RECOMMENDED SONG: Happier By Ed

Sheeran ~🖤

SASHA PALACE,

The night was deeper accompanied by the chirps of grigs, the room was in weeping silence as the low-pitched sound of clock's ticktock heard stronger.

Athena finally was woken up from her unconscious state letting out a low groan of pain that she felt behind the back of her head. Hauling up from the bed groggily, she rubbed her neck instinctively feeling the pain was still over there but her gaze suddenly turned stiff.

Looking up into the high walls ahead, she spotted the culprit who dared to hit her and shot him a death glare.

Ethan was standing far away from her bedside crossing his arms together behind as one of his leg was crunched up against the wall clumsily. A sly smirk was playing on his lips as he asked in an extremely gentle tone,

" Awake? Feeling better?"

Athena was enlarged to death as she couldn't wait to throw some hard punches on his face. Stomping down from the bed hurriedly, she shouted stammering on her words,

" Did..did you just knock me out earlier?"

Ethan blinked before admitting nonchalantly,

" Yes,I did."

Athena was speechless at the blanatly of his words and roared back instantly,

" Why the fuck... did you.."

She paused abruptly recalling the last piece of his words and sawlloed down nervously. Pursuing her lips together, she trembled but nothing came out as she knew that what did he mean exactly.

Ethan smiled widely still unmoved from his spot and inquired in a flirtatious tongue,

" Say.. why did I knock you out!"

Athena took a bite from her bottom lips as she felt her heart pounding vigorously. Looking away from his flashed face, she murmured feeling zero confident on her voice,

" You should learn now. We can head for the LG group tomorrow. It's late."

Ethan raised his eyebrows unpleasantly feeling the urge of confessing right away but he held it back. He needed to show her that he was being sincere and truthful all the while with her. Having by her side, he found the peace that he never felt before.

Thus he straightened up his body silently and took slow steps on her way lazily. Athena was startled before taking back steps subconsciously.

He made another step to get closer but she took another back step to retreat further away from him.

Ethan paused abruptly frowning a bit in displeasedly but continued walking on her way pushing her back into the corner.

In this process of approaching each others, Athena didn't figure out until her back faced the cold wall as she figured out that she was nowhere to escape away.

Feeling perplexed after being trapped by him, Athena panicked and tried to drive him away,

" Ethan.. Don't.. don't come closer.. You should get going.. I ..I will yell and notify everyone ..if you.."

She paused hurriedly looking up at his way blankly as he trapped her between his broad arms. Watching the slight blushes on her cheeks, Ethan teased reading through her mind,

" Why did you stop? Yell out and call everyone."

Athena blinked before fuming in anger as he knew that she couldn't ever push him in danger. Averting her eyes from his intense gaze, Athena mumbled curling up like a shrimp,

" Ethan.. don't.. don't do anything..I am supposed to get engaged with Zave soon. You can't .."

She sutured sensing the radiant of his gaze and gulped down the rest of her words.

She expected him to shout out loud and squeezed her eyes shut in fear. No matter how strong woman she was, she was vulnerable emotionally in front of this man.

Feeling satisfied with her reaction, Ethan smiled contentedly and forgot the jealousy that was burning his soul. Inching his face closer to her flashed face, he lifted up his hand and stretched out his index finger.

Like a soft tips touching petal, he ran his slender finger beneath her jaw as she quivered lightly.

Her body turned stiff in unknown sensation as she battled to keep tough on surface. Suddenly her jaw was pulled up harshly forcing her to open up her eyes and she did.

As soon as their eyes met, she felt all her restrictions breaking down into pieces under his pure loved eyes. Ethan didn't get angry this time and asked in a voice of melting water,

" Look into my eyes and say that you want to marry that guy?"

Athena sawlloed hard feeling numerous goosebumps arousing up throughout her body under his intense question. She couldn't manage to admit the false while looking through his eyes as she hated the fact.

Cleching her teeth together, she blurted out stubbornly,

" So what if I am?"

