Unromantic #93 - And Only You [ MARTIS x LADY SHURA ]

UNROMANTIC #93 - AND ONLY YOU

"I will never be like any of those mortal men you swoon over."

"Hmm?" Lady Shura turns to Martis, who has been sitting impatiently on the rail of the balustrade a few feet from her. She has been picking flowers for their quarters, specifically choosing ones that have a soothing effect to aid the king in his sleep.

"Whatever do you mean, my lord?"

"Don't hide your desires from me, woman! I saw how you ogled at those feeble creatures that dare call themselves 'men'." Martis sneers as he recalls the day they wasted visiting the human realm at her behest. She had heard of the Festival of Hearts and pleaded with him to take her there.

To this day, he firmly believes she laced his drink with some sort of potion as he would not have agreed to such an absurd request otherwise.

Wearing disguises was bothersome and every moment they spent there was sheer agony for the king. Everything and everyone annoyed him; it took incredible restrain not to maim a single person within his reach. And when the Moniyan Empire's most eligible bachelors took the stage, he longed to plunge himself into the poisonous waters of the river Gehin.

He is certain his ears bled from the high-pitched cheers of juvenile girls fawning over their flamboyantly dressed, frail idols. Those boys had no meat on their bones, no scars on their bodies, no blemishes on their faces, no timbre in their voice. Why they would be celebrated for flouncing their fragility baffled the Ashura King.

All that, he somehow endured and could easily dismiss after decapitating a head or two. What infuriates him is the memory of his own ward looking longingly at the bachelors as they professed their sentimentalities before the crowd. One of them even knelt before his partner to ask for her hand in eternal union.

Martis could never do such a thing even if he wanted to; in his clan, a king kneeling before anyone would be humiliating, akin to surrendering his crown and kingdom.

"I will die before I succumb to such disgusting display," Martis continued with absolute scorn. He looks at his hand, callous and rough from years of fighting. "I do not have the voice of a nightingale, nor do I have skin as smooth glass. If that is what you wish, then I'm afraid you shall pine till your last breath, woman."

Martis turns away, angry at Lady Shura; for centuries, he's been lauded and beloved for the battle scars on his back, the bulk of his musculature, and the fury in his gaze.

Now, everything he prided, she is making him resent.

Upon hearing his woes, Lady Shura sighs and smiles, shaking her head in disbelief at what she is hearing. She gently approaches Martis, her footsteps barely making a sound on the rich earth. She puts down the bouquet she gathered and presses her soft hands against his cheeks.

"Oh, my dear king... You misunderstand my fancies." She speaks tenderly, her voice piercing through the king's temper. She turns his head to face her, unafraid of the red blaze of his eyes.

"I was jealous of the attention those girls were getting from their mates; I don't want the men themselves." She leans on him, the scent of her skin enticing him to move closer as well. "What I long for is affection, a kind word to reassure me of your devotion. But I want those words and sentiments to come from you. And only you."

"I have given you everything you could ever want! You have the finest silks caressing your body. The rarest of gems sit atop your head. THIS..." Martis spreads out his arms while looking around the entire garden. "I have literally moved the earth and elements to give you this edifice. Is this not enough?"

Lady Shura shakes her head while playfully biting her lower lip. Martis snarls, turning and leaning away from her. He folds his arm, his ego slighted by her dissatisfaction.

"Ungrateful and stubborn girl... You are impossible to please!"

"And you are being a petulant child." Lady Shura replies, throwing herself and wrapping her arms around Martis. A growl escapes him but she knows he would relent to her coos. "You can give me the moon and the stars, yet you can't come up with sweet words to woo me?"

"Why should I woo you? You're already mine!"

Martis thought this simple truth would knock some sense into the girl. And it did but the result isn't one that he favored. His fury tapers as her smile melts into a frown, the shimmer in her gold eyes dulling. She turns away and slowly lets go of her hold.

"I see... I shall keep my longing to myself then..."

With a huff, he catches her arm before it leaves his shoulder and pulls her back to him. He lets out a deep sigh before asking a question he knows he would regret.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me what you like about me... Let me know what draws you to me..."

Deep lines form on the Ashura King's forehead. Lady Shura watches in quiet amusement as Martis' face twists and contorts in anguish, trying desperately to grasp for words that would spark the same glee he saw in her eyes while watching those mortals perform.

"You're... Beautiful... And..." Martis grits his teeth, frustrated at the uncertainty of his lines. "...We'd sire beautiful children together."

The sweet, melodic sound of Lady Shura's laughter fills the secret garden above the tower. The king scowls at her for mocking his attempt at romance. He leans away from Lady Shura again but she pulls him back, pressing her forehead against his and guiding his rough hands around her waist.

She kisses him passionately, her soft lips rivaling the sweetest wine he had ever tasted. Deciding this is the best outcome from this nonsense, he drops the matter and relishes her offering. He tightens his embrace and claws at her garments, wanting to feel the warmth of her flesh.

"That we would, my king." Lady Shura whispers. "That we would."