My King ✔️

Eighteen

"I mean...I know we have an hour but it's been twenty minutes baby...why wont you tell me what's going on?"

"Jin..." I sighed, trying to find the words to explain my cousin.

"You can tell me." He said in a soft voice, taking hold of my hand before pressing his lips to my hand.

I let out another sigh before squaring my shoulders and looking at him. "Beni, is short for Benita, and she is a year older than me. Since there was no male air between my dad and his brother, I am assumed the crown, because I am his daughter. That's it. Had Beni been a male, he would have been assumed the throne. There are a lot of people in my kingdom that are very against this joining and would rather see Beni as reigning queen, and not me."

He kept his eyes locked with mine, processing the very short version of the drama that I was hoping would never come out between us.

"Okay." He said, his mind still tossing the information around. "So, does she have any claim over the crown?"

"Technically, no."

"What about hypothetically?"

"Then, yeah kind of." I told him, a look of surprise on his face. "I inherit the crown by birth, but had our fathers not made this deal all those year's ago, if I had married you, I would leave my kingdom and she would inherit the crown instead. Had our fathers not made this agreement, I would lose my kingdom. The kingdom that I don't know, and the people who don't know me because my father made sure I was constantly away."

Jin kissed my hand again, scooting a little closer to me, trying not to wrinkle my dress, but making me laugh too. "Can I ask you something serious?"

"Of course." I said, as he cupped the hand he was holding with both of his.

"You never talk about how passionate you are about ruling. You spent the majority of your life abroad. And you agreed to this marriage out of obligation."

I gasped and adding my free hand holding his closely to my chest. I was internally panicking. I thought he knew how I felt, but maybe I wasn't saying it enough. "Jin, I love you." I said, making him pause. "I thought you knew that. I love you so much, you are such a wonderful man and you are my Hollywood cliché, my knight in shining armor. If you were to ask me again, I would say yes!" I said all in one breath.

"Hey, hey." He hushed with a chuckle. "I love you too, baby. I didn't mean anything by that other than it was an obligation."

"It's not an obligation." I said to him. "I want to marry you." I said, my voice strong and firm. "Don't you?"

"Of course, I do." He leaned forward and kissed me softly, bringing me down from a panicked high.

I blinked my eyes a few times, realizing he was trying to make a point. "I'm sorry for interrupting you. You can keep going."

"I just meant, that being a Queen and ruling your country isn't anything you ever talk about. Is it really something you want?"

"You don't either."

"Not to you, because I spend my time with you doing better things."

I scoffed. "Like what?"

"Like...coloring my hair." He said, his hand raking through a curl of mine. "Like skinny dipping in the pool, sneaking out. Fun things that have nothing to do with my country, but just to do with me. You bring out the human in me and it's one of my favorite things about you."

"Just one?" I asked, teasing him.

"One of many." He replied, making me sigh again and lean against the car seat.