My Possessive Tyrant

8. Courtroom

I am telling you, my knees are actually shaking. I don't care if no one else can see it; I can feel it, and that's enough.

Standing next to Tag, the Crown Prince himself, right in the middle of the Emperor's court with all those hawk-eyed ministers watching us—I swear I could melt into the ground right now and be perfectly content. 

But Tag? Oh, he stands there like he is carved out of marble, barely a blink to betray even the slightest bit of worry. Meanwhile, I am pretty sure the sweat on my back has just declared itself a sovereign river. This pressure is real.

But I guess I should explain how we got here in the first place. 

See, it's all thanks to Pawee, also known as the Leisure Prince. That man would not miss a chance to bring Tag down even if he had to break a leg doing it. He walked in on us in the bathroom—yeah, that kind of caught-in-the-act moment. 

I will leave out the details, but let's just say Pawee didn't exactly find us discussing state policy. And Pawee, being Pawee, went and told the entire court that we were "indulging in immorality," that Tag was bringing shame to the family, and that as the crown prince, he should know better than to behave like that with a mere subordinate like me. 

Not that Pawee's any model of decorum, but here he is, looking all virtuous in his silk robes as he spews venom at us.

I stand there, trying to keep my expression in check, though it's hard when Pawee is going on about how "a man of honor" shouldn't be consorting with his own subordinates. 

I keep my gaze on the floor to avoid eye contact, because if I look up, I might actually roll my eyes at him, and I don't think that would improve the situation. 

A few of the ministers actually back him up, nodding along in that "wise elder" way. And as for the other princes—everyone's here, but they look as if they'd rather be anywhere else. Not a word from any of them.

Except Paras. Oh, bless Paras. He steps forward, as calm as a monk, and greets the Emperor with a respectful bow before addressing the court. "I am sure there must be some misunderstanding," he says, his voice carrying that blend of gentle authority that's hard to ignore. "The Crown Prince and Commander Trairanta are men of integrity. Everyone here knows that the Crown Prince is a married man, and Commander Trairanta, as you all may recall, has been responsible for finding the Crown Prince's spouse, who went missing."

The air in the room tightens. I can practically see Pawee's face twitch. He scoffs, louder than necessary, and says, "Misunderstanding? I caught them red-handed! The only one here with a misunderstanding is you, Fourth Prince."

Paras just looks at him, unflinching. 

Pawee keeps pushing, mocking Patag. "The Crwon Prince is too busy 'entertaining' his subordinate to find his own spouse! Some crown prince we have." He glances at me with a smirk. I pretend not to see him.

I don't if I should be feeling proud of creating such a toxic character or be thinking about leaving the room with my head on the top of my neck. I feel like today might be the end of the character Trin Traisranta.

And Tag? He is cool as a cucumber. He doesn't even acknowledge Pawee's jabs, just keeps standing there with that unreadable expression. 

The ministers start clamoring again, demanding that the Emperor take serious action. They are calling for a punishment severe enough to "set an example" for the rest of the princes, and, oh yes, they think I should be "dealt with" for daring to "climb into my master's bed." Charming, right?

These people really want me dead. Bloody bastards.

After what feels like an eternity, the Emperor, Parichet, who has been watching us all with his silent, unreadable gaze, finally speaks up. He is on his throne, looking at us calmly, but I can tell he's studying us carefully, as if waiting for something. 

He fixes his gaze on Tag, then asks, in that unnervingly even tone of his, "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Patag, without missing a beat, says, "Responding to your majesty. I don't understand why everyone is making such a big deal out of this. What Trin and I did is what any married couple might do."

And there it is. A murmur spreads through the court like wildfire. I hear gasps, murmurs, even a stifled laugh from one of the younger ministers before he remembers where he is.

 I feel a bit like a puppet whose strings have been cut. Married? I didn't think he would go there, not in front of everyone. 

My brain is spinning. Married?! How long had he known? I am pretty sure he didn't. I never told anyone. How did he find out? 

The Emperor raises a hand, and silence falls. "Explain yourself," he says, still emotionless. This is what Patag has been waiting for.

He clears his throat and takes my hand in front of everyone. "The person I married is Commander Traisranta. We only realized it ourselves just yesterday."

He says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world, as if our entire relationship up to this point hadn't been one long exercise in pretending nothing happened. 

I can barely keep my jaw from hitting the floor. I want to yell, How long have you known? 

Everyone in the court knows we are married. Well, I might as well go lie down in the forest and let a wild boar finish me off because it feels like I am done for here.

Meanwhile, Pawee looks like he is going to explode. His face is turning all sorts of fascinating colors. Red, green, back to red. 

I am starting to worry he might actually pop a blood vessel right here in the court. 

Parichet, however, lets out a laugh—a full-throated, genuine laugh that echoes through the hall. "So," he says, "my congratulations to the happy couple." His tone is teasing, a rare crack in his usually stoic demeanor.

And then, before I can even register what's happening, the Emperor announces, "I will be consulting the priests to find an auspicious date for the wedding ceremony. Commander Traisranta you will officially assume your place as the spouse of the Crown Prince."

Did I just hear that right? The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I can already feel the beads of sweat forming. I have gone from fearing for my life to realizing Iam going to be bound to this guy in front of the entire kingdom. 

The court starts buzzing with chatter again, only this time it's celebratory. The younger princes look like they are struggling not to laugh, and the older ones just seem relieved to be done with the drama.

Meanwhile, Paras catches my eye and gives me a small smile. I am almost grateful enough to forgive him for throwing us under the marriage bus, even if it was technically true. 

And Tag? Heis looking at me with this amused little glint, as if he is enjoying watching me squirm. Maybe he is. I can't believe he pulled this off with such a straight face.

I glance over at Pawee, who looks as if he has finally realized he has lost. There is this mix of fury and disbelief written all over him as he glares at us. Heis not going to forget this, I know that much. But for now, he's silent, and that's good enough for me.

I feel an arm pat my shoulder, and I turn to see Paras giving me an encouraging nod. It's a small gesture, but it actually helps me steady my breathing. "Welcome to the family," he says softly, trying to keep a straight face.