Traffic is brisk but cars pave way to the roads, fear stricken by the symbol of the Initials encrusted in gold on the black Rolls-Royce. Windows rolling up as we steer by, all eyes glaring ahead not sparing any glances towards our direction. Even without seeing the man himself they knew the marking and the stories that followed, a dark aura that emanates around.

"Head for headquarters before we make the journey." The king commands, through my sunglasses I peer up to the rearview mirror, chills tingling my spine finding his eyes were already on mine. As if knowing I'd question the change. "There is going to be meeting."

"Yes, sir." A swift maneuver of my hand to the wheel and the route was redirected back to headquarters, Charlotte in the car behind mine and Ray behind hers, the twins with Charlotte and Gunter with Ray and the rest of the guards in their own.

In the brief of silence, hairs prick at my nape feeling his lingering deep stare on me, a sound of the newspaper crinkling as he folds it. "I take it you have fared well during my departure." I don't look at him, but I sense the smirk hidden in his tone, scent of cologne and gun powder was overbearing.

Give little and say less, "Indeed sir."

"My son has fared well?" The smirk disperses, tone laden in disappointment.

"Gunter has had his own affairs sir, I am only to protect his body."

"Hmm, very well than. How has training?"

"Training has been well sir, the new guards await your arrival back in headquarters."

"We will be needing them going forwards." A guttural tone in his throat; grave and dark. I don't miss the chuckle in his breath. The atmosphere suffocates me, and my anxiety inflates. Uneased by the unknown, another silent trick in his sleeve.

"If I may ask sir, why are we heading back to headquarters? Whatever it is, I can have it retrieved."

"This is meeting that I will need you and everyone joining us for today's festivities at the Royal palace."

My fingers tightening around the wheel. Red flags flaring all around his presence. Steady your emotions Nasir, but once again I slipped and wore my heart out on my sleeve. Gruff noises escape my chest and I shift aggressively.

"Ah, that's right." He sings darkly, in response to the body language. A shift of his leg and he crosses one over the other. "Today is a special day indeed. A reunite of an old admirer. Well than it is now essential than ever to have you attend this meeting." He chuckles thickly returning to his newspaper readings.

***

Lined in a row, all the guards, maids and butlers stand outside as all the cars park into the Estate. Only when the King steps to the pavement everyone bows to his presence, rising at my command. No one to approach as they await with twiddling thumbs, he is inspecting again, glancing around from the horizon back to the home. A man who prides himself on cleanliness even down to the gardens.

"Welcome home King." We all say in sync.

A nod of his head and he makes way inside disappearing within along with the twins. Not before signaling me in a notion with his hand to have all the new guards head to the office in a manner of time.

A feast fit for a king was prepped. Fur coat and dress suit ditched as he sits down with the twins. White dress sleeve rolled up to his elbows, biceps and forearms bulging. Glistening tattoos, symbols of new blood and honor. At his side is Albin, and Bartek across. All digging into their plate.

Clinks of utensils as they all dug into their plates.

All except one, "You're not eating boy." The King muses over to Gunter sitting down at the far-left end.

Stitched and bruised, swollen right eye from the previous impact bags of his eyes weighed down, from where I stood the tremble of his fingers were apparent by his father's stare.

Fear lacing his eyes, but he forces a breath to speak, "I-I'm not hungry sir." he wheezes.

One of the twin's chuckles to the hoarse in his throat, he forces the burning tears to dry to not further irritate the tender skin of his broken nose.

"Eat something. And I won't tell you again."

A nod of my head to one of the maids and she rushes over to him with a plate.

King Adelheid's attention arrows to me, hard eyes relax with a glint. "You too Nasir, eat. You will need it for what you are to learn today." Hidden innuendos in his statements, the twins turn to meet my standing frame, a boiling anxiety ball at my abdomen.

Any appetite I had diminishes at the sight of him and his secrets. "Forgive me sir, I have already eaten."

Thankfully he shrugs returning back to his food. Bartek following after, leaving only the glare of Albin. A ghost of a smirk on his face, eyes descending down the line at me Charlotte and Ray before steadying back on mine. His gaze intense, but I wasn't the scared little boy anymore, not one to cry any more, I'm sure he would remember that all too well.

A long sip of his wine before beckoning for more, "My how many years has it been hmm?" he questions.

All glance around but the King, a smirk in my face knowing the questions is in regard to me. "Many years sir."

He reciprocates my smirk with a nod, peering around the home and to the marching soldiers outside. "You have done well putting this all together I must say myself."

"Much appreciation, but I'll split the compliment with my two best friends aside me."

He glances down at Ray and Charlotte and steals the moment to rake up her body, "Hmm that's right, the two rugrats you cried for. You did good with one of them at least." Eyes on Charlotte as he sips his wine, dark hunger pools around the rims of his pupils. "I see why you wanted her saved; I'd swim the ocean for that cutie too." he winked over to her, and she forces herself to not reach for the blade. Plump red lips stretch to a tight smile.

His eyes than slice over to Ray and his amusement diminishes, "it astounds me how a weak link like that one survived." A disdain in his tone the way he speaks. "Look at him, only thing he did proper was a computer, other than that a crybaby like him should have been put to the ground long ago. Alongside his parents."

My lips snarl watching Ray's head lower.

"His parents were the most fun to rid of," His shoulders slouched as he props his elbows to the table. "I still feel the bone of your mothers neck cracking in my palm, the way her head fell loosely once her soul slipped from her."

