The King’s command

~Kael~

The festivities didn’t stop, it carried on loud and alive as though nothing had changed and I liked it that way. I needed to erase such mortifying scenes out of their minds. I remained seated on my throne, my gaze fixed ahead while the nobles continued their laughter and the dancers moved like puppets bound to a celebration I no longer really cared for.

I could still feel it, faint but present, that pull that had no right to linger, that thread that should have snapped the moment I rejected her, and yet it remained, weak and irritating like something refusing to die no matter how firmly it was cut.

My fingers pressed slightly into the arm of the throne as footsteps approached, careful not to draw attention. I didn’t turn immediately, didn’t acknowledge the presence until he was close enough for his voice to reach only me.

“My King…” Commander Drax murmured low, leaning in just enough. There was something in his tone that made the irritation beneath my skin sharpen slightly, “the slave… she has escaped.”

Silence followed as the words sank in. My face remained still and my gaze was still fixed ahead as though I had not heard him at all.

“She was being taken to the woods,” he continued carefully, “none of the guards returned… except one.”

My eyes shifted slightly at that, not fully turning to him, but enough to acknowledge the weight of what he had said.

“Alive?” I asked, my voice low and controlled.

“Barely,” he replied without hesitation, his tone tightening just enough to reflect the severity of it, “whoever intervened did not intend for him to die… the injuries were deliberate, as though meant to send a message.”

“A message.” My brows raised.

Someone had interfered. Someone had taken what belonged to me.

“Find her,” I said, my voice quiet, but edged now carrying a pressure that made the command unmistakable.

Drax straightened slightly. “The word has already been given, My King,” he responded, stepping back as smoothly as he had approached, and I gave a faint nod, dismissing him without looking again.

The moment he was gone, the noise of the ballroom seemed louder and heavier, pressing against my senses in a way it had not before. The scent of perfume in the air turned suffocating and unnecessary as the presence of those around me became harder to tolerate.

They came again, as they always did, the princesses with their practiced smiles and soft laughter. Their hands reaching, brushing, lingering as they attempted to draw my attention, and I allowed it at first, allowed their closeness, their touch because that was how it had always been, predictable, simple and entirely under my control.

But tonight, it felt wrong.

Their touch lingered too long, their voices grated against something within me, and I could feel the irritation building steadily beneath my skin as one of them leaned closer, her fingers trailing lightly over my arm as she spoke in a tone meant to entice and hold my attention.

“Hey, sexy king.” She grinned seductively.

I turned to her without warning, my hand closing around her waist as I pulled her closer, cutting off her words as a soft gasp left her lips. Without giving her time to react further, I rose to my feet, lifting her into my arms with ease as her body responded instantly, eager and willing.

“Come,” I said simply, my voice leaving no room for hesitation as I carried her out of the ballroom. The music faded behind us as the large doors closed, sealing off the noise and leaving only the quiet stretch of the palace corridors ahead.

My steps were steady as I moved through the halls, guards parting immediately at my approach, their heads lowered in acknowledgment. I was aware of Drax behind me, he was always around me.

The doors to my inner chamber opened at once, and I stepped inside without slowing. I set her down on the edge of the bed as the doors shut behind us, cutting off the outside world entirely.

The room was dim, lit only by low flames that cast shadows along the walls. She wasted no time, her hands already moving as they reached for me, her fingers brushing against the front of my attire as she tugged at the fabric with eager impatience.

I had not changed from the ball, the dark fitted tunic still clinging to my form, structured with subtle silver threading along the edges. The collar was slightly open, and she took advantage of it, pulling it apart further before sliding it off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

Her lips followed soon after, pressing against my chest in soft and moist kisses. I should have responded. I always did. But the moment her lips touched my skin, it returned. That pull. It was vague, shaky and wrong.

My body stilled despite her movements and warmth of her touch. My gaze darkened slightly as the feeling lingered, persistent in a way that made no sense.

It had no right to still exist. ‘She was rejected.’

The princess shifted closer, her hands pressing against me as she tried to pull me down toward her. I felt nothing but irritation.

“Stop.” I whispered. I could barely hear my own voice. But she didn’t stop, she continued trying to get me to reciprocate.

My hand moved without another warning, pushing her away just enough to create distance. She let out a startled breath as she looked up at me in confusion.

I stepped back immediately, running a hand through my hair as the frustration finally surfaced fully, my jaw tightening as I turned away from her without another word.

This was wrong. Everything about this was wrong.

Without hesitation, I strode toward the door, leaving her behind as I stepped out into the corridor, the cool air hitting my skin.

Drax was there, standing with a few guards at a distance, their posture straightening the moment they saw me emerge. I did not stop walking as I spoke, my voice was no longer quiet and restrained.

“Send word,” I said, my tone firm, carrying through the corridor as I continued forward. My steps were controlled but edged now with something darker.

Drax moved instantly to my side. “My King?”

I turned slightly, my gaze hard, final as the command settled fully into place.

“Search every territory, every village, every forest within and beyond our borders,” I said, each word carrying an intensity that could not be ignored, “tear through them if you must, leave nothing unchecked.”

The guards stiffened at the order.

“Bring her to me…” I added, my voice dropping just enough to carry something far more dangerous beneath it

“Alive.”