King Cephalon's Plot

"May I speak to you, my Lady?" someone said quietly to her right, shattering the peaceful quiet of the library. Nicquel jumped, and turned to the owner of that voice. Kenshin would have her head if he was here; she'd been so absorbed in her studies that she'd completely forgotten her surroundings.

"Of course, Lord Damon," she said with a warm smile. The man smiled back, but he was fidgeting. "What did you want to talk about?"

"My father is after you," the man finally disclosed. She stared at him evenly waiting for more. When the agitated heir said no more, she sighed and closed her book, sitting up from her slouch to speak to him.

"I know that he's after me. What I don't understand is why? I thought he wanted someone with power. I'm the runner up, not the ruling hand. And the ruling hand is already attached. It doesn't make any sense."

"Word has reached to Heinlein that the Queen would do anything for you. Our people are dying, your highness. We have no food; my father has once again frittered away the money to feed the people. But this time there is a cry of revolution in the air. The people have reached their limit. With you as his, he knows that he would have access to the riches of Ardennes. That would quell the people."

Nicquel blinked. "Okay. Why tell me this? Shouldn't you be in direct competition based on this information?"

"I just… My father is a very violent man. He enjoys the cries and pleas of his victims. And when he can no longer get them, when he has assured himself that he's fully broken his woman beyond repair, they tend to suffer 'accidents'. It never used to matter, but then I met you. You don't seem like the type of woman to submit easily or gracefully. You would provide years of pleasure for that sadistic bastard. And as long as you remained alive, he would have unlimited funds to feed his vices." She knew that he wanted her to lose it. She knew that he expected her to run to his arms, hoping to escape the horrible fate that he was describing. But no, that wasn't going to happen. The woman sat perfectly poised, careful not to let her temper overwhelm her. She was determined to make the future monarch of Heinlein come to her.

"Well? Aren't you going to say something?" Damon finally said after three minutes of silence between them.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention," the princess shrugged dismissively, picking up her book once again.

Damon watched her as she went back to reading as if she was nuts. "Have you taken leave of your senses completely? Or do you not care about your fate as a tool of my father?"

"So… what? You want me to be your tool instead?"

"Yes! I mean, no! I mean… not a tool, but my wife!"

"So… my options - as you see them - are to marry your sadistic father or marry you?"

"Exactly," the Heinlein kingdom's heir confirmed. "My father barely heeded me when I stopped him from grabbing you at the ball yesterday. His mood grows more foul with every passing day that he is unable to claim you for his own."

"I'll take options three, four, and five before I go with either one of those options," she ground out furiously. "If I may be frank, your father is a pig that I will never belong to. And as for you, you are afraid of him and therefore you cannot protect me. I'll either murder him myself, enlist someone to do it for me, or cause him so much trouble that his people rebel. There's certainly more options than just those three, but they're enough to be getting on with. I will not bind myself to the Heinlein throne for the sake of some man's convenience. Good day, sir."

"But… I can protect you. That's the whole reason that I came here."

You think that I can't see through you, Crown Prince? I am not afraid of your father. I can take him on in combat, I refuse to consent to being punching bag number five for him, and I'm surrounded by loyal protection at all times of the day and night. Did punching bags number one to four warrant this warning?" At his uncomfortable look, Nicquel sniffed haughtily. "I see."

"You have to understand, Nicquel! One of those 'punching bags' as you call them was my mother. He used to get bored of waiting for the pregnancies to end and beat his woman to death in his fits of rage. The only reason he has me is because he was off attacking Plundasar when she was pregnant! He's a monster. Let me-"

"No," she said calmly. "Defeat your demons, your Highness. It is time for my training. Please feel free to enjoy the library in my absence." The princess stood with a small bow and left the hall, steeling herself not to flinch at the frustrated man's inevitable outburst. He punched a table from what she could tell as she walked away from him. As if she would ever stoop to being intimidated into a man's arms! Perhaps her rejection would inspire the little weakling to join the rebels in his land at last. It was high time something was done about that evil, maniacal, chauvinistic tyrant that sat on the Heinlein throne. And it was better that Ardennes not be involved in any 'hostile takeover' in that violent country.

