Rapunzel gave me a hopeful smile which I returned in a way I meant to be convincing. Because despite my words, I wasn’t so sure that I had this fight in the bag. Even before I’d known that Kahn was likely to freak out and turn into a human wrecking ball at the drop of a hat.
I ground my jaw, refusing to give in to where that train of thought could take me. If I started to give way to doubts now then this thing may as well be lost already. I had to stay strong. Confident. By tonight I’d officially be the Princess’s betrothed.
There was only one obstacle in my way and he was big, ugly and psychotic.
Easy.
I released a breath, trying to shake the sensation of Gothel’s presence. Although I knew what she was now, I didn’t quite know how to handle that knowledge. More than anything, I was angry. Angry that she’d slithered into my family like a snake and laid eggs. And I’d not been able to do anything about it.
“We have to get rid of her,” I whispered, fixing Aladdin in my gaze. “Please tell me you’ve got a plan.”
“The plan is to beat Kahn,” he said and my stomach dipped.
“That’s it? What if you fail?”
“I won’t. But if such an inconceivable notion did somehow come to pass, Cassian would sort out Gothel.”
I frowned. “Cassian? You’re laying the entire fate of the kingdom in one man’s hands?”
“He likes trying to save Osaria, I wouldn’t want to deprive him of the glory.” He scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth, seeming at ease. But he had to be more worried than he was letting on. No one was that confident. And knowing Gothel was a Shaitan was enough to put have put me off my food since I’d found out.
“He needs your help, Aladdin. I thought you were friends. And I thought I meant something to you too.” I shook my head in dismay. “Or was that another lie?” The heat was rising in my blood, the thump of my heart drumming in my ears.
“I never said he was my friend.” His eyes flickered for a moment then he pursed his lips. “We just have our own reasons for being here.”
“And what about me? Am I the reason you’re still here or is it about the money?” After he’d told me who he really was, I was starting to think I’d been an idiot for letting him get so close to me. He owned my first kiss and I didn’t even know him at all. He was part of The Forty Thieves. The most ruthless thugs in the city.
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair when Aladdin didn’t answer. “It was the money at first...but you’re...well we have something, don’t we?” His face scrunched up as if he didn’t have the answer to that question and I realised I didn’t either. We shared chemistry, but besides that what had drawn me to him really?
I thought of the night of the feast, the way he’d looked at me as if he truly believed in me. A man who’d happily bow at my feet and respect me as his Empress. Possibly the only person who had ever looked at me that way. But I didn’t get that vibe anymore. Sure, he was happy for me to run the country, but I got the feeling that was so he could laze around and enjoy the wealth of the palace. And the women no doubt.
My stomach twisted tightly. Marrying Aladdin didn’t mean he’d be faithful to me. It was more-than-likely he’d take mistresses. But it was a much better option than the alternative. And I’d never wanted love anyway, I wanted my throne. He was giving it to me, so how could I possibly want for anything more?
“Aren’t you worried about facing Kahn?” I asked, fixing my mind on the most important issue and pushing all other thoughts aside.
He sipped from his glass of wine with a shrug. “I don’t need to worry about it. I’m gonna win.”
I sighed, praying he was right about that. “Please do,” I whispered, thinking of Kahn.
Aladdin slid a hand across the table, taking my fingers and squeezing them gently. “I will. And not just for me, alright? For you too.” His words made my heart lift and I nodded quickly, swallowing the lump of terror in my throat.
I surveyed him for a moment, wondering if it was time to bring up my concerns about marrying him. But honesty was probably the best policy. Even if it was with one of the most dishonest men in Osaria. “If we were to marry, Aladdin, I don’t want to be made a fool of. If you’re going to bring mistresses into my home, I’d rather now.”
His brows arched at my bluntness and a devilish glint entered his eyes. “I assure you, Princess, no other woman could turn my head.”
“Not even your maid?” I said it before I even thought it through. My mouth dried up as I stared at him, trying to keep my features composed.