She spoke and took a deep observation on his face. He remained calm like volcano as if he was preparing to brust out anytime. Using a while to control his temper, Ethan coaxed looking the depth of her eyes,

" Marry me, Athena! I can give you everything that you want.. Anything.. Please.."

Ethan spoke before leaning his head on her forehead and watched her eyes going wide in astonishment. She intially thought that Ethan was only speaking in matter of fact but she didn't expect him to be so determined.

She panted heavily feeling the hem of his rapid breathing on her face deeply. Their lips were one inche away which could be collided anytime.

Sensing the closeness between them, Athena snapped her head aside slightly as she didn't want to be kissed by him just before her engagement and kept in silence.

Receiving no response from her, Ethan whispered one last time pressing his head more deeper,

" Please...! "

His words were full of sincerity and a loving man who was determined to win his woman at any cost even if he needed to kneel down here. There is nothing wrong to lower yourself for your love if you aim a permanent happiness with her.

His breathing was close to her face giving her absorb thoughts as she held back her choking forcefully. She managed two spat one word lowly,

" Respect!!!"

Ethan paused moving away from her face blankly and stared at her face deeply. Athena turned her face around to face him and continued bitterly,

" Can you ever accept my existence in front of the whole world and say that you are going to marry the woman that your brother married? Can you?"

Athena asked feeling the breathtaking pain inside her heart and watched him falling in dense silence.When he didn't answer her questions, Athena took it as yes and continued patting her heart gently,

" You have the responsibility for your entire clan, Ethan. You have to accomplish your responsibility as a prince, as a son and a king might be."

Ethan interrupted lifting up his abysmal eyes which kept stuck on her face,

" What about a lover, Athena? I am going to sit down and watching my woman marrying another guy in front of my eyes? That's what a lover should do?"

Athena was unprepared for this unexpected question and averted her eyes somewhere else painfully. Having no answer for his question, Athena replied like a whisper,

" Don't make things so complicated Ethan. We can't get married nor do I deserve to be your.."

" Sshh...!!! ", Ethan stopped her words pressing his cold palms on her petal like lips tightly.

Feeling miserable for her state, he corrected her words confidently,

" No one can deserve me more than you, Athena.No one!!! "

Athena jerked before looking into his eyes which turned red in hurt. Ethan continued blinking his pitiful eyes,

" You have your reason to refuse me but I have my reason to love you. You said that you want respect? All right! The day, I can ask for your hands in front of the all worlds, will you marry me then Athena?"

Athena was baffled out and parted her lips to say something else. Ethan emphasized his words turning her silent,

" Just say,will you..then??"

Ethan repeated his questions and waited with a heavy heart as if he was standing between life and death.

A quiet moment passed away between them without disparting their eyes as they looked deep and deep through their eyes painfully.

Athena took a deep breath before giving him the most expected reply that he wished,

" I.. will then.."

_MOONSHINE CASTLE_

Gossip after gossip, the entire castle was in uproar for the past very few hours. After Esme's reschedule,the maids were talking about the grumpy queen mother who was banned from her position.

Feeling humiliated by her son, Queen Mother was dying in shame and anger as she imprisoned herself inside her living room.

Litting off all the lights of her room, she kept sitting down into the darkness boiling in rage.

How she wished that she had her own biological son rather than daughter?

She regretted inwardly as the hatred towards Aaron grew incredibly in her heart.

As she immersed herself in thinking, her doorroom was pushed open following up a light footsteps approaching on her way.

She was already annoyed and wanted to shout out thinking that any maid had arrived to disturb her mood.

But Zave smiled before turning her lips shut up in a moment,

" The antidote is here, Queen Mother."

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Hey guys 🖤 I am extremely sorry for not uploading the second Chapter from yesterday. I have lost 5000 words which was supposed to be published. Lol..I was going insane. So I needed to rewrite again and I am still writing. Don't worry, I will keep my promise of releasing total 7 chapters in this weekends(Friday, Saturday, Sunday).. Please do enjoy and leave your thoughts in the comment section.