Chapter 38 A proposal

Kyan
WHAT IS A MAN SUPPOSED TO DO to please his betrothed? One he barely knows in fact. I pace impatiently as the maid cuts at the yellow and red aromatic flowersto form a huge bouquet. I don't know why but I have this urge to impress her somehow. This betrothal is neither her or my choice. I am a victim as much as she is but I want to make it up to her. I was really nervous about giving her the bracelet, I hope she likes it.
The maid rises the fat bouquet. "Is this big enough, your Majesty?"
"I don't know," I admit pathetically. I don't know a thing about flowers or bouquets and I have never given a woman a bouquet in my life. "You should know how women like it."
The maid nods and goes ahead to add a few more flowers.
"Make it very beautiful, okay?" I say.
"Yes, your Majesty." She bows her head and focuses on the flowers.
"Kyan." Rakar's footsteps become louder. I twirl so I face him. He gives me a grin and alternates between glancing at the bouquet the maid is holding and me. "What's going on here?"
"None of your business," I bark. Immediately, his grin disappears and his face grows serious.
"You owe me a report, Rakar," I say to him.
He glances nervously at the maid. "We can't talk here." He begins to walk away.
"Make sure you take it to Isla's bedroom and tell her to meet me at the stables in an hour, ok?" I tell the maid as I walk off after Rakar. I don't hear her reply as I'm out of earshot immediately I order her.
Rakar leans against the bark of a tree lazily with a sly expression playing on his smug face. "She has grown into you already hasn't she?"
"That's not why I summoned you." I want him to tell me if he succeed in what I asked him to do. I don't need him to evaluate how interested I am in Isla.
"She is quite a beauty I must admit," he continues and dares to smirk.
"You should not be staring at her, Rakar. Keep your lustful eyes and thoughts to yourself. Isla isn't one of your cheap conquests." I lose my temper easily, I can already feel my heart pounding in my chest like the beat of drums.
"I know what she is and what she is not." He takes a step closer. "Tell me has your frozen heart been thawed by Isla already?"
"Are you trying to make me angry?" My fists clench at my sides, I feel a vein throbs in my temple.
"Not at all," he shakes his head. "I just thought you would like to know something."
"Something like what, Rakar?" I take a quick step and grab him by the collar of his shirt. "It better be something important or I'll slam my fist into your face."
Rakar clicks his tongue disapprovingly. He keeps his calm even under the circumstances. "Well, I thought you would be interested to know that your sister is not the only harlot in this Palace." He darts his tongue over his lips as he talks. Something inside me snaps, I bite my tongue to keep myself together. "Your fiancee too. She kissed me!"
And I lose it. I raise my fist in the air and plummet it right into his jaw. He shrieks and writhes in my grasps falling backwards and striking his head against the bark of the tree. And he lands on the ground wide eyed.
"Bastard," the curse taste delicious rolling out from my mouth. "Don't you dare call my sister a harlot! You are the one who sleeps with harlots only God knows the diseases you are carrying."
Rakar lays stunned not saying a word. Satisfied to have shut his mouth, I squat down so my face is hovering inches away from his. "Did you send the guard away?" His reply is a stiff nod and a blink. His upper lip has been split and his mouth is bloody. I'll be overjoyed if I have knocked out a tooth or two.
"At least you are good for something," I say with a chuckle. I flex the fingers of my left hand, I admit they hurt after being connected with his hard jaw. "And let me tell you one thing, Rakar. I may not know Isla very well but I know she is not a loose one. Stay away from my betrothed, Rakar or you will not like the consequences." Rakar manages a stiff nod and march off leaving his pathetic form on the ground.
He calls after me as I walk off. "Your mother has warned you about your temper, Kyan! This short temper of yours will do you no good..." His voice is raspy and strangled. The rest of his infernal yapping grows faint as I get out of earshot.
"Kyan." Duchess Alira floats towards me with the hems of her dress swishing against her ankles. "Your father just sent a servant to look for you."
