My loves, ♥
You can now see the map Of the Delicate Flower world in the very first chapter of the book 'Delicate Flower'. (It's also the one Juliette found in her mama's room when she was nine).
You can now also see how some of the main characters look like also in the same chapter. (If you don't like them you can use your own imagination).
Now, now to answer some of your questions:
*Will you be continuing your other books?
Yes! But not now, sadly. I want to focus on Delicate Flower at the moment and try to develop its plot.
•How old is King Maximus?
He's 27. There's a little age gap between him and Juliette (who is 19 in the story) but hopefully it won't make you guys too uncomfortable. If you don't like age gaps just imagine Maximus any age you want. ;)
•How old is Gregg?
Gregg is 25. He seems very mature and older in the story because men who go to war often have to grow up quickly because of the atrocities they face etc. Same for Maximus.
•When will Juliette realize that Xander and the King are one and the same?
When the right time comes, I promise. I don't want to make the revelation lame and boring. It will come at the right time and it will be worth the wait.
That's all for now! If something else is concerning you please feel free to ask! I'll answer the ones that don't affect the plot.
I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you guys like it as much as I did! ♥
I love you and miss you all very much!
–theladyandthefox

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C h a p t e r
S i x t e e n

Juliette's vision was clouded by dark spots and swirls and she could feel a bruise was already forming around her throat as the man pressed the knife harder against her skin.

The older man licked his lips, his eyes drifting to her chest in hunger. Juliette recoiled in fear, but it only seemed to excite him as he eyed her body up and down as if she was a piece of meat. "Perhaps we cehld have fun first, Matthews." He grinned at his partner, rubbing his hands against each other, a faint tattoo etched on the back of his wrist. The man holding her seemed to consider his offer as his hands descended back to her thighs, stroking and squeezing her skin. Juliette felt sick as she kicked and fought against his grip, all her attempts met with failure.

"Listen here, boy. I got the girl first, means I," he poked his chest in a gruff, "get to have her first." Oh lord. They were actually fighting over her as if they were sharing a piece of meat. Her stomach churned.

She didn't wait for his response as she swiftly removed the gem necklace her aunt gave her and threw it at the older man with all her force, its sharp edges slashing across his gaunt face. The younger man holding her loosened his grip in suprise, and she quickly seized the opportunity to strike him hard against his stomach with her elbow. He let out a whimper but she wasn't going to waste her time in allowing guilt take over her as she smacked him harder this time, enough for him to release her and collapse on the ground.

Her mama might not have taught her the art of fighting and shielded her from the world, but she was not going to give up and allow these men to take advantage of her. She was determined not to go down without a fight.
  
"Ye stupid girl," the older man hissed, and Juliette thought his broken teeth made him seem like a savage animal, ready to pounce on the weakest prey it could find. His filthy hand ran across his face, a bleeding wound now running across it diagonally. She caused that. But Juliette wasn't going to let anything deter her as she focused on the end of the dark corridor,  praying to God she'd reach safety. Hell, she wasn't even sure which way she had come from.

She sprinted towards the end of the corridor, or she thought so before the younger man gripped her ankle and yanked down along with him. She winced as her back collided with the ground, pain exploding all over her body.

The older man snickered and leaned down. "Did ye think ye can take us down, ye little wh*re." He played with her aunt's necklace, waving it left and right in front of her face. "How abehwt I tie it so tightly arehnd yer neck, ye'd be begging me for air?" He let out a laugh, a high animalistic shriek. "Hm? Do you like the sehnd of that, girlie? Begging me for yer pathetic life." He ripped out her ring then her other necklace with all of his force, and she was sure it was going to leave a huge purple bruise behind. She suddenly felt very tired, as he yanked her up forcibly, her arms flailing weakly against her as if she was a muppet, her legs struggling to fight for balance.

The anxiety she was bottling in finally surged back into her in an avalanche, the reality that she was going to die crashing down at her.

She felt mundane, helpless, feeble and worst of all she was going to die alone in a dark forgotten corridor. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"What do ye think, Matthews?" The man played with her jewelry but his expression turned into immense fear and suprise as he stared behind them.

A strangled moan was heard behind them, the younger man was clutching his chest, a knife pierced into it in a twisted angle.

