GOING TO PUT UP A FEW CHAPTERS AND THEN I WILL START MY VACATION!! I WILL SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE ALL AS QUIET AS CHILDREN IN THE COMMISSION OF MISCHIEF ON THIS SITE...
Breathe, Arya told herself. Just Breathe. She paced back and forth in the room the Winter Court was kind enough to give her trying not to destroy anything, but her anger increased by the second. The way the Princess ogledhim with lust and desire…her hand clasped to her stomach and that smile…Malich and his Godsdamned secrets…so many secrets!
Bile rose in her throat at the implications of the Princesses gesture. It made sense as to why he wouldn’t want her here and had Alara not warned her, she’d be none the wiser. Suddenly Arya froze. Alara also said she and Malich are not together in the future. Is this what she meant?
The door to her chamber opens and she stops breathing as Malich approaches, afraid she might lash out if she were to move. “Can we talk?” He asks.
Narrowing her eyes she says, “That depends. Is she carrying your child?” Malich takes a deep breath and nods. At least he’s not foolish enough to deny it. “Is that why Kahlem summoned you back home? To send you here?”
“Partially, yes,” he nods again.
Arya looks upon him with a pained expression. Thanks to his momentary indiscretion she now has to deal with a Princess and her bastard child. “Partially?” She frowns catching onto the implication there’s more to this twisted story.
“A child born to an unwed Queen would bring scandal to her name,” Malich sighs. Arya’s heart jolts and she stops pacing. She no longer wants him to finish his sentence because she knows exactly what he’s trying to say. “Kahlem promised the Princess my hand in marriage. Under normal circumstances I’d tell them both to go fuck themselves, but he has leverage over me. Until I can remove this leverage, I have to play the part.” Tears form in her eyes and he closes the space between them, cupping her face in his hands. “I am so close my love, so close. I don’t intend to marry anyone but you, so please don’t give up on me.”
Malich presses his lips to hers, drinking from her lips and she doesn’t fight him. She can’t. Her body has been rendered paralyzed at the thought of losing him to someone else. She can’t even speak because the magnitude of what he’s told her has left her tongue motionless.
All she can do is embrace him, allowing herself to drown in everything that is Malich Jarrah. His scent, his touch, and his kiss…feverishly she claws at his clothes. If he believes he can avoid marrying the Princess then she has to believe him. The alternative is unconscionable.
Just in case, she strips him bare and gives him a night he won’t soon forget. A night either of them will forget, because as they both reach climax, she stops him from removing himself, allowing him to spill his lineage inside her. They both understand what it might mean if his plan doesn’t work, but any part of him is better than none as far as she’s concerned. A scandal to her name doesn’t deter her in the least bit because everyone knows how she feels about him. Her people may not like it, but their paths crossed long before she was made Queen.
Wrapped in his arms, all Arya could do is pray to the Gods and whomever might be listening. “It doesn’t feel real, this axe hanging over both our heads,” Arya sighs.
Malich presses a kiss to the nape of her neck, lacing his fingers with hers. “I’m doing everything I can,” he assures her.
“What leverage does your brother have?”
“I can’t say.”
“Can’t say or won’t?” She turns around to face him, searching his eyes. Judging by the look in his eyes it was the latter. “Malich let me help you.”
“You can’t,” he quickly sits up and pulls on his pants.
“I don’t want to lose you. Not after everything I’ve sacrificed.”
“As in a particular Unseelie King?” His jealousy flares.
“Partially, yes, but that’s not what I meant. Many think I’m a fool for choosing you Malich and if this ends badly, that’s exactly what I’ll look like.”
A knock at the door to his chambers interrupts their conversation and Malich crosses the room to answer it. It’s Dax. He strolls in and stops when he sees Arya lying naked in Malich’s bed. Eyes wide, he slides his gaze to Malich who closes the door behind him.
“The both of you must have a death wish,” Dax shakes his head in disbelief. “This indiscretion underneath the Princess’ nose, in her own palacenonetheless, is nothing short of stupid.”
“Lecture me later,” Malich waves him off. “What of our progress?”
Pulling his gaze away from Arya he tells him, “We’ve found what you’re looking for and hope to recover it within the hour.”
Malich’s smile spreads wide and he nods to Dax who disappears back out into the hall. “Good news I hope,” Arya calls from his bed.
“You have no idea,” he smiles. “Dax has found the leverage my brother’s are holding over me and in a few short hours, I’ll be done with this.”
Arya also smiles wide thanking the Gods for small mercies. Then she and Malich celebrate his victory over his brothers with one more go about the sheets.
“Take your army and head back to the Seelie Court. When I break the news to Princess Grayson I don’t want you anywhere near here in case she tries to retaliate.”
“With what army?” Arya scoffs, “The collection of farmers she calls soldiers?”
Malich huffs a laugh, “Don’t be a smart arse. Go and I’ll come for you as soon as I’m done here.”
Reluctantly, Arya pulls herself away from Malich and tugs on her clothes. As soon as they’re both dressed she heads back out to the victory celebration under way and finds Princess Grayson, her cousins and her aunts glaring at her.
The Princess’ eyes slide to Malich and Arya gives him a brief loving embrace that only a jealous woman would notice. The subtle blow hits its mark and the Princess storms over to the two of them, eyes wild with both accusation and pain.
“And where did the two of you scurry off to for hours on end?” She practically spat the words from her mouth. Arya simply smiles while Malich steps between them. “When you and I finish our nuptials in two moons, you are no longer to see her, your obligation will be to our child and me, have I made myself clear?”
The Princess expects her words to strike a blow, but Arya refuses to play into her hands. It only serves to frustrate the Princess even more.
“If we marry, once your father passes on into the afterlife I’ll be your King. Do not address me as if I’m the child growing in your womb. We are not equals.” Malich puts her in her place. He hates being told what to do about as much as he hates ultimatums.
Twisting the knife in deeper Arya steps beside Malich and says, “You shouldn’t get so worked up in your condition your highness, the Gods forbid something happens to you or your unborn child.”
Malich slices his eyes at her, but her work here is done. The Princess is more than wounded by her words. She walks away smirk deepening as she goes, gathering her men and heading back to the Seelie Court.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
