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"I thought we were going to your office?" Khadijah rolled her head over to the newcomer, an eyebrow quirking up as the darkness in his eyes began to swirl. She ignored Sinbad's attempt to grab her, approaching the boy before tilting his head up to meet her own. There was a reason this little boy didn't interest her.
He was a fake.
Sinbad watched his woman with reluctance. It was bizarre she showed no interest in the prince as she had leeched on everyone she's practically met. However, he wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her back to his side--it seems like she hadn't known she was slowly drawing closer to the young prince. "I wanted to give him a tour, would you mind accompanying us?" He gave her a small grin, ignoring her huff of annoyance. "It'll make up for the tour I couldn't give you."
"As long as you buy food."
"I'll even feed it to you!"
She locked eyes with the king of this country, wondering why the hell he wanted her to join them. As far as she knew, Sinbad was delaying the news he wanted to give them. "I have hands to feed myself." Sauntering off, Khadijah began the tour, guiding them towards the town—showing off her alcoholic problem, places to eat, and the people she had met around here. It had been an amusing time, watching the young prince seriously take in all the information, and she had gotten an answer to her own question; he held an interest in her.
She grinned, no wonder his eyes would darken when they met her own. He was unraveling her just as she was him.
"Mind your manners, little child." Her fingernails dug themself into his cheeks, lip curling up in displeasure. "Fix your gaze before I take your other eye."
Sinbad immediately interjected, sighing loudly.
(ง'̀-'́)ง
After a full day of following the two, Khadijah watched in interest as they stopped amidst a terrace. They began idle talk, the young prince complimenting Sinbad on his quick emergence as king of a peaceful nation, and a powerhouse who stood toe to toe with the Kou emperor. "If you continue to compliment him, his head will fill up with air."
"My love—!"
Her expression of disgust erupted a string of laughter from Ren. He bowed his head, mumbled a short apology and continued to speak. "I know you're lying, King Sinbad. About wanting to keep the peace. It's all a farce isn't it?"
Khadijah hummed in interest, feeling the atmosphere quickly grow serious. Her eyes took notice of Sinbad's small shock, tongue darting out to wet her lips as his power went still.
"You disagree with the Kou Empire, don't you?" Ren's eyes were filling up with rage and disgust, promptly making her notice him. She watched him twitch in his spot, hands balling up in fists. "The Kou Empire invades other countries to spread nothing but chaos, an empire Sindria should be aware of."
Sinbad's power buzzed, goosebumps rising on her arms as she held back the desire to touch him. He was wary of the young prince, and she briefly wondered if she'd become a witness to an assassination. Though, she knew that wasn't possible just yet; her Sinbad wasn't stupid enough to start a war over some powerless kid.
"What do you mean?" Sinbad's smile was tight, and she made her way over to his side. His arm immediately attached itself around her waist, bringing her closer. "Ren Hakuryuu?"
He assessed the team in front of him. As far as Judar told him, the young 'concubine' of Sinbad was a nobody, a nobody who had angered his magi enough to curse her name for over two days. He could sense no prowess come from her, yet the look in her eyes—Khadijah looked as if nothing in this world could kill her.
Bowing his head, he quickly spoke up. "I don't mean to threaten you, King Sinbad. Rather, I want to make you aware of my ultimate goal."
Khadijah hummed, grinning at the pure hatred in his eyes.
"I want to eradicate the Kou Empire."
(ง'̀-'́)ง
"What do you think of that child?" Sinbad watched her continue to munch on some grapes, her lips smoothly covering the fruit before swallowing. She was sitting on the edge of their bed, reading a book he had gotten her about the lands of this world as her nail polish dried.
Khadijah let out a long breath. "He seems ignorant of the world. He only knows of darkness and violence, the only reason he seems to continue living is out of pure hatred." She plopped a grape into her mouth, glancing over at Sinbad. "He'll descend into insanity if he doesn't learn how to live."
He sat up, sitting behind her as his head rested on her own. "Did I save you from insanity? When we first met, you held pure hatred in your pretty eyes," he tilted her head backwards, locking eyes. "That anger seems to be calmer now."
"Of course." Twisting around to sit directly in front of him, Khadijah grinned. "You taught me the power of gods. That's more than enough for me to continue living."
Sinbad studied her eyes, a desire for power swirling inside them. It was an insatiable thirst to become stronger, better than everyone else in the world. Her hatred, from whence they first met, had seemed to completely disappear from them. When had this happened? When she had burned down her village? Or that internal struggle she had on Balbadd's beach?
Pouting at her response, he placed her legs on either side of him, making sure her nail polish wouldn't smudge as he inched closer. "Aw, I thought I played a part in this."
Wondering why the fuck he was acting more of a brat today, she sighed in exasperation. Should she humor him just for tonight? "Well, if you really want to know," her nails ran up his chest, holding his cheek with her palm as she gave him a warm smile.
He was shell shocked.
She was radiant.
Absolutely radiant.
His heart hammered against his chest, the tips of his ear becoming incredibly hot.
"Not really~" she let out a laugh, blinking when he threw himself forward, laying on her chest as he listened to her own heartbeat. Why wasn't this woman falling for him!?!?
