Without love no man is a king

28.

The king looked up from his reading when his son walked in in a huff of frustration, plonking himself down in a reading chair.
"Well hello to you too son. Something I can help you with?"
"No" he crossed his arms like a stubborn child
"Very well" the king return to his reading
"She is being so stubborn!" The prince shot up, ranting as he paced "it has been weeks since lady Stephanie left and still she refuses to speak with me! Unless she is yelling and I am sure that Drecontonian word she keeps spitting out at me in a venomous tone is nothing pleasant." He continued to pace at speed "she will not eat! She will not speak to me. She will not speak to anyone, not even you! She cries all the time. I can hear her! She will not let me in to comfort her but I can hear her tears of sorrow through the closed door. She does not accept my gifts, or my apologies, god knows I've given enough of them! I make one mistake and it's over just like that. I let myself fall for a savage barbarian princess and what do I get for it? Nothing! I get nothing in return"
"That is not what I have heard" the king smirked not looking up from his book

"She will not even ride her new horse! Digory says she has not been into the stables in days! She is getting worse. I think we should send word to her mother, ask her to come back or...bring one of her friends here. A confidant. Who speaks her mother tongue because lord only knows what she is saying when she's ranting and raving at me."
"Are you done with your self pitty?" The king put his book down.
"It is not self pity! She is behaving like a....like a....."
"A scorned women with a broken heart" the king said quietly, the prince softening.

"I do not know what to do father. I only know that this can not continue." he sat back down "I can not live like this and I do not want her to have to. The last few days she has worsened and I can not bare to hear her pain through a closed ruddy door anymore." He sighed "I have decided to leave the castle. Just for a short while. Give her some space. Time to heal with out me."
"No" the king said shortly picking up his book again
"But father...."
"I said no. I forbid it."

"Tell me what to do then!"
"First you will stop arguing with her and ending your arguments by copulating. It is not the solution."
"It is not my intention, it just ends up that way!"
"I am sure it does. Because deep down you both want the same thing. Love. Each other. Neither of you wants this current situation between you."
"I do love her father. I believe deep down she still loves me. I want to mend this but I do not see how I can. All she keeps saying is never gone. The memories will never leave her. She even said we were not married! No husband. It's her newest phrase!"
"On technicalities in the eyes of her people's law you aren't" the king stood up, putting his book away. "You unulled your marriage. She does not believe on our God."

"So I am to remarry her? The Dreconton way? Would that settle it?"
"No. She knows you can not. In order to do that she'll have to tell her father what you did and beg him to pardon you, which he wouldn't do. He can never find out. So you must live in sin. Another point of matter I am sure she is upset over. She is no longer your wife in her eyes just a sordid lover. Like she said back when we had a translator she is her fathers enemies Whore."
"Please father. I need to mend this. She is my wife. She is no whore!"
"Pack up. We will go to the royal coastal castle. Show her the sea. Some fresh salty sea air will do us all good. Let us take a small party with us only. Those she trusts"
"You'd have to leave me behind then."
"Pack up. We'll leave first thing."

The prince sped walked to the princess' room, knocking in the door repeatedly, patiently waiting for an answer.
"Princess Inara? I know you are in there and I need to speak to you on an urgent matter. I am not leaving until you answer me today....The king sent me." He smiled when the door opened "hello my Inara. The king has decided we are to travel to the coastal castle. Pack up your things, we leave first thing."
She stared at him blankly
"May I?" He pointed into the room, she reluctantly stepped aside "let me see...." he rummage through the wooden box of flashcards. "Sea....castle.....travel....carriage....trunk...."

"Send away?" She asked, picking up the cards "Inara no behave. Roland send away? Inara go...far" she wafted her hand
"No no no. Prince, king, Inara, Digory, Bellford, Beric, all go. Some guards. Together."
"Sea?" She held up her card excited
"You have never seen the sea my little curious princess?" He smiled fondly "I will take you. Make good memories. Good times. Many smiles. Time together. No angry yelling. No....no...." he wiggled his finger between them, gesturing calm. "Understand?" He asked reaching for her face, he smiled briefly for the second she didn't pull away in disgust at his affection, the back of his fingers gently rubbing her cheek, a fleeting moment that was gone too soon, the princess walking away, with arms crossed over her chest.