"You are quite the puppetmaster, your highness," Tyr said when they got back to her private chambers to drop off her stuff before her martial arts/weapons training.

The woman shrugged before going into her room to put her colorful afghan away along with her crocheting supplies. "My sister wouldn't want to be involved in Heinlein's politics," she called out the door as she changed her clothes for practice. She quickly braided her hair and put it into a severe bun so that it would be out of her way while she trained.

"Are you sure about that? The people are angry right now. The right push could turn them into-"

"Yes, the right push would spark reform. But the downside is that I would have to live in that ignorant den of angry wolves. I don't want that; I'm happy right where I am."

Tyr came up to her slowly once she came out of her room in her workout clothes. "Can you truly not imagine living anywhere else?" The woman gulped, trying to put some space between them but ending up pressed against the doorframe. The Knight only came within an inch of her body, the power of his presence holding her in place. She whimpered when he leaned in and breathed her in. What was he doing? He'd already promised not to touch her. And this - while technically within the rules he'd agreed to - was certainly more intimate than his hand touch earlier today. She swallowed hard as her body went liquid, the wood at her back the only thing keeping her from sinking to the floor in a heap of pliant flesh. Her heart accelerated as she searched frantically for an exit around her bodyguard. He leaned in with his hand on the wood above her head, capturing her eyes and smiling provocatively. "Highness?" he whispered directly in front of her trembling lips.

The woman pressed herself as far away from the man as she could, attempting to meld with the wooden frame. It was funny in an objective sort of way. She knew that he wasn't restraining her in any way. All she had to do was move to the left and she'd fall into the room; to the right, she'd be free of his hypnotic hold on her. Or she could choose to fight. There were dozens of ways to diffuse this situation and thanks to the Captain of her sister's armies, she knew them all. But everything in her was just… waiting in docile contemplation. Even telling her muscles to move wasn't helping! The silence stretched; if she moved her lips at all to answer him, their lips might touch. Did she want that? Did she want him to back off? The confusion was tearing at her befuddled heart. Tyr waited until her chest started heaving with suppressed tears before backing off completely. Nicquel took the out and walked on wobbly legs to her bed. Suddenly, staying in her room like a punished child seemed like a pleasant alternative. Why the hell was she like this around him? And it was only around him. If anyone else, anyone in the whole kingdom, had dared to approach her as Tyr just had, she would have beaten them within an inch of their lives before handing them over to the guards for prosecution. This was getting too far out of hand.

"You… Y-you can't-"

"Where are we headed now, princess?" he asked blandly, continuing to walk away from her. She blinked at the sheer amount of non-emotion in his voice at the moment. It was almost like talking to Aoshi. She was suddenly furious with him. Why was he playing with her this way? Why was he playing with her at all? And why was she letting him?

"What are you doing to me?" she said shrilly, stomping over to the attractive man and pushing him in his massive chest. "This makes no sense! I'm not some ditzy bimbo. I'm a full-grown woman who-" Just as fast she was back pressed against the doorframe of her room, this time with the warm, wonderful heat of him pressed up against every inch of her. Her body melted up against him without her permission. She actually bit her bottom lip to keep a hearty moan from rubbing its way out of her throat. It felt so good! Her expressive brown eyes locked onto his chocolate orbs and the impression of a jaguar was stronger than ever. His eyes devoured her, their touch almost physical as they memorized all the planes of her face and neck. She was frozen in place, like a startled rabbit in the jaws of a predator. She bit her lip again desperately and felt a jolt to her lower belly when his eyes started tracing her lips.

"You are most certainly not a ditzy bimbo, your highness. You are a full-grown woman who is driving me absolutely insane. What am I doing to you? What are you doing to me? Your innocence is calling me to the edge of the precipice. The only question is if you will be my destruction or my salvation." He leaned in as if to kiss her, but veered off at the last moment to send a warm puff of air to her right ear. Nicquel shuddered against him and he got his moan. He groaned and buried his face in her neck, catching the woman when her knees gave out. With another of those groans that revved her hormones fiercely, he picked her up bridal style and walked her into her bedroom. Once there, he laid her on the bed with all the care due to the crown jewels. Nicquel was the most confused that she'd ever been. She could only take in bits and pieces of what was happening to her at the moment. Her heart was attempting to beat its way out of her chest, closely followed by her lungs. She was taking in huge drafts of air and all she could smell was Tyr. His scent was warm pine and it was everywhere, making her feel consumed by him. God, what was happening to her? After laying her out on the bed, he backed away almost reverently.