I'm on my way to the stables to meet with Isla when the Duchess sees me.
"Is everything alright?" I manage to ask. I know father will like to go on and on about the approaching wedding ceremony. He is acting like he is the one who is getting married.
"I don't know," she says, "but he looked really serious. You should be going to his throne room to see him."
I nod. I'll go after I see Isla. I can't explain the sudden hunger to see her.
"How do you like your betrothed?" The Duchess asks with a knowing smile.
"She seems nice," I force myself to respond.
She seems unsatisfied with my answer. "Nice? That's it?" She raises her brows.
"I barely know her, Aunt." I huff out a breath, I'm eager to leave her presence. She makes me very uneasy and only a handful of people can do that.
"Well, alright." She eyes me carefully and makes to go on her way.
Relieved, I take a step forward to continue on my way to the stables when her voice calls me back.
"Kyan?" She calls out.
"Yes, Aunt?" I struggle to keep the irritation out of my tone.
Innocently she asks, "have you seen Rakar recently?"
I want to lie. I want to tell her that I haven't seen him but I don't. "Yes."
Her brows meet in a frown. "Where is he?"
"In the orchard, choking on his own blood I hope." And I walk away, I ignore her worried calls and keep moving forward. Desperate to put much distance between me and her, I postpone my visit to the stables hoping that Isla isn't there already and make my way to the Palace to answer my father's call. I'm confident Isla isn't at the stables already, don't women like to take their time?
My father, Namir — a distinguished member of my father's court and Lud — my father's most trusted advisor look up as I walk into the throne room, the heavy thuds of my boots echoing through the room.
"Ah Kyan, you are here finally," he wheezes out a nasty cough. His chest rises and falls like he is out of breath.
"Father?" I jog to his throne. "Are you all right?"
My father, being his usual cheery self flashes me a smile trying to reassure me. "Don't worry about me son, I'm fine. Besides, we have more pressing issues to discuss at the moment."
"You don't look so good," I mutter taking in his pallid skin.
"I'm fine, Kyan." His voice is more stronger. "The doctor has examined me".
"And what did the doctor say?" I press further. My father rarely gets sick and even if he does fall ill it's usually nothing more than the common cold.
Another cough interrupts him as he opens his mouth to reply me.
Namir replies instead. "Don't worry about your father, Kyan. He will be fine."
"Sadly, the doctors can't diagnose him," Lud adds with distress in his tone.
"Doctors?" I rise a questioning brow at him.
Lud nods. "We have called about four doctors already."
"What?" I can't believe my ears. "When did his sickness start?"
"About a few—" but Namir is cut short by my father's thunderous bark.
"Will you listen to me, Kyan?" He stares at me with lots of impatience, he coughs into his hand then adds, "we will talk about my health later. Now, I have called you to get your take on a very important issue."
Namir shuffle his feet and mutters something under his breath. Three pairs of eyes turn to him including mine. Realizing he is being watched, he smiles sheepishly. "Please carry on, your highness."
"Kyan," my father begins, "you know Lud is very dear to me. Through the years he has been advising me on the right way to rule this grand Kingdom."
Lud beams proudly and I suppress the sneer that threatens to reign on my face. I don't particularly like Lud but he has been faithful to my father so that's good enough for me.
"Today, a good idea was suggested to me by Lud. We all know your wedding is in two weeks time, and Lud was thinking why don't we have a combined ceremony?" He beams at me expecting me to understand.
"Combined ceremony?" I choke out. My father nods and share knowing looks with the two other men in the room.
"You see Kyan, we want to combine your wedding with Lud's." My father beams from ear-to-ear.
I shake my head, abandoning the outrageous thought my mind is processing. "But Lud doesn't have a fiancee," my voice quavers.
No. It can not be. No way, my father would not consider such.
"He does now," my father chortles like a toddler, "you see, we think your sister Lyza is the perfect match!"
All the blood leaves my face.