Whispers Of Desires: A Sense Of Truth {Book 2}

꧁༺ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓧𝓘𝓘: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰'𝓼 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓵 ༻꧂

Silence... total silence. Even the rustling of the curtains and the crackling of the fire seemed to cease as all eyes in the room turned to Kazi. It was as if the name itself carried some unspoken weight, some unspeakable power.

Then, Ife spoke up. "Kazi," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "you said you only met the King?"

"Yes," Kazi confirmed, her voice calm but steady. "But..."

"But what?" Adanna demanded; her voice laced with suspicion.

Kazi hesitated, her gaze darting between her sisters. "The King..." she began, then stopped, struggling to find the right words. "The King... asked... for me to marry... his second son, Prince Azrael."

Silence...

"WHAT" Adanna shouted, jumping to her feet. The room was followed by gasps of surprise from the rest of the family. "Marry him?!" Asha shrieked, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Are you serious, Kazi? You cannot be serious!"

"He just asked, nothing is decided yet," Kazi said, trying to calm her sisters. "But what is going on? Why are you all reacting like this?"

Ife threw her hands up in the air. "Kazi," she said softly, "do you really not know who Prince Azrael is?"

"Should I? I know he is the second prince but is he more important than I thought?" Kazi asked, feeling a bit confused.

Adanna snorted, a small, humourless sound. "Important? Kazi, Prince Azrael is about as important as a decorative cushion in a war room."

"What do you mean?" Kazi asked, feeling a shiver run down her spine. "What is wrong with him?"

Ife sighed. "Alright, let me explain. Prince Azrael," she began, "is... well, he is notorious. Known for being quite the... party lover, to put it mildly."

"Party lover?" Adanna snorted. "That is one way to put it. He is more like a professional drunkard who terrorizes every social event in Althea." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "And that is not the worst of it. There are rumours that he is been involved in... unsavoury activities. Gambling, womanizing, debauchery of all sorts."

Kazi listened, her jaw clenching with each new detail. This pampered prince, was the man the King wanted her to marry? The anger that had been simmering within her began to bubble over.

"So, this is the man they think I can change?" she spat, her anger growing.

"And apparently, incredibly arrogant as well. Thinks he is above everyone, especially women. They should consider themselves lucky if he graces them with a glance, and 'blessed' if he allows them to speak." Asha was shaking her head in disbelief, her expression a mix of anger and pity.

Ife nodded in agreement. "Though he acts like a major party boy, there is more to it. He is supposedly very... delicate. Weak, even. Never involved in anything important – no military, no political court, nothing. He uses his 'delicate' nature as an excuse to stay out of everything, but most people think he is just lazy and uninterested."

Kazi felt a bitter laugh escape her lips. Weak, arrogant, and a drunkard. This was the prize they were offering her. A marriage to this... this waste of perfectly good air? The thought was an insult.

Kazi rolled her eyes, the anger slowly giving way to disbelief. This whole situation was beyond absurd. Just then, her father, Governor Nari, cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence.

"Kazi," he began, his voice gentle, "did you... agree to the King's... proposal?"

All eyes turned to Kazi, waiting for her response.

"Of course not, Father! As if I would marry someone I barely know, especially not a..." she trailed off, unable to bring herself to finish the sentence. "He is not the sort of man I would ever consider spending my life with."

Tanisi, piped up "Speaking of Prince Azrael, I heard the prince is younger than you, Kazi!"

Kazi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Younger than me?"

"Yeah," Tanisi continued, "Like, twenty-four or something. A whole year younger!"

"Marry a man younger than me? Absolutely not!" Kazi exclaimed, her voice full of disdain. "I do not need some immature brat to be my husband."

Ife soon burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking. Soon, Adanna, Tanisi, and Asha joined in, filling the room with their laughter.

"He thinks YOU can change someone, Kazi?" Ife managed to wheeze out between giggles, tears forming in her eyes. "Father's been trying to tame your sharp tongue for years with limited success, and the King expects you to reform his son?!"

The laughter continued, and even though Kazi's own smile had started to tug at her lips, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the thought of being laughed at for something that was not her fault. She was no one's punching bag, and she certainly was not about to marry someone just to prove herself to anyone.

"I do not even plan on getting married," Kazi said firmly, her laughter fading into a frown. "The very idea is ridiculous. I have better things to do with my time and life. And as for the King's proposal, I think It is a slap in the face, to be honest."

Adanna chimed in, "Yeah, Kazi," she teased, "marriage is the last thing I expected for you. You seem perfectly content with your sword and your soldiers."

Kazi smiled, a genuine one this time. "Exactly. I am a soldier, not a princess."

But her father's continued chuckle drew her attention. "Father," she said with a raised eyebrow, "what is so funny? Do you find this situation amusing?"

Governor Nari wiped a tear of mirth from his eye. "Forgive me, Kazi," he chuckled. "It is just... the thought of you marrying a prince, especially a notorious party lover like Azrael, is quite comical. You would probably scare him straight, or worse!"

"I would not marry him even if he begged me!" Kazi snorted. "And we all know he would never do that. He would rather spend his days getting drunk and chasing after skirts."

"But Kazi," Tanisi began, "would not marrying into the Althean royal family be amazing? Imagine all the fancy clothes and parties!"

Kazi sighed, shaking her head. "I do not care about that, Tanisi. I have never been one for that sort of thing. Besides, even if I wanted to marry into royalty, I would find someone who is respectable and honourable, not some drunkard."

The room settled once more into conversation, with them talking about everything from the latest military strategies to the upcoming games season.

One thing was clear: marrying Prince Azrael of Althea was never going to be part of her plan.