"Stay here," he commanded softly. The princess nodded as if in a daze and watched as he strode out of her rooms completely. She heard the door lock and breathed a sigh of relief, letting her head drop to the soft mattress at her back. She felt justified in staring at the ceiling, tears leaking out of her eyes as she attempted to get her mind and body back under control. She didn't want to start analyzing what had just happened. If she did, she might start laughing or screaming and she wasn't sure which one she wanted. He did more than just confuse her. Tyr Anasazi was an enigma that she couldn't hope to unravel. Nothing he did made any Goddamn sense! Sighing wearily, the younger Equascious daughter pushed herself up to a sitting position. There were tear tracks on her face that she needed to erase before her bodyguard returned. She needed to get to the training grounds soon or the soldiers would be suspicious.

Wait.

She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? The most she could be accused of was pushing a Knight. The fact that he hadn't budged when she pushed him didn't matter. She smiled sweetly remembering how his pecs had felt under her fingertips. It had been like attempting to move a wall. Dear God, what the hell was wrong with her? He'd picked her up as he hadn't even noticed the extra hundred or so pounds. She'd felt it; he hadn't been straining to carry her to the bed. He hadn't even struggled to pick her up. And why had her legs given out like that in the first place? Questions like that were starting to make her body react. She needed out of this room and a weapon in her hand. Practice would clear her mind and help with all this extra energy she suddenly had. The woman started pacing her outer room after cleaning her face, waiting for Tyr to return. Had he truly breathed in her scent? Like he was going to track her down? Seriously, what the fuck!

Her fingers were clenching and unclenching - she couldn't decide if she was angry about his… near-assault? Attack? What had he done to her exactly? Whatever it was, she was not coming down from his effect on her like this. Moving to the center of the room, she began a kata Aoshi had taught her as a child. It was rudimentary compared to what she studied now, but the Captain of the guard had once explained that the movements were meant to focus the mind and that's what she needed right now, focus. Hopefully the right focus would drag clarity into her wake. She started immediately, her movements jerky at first, but eventually smoothing out as the minutes trickled by. Her body moved of its own accord and she slowly felt elusive peace fall into her grip. She finished the movements of her kata and began again, determined to reach some kind of equilibrium before Aoshi noticed her inner turmoil. The second repetition of the kata gave her some peace of mind.

"Your form is good," the Knight that had been tormenting her all day spoke up from the door. He looked perfectly relaxed as he observed her practice. Nicquel was furious as she was still hyper aware of her time spent in his almost embrace.

"Where were you? I'm going to be late for training!" she snapped. Finishing up her movements in annoyance. Tyr raised an eyebrow and she walked past him, knowing that she was coming off like a spoiled brat. The two went straight to the barracks. The morning instructional classes were over for the day; the soldiers were engaged in individual matches or division maneuvers now. That is why the woman only came to the training grounds in the afternoon. Usually Aoshi was around to train her on her days off.

"You're late," a toneless voice said to her right. The princess turned to the voice with a smile. She was used to his bland voice. Aoshi Shinomori was a tall, built man with ice-blue eyes and a very handsome visage according to some. The man hailed from a far away land. He'd started out as a private when he first arrived in Ardennes and had risen through the ranks in her father's army until he controlled it all. His one indulgence was his bubbly wife, Lady Misao Shinomori. As far as Nicquel could tell, Misao was his emotion. Although, the two had seven children and another on the way, so the Captain must have some ability to emote.

"I apologize, Sir Aoshi. I was approached by King Cephalon's son. The conversation was… Unavoidable. At least it was in his opinion," the woman said with a disgusted shrug.

"Did he say anything of consequence?" Aoshi asked with mild interest.

"He confirmed what we discussed," the princess said vaguely, aware that not all ears here were friendly. "All of it."

