Madara was hungry. Starved. What was he hungry for? That: he still couldn't figure out, but he wouldn't stop until he was satisfied.
"Let us go into town and find me a suitable companion." He roared, as he arose from his throne, speaking to his followers who quickly made preparations for him so he could go out and do as he so pleased. He felt a rush of adrenaline as he walked outside, he could do whatever he wanted with the snap of his fingers and nobody dared to oppose him. He was the ruler of these lands, the people knew what would become of them if they challenged him. So, no one did. They valued their miserable lives enough to not step up to the challenge.
Recently, Madara felt having someone by his side would be a new experience for him to try, he had never understood the satisfaction some rulers got from having multiple wives, but he figured why not try something different. He was getting bored, anyway, and maybe having someone by his side constantly would make things more interesting.
You see: Madara was the ruler of the lands of Khraos, he governed over the people, and made sure they lived peaceful lives so long as they bowed to him, respectively. He made things fair and most saw him fit to rule while others would rather see him burn at the stake. He didn't blame them though, he knew he could be cruel but he didn't care what others thought of him so long as he was in control. Besides, if they didn't like it, they could flee to the next country for all he cared.
He ruled alone though, not bothering to find a suitable partner, he found ways to entertain himself. He finally considered a wife when Obito, a leader of an allied land, sent him a letter about how his marriage changed him for the better. Granted, Obito's marriage was an arranged one, he didn't run around grabbing strangers off the street but Madara wasn't one for details. What was all this power worth if he couldn't use it to his advantage?
They rode out into town on their carriages, Madara peered out the window and took in the sights of the people. There were children running around with a ball, chasing one another and laughing. He turned his view from them to a man stealing bread from a market cart, the owner yelling and chasing after the thief.
As he watched them run past, something - no, someone - caught his eye. A woman. She wore a long, red dress that matched her red lipstick which made her facial features stand out wonderfully against her tan skin and black hair. He couldn't take his eyes off her, he shamefully let his gaze wander down her body. Her body was voluptuous, her curves perfectly in place, and he was sure she knew it. The way she swayed her hips when she walked; long, dark hair cascading down her back, her curls bounced gently with each step.
Madara was snapped out of his stupor when she laughed, her head thrown back as she did so. She smiled at the man by her side, her fingers interlocked with an average looking man's. The man was still speaking to the beauty in front of him and while he did, Madara could see the adoration in his eyes. Of course he adored her, she was a goddess and Madara had only just caught a glimpse of her.
"Stop the carriage." Madara ordered and everything came to a halt. He stepped out and the citizens took notice of him instantly, they stopped what they were doing, cheers erupted but so did some looks of distaste. He took in the cheers, ignoring the rest, grinning and waving at the people. When all went quiet and he held their attention, he spoke, loud and clear with the voice of a monarch.
"I've come today in search of a queen. I need someone to give me a strong heir, attend to my needs and, of course, enjoy being spoiled throughly." Some scattered laughs came from the crowd, more nasty glares were given. "If anyone feels they can stand up to the challenge, step forward."
Silence.
His eyes scanned the crowd and he saw her again, he kept looking on without giving her a second glance and his eyes landed on a small, blonde woman. She was petite and fairly beautiful but definitely not what he sought after, yet he beckoned her to him. "You. Come forward." Her eyes grew large before she slowly walked up to him, her head hung low even when she reached him and spoke.
"My lord, with all due respect, I don't think I'm qualified for this position." She spoke softly enough that only he could hear, but he ignored her. He walked her towards the carriage and told his men to make sure she was comfortable for the ride.
"Stop! That's my daughter!" A voice rang out from crowd but Madara couldn't place it, he scanned the crowd until he saw a man running towards them, his face red and desperation painted across his features. Madara smirked, he asked the man what he wanted when he got down on his knees in front of him. "Please, don't take my daughter. I'll do anything." He begged and the aristocrat raised an eyebrow in questioning.
