Talia and Isaac

by Lorraine Margaret

  Katrina began to weep again, murmuring, “Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you,” between her sobs. Isaac gently stroked her arm.

  “Come now, Katrina, don’t cry. I hold you in higher esteem than ever. You felt true compassion for Talia and spoke out because you are a kind, good woman. I respect and admire that.”

  “Your Majesty?” A look of wonder appeared in Katrina’s haunted eyes.

  “I assure you everything is fine between us and nothing will ever change that. I value your loyalty and devotion more than you will ever know. Now, I would like you to take a little time relaxing in your room to recover from this upset. Will you do that for me, please?”

  He left a dazed Katrina by the stairs to her room, humbled by her repeated expressions of gratitude for his forgiveness. He was a bastard. The only thing Katrina was guilty of was having a warm and kindly heart. Unlike him. He knew he had behaved badly, traumatising her with his self-righteous outburst. None of this was her fault.

  He knew whose fault it was.

  Talia had swept into his life like a whirlwind, boldly challenging everything he knew, making him vulnerable and powerless. And now she had corrupted his most trusted servant.

  Corrupted his game…

  This incident confirmed the absoluteness of Talia’s power, not only over him but Katrina too. Soon the entire kingdom would be in thrall to her. The Lokians were nothing to fear collectively, but Talia held absolute power in her fragile hands.

  He was going to lose his own game.

  His ego was beginning to win the battle with his tender love for Talia, fighting his burgeoning spiritual awakening and the wonder he had found with her. His ego made him feel safe, strong, in control, all-powerful…

  Love did none of those things. Love took all control away.

  He had to accept he was vulnerable. For the first time in his life, his power was threatened…

  By one small Lokian visionary.

  If he wanted to win Talia’s love, he must accept his vulnerability and loss of control. In order to keep the magic in his world, he had to accept terrible, terrible things… but first… first he would fight as he always did, battle for supremacy. He was about to fight the most brutal battle of his life and was painfully aware of one devastating fact.

  He would probably lose.

  It was a terrifying thought, but he was prepared to lose in order to win Talia.

  He finally understood love. It was not a battle, not a power struggle. Abraham was right. He had to relinquish his deep-seated need to win in order to have the one thing he wanted above all else… the only thing he wanted…

  Talia.

  He had to relinquish all power and control in order to win eternal love.

  If that’s what it took he would do it, but, fuck, he would go down fighting…

  ***********

  She didn’t even attempt to read as she knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate. Isaac. Her mind flitted momentarily over other things but resolutely returned to Isaac, his lure too strong to resist. Her thoughts were distracted and scrambled unless they were concentrated on him, then they were imbued with the deep peace and contentment only true love could bring. Her life had been consumed by Isaac – foolish Talia in love. She sat contentedly on the window seat and looked out at the river as her mind drifted to their conversation earlier today. She basked in the memory of Isaac’s tenderness and the wonder of what he had almost said…

  It is one of the reasons I…

  One of the reasons I love you…

  “What the fuck has been going on with you and my servant?!”

  She had been shamelessly wallowing in the wonder of Isaac, daydreaming about everything he said and did – and now – this. Even by Isaac’s unpredictable standards, this was shocking, mercurial didn’t begin to cover it. He slammed the door with such force the furniture shook, and her heart thundered in response.

  “Your Majesty?”

  She stood to try to gain some power in this unwelcome confrontation. Isaac had the advantage of surprise and his imposing physical strength gave him the upper hand. He was glowering, his eyes glittering black pools of fury, his powerful six-foot frame taut and poised for battle. With her. She should have been terrified, but she was furious. She had done nothing wrong!

  He stalked towards her and thrust his face into hers, staring menacingly into her unflinching eyes. Their faces were only ever this close when they were kissing or gazing adoringly into each other’s eyes. Isaac was tarnishing the pure beauty of their bond, transforming love into anger and contempt, but she would not be intimidated.

  “Katrina told me everything, Talia, so don’t pretend to be stupid. She is a good servant who knows her place, and is ridden with guilt for breaking her rules. It has never happened before. It is your influence that has caused this.”

  She escalated from furious to absolutely livid in a heartbeat. How dare he!

  “Katrina knows her place? And I don’t, I suppose? Good! I am glad of that. I am a Lokian visionary, I am not your servant! And Katrina has done nothing wrong! She worships you and everything you say and do. Whatever you think she has done, she does not deserve your anger. This is not acceptable behaviour!”

  “Not acceptable?” He grabbed her arm, and she cried out as her injured shoulder spasmed, pain sparked into life by emotional trauma. “What is not acceptable is you talking to me like this! You are my slave! A slave who has manipulated my most trusted servant, a slave who has no respect or gratitude for the kindness she has been shown.”

  Kindness… was that all it was? She shook her head violently. No, she knew the truth. She would not allow Isaac to hurt her with his careless words. He loved her and it terrified him, he was hurting her before she hurt him, protecting himself again. He was angry and not thinking straight. She would ignore his cruelty for he knew not what he did.

