Orisa: Era Of gods.

Chapter 15

The maid remained silent for what felt like a moment before she spoke again, excitement clearly plastered on her face. She bit her lips, contemplating a thought before replying the queen's question.

“Are you sure you want my answer, your highness?”

Adunni nodded in anticipation.

“I might have to be blunt.”

The queen rolled her eyes, "Go on! Don't withhold anything form me. Tell me!"

Arike rubbed at her temples, never had she thought she'd sit the queen down to explain what it meant for a man to want a woman. The queen was naive but her innocence marveled her.

“It..I think.. the king wants..to be intimate with you.”

Adunni gasped, cupping her cheeks her eyelashes fluttered. The king wanted her?! He wanted intimacy with her?! She thought..she thought–who was she deceiving? She knew of his attraction to her. She felt it the day he'd rushed into the bathroom to join her.

She saw the way he looked at her, she felt desire for her as he whispered against her flesh and she couldn't deny she felt something too.

Past her hatred that had been nothing but a facade to tell herself she wasn't worthy of the queen title or supposed to feel as eager as she did for the king slayer, somewhere beneath it all was a woman who craved the attention of the all-powerful god that was hers to claim.

"Your highness," Arike jolted her out of her train of thoughts.

“Yes?”

“What are you thinking?”

She flailed her arms frantically, “I do not know. I do not know what to make do of this information.”

Arike chuckled, “But you do know, right?” she raised curious brow. “You do know the king is a fine man. Although he's a god, he's as easily aroused as any potent man out there. I'm sure you also know he'd want to...want to touch you, to affirm his feelings for you.”

Adunni turned to look at her this time, fidgeting. She knew all these. Well, she didn't give it a proper thought but somehow, the king would need to be with her, to hold her, their bodies connecting and-no! She didn't want to think about it.

“I don't think I'm ready. I don't think I'll ever be ready for any with him.”

“You still hate him?”

“No! I mean..I don't hate him. I'm just scared to let myself get carried away by him.” She'd wanted to submit to him but deep down, the need to defy him, to fight him, to resist him was ever present. The feeling so foreign it scared her.

“My queen. The moment you became his wife, you've already let yourself get carried away. I understand the situation surrounding your marriage to the king. I know how it must feel, to be whisked away to some entirely different and strange world. But would you let me give you an advise, your highness?”

She nodded.

“The king likes you.” she paused, holding the queen's gaze. "For as long as I've known about the king, for as long as I've known of his existence, this is a first. The king has never regarded a mortal or any female with so much affection, with so much attention. The god I served is his close acquaintance and he'd never opened up himself this much to anyone. The king really likes you and he's going out of his way to please you. All he wants is for you to like him back."

"What do I do?"

“Reciprocate his feelings for you. Time is running out, my queen. If you fail to conceive or consummate your marriage with the king, the court will be forced to request a new bride. If another bears him a child, you'll no longer have a place at his side. Give him a child, your highness.”

                   †††

She exhaled, feeling worry rise in the pit of her stomach. She hated this feeling, hated the anxiety that tugged at her mind every now and then.

“You seem to lack your usual appetite, my queen.”

She snapped back to reality. Turning in the direction of the king. She'd forgotten they were here to eat, her previous conversation with Arike had left her in a turmoil of emotion she debated a solution in her mind.

“I'm sorry, my king.”

Olakunle shot her a wary glance from where he sat, a permanent scowl the only hint her drifting off into her thoughts had began to infuriate him.

“You're distracted.” Adejoba rose to his feet, circling round the table till he got to her, helped her up, pushed the chair to a side before his arms wrapped around her and her settled her on the table.

He tugged gently at her knees and she pushed them open to a side, letting him shift closer to her. His fingers dragged across her chin and their eyes met. His brows furrowed.

"What is it? What's making you restless?" He questioned again.

Adunni swallowed hard. Her arms involuntarily wrapping around his shoulders. She marveled at the feel of his skin beneath her touch as she caressed him through the undone robe he had on. So soft, so firm, so powerful.

He clinched her legs at his waist, tugging her forward to the edge of the table. “I need you to use your words, Adunni. What troubles you?”

“I need you to tell me. What happens if we do not consummate this marriage?”

He forced a small smile before detaching himself from her, moving as far as he could away from her she nearly beckoned him back. Missing the warmth he provided.

“I've told you already. You do not need to concern yourself with something so trivial. If it bothers you that much, I'd leave home when it's time. You don't need to worry, I won't touch you unless you ask me to.”

He'd misunderstood her. Her question was not to evade the consummation but to hear it directly from him; hear him tell her himself that her place at his side was at risk of she failed to provide him an heir, and hence, she needed to make the night work out as planned.

She'd decided; she was going to bed his majesty.