"Anything?" Madara repeated and the man nodded his head vigorously. At this point, everything had gone quiet. Nothing could be heard besides the unexpected show that was being put on in front of everyone. "Then follow us on the way back to my castle and watch to see if your daughter will be betrothed to me." Madara spat and walked past the man, who was still on his knees. The man got up quickly and tried to attack Madara from behind but he was much, much quicker than that.
Madara held back though, not wanting to kill anyone just yet, he saved bloodshed for the most crucial moments. He opted to strike the man, quick, in the back of his neck and knock him out so he wouldn't keep fighting. A few gasps could be heard but nothing was louder than the man's body hitting the ground. "Take him to the carriage." He ordered and two men hurriedly carried the man away.
"Now... who's next?" His expression was cold, yet he was having a wonderful time. Today was playing out better than he could have ever hoped. "If nobody comes forward, I'll just pick again." He started to walk along the crowd now, he didn't intend to pick her next but he was an impatient man and he felt things were about to get way more interesting.
He kept walking until he stood in front of the couple, their fingers still intertwined with one another. "You. Come with me." He ordered, looking down at this beautiful woman, he was slightly taken aback at the response she gave him.
"Hell, no." She cursed, raising her hand that held her lover's. "I'm already with someone, obviously." Madara felt a shiver run through him when she spoke, her voice was rich and warm even when speaking harshly at him. He gave her lover a once over before scoffing and rolling his eyes.
"Of course. He comes along, too." Madara replied crudely, signaling for his men to take them both into his carriage. The man went without a word but the woman put up a fight, struggling and cursing, rage was wild in her eyes and Madara thought her the most beautiful woman of all.
"This is bullshit! You can't just take people because you want to. We are not your toys!" She screamed, she was close enough to him that when she kicked her foot out, she just barely missed him; instead, he grabbed her leg and tightened his grip around her ankle. Her dress felt soft in contrast to how roughly he held her, she hissed and looked him in the eyes. She was beyond anger, her body shook with it. He stared back at her, no one had ever dared look him so boldly in the eyes before. He knew she was the one he wanted without a doubt, he loved how fierce she was, yet so elegant all at once.
"What do you think you can do to stop me, hm?" He asked, his tone was condescending and it looked like she weighed out her options before she finally gave up. She didn't fight anymore when he let her go but her eyes remained the same: furious and untamed.
He was going to have fun with her.
Madara had never met someone who had the nerve to challenge him before, man or woman. The fire in her eyes set something off within him that he'd never felt before. He pushed that feeling down before deciding to pick one more woman to take back with him. He figured between two choices, there wouldn't be much to pick through so he wanted at least one more person to make things interesting.
After searching through the crowd once more, he settled for a pale woman with crimson hair, her fair complexion and large innocent, blue eyes intrigued him enough to decide to take her back with him. He questioned her about any significant others she wanted to join her but she traveled alone so he didn't have to bother bringing along extra weight back. He noted her body language, she acted as if she was unbothered by him picking her but he saw the way her hands shook when she got in the carriage, he wanted to feel bad but instead, his ego inflated just a little more.
When everyone had been settled in, he got back into his personal carriage and took off, his spoils for the day followed behind him in a separate carriage. He thought up what fun he could have once they arrived back at the castle. He wondered how things would play out, how far he could go this time, but most of all, he couldn't wait to see her again. He wanted to learn more about her, what made her so resentful and passionate. Before he realized, they reached the castle once more, someone opened the door for him and waited for him to exit. He stood up straight and marched his way inside his home, he ordered for the others to be taken to his throne room.
The throne room was large, the second biggest room in the castle, his own room taking up the most amount of space. The throne room had mostly been used for parties in the past so there wasn't much around. He had the room cleared out, save a few tables, chairs, and obviously his throne. Madara sat on his throne, his gaze settled on the people on the ground beneath him. They all wore blindfolds, their hands were bound behind them, as they sat on their knees. The women were in front while the men were just a few feet behind them, they were placed close to their respective person.