“Kyra?” he breathed then waved a hand. “Pfft of course not. Don’t worry about her. She’s made it more than clear she doesn’t want me anyway.”
I narrowed my sights on him. “So you tried to court her and she shot you down?” I asked with a flare of amusement. I was starting to like Kyra more and more.
He drank a gulp of wine, shaking his head with an expression that said I had wholly misunderstood what he’d meant. But he didn’t say anything to the contrary, so I knew I was right on the money.
So mistresses weren’t ruled out. But that, I could handle for the sake of ruling my own kingdom.
We made our way through the rest of our meal and when Aladdin left, I sat waiting for Kahn. I shredded a napkin as anxiety scraped at my chest. Now I knew what Gothel was, the idea of spending time with her son made my skin crawl even more so than before.
He's half Shaitan. He's a monster.
A flower was shoved under my nose by a meaty hand and I stifled a cry of alarm as I looked up, finding Kahn there. He was dressed in pale blue robes and had a hungry look on his face which had nothing to do with the food we were about to eat – well he was about to eat. I'd already had plenty in Aladdin's company and even if I had still been hungry, Kahn's presence was more than enough to turn me off of my food. After what he'd done to Prince Gurvine, I didn't think I could ever look at him with any respect again.
He can't win the pageant, I'll die if he does.
“Are you scared, Princess?” Kahn asked in low growl that made my heart quicken.
My upper lip curled back and I remembered to school my expression a moment too late. A lifetime under a veil made it hard to hide any of my emotions quickly enough. I seriously had to get a handle on that. I wasn't exactly the fragile teacup everyone expected me to be.
“Scared? Of what?” I asked, my mouth desert dry as I kept my tone casual.
The guards are just beyond this wall. But how long would it take them to reach me?
He placed the flower down in front of me when I didn't take it. A blood-red rose. The most cliché of flowers. He lifted a hand and brushed a lock of hair from my face. My muscles tensed and it took all I had not to recoil.
“Scared of me,” he explained, dropping into his seat opposite and snatching up a handful of olives from a bowl. He threw them into his mouth, crunching through the pits like an animal.
My nose wrinkled. “You're supposed to remove the hard bit.”
“I like to crush anything that gets in my way,” he said, deadpan.
“That's...really moronic,” I commented, but my heart hammered at his words.
If he beats Aladdin, what will I do? How will I go through with marrying this beast?
His eyes became the coolest shade of blue. He looked uglier than he ever had, and not because of the magical charm which had fallen off of him. There was something festering behind his eyes, something dark and cruel which I suspected his pills had been suppressing for years.
He picked up a fork and my heart lurched as he bent the metal in his fist, smiling all the while.
“Kahn...” I said gently, sensing he was in a dangerous mood. “I'm quite tired, I had a long morning. Perhaps we can have this lunch another time?” I moved to rise from my seat but his fist slammed down on the table and I froze in shock.
“No,” he snapped. “We will have lunch together.”
I glanced anxiously in the direction of the guards but they did
n't appear. I considered calling out to them, but Kahn hadn't done anything yet and I refused to show weakness in front of him. I lifted my chin as I struggled not to reveal my fear.
“You don't want me,” he said dumbly, scratching one of his cauliflower ears. “You want the pretty Count. But I will win you.”
My temper rose sharply. And though I tried to keep it in check, all the years of being possessed and controlled started stacking up inside me. “I don't want you to win me you overgrown satsuma!” I sprang to my feet and Kahn stood too, his imposing form sending a bolt of electricity into my heart. “I don't want anyone to win me, but I don't have a choice do I?” I snarled.
He rounded the table with a manic grin and I snatched up my dinner knife in a wild bid to protect myself.
I stumbled back as he closed in on me, knocking over my chair. He snatched my arm in an iron hold.
“Guards!” I yelled, my heart slamming into my throat.
