Beast King | 18+

C H A P T E R S E V E N T E E N

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"I don't understand how it'll help your cause, Abaddon. Xerxes will fight for his child, and you know how beasts are when it comes to their young."

"What're you exactly implying to me?"

"Have her carry your child instead."

"And you think I haven't tried?"

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                    She gnawed on her bottom lip, breath hitching at every moment when Xerxes would caress so closely to her core. He pulled the skirt of her dress up, trailing soft kisses from her thigh up to the side of her left bottom cheek. Adelaide sighed and combed her fingers through his hair.

After the feast from the night before, Barin had come to Xerxes to inform him that Norward's camp has been spotted just a few miles out of the village, and that they were to be arriving today within the noon. Very important people will be coming to live in the castle with them, she found out, but for what purpose? She didn't exactly know, as all she's gathered is that these special guests would be taking away her king for a some hours as they would be discussing 'boring political stuff' that would be, well, boring for her to bother listening to.

"Can I please go? I'll have Barin with me all the time. I won't lock him out of the garden, I promise." She reasoned with Xerxes, who only sighed in exasperation and leaned his forehead against her stomach, thumbs rubbing her hips.

"I'd rather have you stay here, my queen, where it's safe."

"But nowhere's safe when you're not with me." She mumbled in dismay.

Adelaide wasn't educated on a lot of things, and there was a logical reason for that. Meaning, it wasn't right for her to blame herself, but sometimes she just couldn't help it. She may know a few more than what a normal child would, but she undoubtedly still had a mind of one. She is dependent, and would probably never be independent in her life and she preferred it that way, as her king seemed to favor her naivety as well, despite the horrors that she'd been through.

All that mattered to her, as of that moment, was that her beast was going to be too busy to keep her company, so why is he forbidding her to go play outside?

"I know, my sweet, but you have to understand. After what happened yesterday, I'm not too comfortable in leaving you anywhere else in this castle other than in our chamber."

"But the garden's outside the castle."

"But it is still within my castle's walls." Xerxes shook his head with an amused chuckle. He stood up from his seat, carried his queen to their bed, and gently tucked her in with a kiss on her lips.

"Try to sleep some more, my little love. And when you wake up, I'll be here and no one will take any of my time away from you again." He rubbed his nose against hers, not stopping until he felt her respond with a rub of her own.

"Okay." She complied with a small pout.

He eased a finger over her jutting lip and can't help but still get himself ensnared by her unique set of blue-green eyes. He didn't want to leave her here all alone, he knew that she'll be needing something, like yesterday, to distract her from being separated from him. Xerxes could easily call the lycan to once again keep his queen company but he, nor his beast, will allow him to be with his Dela in complete solitude inside a fucking bedchamber. He is still far from trusting that mutt, and besides, he'll be needing this Damian with him when the meeting starts later on.

With one last kiss, he detached himself from her, sealed the heavy blinds on the four poster bed and closed the door behind him, eyes turning cold as it always did when it was not directed towards his little love. He barely acknowledged the four knights that stood guard before walking away to greet the approaching camp, emptiness filling him in again as he grew far and far away from his treasure.

Try as she might, she just couldn't get herself to go back to sleep. Twisting and turning until she ended up entangling herself in the fur blankets, she eventually gave up and turned to her side. Her brows furrowed in concentration, creases forming in between them until she blinked her eyes open with determination shining in them.

She just hoped her king wouldn't be too cross with her, if he finds out.

Norward flexed his right wing, plucking a broken feather from it with a disgruntled look on his face before throwing it out the window from where he stood. He had just arrived back in Galyra's castle, bringing with him the elites as the king had requested. His was starting to feel his age, although he remained no older than 20 summers, he could feel his bones almost groan in protest with every move he made. And traveling all over the country didn't help much either, especially with a heavy wing slowing him down. He begrudgingly admitted to himself that he has missed flying.

"Pretty!" A soft voice squealed from below him. Confused, he peered down from the ledge and found his brown eyes widening when he saw his mistress, all alone, with only a poor excuse of a dress to cover her up from the cold snow that surrounded her in the garden.

Agitated more than anything, he hurriedly hauled himself out of the window and dropped down right in front of her, the white substance showering them everywhere. She screamed in fright and fell on her bottom, arms up to shield her from any harm.

"My lady, what are you doing here?" Norward asked, looking around. "And with no supervision? How could Xerxes allow this?"

As the guardian ranted, Adelaide peeked through her arms to look at the man in front of her. She brought them down from her face, still clutching the brown speckled white feather in her hand that had fallen on top of her head, only to notice that it matched the single wing that protruded from his back.

Taking a deep breath, she shyly spoke up to try and call his attention. "E-excuse me? I-I think t-this belongs t-to you."

Norward turned to face her, seeing her hold up the feather he had tossed out just a few moments ago. He gaped at her, stopping in the middle of his sentence as he was quickly enamored by his own mistress' beauty, now more than their last encounter with each other.

Snow that had flown into the air stuck to the girl's wavy brunette hair, some even sprinkling on her long dark eyelashes. She looked up at him with wide blown eyes, light pink lips slightly parted with a timorous tremble in them; until she suddenly let out a small gasp and pointed an accusing finger at him.

"You were the one who had knocked me unconscious!"

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