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

Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen- Confessions

Carmine sat with her sister at the dinner table, watching Roux and her father on the opposite side. They seemed to be discussing something very serious.

"What do you think it's about?" Loral asked her. "Do you think it has to do with that Summit?"

"I'm not sure," Carmine responded, but she felt her heart's pace quicken. What if it was the Summit? What if something dreadfully wrong had happened?

Just as they were chatting, Roux and their father stood up and Ormond walked forward. He raised his arms and, almost instantaneously, everyone quieted down. "My people," Carmine's father bellowed out, his voice strong and powerful. "I have some bad news and some good news. On a sour note, our king has just informed me that we are officially in a state of war against the other kingdoms."

The crowd gasped and chattered anxiously, questions flying here and there. The Chief raised his arms once more and the community was silent again.

"I know this is despairing," he sympathized, "but what is done cannot be undone. Instead, we can only hope to help our king and our kingdom in any way we can. Which brings me to our happier bit of news. I would like to officially announce the marriage of my daughter Loral to His Majesty, King Roux!"

The crowd burst into cheering and clapping, whistles sailing through the sky. Ormond gestured to Loral to go stand by him. Obediently, Loral stood and walked over toward him, where Ormond placed her hand in Roux's, raising them up to show it off. Carmine watched the debacle, not clapping or cheering.

She sat quietly and very still, unsure how to react and unsure how she even felt. When her father made the announcement, she had felt a cold sliver down her spine, and then nothing. She watched Loral and Roux hold hands before everyone, being congratulated on their soon marriage. And Carmine realized that what she felt wasn't nothing, but much more than that.

This was wrong, it was all wrong. Seeing them up there together just proved it to her. She had known all along that there was a strong possibility her sister would marry Roux, but now that it had been properly announced before everyone she realized what a mistake it was.

She realized she loved Roux. She had all along; since their first meeting. He was different and new, but more than that, they connected. They'd always connected! She felt a sense of completeness around him, she felt whole; she just didn't notice it until he had been snatched from right under her nose.

She couldn't let Roux marry her sister. It was impossible.

***

"When will the wedding take place?" Aviva asked, stretching out on the bed. Dinner had ended and she had gone back with Edom to his room, as usual.

"Probably in the next couple of weeks," Edom told her, unbuttoning his blouse and throwing it softly into a chest of clothes. He walked doggedly over to the bed and climbed in next to her. Aviva began to massage his shoulders, unwinding all of his stress and nerves. She kissed the spot where her fingers touched, his hot skin melting under her luscious lips. Edom chuckled quietly and gently removed her hands off of him. "Not tonight, love. I'm tired."

"Never thought my man would be tired," Aviva teased, but she let her hands fall to her sides and they simply lay next to each other. He was lying on his stomach, she on her back next to him, both of them looking into each other's eyes.

"I love you."

The words were quick, quiet, almost so airy Aviva thought she hadn't heard right. But looking into Edom's face, she saw the vulnerability and innocence there, unmasking the truth.

Edom turned his face and hid it behind a pillow, laughing quietly. "I know, it is insane. But I could not help it. I've told you before you're different. But you also make me different. I cannot function without you, and I did not realize it until we were apart. I need you for more than bedding. I need to talk to you when my day is stressful, and spill all of my dark secrets to you. No one ever knew how I felt about my father and Roux, not even Roux himself. But you have changed me." By this time, Edom had taken Aviva's face into his hands and was caressing her cheeks gently.

She could not muster any words; she wouldn't even know what to say if she could. Everything she had been planning had all just been burnt down by those three simple words. He loved her. But did he really? She was living a lie; she was no whore, she was an elite just as he was. And she was here for one thing.

His head.

***

"Roux!" Carmine called, running up behind him. After the announcement, Roux had taken off toward his hut, but she had followed quickly behind. It had to be now, she had to tell him how she felt.

Roux kept walking, his shoulders hunching up a bit. She called his name again and this time he turned around abruptly and asked, "What?" in a harsh tone.

Carmine stopped before she ran into him, a bit taken aback by his severity. "Is something wrong?"

"Carmine, I don't have time for this. Do you have a reason for stopping me?" He looked irritated and frustrated, and it was beginning to hurt her.

"Roux, please. Did I do something?" She kept her voice calm, but she couldn't help the small quiver in it. "You left without even saying goodbye. And now you're all flustered. What is it?"

Roux breathed heavily, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair angrily. "Nothing is the matter. Could you stop asking? Could you just leave me alone? Or is that so hard for you? Stop following me around! I don't have time to play games with a child."

Carmine felt her heart crack; she almost thought she heard it as well. She felt herself shrink back, his words leaving a cold lump in her throat. "I'm not a child!" She managed to cry out.

"Really? Because you are acting like one now!"

He couldn't feel the same way she did; if he had, he wouldn't be able to say these things. He wouldn't be able to hurt her so, watch her crumble before him. She bit her lip until it bled. Shaking her head, she turned and ran away, sprinting to her hut to hide away.

Once out of sight, Roux crumbled to the ground. He had never been so hurt in his life.