Crave Me, Taste Me [FighterTutor 18+]

-22- 💋 Colder

"There must be somethin' in the water, cause every day it's gettin' colder. And if only I could hold you, you'd keep my head from goin' under."
~Lewis Capaldi, 'Bruises'

~~~

*Tutor's POV*

My head pounds painfully from stress, and my bury my face in my hands. No matter how hard I try, I can't come up with a way to get out this marriage.

Fighter told me about Hwa's proposal. While it was an incredibly sweet offer, I could never do that to her. She would be married to a gay man that she knows would be seeing someone else. Hwa is my best friend, and she deserves better than that.

There is one solution that keeps popping into my mind, but it's far too risky.

Telling my father about my relationship with Fighter, and declaring that I will not take the throne unless I get to stay with him.

Pros? My father has no other children, no other heirs, and would be forced to let me take the throne no matter what. If it worked, I could stay with Fighter.

Cons? My father could decide he would rather our reign comes to an end than letting his gay son become king. And then he would send Fighter away, or do worse to him.

There's too much risk with that plan. No matter what happens to me, I have to protect Fighter.

I sigh, rubbing my face in frustration. The sky is growing darker and darker, and my legs twitch the desire to carry me to the cabin. The past few nights, I've noticed Tee hanging out in the gardens at night, making it impossible for me to sneak to the cabin with Fighter. If my father knows about our relationship, it's possible Tee knows too.

Or, maybe Tee is the one who told him...? But how would Tee have found out? And why would Tee go directly to my father, instead of talking to me first?

Ugh, my head hurts.

"Trouble in paradise?"

My head snaps up at the deep voice rumbling in my bedroom. I whip around, but there's no one else in the room. Maybe I'm hearing things...?

"How unfortunate that the king can't recognize true love," the disembodied voice echoes. "Love is the most powerful element in the world, after all."

"Who are you?" I demand in a whispered tone. The voice chuckles, making my blood turn cold.

Suddenly, my blood isn't the only thing that's cold. The temperature in the room drops several degrees, causing goosebumps to break out over my skin. I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Do not be afraid," the voice wisps through the air, making it impossible to pinpoint a source. "I'm not going to hurt you."

My teeth clatter from the freezing temperature. "I d-don't see w-why I s-should b-believe you."

In an instant, the cold is replaced by a soothing warmth. I sighs in relief, rubbing the remaining chill from my arms.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Prince Tutor."

The voice has now solidified, and I spin around to see a tall man standing by the window. While he's shrouded by a dark cloak, I can see the man's pale skin, sharp fangs, and glowing red eyes.

"Who are you?" I demand again, my voice a lot more steady this time.

The man chuckles darkly. "I'm hurt. It seems my son neglected to mention me."

The blood drains from my face at the revelation, and my legs feel weak. "No," I whisper. "It can't be."

He hums in amusement. "So he has mentioned me. I'm glad. My name is Ruen. It's an honor to meet the great Prince Tutor."