"All?" Aoshi raised an eyebrow at her. She only nodded, taking one of the more advanced positions to practice her katas. The two spent the next hour practicing and engaging in mock battle. Aoshi was very clearly better, but he held back to give the princess a chance to practice her skills. The men, most of whom were used to the sight of a fighting princess, ignored the dueling pair.

"You are improving," her instructor told her as he flipped her. The woman flipped herself back upright and attacked without answering. She was saving her breath to attempt scoring a hit on her opponent. Beating the Captain of the guard was out of the question, but she didn't think it was too much to ask of the Heavens for a chance to score a hit on him. She was sweating profusely by now, putting all of her energy into this goal. She'd been practicing with the man since she was fourteen. Her father had insisted on it to work out her anger issues about her mother's death. She'd never broken down crying or had a psychological counseling session with the Captain. She'd just shown up daily to have her ass handed to her by one of the best fighters in the land. Still, it had worked and despite his coolness, she considered Aoshi a close friend.

"Enough," he said half-hour later when Nicquel started to slow down on her attacks. She wiped the streaming sweat off her face with her arm. She was breathing hard, but grinning from ear to ear at having kept up with her instructor at least. She had yet to score a hit on him, but that was to be expected. The man was the best. That didn't stop her from trying, though.

"Firearms?" she panted, looking up at him hopefully.

"Aa," he nodded and the two moved to that part of the grounds. Donning a pair of noise-canceling headphones, she picked up her favorite type of gun and started aiming at a target. It was a course that all the soldiers went through. The targets they were attacking weren't going to stand still after all. There were blood packs in the dummies and everything was arranged to simulate blood spatter patterns and the like. Nicquel took her place to begin, proud that she still had the energy to do both kinds of training in the same day. That wasn't always the case and her sister definitely couldn't handle both types of training in the same day. She was dripping sweat by the time she'd completed the course. At least her finishing time hadn't suffered after four days away from the course.

"Great job, your highness," Gregory piped up once she put her gun down and was moving away from the course. She accepted a towel from Aoshi and wiped her face and neck.

"Thank you," she returned absently, wandering over to where Saitoh and Kenshin were squaring off, attracting a lot of attention. This was the closest her bodyguard came to actual practice. And boy, didn't Saitoh like to rub that fact in?

"Let us see if your skills have deteriorated, Battousai," Saitoh taunted his opponent. The redhead didn't even bother to respond, immediately launching into an attack. And the two were off. For all the times that the two had fought over the years, they'd never quite managed to best each other. It was thrilling to watch her bodyguard being challenged, moving at speeds she could never hope to match unless she was willing to give up nursing altogether and join the army. The woman was focused on the match, drying her streaming face when she felt a meaty arm slide against her arm. Her reaction was immediate. The girl withdrew, detangling her arm from her attacker's. King Cephalon laughed at her maneuver, following her away from the group of soldiers still watching the match.

"I do not enjoy being touched," she said forcefully to her newest opponent.

"Well, that will have to change when we marry," the king said, laughing indulgently. The laughter trailed off when she didn't join in. Oh yeah. The princess wasn't one to laugh along with a man unless she was truly amused. He cut off his laughter with a fake little cough and faced her.

"I will not be marrying you," the woman said simply. The king lost his smile. He'd heard that the sisters were quarreling; perhaps he could use that to his advantage?

"Of course you will. Your sister has already agreed to-"

"My sister can agree to whatever she wants. I will not be marrying you." The man growled, reaching out to grab her arm again. This time, the girl punched the nerves in his right forearm and leg before pivoting away out of arm's reach. "I do not enjoy repeating myself, your Grace. I do not enjoy being touched and I will not marry you. It would be best if you left Ardennes' territory," she glared from just outside of his grabbing range. Cephalon went down on one knee, fuming that she'd bested him even this much. His right arm and leg were completely numb and useless where she'd done something to them.

"What have you done to me, you bitch?" he roared, still cradling his useless dominant arm. His right leg wasn't budging no matter how hard he attempted to marshal it forward to kick this bitch's ass.

"A little selective acupuncture," she said blandly as he struggled to his feet. "It'll wear off in time, but you didn't seem to be paying attention before."