“You owe me a kiss, you kiss him all the time.” He leant in and the scent of his olive breath washed over me. I leant away as far as I could but his free arm slid around my waist and he yanked me against the solid wall of his body.
“Kahn – stop!” I commanded, shoving his huge chest to try and hold him back.
“One kiss,” he begged, his right eye twitching.
“Never.” I slapped him across the face while my other hand curled tighter around the dinner knife.
He turned a deadly shade of mauve and crushed me to him, my spine bending, my skin bruising under the pressure.
“Guards!” I tried one more time. I was a rabbit about to be a hunter's stew. I was weak and small and useless. And I'd never felt so terrified.
His mouth came close to mine and I shrieked, using all of my strength to stab the dinner knife into his shoulder.
He lurched backwards with a grunt, dropping me in an instant. I hit the ground, skinning my hands on the stone. I scrambled backwards, staring up at him as he ripped the dinner knife from his shoulder with a roar of rage. He pointed the bloody knife at me, stalking forward like a wild beast.
“You. Will. Love. Me!” he announced every word like he'd spend his whole life attempting to make them come true.
I raised a hand to try and hold him off but he kept advancing, his enormous shadow blotting out the sun as I fell under it.
Terror stopped me from screaming. Pride stopped me from running.
“You're mine,” he insisted. “Mother says you're mine!” He reached down as if to scoop me up but a loud crash sounded and soil and blue china cascaded over his shoulders.
I scrambled backwards, shielding my eyes as Kahn staggered sideways and the sun blinded me. He crashed to the ground unconscious and I squinted against the sun, wondering if Aladdin had come back to save me.
A shadow moved to block the sun and I took in a ragged breath as I spotted Cassian there. A broken urn of flowers was scattered everywhere at his feet.
He dropped down before me on one knee, his eyes dragging over my face. “Are you alright, did he hurt you?” he asked, his tone panicked.
I shook my head, my voice abandoning me for a moment.
Cassian saved me.
I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around his neck, relief soaring through my chest. He stilled in my hold, not hugging me back and my heart twinged with need. The scent of oak and sandalwood collected in my nose as I buried my face in his neck. He remained entirely still until I released him, immediately moving away from me. He took my hand, gently guiding me to my feet and I held onto his fingers before he could yank them away.
Adrenaline and relief had mixed in my blood to make a potent concoction, leaving me feeling like I was both flying and falling at the same time.
Cassian tugged his hand away, looking to Kahn with a pit of rage in his eyes. “Where are your guards?” he snarled.
“I don't know,” I whispered, then turned and headed around the wall where they were supposed to be waiting. But no one was there. My heart stuttered. What did this mean? Did Gothel have her claws in my guards? If she did, how could I ever sleep soundly again?
When I returned to the courtyard, I found Cassian hauling Kahn into his seat and pushing his head down to make it look as though he was asleep.
“What were you doing out here?” I asked, wringing my hands together as I tried to calm my rapid pulse.
“Taking a walk, I heard your screams,” he said, his jaw ticking.
“I'm glad you did. I've never felt so alone,” I admitted. “My guards are always one step away.”
“Nothing on earth would have stopped me from reaching you,” he said quietly and a breath snagged in my throat for an eternal moment.
“We should go,” Cassian said quietly. “No one must suspect Aladdin was involved in this.”
“But he wasn't,” I gasped.
“No, but who else would they think attacked him?” He turned and I hurried to follow him out of the garden, glad to get as far away from Kahn as possible.
What would have happened if Cassian hadn't shown up? I couldn't bear to think about it.
Tears stabbed at my eyes and I gritted my teeth against them, refusing to let anyone see such weakness in me. I'd return to my chambers, find a quiet room and cry until my heart's content. But never in front of someone else. The most crushing thing of all was that I hadn’t been able to defend myself.
“This is why you have to train me,” I whispered. “I can’t protect myself.”
Cassian glanced down at me with a deep frown. “Kahn is no natural man. And you got a dinner knife in him which I’m sure was no easy feat.” He cocked a brow, his words an attempt to make me feel better.
