored it like it was common between the two.

To say the queen is experiencing jealousy for the first time in her life will be correct, but she doesn’t realize this emotion just yet.

She excused herself as she lost all her appetite when the woman started feeding Dominus, uncaring if there are others equally sharing the meal with them.

She didn’t expect Dominus to follow her inside her tent, but she felt a bit satisfied that he did so.

“Is anything wrong?” Dominus asked as he went near her, staring down at her small frame as she tried to keep an uncaring facade.

.....

“Everything is perfectly fine. You should go back to your would-be sister-in-law,” she said icily as she tried to dismiss him.

“Why should I go back there when you are here?” he asked, unable to see what is wrong with her since she never acted this way before.

“Well, I don’t want to be a hindrance to your reunion,” she couldn’t help but pout which made him smile.

“Reunion? Whatever do you mean, my queen?” he asked, perturbed. Why is she acting irrationally all of a sudden?

“With that woman, your brother’s fiance,” she said, unable to stop herself from pouting.

“Ahhh... so the queen is jealous after all,” he whispered, his eyes taking in the scene as her cheeks turned red.

She didn’t answer him, even she is unsure why she is acting this way. All she knows is that she doesn’t like seeing Dominus being so close to someone else.

“You are jealous, my queen. I like that,” he admitted what was in his heart, selfish as it may sound.

“No, I am not jealous. How can I be jealous when I have no right?” her heart tightened up more hearing his words as her voice broke from her emotions.

“Right to feel jealous? I never heard of such a thing,” he teased her.

“Well, in case you didn’t know, there is such thing as permissible jealousy. It happens between people in love and in a relationship,” she corrected him, unable to realize that she had just placed herself straight into the fire.

“Is that the only problem?” he asked in a low voice.

“What do you mean the only problem! That is the problem!” she blushed. “It’s not like we are both in love and in a relationship.”

“Do you not feel anything for me, my queen? Do you not love and care for me? And when we kiss do you not feel out of breath? When I hold you closer to myself, don’t you feel anything at all, really?” he whispered, his voice low and knowing.

——-

“That is not the problem. I mean, that is beyond what matters. I mean...” she was shocked when she was greeted by his kiss.

It was passionate, hot, designed to make her melt... and so she did. She melted right in his arms as his tongue darted forward inside her mouth.

When their lips parted, she was panting, trying to catch her breath and to stop her heart from beating so fast she feared it might burst.

“Don’t you feel anything at all my queen?” he smiled, a knowing smile as he looked at her trying to steady herself as she held into his arms.

“I... I...” she bit her lower lip as she tried to come up with words.

“You feel for me as much as I feel for you. Even a barbarian who has never known love knows this. You care for me as much as I do for you. And you want me as much as I want you,” he looked at her frail form and wished she can be honest even just this once.

“That... that is beyond the point,” she muttered, unable to deny any longer how she feel.

“Then what is the point?” he persisted as he held her closer, making her feel dizzy from how little the space is between them.

“The point is... I have no right to feel this way. I have no right to be jealous because I have no relation to you other than as your queen,” she blushed hard as she looked up at him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Then you should feel jealous as much as you want. If you feel uneasy I will stop any of the ladies from approaching me. If you want, you can tie me at your waist. You can do anything you want to do with me,” he said sincerely.

“But I don’t have any right,” she rationalized.

“If that is the only problem. Then I give you all the right to do so. You have a right to me, a right to own me, and a right to be owned by me. I am yours, my queen. I am yours as much as you are mine,” he held her hand and brought it close to his lips, kissing it tenderly.

She felt hot tears gliding down her cheeks as he assured her. She is overwhelmed by the way she feels for him that it scares her.

How is she to know if he also feels the same way? Or was he saying it because she is the queen? Was he saying it so as not to hurt her feelings?

Why won’t he say he loves her then? Why refuse to say those words he knew she wanted to hear?

She would have asked him if not for the sound of explosion they heard just then. The voices of children and women as they scampered and the shouts of men trying to warn everyone of the invasion.

Dominus’s face was calm as he instructed her to stay inside her tent. He kissed her forehead and whispered, “I’ll keep you safe, always.”