"Fix my arm and leg immediately or I swear-"

"I can't," she shrugged, careful to keep out of his grabbing range even as he dragged himself towards her. "And even if I could, I wouldn't. Those particular nerves have to fix themselves. And they will, in an hour or so. I purposely chose nerve clusters that couldn't be fixed right away because you still don't seem to be paying attention. I will not marry you. I will not be your fifth punching bag. If you come after me again, I will paralyze you from the neck down and then I will cut off your air supply. You will die gasping. And you will die at the hands of a woman. Find other prey - if you can. No one is desperate enough to sacrifice their daughters to you from what I understand. And even if they were, you have nothing to offer for a dowry as your people slowly starve to death. Leave me be." Nicquel backed away from the man, refusing to show him her back. She was therefore tensed for the attack when the king lunged at her one-legged, knife in his bad arm and ready to rip and tear. She dodged and disabled his other arm at the same time that her bodyguard snatched the knife from his suddenly limp hand and buried it in his shoulder.

"You will not lay a hand on my woman," he whispered to the shocked man. "You're lucky that I can't kill you outright without a direct challenge," he said a little louder as the other soldiers and knights started to become very interested in the princess' conundrum. King Cephalon precariously balanced on one leg, his arms hanging limp and useless by his sides. And the people could tell that his arms were useless because there was a wicked-looking knife embedded in his shoulder that he wasn't pulling out even though he was clearly in pain from it.

Aoshi calmly stepped through the crowd of onlookers. "Sentinel, report." The king's eyes widened in recognition. He'd known that Battousai guarded the little princess. But the Sentinel? Getting her into his bed might be harder than he thought. She wasn't easily cowed like other members of the aristocracy or nobility. Such a rare specimen of a woman would be a joy to break.

"King Cephalon approached and attacked the princess. She partially incapacitated him as a warning and he persisted in his threats. When he attempted to attack her again, I intervened. Recommend that he be escorted back to his own country. There is obviously nothing left for him or his son here." The last thing he wanted was another incident or for the king to have another shot at his woman.

"The Queen will need to be informed of the situation. How long will his incapacity last, your highness?" Nicquel jumped slightly at being addressed. What was the Captain playing at? He was the one who taught her about the nerve clusters! True, she'd never had the need to use them, but…

"It should wear off in an hour, sir," she answered like any other soldier.

"Very well. Ericsson, go get the Queen. Tell her that her sister requests her presence in the barracks immediately." The private saluted and ran off to do as he was bid. "Are you okay, my Lady?" Aoshi asked, noticing the subtle trembling of his student.

"O-of course, Lord Aoshi. I just didn't expect to have to defend myself from an overzealous suitor today." Everyone was ignoring the king as if he wasn't a threat anymore. Which, at the moment, he wasn't. He was barely upright, and no one was in the mood to attempt to remove the knife from his shoulder. The soldiers were milling around the barracks, cracking jokes and staring at the king with contempt. Everyone knew his reputation. The fact that he now had to suffer the indignity of being defeated by a Royal was deeply satisfying to them.

"Good job hitting the nerve clusters just right, your highness," Saitoh said, blowing a smoke ring right in the King's face as he continued to spew insults and threats at their princess. The woman hadn't taken her eyes off her enemy since she incapacitated him. "I wouldn't have expected you to remember the precise locations for maximum damage. What with your nursing."

"Nursing is about knowing anatomy and how best to treat it, sir," she said forcefully, determined not to show weakness to the Wolf. Truthfully, this was the most he'd ever spoken to her. He raised an eyebrow and took another long drag of his cigarette before answering.

"So, you've done this before?"

"No, Sir Saitoh. Outside of practice, I have not," she said in a deadpan voice. He raised a brow again, another sign that he was impressed. At what was anyone's guess.

"Is there a way to shut him up?"

"We could gag him," she informed the Knight. "Unfortunately, the nerve clusters that would make his mouth slack would also likely kill him, so we must endure." Saitoh punched the king in the mouth after a particularly vile insult to her. The man landed on his back, his tongue bleeding where he'd bitten it on the way down. "How can you be so calm? That man just threatened to-"

"He's not the first to insult me or threaten violence against me. I'm a nurse. Usually we restrain the patient and call security. This is deeply satisfying." Saitoh laughed shortly as Damon pushed his way through the crowd. Seeing his father lying in the dirt, a knife buried in his shoulder, he couldn't help a small smile. He took a picture with his phone, knowing that he would treasure this particular image for the rest of his life.