  “Your Majesty, please, what are you accusing me of? Please tell me for I honestly do not know what I have done.”

  He continued to glare, but his breathing slowed a little. He released her arm and stomped over to the bedside table where he poured himself a goblet of water. He had regained composure but his eyes were ice-cold. It was more disconcerting than his anger could ever be. Coldness constructed barriers between people, protective fences designed to keep emotions out. Barriers ensured Isaac’s control of the situation, barriers could destroy their love…

  “Katrina told you that you are the only woman I have ever taken to the blue room.”

  Talia stared back, stunned that Katrina’s simple statement of truth had caused such drama.

  “Yes, Your Majesty, she did. I was upset after our argument yesterday and she was trying to revive my spirits. She is my friend,” she announced stubbornly, jutting her chin out. Isaac’s eyes turned colder than ever, sky blue icicles piercing her feeble, love-struck heart.

  “Your friend? Funny, I thought she was my servant but it appears she is your friend instead.”

  “The two are not mutually exclusive, Your Majesty.”

  “Yes, they fucking are!!”

  Those four small words shook her world for they told her something truly terrible. She was not allowed friends. Friends were clearly some kind of ridiculous threat to Isaac. She was expected to be a slave to his desires, obey his every command, sexual or otherwise. Isaac loved her, but she was still his slave.

  “What have you done to Katrina?”

  Dread coursed through her stomach making it churn violently; was sweet Katrina enduring a hideous punishment because of her?

  Isaac’s mouth curled cruelly. “That is none of your business, Talia.”

  “It is my business!” she exploded. “Katrina is my friend, she was trying to help me! Punish me, not her!”

  “Oh, don’t worry, Talia, I intend to punish you too.”

  She was dumbstruck. She stared into his icy eyes as his dispassionate voice struck desolation into her soul. He had constructed impenetrable barriers designed to keep true love out, and al
l she could see were years stretching ahead of her, each day an endless repeat of today: tenderness, affection and respect mutating into coldness and fury if she did or said one infinitesimal thing Isaac didn’t like. She could not live like this.

  “Please do not punish Katrina, Your Majesty, punish me,” she whispered. “You told me anyway… only you, Talia, only you, ever in the blue room… you said it as I fell asleep. I remember it clearly, you told me,” she repeated emptily.

  “Whatever I did or did not say is irrelevant. Katrina knows her rules and she has broken them.”

  “No, Your Majesty, she fought with her conscience and told me this one thing to ease my pain. If you have any regard for me at all, you will be grateful for her kindness at my time of suffering.”

  “Grateful!”

  The contempt in that one small word sent shivers through her body. Isaac would not listen to a word she said. And now desire was rising in his eyes to sit uneasily alongside his icy fury. This was dangerous, but she was unafraid.

  “I’ll show you how fucking grateful I am! You are the problem here, Talia, and will be dealt with accordingly. You have a lot of apologising to do and I know exactly how you can do it.”

  As he stalked towards her she was still unafraid. But Isaac was afraid. He was terrified. Horror and confusion lurked deep within his glittering eyes. Isaac could not hide from her. She prayed for the return of the spectacular something, prayed it could break through his barriers with the magnificence of true love. Everything Isaac said and did was an expression of his vulnerability. He loved her and was afraid of that.

  She repeated these words like a mantra as Isaac scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the door. She knew exactly what was coming…

  Isaac had planned her punishment. He had never intended to listen or try to understand what had happened between her and Katrina. He had closed the palace down again. The white stone corridors were devoid of all human life as he strode relentlessly towards the blue room. She relaxed in his arms, nestling into his strong chest as she accepted her terrible fate. Isaac held her gently as if she were a fragile doll, yet his heart pounded with anger, thudding erratically against her face. His anger and fear were threatening everything they had struggled to create together. He was going to corrupt the purity of their shared spiritual energy. He was going to destroy it.

  Destroy them.

  She would not allow him to do that.

  He unceremoniously dumped her on the floor of the blue room and turned to lock the door. She was alone with Isaac, fighting for the future of their love with not even their blessed blue blanket to reassure her.

  “Get undressed.”

  “No.”

  “Get undressed now!”

  “No.”

  Her voice was quiet and calm… unyielding. It held within it all the strength and conviction of her soul, but she was quivering inside. This was it. The terrible moment she had dreaded had arrived. It heralded the beginning of their life together… or the end. Isaac’s eyes narrowed, and she saw the fear lurking there. It pained her to see it but also gave her courage. She had power. She was in control. She could salvage an impossible situation and ensure they moved forwards together into a place of light and love.

  “Do it now or I will never let you go outside again!”

  His threats did not scare her. She was fighting for their future. The only thing that scared her was the imminent death of that. She would not allow him to destroy their love.

  “How can you threaten me with something so terrible? How can you be so cruel? You are abusing the trust I placed in you, but you will never break my spirit, Isaac, whatever you do. You can use your power to wither it, but it will never die and it will never belong to you. I will never belong to you. I am Talia, Lokian visionary, and I am free and I have choice. I will not get undressed today so you may as well stop asking me to.”

