The Emery Chronicles: The Red King's Romance (THIRD BOOK)

Chapter 11

A/N:hey readers! Before continuing with this novel in my Emery Chronicles, please take a moment to go back to The Black King's Beauty (the second book) and let me know whether I should keep the current cover or change it to the one on the side of the prologue. Please let me know which cover you think best suits that novel! Thanks, and please enjoy! ❤️

Chapter Eleven- Dangerous Feelings

Aviva and Edom laughed loudly with the crowd, Aviva sitting on Edom's lap as they ate dinner. Edom was quite popular with the nymphs, who all gathered around to hear his jokes as they ate. Some of the women were a bit peeved to see Aviva on his lap, but they continued to giggle flirtatiously at him. Edom shared his stories and jokes, surrounded by all of them, the most popular person at the table. Aviva brought his chalice up to his lips and held it for him as he took a long swig. He let her know he was finished by squeezing her tightly with the hands he had wrapped around her waist. As she brought the drink back down to the table, he lightly kissed her shoulder to thank her. Aviva smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his own shoulders, leaning into him. He smiled up at her, and she recognized the look on his face: he looked almost... joyful. As if all the happiness in the world was sitting in his lap rather than Aviva herself. She managed a small grin back to him before turning away. Somehow, she couldn't bear to see him so happy.

"Perhaps we should head back to our quarters?" Edom whispered into her neck. Aviva smirked seductively and stood up from his lap. She grabbed his hand and brought him up, then began leading him to their room.

Once they entered the bedchambers, Edom turned to close the doors behind him while Aviva began to unbutton his blouse.

"Wait just a moment, my vixen." He chuckled, gently moving her hands away. "I want to say something."

Aviva cocked her head in confusion and let him lead her to the bed so they could sit opposite each other. Her heart began to pound crazily, and her head began to spin. She did not have a good feeling about this.

Edom sat them down, then took his hands away from hers. He sighed loudly and rubbed his hands against trousers. He seemed extremely nervous, though Aviva could not say why.

"The thing is," he began, not able to look her in the eyes quite yet, "I think I've fallen in love." Edom swallowed loudly and finally looked up. "With you."

Aviva felt her eyes widen in shock. Lust, she had expected, submissiveness, she had expected. But love? Her plan had not accounted for love. And yet her mind could not form any thoughts, and she could only stare back at him, and so he continued.

"You see, when you held me this morning, while we bathed, I felt something. I've known it all along but I couldn't quite place it. I had already told you, you're not like the others. You aren't afraid of me just because of my status, you don't let my title hinder you from doing what you want with me. But I'm afraid of you," Aviva squinted her face in confusion at this remark. "I'm afraid of the way you make feel, the freedom you give me when I'm in your arms. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced before. You're not just different from the other girls because of your bravery, you're also different because of what you did in the tub. If it had been any other wench, she would've tried to distract me from my sad stories and wouldn't let me speak about it. But you didn't. You listened to everything I had to say, and then you held me. You let me be vulnerable and weak, you allowed me to feel comforted and loved. And that's when I knew that this was much more than just a fling for me."

Aviva continued to silently look at him, unable to form words. Her mind was still a jumble, a myriad of stray thoughts that couldn't quite form one complete thought. She only looked at him as he poured his heart out, his eyes glowing the same way they had earlier, as if he owned every drop of happiness in the world.