Madara started with the redhead, she was alone so he wouldn't have to ask too many questions before moving on. He got up and walked closer to her, the room was so quiet and spacious, they could hear every step he took. He moved slow but his steps were confident, he didn't need to rush, he had all the time in the world and could spend it doing whatever he liked.
Upon reaching the girl, he grabbed her chin, tilting her head back and turning her face, slowly, from one side to the other. He couldn't deny her beauty, he remembered her blue eyes though they remained hidden under the cloth, but she was weak. Madara knew that if he was to wed someone, it'd have to be someone who'd give him a challenge, things had come to him easily enough. She wasn't the one. He felt her body quivering from his touch, her lips trembled with fear and he could hear her swallow as he began to speak.
"What is your name?" He asked, releasing her from his grasp, he didn't really care but he had already brought her here so he might as well know that much.
"Ladia." She whispered, her voice was unsteady and Madara hummed to himself.
"You're beautiful, Ladia." His tone wasn't as brash as it usually was, his hand moved towards her head as he ran his fingers through her hair, gently. Her lips parted as if she wanted to speak but nothing came out except a small gasp when he suddenly grabbed a fistful of her hair. "You're weak willed as well." He hissed before letting her go, she cried out softly, Madara noticed her tears seeping through the blindfold she wore as he turned a blind eye to the next woman presented to him.
The blonde woman and her father.
The girl seemed like she would rather be anywhere else and the man was very still, even his breathing felt silent. Madara could tell this girl had a spark but her fire wasn't large enough for him, he craved more. He gave the blonde the same treatment as the other girl, searching her face, asking her name (which was Sehloy), and then discarding her as if a timer had gone off and he could no longer treat her as if she existed anymore.
Madara turned to the final girl, the girl he had already chosen from the moment he glanced at her. He couldn't help but feel a bit giddy when stepping in front of her, when he reached out to grab her chin, she moved to bite his hand. Luckily, he was quick enough to dodge her attack before roughly grabbing her face and jerking her head up. Slowly, he turned her head, mocking her. He smirked before asking her name, she didn't bother trying to answer.
The King disliked being ignored by anyone. His grip on her face tighten and his tone grew more crude. "I will not ask again. What is your name?" He released her slightly so she could speak, he imagined she'd be glaring daggers at him by now. Madara wanted to take the blindfold off, just to see, but he knew he'd be right.
"Suzy." She huffed out, he could hear the venom in her voice and it drove him wild. He released her before moving back to reclaim his place on his throne.
"Alright, I've had enough, I've made my choice." Madara's voice echoed throughout the room and he could feel his presence filing the room, everyone's attention was on focused on him. "Suzy will be my bride." His eyes darted towards her instantly: he didn't want to miss a thing.
At first, she was silent and motionless as if the message was still processing in her mind. She didn't say anything and her body was still. Then, a voice Madara had never heard before spoke up.
"Please don't take my love from me." The man behind Suzy had finally spoken, he had been quiet the entire time but now he chose to use his voice to plead with the unusual king. "I love this woman with my whole heart, I haven't even had the chance to marry her. Why should you?" He was much more bold than Madara would have expected, but alas this was his place and he made the rules.
"It looks like you never will get the chance to marry her either, I'll have that honor." Madara noted the way her jaw clenched, he could feel her rage even though she remained still. Madara called for one of his men to come forward so he could give his next orders quietly. "Lock him up and let the others go." He whispered into the man's ear, he didn't want anyone to know he'd been kind enough to let the others go. After all, he only spilled blood when crucial.
The order was relayed to the others and they set in motion. They grabbed everyone in the room besides Suzy, she remained on the ground, kneeling before him. He stared down at her for a moment before a wicked grin settled on his face.
"Are you ready to be mine? To be a queen?" He asked her, he was happy with himself for finding such a woman. He got up from his throne and walked over to her, taking off only her blindfold so he could see her face. She was pissed and it was very evident on her features.
"I will never be yours." Was all she said before turning her head to the side, her voice didn't waver and he could tell she meant what she said but Madara had a feeling he'd be able to win her over.
One way or another.