At that moment, Aisha couldn't hear the birds chirping or the flap of their wings as they bathed in the small pond. All she could hear was her heart pumping wildly in her chest.
Her head started spinning as she thought about the reasons why a royal guard searched for her with a ridiculous looking scroll in his hand.
With her and Rosalia's heads bowed down, she listened attentively to what the Royal Guard said as he read what was written on the scroll.
"I hereby summon Lady Aisha to be one of the Royal Wives of the King of Gaea. She is to prepare herself for the Royal Wedding which will be held at the next full moon," The Royal Guard declared before closing the scroll, signaling the end of the royal command.
Aisha's knees went jelly as she heard the royal command. "M-me? A royal wife? I haven't even worn my diploma yet!"
She recalled the time when she was kissing the King at Lady Visum. Being a royal wife will give her the permission to do that oftentimes. And it makes her heart flutter. But the responsibility that comes with it, it's making her head ache!
Rosalia pressed her lips and nodded her head as if she was saying to her to just bow her head at the royal command.
"No, I will not! I don't want to!" Lady Aisha shook her head vigorously. "I'm too young for this! I will still look for my family. Then we'll find a place to settle down somewhere, where I can be free to do whatever I want, without kids pulling my pants and piercing my ears with their wails. Oh no, please don't do this to me!"
"You can talk about it later with the King, my lady. But if you do not bow your head, you will see your head rolling in the mud!" Rosalia almost raised her voice in worry about her life. She must have known how strict the King is with his commands.
Aisha's shoulders dropped as she drew in a deep breath. "If I bowed my head and accepted this, I might not be able to get out of it. I will be a plain old housewife, with ridiculous-looking costumes and makeup."
She heaved out a long sigh as she watched the butterflies with their colorful wings fleeting from one flower to another. Her ears heard the rhythmic splatter of water in the fountain. She could smell the fragrant flowers as they bloom under the afternoon sun.
They were all free to do what they wanted, without anyone stopping them from doing so. "I wish I could just be one of these. A butterfly, a flower, or a water drop," she thought out loud as she sighed again.
She recalled how she felt with her own family, making her heart break into pieces. She doesn't want to feel it again, nor her future children. In fact, she really has no plans of having a family of her own. She was planning to stay single and happy all the days of her life.
"My lady, the Royal Guard is waiting. He must come back to the King with an affirmative answer, or you know what will happen," Rosalia continued to urge her with her head still in a bowing position.
Aisha belled, "all right, all right." She bowed down to him and replied, "May it be to me, as the King said." She said through gritted teeth.
But as soon as he left, she immediately lifted her skirt and went inside the Castle Towers. The King will not have what he wanted with her!
Her small nostrils were flaring and beads of sweat formed in her petite forehead. But she doesn't care.
Rosalia said that he was probably in the Royal Chancery, as he was there most of the time. So she immediately went there, as led by Rosalia, since she doesn't know her way around yet.
"Announcing the presence of Lady Aisha!" The royal guard who was guarding the Royal Chancery reported to the King, who was certainly inside the room.
"Let her in."
Aisha heard his deep orotund voice inside, making her draw in a deep breath. She must talk him out of this!
"Your Majesty," she immediately bowed as she entered the room. Rosalia stayed outside.
"I must have suited your taste in women. But I have no plans of getting married at this point in time. Well, I would give you permission to kiss me anytime, if that's what you want. But with no strings attached. No commitment and notarized documents or anything," She babbled on as she looked for the right words to express her defiance against his will.
She didn't realize that the King had already stepped into her private space, as he was now only a foot away from him.
He stretched out his hand and lifted her small face with his gigantic fingers until she could gaze into his amethyst eyes. He was gazing at her pressed lips.
"What if I want more than a kiss? Would you still give it to me without the legally binding papers that you're mentioning?" He asked in a raspy voice, making Aisha gulp a lump in her throat.
She could feel his heavy breath. The waft of his manly scent made its way into her nose, making her doubt her resolve.
"How could I be attracted sensually to him right now?" Aisha scolded herself.
She stepped away and shook her head as she thought of what to do. "Is he just asking for free sex right now? Well, that's possible. But what if I got pregnant? I'm sure he doesn't have a condom here. And I'm sure he will cum inside me and intentionally impregnate me."
She just decided to ask it away. "What will happen if I get pregnant? What will happen to the child?"
The King seemed to be amused at his question, as his plum lips curled up. But he answered her straightforwardly, clearing the option that she had in mind. "If you opt to be a royal concubine, there will be no wedding. But you can still conceive. I will take care of the child. But he or she could not be the next King or Queen. He or she will remain a bastard all his or her life."
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In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.