I cracked a small smile. “That’s true.” Our arms brushed and goosebumps skittered across my skin. I moved instinctively closer, drawn to him in that moment.
What the hell was that?
He saved you, now you’re all caught up in the afterglow. Get a grip.
Cassian increased the space between us, his face etched with concern. “I best leave you, if you're seen without an escort and only me-”
“Stay,” I insisted, linking my firmly arm through his. “You're Aladdin's guard as far as they know. That's good enough.”
“You know it isn't,” he said in a low tone, his bicep constricting under my grip.
“I can't trust my guards,” I breathed, my heart pattering wildly.
“But you trust me?” he asked in surprise.
“Yes,” I said on instinct. “You and Aladdin are the only people I trust right now. Besides, you just saved me from the worst kiss of my life.”
He chuckled softly. “Oh I don’t know, maybe he’s such a good kisser he’d have stolen your heart.”
His teasing tone made me laugh and I bit into my lower lip as I gazed up at him. “Do you really think one kiss can steal a whole heart?”
He thought on it a moment, our game turned to something more serious. “Well you’d know, Princess.”
I didn’t like the use of my title on his lips and I frowned as I soaked in his words. Should I know? Was I supposed to be head over heels in love with Aladdin just because we’d kissed a couple of times? That seemed ludicrous.
“Do you know, Cassian? Do you have a wife waiting for you somewhere?” I asked - why was my voice so high?
Cassian shook his head. “I swore not to take a wife unless the laws are changed in the kingdom. Women aren’t treated equally, as you well know.”
My heart softened into putty. “That’s very noble of you.”
He grunted, not seeming fond of that term.
He remained quiet and I sensed there was something agitating him. His company was so intense, his words always chosen carefully as if he had a deep secret he was trying to keep from spilling out.
“What is it?” I asked as we approached the palace and a couple of maids gave us horrified glances.
“Aladdin must win tonight,” he said, pulling his arm from my grip as we reached an entrance-way. His eyes scr
aped down me and goosebumps bristled along my skin the longer he stared. His eyes were so captivating, holding a deep well of unsaid words I longed to hear. What other beliefs did Cassian hold about the kingdom?
I cleared my throat, gathering my senses as I looked anywhere but at him, knowing we were about to part.
“Yes,” I said with as much hope as I could muster. “Aladdin must win. And I must marry him. The entire kingdom depends on it.”
I walked through the gardens, enjoying the sensation of the sun beating down on me. It warmed my flesh, heating me from the outside in and I sucked it up like a greedy sponge person.
I fingered the hem of my short, blue top, wishing the material didn’t have to block so much of the sun’s access to my skin. My face, arms and stomach were hogging all of the sun’s attention for themselves. But I wanted to feel it everywhere. On my legs, my feet, my breasts-
Stop getting naked all the time! It was bad enough when you did it inside the palace corridors, if you do it out here you’ll be seen for sure.
“And I don’t want anyone to see me naked?” I questioned.
No!
I wondered if I was right about that, maybe it would be alright for some people to see me naked. Like my master...
So you finally realise he’s not ugly at all and the first thing you can think about is getting naked with him? You’re unbelievable.
“So that’s a firm no to the nudity then?” I confirmed. My response was an irritable silence which was clear enough.
I sighed and released the fabric of my hem. Sometimes I was such a bore.
I spotted a huge maple tree towering beside the inner wall which ringed the palace and moved to look at the shifting shadows that danced on the ground beneath it.
Tiny patches of sunlight made it to the white pebbles which lined the dirt at the foot of the tree and they moved from side to side as the tree’s branches swayed.
I hopped onto one then leapt to another, jumping between the glimmering patches of light faster and faster as I tried to stop the shadows from catching me. The wind picked up and my game picked up pace, my breath coming quicker as I struggled to keep up with the light.
Forbidden Fairytales- The Complete Series Page 48