Part 22 ~Fatherly Advice~

Part 22 ~Fatherly Advice~



Shandy woke face to face with Devin, both of them still clothed. They had held each other through the night until ultimately falling asleep tangled up in each other's embrace.
His eyes were open wide staring at her, taking in the lovely features of her face as she slept peacefully snuggled up in his arms. He could fall in love with her so easily. He smiled, moving some long strands of hair from her mouth.
"Good morning," she yawned.
"Good morning beautiful little lady." He smiled, rubbing noses with her, making her giggle a bit.
"Did you sleep well? Shandy whispered.
"Yup.....slept as sound as a newborn babe." He answered, squeezing her tightly. "You want breakfast?" He pulled back staring into her sparkling blue eyes.
"Hmm.... honestly I think I'd prefer a shower first, Can you help point me in the right direction for that?" She sat up on his large bed pulling at the hair band that was horribly tangled up in her long wavy tresses.
"Here... I can help." He sat up noticing her dilemma. "Let me see if I can get that for you," he began working his fingers through her hair gently and within a few minutes had removed it painlessly.
"Yayy! Got it!" He sang in victory causing her to giggle at his excessive cheering.
"Thanks, I would have most definitely pulled out half my hair tryna get that." She joked.
"Wow your hair is really long.... gorgeous." He admired playing with the wavy ends, taking in the lilac scent. "Mmm....smells nice too." His eyes were fixed on her adoringly.
"Devin....wh...what should I do?" She asked, her eyes glazing over, a pained look on her face.
"Do you really want me to tell you what I think you should do? He held her small hand, his thumb rubbing circles on her palm.
"Yes I...I really do." She sat gazing closely at him. He was such a handsome guy and so attentive. She wished it had been him she'd first met.
"I think you should do what your heart tells you Shandy." He reached up pushing her hair back out of her face over her shoulder, his fingers lightly smoothing over her soft cheek.
"A...And if my heart tells me..... if it tells me I should give him a--" her voice broke off.
"You mean if it tells you that you love my low life brother? Even though I think he'll ultimately end up hurting you." He replied looking down at their hands locked together. It saddened him to say this to her....however it was true, his brother had done nothing but use women his entire life.
"I wish I could hate him...and I do hate what he's done and the man he was or probably still is...It's just...this ache I have...like a piece of me is--." She cried, laying her hand over her heart.
"It...it just sickens me knowing all the women he's been with an...and what he did to you. I can't marry him....I just can't...and just knowing the only reason he came for me was because your father made him do it. Will I be forced to marry him?" Shandy asked, her eyes taking on a bit of a panicked look.
She quickly slipped off the bed in a hurry when he didn't answer her question fast enough.
"Devin....will I? Please tell me I won't be forced to marry him!" She cried.
He stood swiftly from the bed moving closer to her. "I really don't know how that works with you being his betrothed. But I'll do everything in my power to see to it that you're not forced to do something you don't want to do. I promise you that." He assured her.
"I...I just can't do it Devin, I can't! Please help me!" She grasped onto his arms as he pulled her into him, circling his arms around her petite body protectively.
"It's ok...it's ok, I'll find out more about it" he promised, lifting his hands to her face gently wiping away her falling tears and kissing her cheek tenderly which made her heart flutter at his level of care for her. She had never felt so close to someone so quickly and felt extremely thankful for this guy.
Shandy was all to pieces, she just couldn't bring herself to marry Donovan after all she had discovered about his very recent past, along with the abominable thing he had done to his own brother, over nothing but sinful pleasures.
She was so disgusted with the profane actions of this man she had willingly given her heart and body to.
"Shandy, why don't I take you to the bedroom I told you about and you can take a bath and try to relax...I think you'll enjoy the huge tub in there. I'll go and get the book and see if I can find anything about joining of the betrothed." He held her trembling hands as he spoke.
"But I...i'm afraid of you leaving me alone." Her voice trembled. He laid her head on his chest holding her protectively causing his heart to leap.