Xander let go of him, and he collapsed on the ground whimpering.

She didn't recognize his voice when he growled, "Let go of her."

She felt the man shudder as he took a step back as if considering whether to flee or not. She was thankful Xander wasn't staring at her, because he looked terrifying and deadly.

"Stand behind me, Juliette." She was more terrified at how dangerously calm his voice came out, the kind of quiet that comes just right before the storm. He was so close to them now, towering over both of them at his full height.

"Juliette," He growled in warning. She took a few steps back in reluctance. She barely made another step back before Xander lunged at him, his fist colliding with his face, sending him flying to ground. 

"Do you know what becomes of those who dare to mess with what's mine?" He snarled, close enough only for the man to hear. The man stared back at him in fear, as a malicious smile stretched across his attackers' face. He yanked him up from the collar and slammed him against the wall.

"I-m I-I didn't k-know she's your wife- forgive me -pl-please I have m-mouths to feed." The man choked, blood oozing from his nose.

"Have you not heard how the likes of you are punished in the kingdom?" He growled, his temper lost. "How we impale them and shoot arrows at their hearts and unleash our eagles to feed off their rotten bodies?" The man's face paled. Just who had he gotten himself into? He dared to glimpse back behind him, but Matthews had limped his way out, leaving a long trail of blood behind him. He gulped. "I must be lucky I'm not facing the King then." He choked out, but Xander grabbed him by the collar. "Think again." He whispered so close to his ear he was sure he misheard what this barbaric man just said. He must be bluffing. There was no way he was the king.

"P-please," he begged, all blood drained from his face. "H-have m-mercy."

"Mercy? Will your family still believe you deserve mercy after they know what you do to earn your pay?" He sent another punch to his face, and the man staggered back, his mouth spilling blood and a few broken teeth.

The man shook his head, his hands trembling, his mouth gasping for air. "T-they don't k-know." He cried. Xander squeezed his throat tighter. "It's w-ahat he requested us to do to earn meh pay." It was just that he had noticed his foreign accent.

"The western lands." Xander bit out. The man nodded in defeat. The lands on the west of his kingdom. The lands where bandits and criminals manage to break free of his borders and keep surging into his Kingdom. The lands that know no ruler or governor. The lands of the lost ones, his father used to call them when they would strategize on the huge map in his royal study room.

"How many of you are in the capital?"

"He b-brought us all here." The man gulped, his eyes teary.

"Who's he?" He demanded, all signs of patience lost from his voice.

"I d-don't k-know."

"No let me rephrase this. Do you know what a man who has nothing to lose can do?" His voice was a snarl, reverberating across the ground.

"I will not unleash my beasts, nor watch you rot on a wooden spike." He leaned in dangerously. "But I will burn the whole west down. I will drive a stake through every man's heart. And I will forge a fort built of nothing but the bones of your loved ones. You'll die a thousand death." 

"I-no!" The man cried in horror at the cruel monster that gazed back at him. "I don't k-know him! All I kn-now is that h-he plans to c-cause chaos inside the kingdom." Xander raised his brow.

"H-he never revealed his face. He always wore a hood and rarely showed up. Th-ere w-was another man responsible of us. R-rumor has he's now being kept in the dungeons in the castle." So his advisor was correct, the man letting them in was really caught. He mentally made a note to himself to visit him later on.

"He- he wanted us to cause trouble all over the city." The man blurted out. "He said breaching the kingdom's security will weaken the King's focus. A weak kingdom wouldn't be able to function on its own." Of course it had crossed its mind it could be planned by one of the neighboring kingdoms, but claiming so blatantly would only be a declaration for war. 

"Pl-please." He begged, but nothing seemed to faze the man's wrath. He lost his footing as the monster's fist collided with him again but he was quickly pulled up by his hair.

Juliette stared in horror at Xander's back. He was going to end the man's life. She couldn't understand what he was muttering to him but she judged from the man's petrified face that it was something bad.

"X-Xander p-please s-stop." She cried. He froze at her voice as if he had forgotten she was still there, his chest heaving with anger. He was acting very scary.