  “What?!”

  He stalked around her in a circle, hemming her in, making it impossible for her to escape. His fear was making him angrier than ever, and it was dangerous. She was stripping away his power and control and without those things, Isaac was helpless, a volcano of volatile emotion waiting to erupt whose only purpose was destruction.

  “Shouting will not change anything. I will not undress and I will not submit to you today. I will not pleasure or please you in any way while threat hangs over my dear friend Katrina.”

  “You are threatening me? Giving me an ultimatum?!”

  His face was an inch from hers, his glittering eyes and twisted mouth terrifying, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. His powerful body was taut, primed for violence, but still she trusted him.

  She loved Isaac, and she always would.

  She took a deep breath. “No, Your Majesty, I am simply telling you the truth. I will not allow you to intimidate me. I refuse to submit today.”

  His gaze was as unwavering as hers. She didn’t know what he would do next but she knew the only thing that mattered. Isaac would never hurt her.

  “You would destroy everything we have created together because of Katrina?”

  His voice was velvet-soft, it should have scared her more than ever… But it didn’t. She was destroying nothing. She was trying to stop him doing the exact same thing.

  “I am not destroying anything, my love, and I am not giving you an ultimatum. I am simply being true to myself. I am scared for Katrina and will do anything to help her.”

  His breath caught. My love. It had slipped out, a sure sign of her weakness. Him. It was not a good thing to reveal. She had to be in control, could not allow Isaac to see how much she adored him.

  “You will do anything? Then take off your clothes, Talia, and pleasure my cock, naked on your knees. That should help Katrina.”

  All the blood drained from her head, her body swaying as the blue room spun around her, taunting her weakness, urging her to stay strong. They shared the spiritual energy of the colour blue, were meant to be together, this was their destiny. This traumatic moment was part of the plan… Isaac’s hand encircled her arm, steadying her with heartbreaking tenderness. His every action exposed him, she must remember that, remember her revelation.

  Isaac loved her, he just couldn’t say it yet.

  Too scared…

  “I know you don’t want that, Isaac, you are too good a man to coerce me into pleasuring you. I know you. I trust you. Please don’t pretend to be less than you are. I know the truth, I know how good you are. I know you would never treat me that way.”

  The blue room was spinning around her, lurching and weaving in a shuddering dance… sky blue dance, Isaac’s eyes… Her cheeks were wet, but she was still fighting for their love. Their eyes locked, intense emotion surging between them – trust, anger, confusion, love.

  Fear.

  “You’re so fucking bright.”

  His voice was empty, desolate, as if she destroyed him with her intelligence. Now she was scared.

  “Isaac…”

  He stared blankly at her, the anger draining from his eyes, leaving dazed confusion in its wake. “I would never hurt Katrina. I care for her too deeply. She is your friend and I respect what she did for you. I was angry with her disloyalty, but I understood why she spoke out and I told her that.”

  She was stunned. “You led me to believe Katrina was in deep trouble. Why? Why would you feel the need to do such a thing? I never thought you could be a cruel, manipulative man, Isaac. Why?”

  His eyes glinted with new-found fury. “Because I could! Because you need to realise you are not in control, Talia! You will not change the way things have always been done here. My life does not revolve around you!”

  But it did. Isaac’s world revolved around her, she was at the very centre of his existence. As he was hers… Fear oozed from his angry eyes as they stared helplessly into hers. This was not about the way things had always been done, not about her controlling his palace or his people. This was about one thing, one man…

  Isaac. Sh
e controlled Isaac – but did not want to. Love was not control, it was partnership, two souls in harmony encouraging and supporting each other through the trials of life. Love was mutuality and equality, not control…

  But Isaac had not learnt that yet. Isaac was afraid. He felt too much love and it was destroying him. He did not understand love as she did and he felt far, far too much of it. Feeling so much love was a wonderful, elevated thing, but Isaac was too stupid to realise that.

  It was too much. She was tired… tired of drama, tired of appeasing and mollycoddling the great ruler of this land, pacifying her spoilt, vulnerable Isaac. She was tired of teetering carefully around his sensitivities, tired of waiting for his next emotional explosion, tired of his mercurial nature despite finding it so very exciting…

  She was just tired.

  She was fucking exhausted.

  She had reached her limit.

  “I am tired of your game, Isaac!” she screamed, stamping her foot like a three-year-old having a tantrum. “I am tired of your stupid rules, I am tired of everything! I am not playing anymore! I am a grown woman, I do not play power or mind games, I forge meaningful relationships by talking honestly and openly. I do not play infantile games! I went along with your game because of how I feel about you but no more! I will not play anymore!”

  She stamped her foot hard against the stone floor as her heart thumped in her chest and blood surged to her head. Enough! She had had enough!

  And then her world imploded…

  Isaac fell to his knees at her feet, his head bowed, his shoulders slumped.

  And her heart broke…

  “Isaac? Isaac, what are you doing?”

  He didn’t move, didn’t speak. She was petrified.

  “Isaac, please, please don’t. What are you doing? What’s wrong?”