"No one will bother you...I promise, I'll put a shield around you while I'm away, it'll only be gone for a short time. And I'll try and find you some clothing as well." He explained, soothing her with his words as he held her stroking his hand over her head with care.
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Shandy sat inside an extremely large tub filled to the rim with water so hot it almost burned her skin. She felt dirty....so dirty from giving herself to a man like Donovan. She wondered if she had meant no more than the many others he had laid with. Tears fell as she scrubbed herself until her skin felt raw. However, as hard as she tried, she could not stop herself from the roots of love that had begun to bloom inside her heart for the despicable man.
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Devin entered inside his father's office chamber's in search of the book of Rolod. He felt safe since it was still so early in the morning. He walked up to the glass enclosure that housed the large book of Rolod, opening it gently and lifting it out with care.
"Good morning my son." The king replied in his deep intimidating tone. Devin jumped, startled by his father's presence so early.
"G... good morning father." He stuttered nervously.
"What brings you in here at the crack of dawn dear boy?" His father questioned, slowly strolling up alongside his youngest son.
"I...I just wanted to study on this for a bit sir, can I not learn more of my own heritage? Without you becoming suspicious of my actions? " He asked in a snippy tone.
"Of course you may, I just didn't realize my youngest was so interested all the sudden in wanting to learn of said heritage. I just find it a bit peculiar that you are all the sudden so willing to learn after years of my pleading. You never gave a single care of it and would hide for hours to keep from listening to my teachings ." He replied with a suspicious tone. "However I do have an inkling as to why. I will give a bit of fatherly advice to my youngest that hopefully you will adhere to dear boy. " The king gave him a serious look tinged with concern for his young son that was still a bit damp behind the ears.
"Devin......I am going to warn you only once. Do not attempt to cause encumbrances between your eldest brother and his betrothed. I know of the hate you harbor for him, and I agree Donovan has not been the ideal son, nor brother for that matter. But if you try and come between what is destined to be....you will most certainly cause an entire host of much larger issues to erupt.
"I am not causing any 'encumbrances' between them! She wanted the facts! And I gave them to her! She deserved to know what a scoundrel he truly is!" Devin stood his ground raising his voice to his father for the first time ever.
"Oh.....my dear boy. Your heart beats fast for this young lady....yet her heart is for another, and you are aware of this truth, are you not?." The monarch spoke calmly to him, gently placing his large hand on his son's shoulder.
"Noo! She will grow to hate him! She already does! Especially now that she knows of his excessive philandering! He is a disgusting...sick... reprehensible piece of shit! And I hope his life is fucking lonely and miserable!! Devin cursed at his father contemptuously.
"SON!" The king boomed. " You can not continue to live behind this shield of hate you have for your brother! This must end, or the damage it will cause between the two of you will be irreversible! He breathed out painfully, devastation filling his heart.
"Stop father! Just stop! I'll never forgive him for what he did to me! NEVER! He took something from me that was precious and turned it into a sick twisted game for himself! And we both know how that ended, don't we?!" Devin scoffed, his face red, tears pooling in his eyes. "I loved her father....and he took her from me. Then claimed she never loved me at all. Said she was only using me to get to him, and did me a favor." He cried helplessly, causing his fathers heart to break even more.
The king pulled his youngest into the warmth of his strong embrace. Trying to soothe him. Devin pulled away storming off with the book tucked underneath his arm, wiping his tears away with the back of his other hand. He suddenly stopped before walking completely out the door, not even turning to face his father again.
"I do not want to speak of that loathsome brother of mine again! I've hidden my feelings and put up a fake facade for him long enough and I refuse to hide it any longer." He then walked away in a rush.
The king fell back into his chair at a loss for words. His youngest had never dared speak to him in such a manner. Worry took over his mind completely. He prayed to the gods that his son's would not destroy one another. He knew that his youngest was already developing feelings for this young lady that would eventually crush his heart.
He always knew his eldest son's reckless, haphazard ways would undoubtedly come back to haunt him. He had tried many times to warn him...to no avail.
He rested his elbows on his desk placing his chin on his hands, closing his eyes, falling into deep thought of what to do next. He had to come up with a solution before it was too late.