Then suddenly the reality of what just happened all came back crashing down on her. Her running towards the muggers, them attacking her, the whole fight scene and as she suddenly took in the eery silence surrounding them, Xander's tense back breathing heavily, his muscles bulging against his clothes, his bloodied fists clenched with veins popping all over his forearms, she wanted to hide underneath her blankets in her little chamber.

Just then a few men came rushing towards them with a couple of horses, and she recognized the thirteenish year old boy from earlier was riding Lėon. She realized the boy must have called for help upon knowing she was missing. It was only then that Xander let go of the man, his body passed out on the ground. Or was he dead? She dreaded that thought.

"Ahem," one of the men cleared his throat nervously as he eyed her and Xander and the man on the ground. He was tall and slightly broad, but he somehow looked weak and little next to Xander. "S-sir Alexander."

"Ah, the city guards." He snarled dangerously circling the men, his jaw clenched. "Doing a fine job at protecting the citizens." Then he grabbed the man who spoke by his collar. "Where were you positioned?"

"At the s-square yo-er erm sir." The man recoiled in fear as he let go of him, his fist clenching and unclenching as if he looking for another person to fight with.

"Of course. Because criminals come out in broad sunlight and not in the dark outskirts of the village." He boomed, his murderous gaze fanning over them. Then he rubbed his hand all over his face, his chest finally calming. "I'll deal with you later."

She hid behind Lėon as he thrust the bloodied man towards them and instructed that "he wants him within the dungeons in the royal castle by tomorrow morning for further interrogations". She didn't know if it was relief she felt upon knowing he hadn't killed him. What Xander did was horrifying and she doubted that anyone would survive his rage. And yet, the bloodied man seemed alive and she was relieved Xander didn't commit murder because of her.

Xander leaned in and turned the man's wrist, a faint tattoo of two letters 'NW' etched crossed it. "They're branding them. There's another injured with the same tattoo. I want him found by tomorrow."

The men nodded immediately at Xander's orders, and she could see them avoiding his furious stare, and he seemed then just like a general commander, a war leader directing his army.

It passed like that for a few minutes, Xander going back and forth and giving them orders and instructions. He was furious and she felt like there was more to his anger than the attack on her.
"I want the town purged inside out by tomorrow night." He barked, his voice thick with anger. "Am I making myself clear?"

It was only when the men and the boy left when he finally approached her.

He seemed taller somehow, and his harsh commander demeanor was still masking his face. "Juliette." His voice was soft though, not commanding.

"Look at me." He ordered. She refused to do it anyway. She could feel him approaching her, and backed away, stumbling a bit as she struggled to keep her balance. She felt so little and frail. She had caused this. She brought this to them. She was careless and stupid and she had almost made Xander commit murder.

Yet, all she could think about was the passed out man on the ground, his blood spurn all over the ground. "He's..is he doing to die?" He shook his head, his dark eyes studying her silently. "What did you do t-to him?" She asked him, her voice breaking.

"What I had to do." She stared at the long trail of blood left by the young man's wound, at Xander's bloodied fists that had almost killed the older man. His large hand lifted her chin. "At me."

Her eyes met his at last. His eyes were black and blank. She felt defeated but she was still alive and safe. He stroked his finger against her tear stained cheek, wiping a tear away, gently. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm f-fine." She choked out, but she was shaking anyway. She quickly broke eye contact and she didn't miss the hurt expression that flashed across his face. She was too drained to think of anything this time though.

Xander nodded solemnly and lifted her gently into his arms. He positioned her softly on the horse. "Here", he placed back the two gem necklaces around her neck and placed the ring inside her palm. She put it reluctantly around her middle finger as he sat behind her this time, as she was too tired to even hold onto him.

He seemed to be deep in his thoughts as much as she was, and he didn't comment anything on their way back to the castle. She could only feel his hand surrounding her waist, occasionally massaging and drawing circles across her back, pulling her to his hard chest while he held the reins with his other hand.

She could still feel his anger radiating off him, and she was certain there was something else ticking him off.

They only stopped once when they reached the fountain at the square, and Xander washed off the dried blood that tinted his hands. The goblin statues seemed a bit scary as they glinted off the moonlight.

