Winning the Luna's Heart- An HMAHM story

Chapter 32- "Walk a Day in my Shoes"

*Third Person's Pnt. Of view*

King Maynard was sitting on his throne with a redhead perched on his lap as his long fingers ran through her hair. Maynard paid no mind to the fact that the woman, Romi, was sitting with her spine straight and stiff. He pretended not to see the pale goosebumps which riddled her skin. His other cold hand rested on her thigh, as he caressed her cold skin. Maynard instead tried to preoccupy himself with the inkling that Xavier might have witnessed him killing Delia. If that doubt was in fact true, Maynard believed that he had to prepare for the possibility that the Luna and the Queen would convert Xavier to their side.

And that's something Maynard could not have.

Maynard needed Xavier to remain loyal till the very end, or else the battle would be lost before it had even begun. Maynard was aware that he may have manipulated Xavier in order to shape and conform him into his protégé. With the use of his venom, Maynard convinced Xavier that the Luna and the Queen murdered Vladimir without cause, and fabricated the fake memory of Vladimir's death in Xavier's mind. Maynard hypnotized the young boy from a very young age and convinced him of two things: The Luna and the queen murdered his father, and that he had a heart defect. Maynard administered a temporary poison in Xavier's every meal for years, just so that when the young vampire gets angry or overemotional, his heart would overreact. Maynard sacrificed his time and invested his every smarts into making Xavier the man he was today. Now he would be damned if the Luna and the Queen manage to sniff out the good in Xavier's heart. But Maynard was confident enough in his skills. He was feared and respected for a reason. He was sure that he wouldn't fail.

A slight jump from Romi caused Maynard to shake his head and free his brain from it's daze. Maynard turned his one green eye towards Romi who was barely breathing, and ran his skinny index finger over her spine. Romi tried to be as still as possible, though the breath exiting her nostrils shook more than a leaf in hurricane-force winds.

"You're afraid of me," Maynard observed out loud, the back of his left hand rubbing over Romi's blue cheek, "Why?" Maynard demanded.
"I only wish to please you my King." Romi replied as confidently as possible. She felt a whimper rise through her vocal chords, but she sealed her thin lips to keep her fear lodged in her throat, hidden well away from the dangerous, sadistic king.

Maynard felt his anger flare and tickle his scalp, but for once he did not lash out.

"Do not lie to me, I am allowing you this one chance to be honest with me. Why do you fear me so?" Maynard baited the poor woman.
"I do not fear you my lord." Romi replied, though her skin began to sting and prickle with the fear of the king finding out that she was in fact lying.
"You do not?" Maynard questioned, his hand running from the front of Romi's scalp, to the back of her skull. Then he combed his long fingers through her lengthy hair, and tugged just slightly, compelling Romi to lean her head back and reveal her throat to him.

Maynard sat up, his lips landing against the hollow of Romi's throat. While his lips kissed her skin, he felt her swallow back a fearful hiccup, and her heart practically tremored in her throat.

"You're still lying to me Romi." Maynard whispered against Romi's skin.

Romi blinked multiple times, tears escaping the corners of her eyes. She felt a sob jump and latch itself in her chest. Romi swallowed hard, her breath pushing through her nostrils with great difficulty.

"I am not my lord." Romi replied. Maynard was going to kill her either way. Charlie had been really compliant with Maynard. She pleased him with her body as he had requested, yet in the end, he still killed her. Romi knew she wasn't safe, but if she could save her neck just for a few more moments, she'd do just that.