"Please." He hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulders "why are you crying again? Are you thinking of her? Of her and I together? Do not think of it. These affectionate actions I do, I never did with her. Is it Netta? Your mother? Tell me....please." He sighed when she walked over to her carved wooden animals, fiddling with them sadly, rearranging them as she often did.
"I like this one" he picked up the wolf he'd been gifted on his departure from Dreconton. "Wolf prince remember? You and I. We bonded over our experience." He picked up the smaller matching Wolf, gesturing them together "see, wolf prince and wolf princess. Bonded together."
"No bond" she grumpily told him not looking up from the bear in her hand.
"I know that's what you want everyone to believe, even yourself. But it's not true. You and I swimming." He put the wolves down "you and I battling those wolves. Our perilous journey home. Your brother pursuing us, his death. The way I carried you in my arms when you fell asleep in the stables. We bonded. After we married, we bonded again, you and I. I held you in my arms, we kissed, we smiled, we declared our love for each other, we are bonded you and I. You are still my wife, Inara."

"No" she grumpily snatched the wooden wolves putting it somewhere else, separating the two in an obvious manner
"Yes" Roland moved them back together
"No!" She shouted, separating them again
"Yes!" He retaliated "you are my wife whether you blooming well like it or not!"
"No wife!" She snapped loudly "woman, Roland!" She pointed between his legs "no wife!"
"In the eyes of my god you are my wife and you were not when I was with her!"
"My god wife! No believe your god! Roland....Roland....Inara fool!....Roland no...no loyal.....no respect....no faithful Inara!"
"A new word" he smiled, trapping her hand as it raised to slap him "no! I have told you repeatedly not to do that."

He pulled her close kissing her hungrily, confused when she pushed him away, it had become the norm after an argument that it would end the same way between them, or even if he argued one sidedly through a closed door, it would fling open and he'd be dragged in.
"What's wrong?" He asked concerned "I know you are angry. So...take it out on me....let me ease your frustrations. Let me shower your body with pleasure so that you forget your woes even if momentarily." He went to kiss her again being pushed away "alright." He held up his hands when she started to cry and fluster "alright. I will not touch you if you say no. Ever. Do you understand me? Irana say no swive, then no swive. No copulate. My culture says I need your permission. Even if you are my wife, if you say no I must respect your request. You do not need to fear me Inara, I would never harm you, I would never force myself on you, ever. Do you understand my words?"
Irana looked up at him sadly, gripping her stomach.
"You are in pain? Remember I taught you the word pain?" He asked reaching for her "what is it?"
"No child" she shook her head, her tears falling again "irana no good. Father angry. Roland angry. King angry. All angry Inara."

"Oh my sweet girl no" he shook his head "you are bleeding?" He asked, pointing between her legs, she shyly nodded "it's alright." He held out his hand for her face, waiting for her to come to him "good girl, that's it" he encouraged as she shuffled forward "I am not angry." He kissed her forehead firmly, guiding her to her bed "here, rest. I will pack your things. I will take good care of you" he massaged her stomach "better?"
She nodded, placing her hand over his on her stomach.
"It's alright. Not angry. Child will come when ready not before....God obviously sees we are too troubled to raise a child together.....one day we will celebrate such news with joy. I love you"

"No love" she rolled away from him
"Yes, I do. I love my Inara. Very much. It hurts my heart to see you so distraught. It hurts my heart when you say I do not love you. My Inara? Will you let me hold you a while?" He carefully lay next to her "Inara? Please. Come." He held his arm open "you do not have to forgive me or even love me back to allow me to comfort you. Good girl" he smiled when she rolled over, laying on his chest. "Inara is my good girl" he kissed the top of her head "not angry. My father will not be either. I promise you. I will take good care of you Inara even if you never forgive me, I promised to look after you and I will."