He didn't say a word as he leapt back on the horse, and she was thankful. It had gotten so dark now, and she was grateful she was back home when she finally saw the lanterns lightning the back gate of the castle. 

"I c-can make it back to my room." She said softly, as he slid down his horse.

"Do you think I'll ever allow that after what happened?" His eyes immediately softened as he read the guilt expression in her eyes. He set her down gently.

"I'm sorry, Juliette." He finally admitted. He ran his hand over his face; it was all bloodied now, a fierce warrior back from the war. She felt sad knowing that she had caused it. "I should have not left you alone. I didn't know what came to my mind-," she never saw him pleading like that before, it wasn't like the soldier that had almost killed a person in front of her. "forgive me." His hand reached for her cheek and caressed her smoothly, his expression hurt and sad. "I only meant to take us to a secluded place. I should have known..better." But in reality, King Maximus knew he was being selfish. He wanted to have her for his own, without risking anyone seeing him. Without risking anyone seeing her. Without risking her knowing the real him. He wanted to get to know her and have some time with her without having to hide in corners whenever someone else passed by. He wanted her to know him, the real him. He wanted her to see he was not the monster she believed him to be. That he was just a man, destined to rule a kingdom and not some merciless killer who murders his own flesh and blood. Well you did a fine job showing her that tonight didn't you, my sweet King? Remond's mocking voice rang back in his mind.

"I gave you my word to protect you."  Pain flickered in his eyes. "But all I've done was put you in danger." She had suddenly the urge to sooth him. It saddened her to him like this.

"I'm s-safe because of y-you." She said softly, pushing back the images of the bandits. "B-but the w-way you," she muttered avoiding his gaze. He didn't need to meet her eyes to know it was fear they held. He made a mistake, there he said it. He should have waited until the bandits were moved to the dungeons, but seeing them surrounding her had made him lose his mind. He saw nothing but red when he saw what they planned to do. Even the thought of that made his blood boil. He was going to make them pay, he thought, eyeing his little angel. How can she be so angelic and innocent?

"Will you forgive me?" Will you help me become a better man? For you. For myself. For Volkeï.

How can she not when he had saved her life countless of times, when he had shirked his Royal responsibilities just so he can have a little time with her? The King would have probably got him in a lot of trouble had he knew about his escapes.

But then the images of bloodied men lying on the floor rushed back into her mind, the warnings of her friends not to mingle with someone dangerous.

"W-would you not do such things if I ask you to?"

"I'm willing to change, my love." They had reached the maids' wing now, and the hallways were dark and empty. They were only a couple of guards on the entrance of the building, and he glared at them when they eyed Juliette and seemed to want to question them. They couldn't tell he was the king but they also didn't want to mess with a high ranked soldier.

He could feel her relaxing a bit at his statement, his words soothing her anxious mind. He was glad she was finally starting to get comfortable around him, and he vowed to never put her in any dangerous situation again.

He would become a better man if that's what it took to win her.

But in the end he was just a man destined to rule a kingdom and a kingdom cannot thrive without planting fear in the hearts of his enemies. But a king was also in need of a good queen to turn to, to give him strength and to keep balance throughout his kingdom.

Confusion was written all over her face as her removed the ring from her middle finger, its purple stone glittering against the lit lanterns of the hallway.

Her pulled her petite figure closer to him, determination in his dark obsidian eyes. "The ring remains here." He commanded, his voice deep. She didn't need to look down to see that the ring now circled her fourth finger.

Xander leaned in, towering over her against the wall and kissed her hungrily. He pulled away gently, his eyes soft and she recognized an unfamiliar emotion in them. Something unsaid. A few unspoken words. A promise.

Then he was gone.

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Ahehe :D
So I know this chapter was a bit dark, but I don't want Maximus to seem as a perfect character.
Maybe there's a reason why rumors exist after all :D
But no, haha, I just meant that there's a reason why people fear him. It's not only because of a rumor.
Perhaps we'll get to know him more in the following chapters.
Oh and I would love to know what you guys think so far? ♥
Tell me your opinion, as always!
I would really realllyyy appreciate it if you leave a vote and comment ♥ I'm eagerly waiting!

I love you all soo much! ♥
Stay safe and take care,
–theladyandthefox