when strength meets love

chapter 14: ikoka village

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Ivie’s eyes flickered towards Osagie as he stood there with his typical smirk, the one he wore so effortlessly. She knew his  type. Osagie was the crown prince, used to women fawning over him, but not Ivie. She didn’t care about his title or his charm.

However, there was something about him—something interesting. Ivie had always noticed how people were drawn to Osagie. His charisma was undeniable, but Ivie wasn’t so easily impressed. She had a knack for reading people and and she could tell osagie had a habit of being a playboy .
Ivie watched as Osagie’s smirk grew wider, his confident stride closing the distance between them. “Well, well, my angel,” he said, his voice dripping with charm. “I knew you couldn’t resist me. I thought you’d leave me to my misery, but here you are, so tell me, what made you change your mind?”

Ivie, ever the skeptic, leaned against the tree with a raised eyebrow. “Change my mind? I don’t think so,” she said with a playful tone. “I’m just here to see what kind of tricks you’re trying to pull now.”

Osagie’s grin widened, clearly enjoying her resistance. “Oh, I see. You’re playing hard to get. I love a good challenge.”

Ivie couldn’t help but laugh at how predictable he was. “You think I’m playing hard to get? Nah, I’m just not interested, Osagie.”

Osagie’s face lit up with mock offense. “Not interested? That’s a first! You’re breaking my heart, Ivie. Everyone else I meet falls for my charm.” He winked at her, his voice oozing with flirtation. “I think you’re the one who’s playing hard to get.”

Ivie rolled her eyes. “Keep telling yourself that, Osagie. You’re not the first guy to try to charm me, and you won’t be the last.”

“Touché,” Osagie said, pretending to be impressed. “But there’s something different about you. You’re not like the others.”

Ivie smirked. “I should hope not.”

Then, just to add a little more fun to the mix, Ivie decided to bring up the one topic she knew would rattle him. “So, Osagie,” she began with a teasing tone, “how’s the whole ‘finding a wife’ thing going? You know, the whole ‘marrying someone before you ascend the throne’ deal?”

Osagie’s face twitched, but his smile didn’t fade. “Ah, the whole marriage thing,” he said, his voice casual but there was an edge to it. “To be honest, I’m not really interested in any of that right now.”

Ivie blinked, not expecting that response. She was caught off guard for a split second before quickly masking her surprise with a laugh. “Really? You, the crown prince, not interested in marriage? That’s a first.”

“I know, right?” Osagie shrugged, clearly not fazed. “But marriage? It’s a bit of a chore. I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility. I’d rather enjoy my freedom for now, don’t you think?”

Ivie’s surprise grew, but she quickly covered it with a bright smile, trying to hide how unusual his response felt. “Well, it’s your choice, Osagie. I just thought the whole royal thing was supposed to be all about duty and tradition.”

Osagie chuckled, clearly amused by her attempt to play it cool. “Tradition, duty, all of that—it’s overrated. I’m not looking for a princess to parade around. I’ll find someone when I’m ready. For now, I’m just enjoying life.”

Ivie’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly composed herself. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much that Osagie wasn’t interested in marriage, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. She gave him a casual smile, trying to appear unaffected. “Well, suit yourself. Just don’t go breaking any hearts, okay?”

Osagie grinned, clearly pleased by her response. “Oh, I’ll be careful. But as for you, Ivie,” he said, his voice lowering just a little, “don’t think I’ve given up on you just yet.”

Ivie raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms in mock defiance. “We’ll see about that, won’t we?”