"How dare you record my humiliation, boy! Erase that image immediately!"

"What happened here?" the Heinlein heir asked. Everyone noticed that he didn't sound upset at his father's position, just amused.

"Your father's prize attacked," Saitoh told him. Both men looked at the princess, Saitoh in amusement and Damon in disbelief.

"I told you that I do not fear your father," she said angrily, her embarrassment over how much attention she was getting making her cranky. She backed away from the shrieking man who was saying horrible things about her virtue.

"As well you shouldn't be with skills such as those, your highness," he said smoothly, kicking dirt into his father's face while passing him. "The only thing that would make your victory complete would be to accept my proposal over his."

"My victory is already 'complete'," the woman said shortly. "He'll be out of commission for the next forty-five minutes at least. The whole barracks has witnessed his humiliation and there is nothing he can do about it. And I will not marry into such a… I will not marry you," she said simply. The king and queen arrived just then, causing an abrupt end to all the extraneous chatter in the training grounds. Everyone bowed and only the filthy suggestions from the downed king could be heard.

"Will someone shut him up," Evera said irritably. Even she looked surprised when Damon kicked the man in the face, knocking him out. "Now, what happened here?" The princess stepped forward to explain herself.

"His Majesty proposed. I rejected him," she told her sister truthfully. The males surrounding her chuckled before quieting down at a sharp look from their Captain.

"Uh-huh," the Queen said skeptically. "And where in that narrative did the man who proposed to you end up on the ground screaming obscenities with a knife sticking out of him?" she persisted.

"Oh, that. Well, the king may have attempted to force the issue and I may have needed to back my decision by numbing two of his four limbs. Swiftly followed by a third when he attacked me again. The knife was strictly my bodyguard's idea after he attacked me with it that second time. After that came the obscenities since he couldn't come at me a third time."

"I see," Queen Evera said neutrally. What followed was a long, long minute of contemplative silence. Soldiers shuffled their feet awkwardly as they waited for the woman's decree on the situation. It was a tough call what would happen. On the one hand, this was her sister and the queen was notoriously protective of her. But on the other hand, King Cephalon was a visiting dignitary and a dangerous one at that.

"How long will his limbs remain numb?" she asked at last.

"At least forty-five minutes, your Majesty," Nicquel answered.

"Very well. Bring King Cephalon's car immediately. He and his son will be leaving the kingdom right now. Have a second car prepared with all the rest of their belongings. Nothing of theirs is to remain on Ardennes soil. Prepare for war, gentlemen. King Cephalon does not handle rejection well." With this disturbing pronouncement, the royal couple left the training grounds.

Her army quickly rushed to do her bidding. The knife embedded in his shoulder was removed and returned to the son of its owner. Then the unconscious King was hauled into the carriage like a sack of potatoes, left face down on the seat with the wound on his right shoulder pressed against the seat to control the bleeding from his oozing wound. Damon climbed into the limo afterwards and they were gone, a royal escort driving them to the airport. King Cephalon never made it to his private plane alive. Damon slit his throat during the ride. The body was loaded onto the plane by the King's - now his - guards. The new king called the woman that had made this possible.

"I see that I'm going to have to change my phone number," Nicquel said in annoyance. She adjusted the device near her ear and settled more firmly on the chair she was curled up in, marking her place in the book she'd been reading.

"There will be a state funeral for my father in three days time as is tradition. Will you be attending?"

"I didn't kill him," she told the new king calmly.

"I know you didn't," Damon smiled. "Shall I send my plane for you and your sister?" He lost his smile as the silence stretched. "Nicquel?"

"That's 'your highness', your Majesty," she rebuked him sharply. "As for your invitation, my sister will have to speak for herself. For myself, I work that night, so I have to respectfully decline." Damon frowned and decided to make things clear.

