Osagie stood in the palace hall, watching Ivie’s figure retreat through the grand doors. Her words echoed in his mind like the toll of a bell, each one striking a nerve he didn’t even know he had.
"You can have my body, my name, but my heart, my spirit—you’ll never own them."
He let out a sharp breath, rubbing the back of his neck as an unfamiliar ache settled in his chest. “What is this?” he muttered to himself. “Why am I feeling like this?”
It wasn’t the first time he had seen defiance, but there was something about Ivie’s anger that unsettled him. She wasn’t like the other women who fawned over him or melted under his gaze. Ivie challenged him. She didn’t want him. And that... that stung more than he cared to admit.
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought. “Snap out of it,” he said aloud, pacing the room. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to get under his skin. This whole arrangement had been his idea, after all.
Osagie sat down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He thought back to the day he told his father he wanted to marry Ivie. It wasn’t love that drove his decision—it couldn’t be. He didn’t even believe in love. It was practicality. Ivie was not inlove with him,nor those she fancy the idea and she was quiet, reserved, and obedient—or so he thought. She wasn’t the type to make demands or complain, unlike the other women of her age. She was perfect for his plan: a wife in name only, someone who wouldn’t interfere with his life, his freedom, or his desires.
But now...
Her defiance, her refusal to bow to his wishes, made him feel something foreign. Guilt. And worse, something else he didn’t want to name—a strange pull toward her, a longing to see that fire in her eyes again, even if it was directed at him.
“Ridiculous,” he muttered, leaning back in his seat. He couldn’t afford to entertain these thoughts. This wasn’t about emotions; it was about control. He was the prince, and she was to be his wife. That was all.
And yet, the memory of her standing in front of him, her voice steady and her eyes blazing with determination, wouldn’t leave his mind. He felt weak, vulnerable even, in her presence. And he hated it.
He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a low chuckle. “You’re something else, Ivie,” he said to himself, shaking his head. “But you’ll see. You’ll come around. Once you’re mine, you’ll understand.”
Osagie stood, straightening his robes and giving himself a pep talk. He needed to regain control, to remind himself of who he was. He was Osagie, the prince of this land, and no one defied him—not even Ivie.
With a smirk, he murmured to the empty hall, “I can’t wait for you to be my wife, Ivie. You’ll be so fun to mess with.”
YOU ARE READING
when strength meets love
RomanceEki is a strong, hardworking young woman who has sworn off men after being hurt too many times, including by her own father. Raised in the small, cursed village of Ikoka, she's vowed never to marry and believes that the world would be better without...