"And how can a queen make such a poor impression on her subjects by not even showing up at her father-in-law's funeral?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask your queen?" He rolled his eyes. Damn, why was this girl being so stubborn?

"You are the Queen in that scenario. My queen. It's time for you to settle down, my love. My father is out of the way. Our lands should be united through marriage."

"No thank you," she said in an infuriatingly calm voice. She might have been commenting on the weather or a dining choice.

"No? What do you mean, no! I just said-"

"I heard what you said, your Majesty. My answer is still no. I will not bind myself to Heinlein. I will not trust myself - body and soul - to you. When should we expect the first attack? I never expected your father to be so petty as to declare war over a woman, but I suspect it is a family trait."

"N-no," the man stuttered. This was not how he'd expected this conversation to go. All this time, the thirty-year-old had thought that it was his father standing in the way of his happiness. Turns out, he'd never had a shot at happiness with her in the first place. "There is no war coming between our lands. I told you before, the land is devastated. We need time to heal. A wife would go a long way to healing the land and securing my reign. Won't you even consider it?"

"I am not-" she cut herself off abruptly. "I will not marry you," she settled on. This annoyed the man.

"'I am not' what? What is it about me that makes me so unpalatable as a marriage prospect?"

"That is not a question that you want an answer to," the girl said definitively. "Just know that my answer stands."

"And when I propose to another woman? Enlighten me as to the inner workings of women. What about me makes me so unpalatable as a marriage prospect?"

"Remember that it was you who insisted on this, not me," she warned him angrily. "You are a sniveling coward," she ground out without further ado. "You came to me behind your father's back to propose, presenting the whole thing as an escape plan. That's not romantic, that's skeezy and underhanded! Then you kill your father while he's incapacitated. Hell, I'm surprised that you had the guts to do it yourself considering that you were waiting for some random assassin to do it for you before. That disgusting pig had the use of one leg and was unconscious when you took him out. And then you have the nerve to propose again, using the man's funeral to entice me as if that would somehow strengthen my lady boner! The pig's body isn't even cold! And despite what you think, learning that I was indirectly responsible for a man's death does not get me hot and bothered."

"B-but he would have-"

"I don't care if he deserved to die," Niquel shouted. He heard her take a deep breath before continuing. "You are a coward and I would never trust my future to a sack of shit like you. Heinlein's people are so bloodthirsty that someone is bound to try to assassinate you. And you're the kind of sniveling asshat that would say 'take her instead! Kill her instead' rather than fight your opponents head-on. That is what makes you an unpalatable marriage prospect, your Majesty. And 'unpalatable' is the right word for it. I'd rather eat my own puke and shit for the rest of my life than surround myself with a bunch of wild dogs that yearn only for the color of blood, headed by such a yellow-bellied coward like you."

Damon was in shock. No one had ever spoken to him like that, not even when he ordered him to. Cowed and humbled by her bravery, not to mention wanting her more than ever, he took a deep breath. "What would it take to change your mind?" The exasperated huff on the other end of the line made him smile despite everything.

"Tell me this, Majesty. If my sister's lands weren't so lucrative, would you have been bothered to warn me about becoming punching bag number five? Would you have stopped me from making that mistake or would you have simply rolled with it, waiting for that dream assassin of yours?"

"It wasn't your sister's lands that compelled me to help you, Lady," he spluttered. "You are such an attractive, lovely, and head-strong woman that I had to-"

"Save your lies for the next girl to catch your fancy," Nicquel spat furiously. "Flattery doesn't work on me." Damon blinked. He'd never known a woman that responded so negatively to flattery. Not knowing another way to approach the situation, he pushed on, deciding that the best option was to try and convince her that he was telling the truth.

"But it's the truth! You are gorgeous, a goddess among women. That's the reason that my father was even interested. He didn't want a woman that didn't look good next to him. I don't understand how you can-"

"I'm not interested in your lies." Her voice was a block of ice at the moment, silencing the king. "Don't bother calling this number again. It'll be changed immediately. Congratulations on getting everything you ever wanted. Goodbye." He wondered at the combination of loathing and fury in her sweet voice as she congratulated/condemned him. Giving himself two years to change her mind about him, Damon focused on his next step now that his father was out of the way.