Bartek laughs in the background, charlottes face reddening, itching to dismember him. My fingers twiddle to draw my gun.

"Oh," he muses. "I haven't angered you all have I?" no remorse behind his voice. "Mess with one and you mess with all. I'll be on my best behavior for the King, but ever wonder what happened to your dog?"

Intrigued by the news Ray's head lifts. Albin plays with the sharp end of a steak knife, his eyes laden with amusement. "He is somewhere in New Orleans; I can help you find him. But he isn't in one piece."

The same light that sparkles in Rays eyes dies down, unlike Charlotte and I, Ray wears his heart on his sleeve. Knowing that, he is taunted ruthlessly. Seeing as though the nail was struck the twins roar with laughter only to be cut off.

"Speaking of dogs," I cut in. "I hope you have healed from an attack all those years ago?" I speak out of turn, unable to sustain the fumes guzzling in my streams as they mocked him, but the King doesn't look up to me. Eating away as if he were the only one in the room.

Albins smile slowly falls, realization creeping in. "I take it your tears have dried from your attack?"

"What did you say to me?"

"Now don't tell me you forgot sir; you had your fair shares with mutts before in the past. Only you didn't handle it well like a man." I cheese watching his right leg jerk involuntarily.

Anger flares through his nostrils, dining chair scuffs back as he rose, "Say that again you -"

The noise disrupts the King and his meal, "Sit down Albin." he commands, not looking up but paused. A one and only warning.

"Yes, sir." Lowering his body, it was clear the authority couldn't be challenged. But his eyes were fierce, and I winked in amusement.

Moments of piece and Gunter struggling to swallow later, the king rises, and everyone aligns their backs. The twins and Gunter following. "Clear the Table" he commands, grabbing his fur coat and dress suit. "Everyone in the office in two minutes."

Enough time to gather the troops and have them prepped.

Each man disappears into the office around the corner, our cue to move. The maids come out one by one as I peer out to the soldiers outside, when a whiff of a sweet scent garners my attention. Her eyes look at mine sorrowfully before tending to the plates and trays. No words to me, walking away.

Charlotte and Ray catching onto the attention, A signal from me and they nod. Together heading out to gather the troops while I follow Nala to the kitchen. Still unhealed from our recent nights together she vaguely walks around to the sink.

I meet her backside as she faces the sink. "Nala."

"Please excuse me Mr. Omar, I have dishes to tend too."

She makes an attempt to round me when I cage her mini frame against the wall. "Try and escape me now." I instruct glancing down to her cornered mini physique.

Her breath lowers to a hiss, "Mr. Omar please, we can't do such things in the open."

The maids nearby not sparing us a simple glance.

"Then speak to me."

Once more she ignores me, sliding through an opening when my hands plant against the wall on the side her hips, "Mr. Omar- "

My jaw ticking with annoyance, time isn't a luxury in my line of work. "That isn't the name you moan and beg for every other night. Use it properly Nala."

Her eyes lace with an emotion, a mix of lust and pain as they gloss looking up to my eyes. Light skin blushes red. "What do you need with me Nasir?" A harsh tone before a sniffle.

I'm confused by it, a piece of her wants to cry, another wants to kill me but the other wants me to hold her. "Talk to me Nala, what is it?" I try and speak, but she looks away from my eyes.

"What is it you want to speak about? It's not like me and you have a future together."

"What?" my arms loosen at the sides.

"You're leaving soon, right? back to the arms of your old lover." A crack in her voice, tears brimming her eyelids.

My jaw clenches. So bad do I want to deny her words, yet I couldn't deny these mellow feelings at the thought of Tiana.

"Nala I -"

"I can never leave these grounds Nasir, just like you I am trapped in this place. Step out once and I'll be killed." A sob clawing at her throat. A single bead of a tear breaks free, rolling down her blushed cheeks.

Raising a hand to swipe the bead, it pains me seeing her hurt, she is still deeply in someone I care about. I could never part with her on Inadequate terms. "Nala -"

Seeing my fingers she wags me at the wrist. "Don't touch me" she sobs. "You knew how I was feeling about you, and now I have to watch as you and your girl reunite again."

.... It hit me then, the emotions she was feeling. "Nala Please I -"

"Your evil Nasir, an asshole." She cries. "What am I going to do now? No where else to go, and no family. You ruined me, I-" she paused, looking into my eyes ever so deeply ... "I hate you."

A mere silence fell between us, a burden pokes at my nerves like a spear, I am still trying to come in tune with it all. Hate, a word I felt so strongly about, based heavily on my up bringing. I knew it wasn't something to just throw around. Ray used to tell me how words can hurt, in my case I always thought it were the bullets ramming my bones. But this feeling took an immense toll onto my mental capacity.

Nala hates me. All the tears in me have long dried and I could never cry anymore but seeing the pain in her eyes it was a wildfire in my chest. Leisurely my arms fall to my sides, my face hard looking at all the tears she cries solely for my expense, it was never my intention to take it that far, but at the time we both needed someone and found each other.

Wrong time, right place.

"Nasir sir." The sound of Charlotte calling out my name. A feel of a hundred eyes witnessing the scene, I don't look away from Nala, but she turns away from me. Crying softly. "Time to get going."

I can't move from her like this, especially when she is in pain. I am on a timer, but her pain mattered so much more to me than time, and I would have stayed to console her hadn't she ran away from me.

The South African beauty that took away my pain in exchange for nights of steamy lust. I watch her retreating frame, incapable of tearing away my eyes as she parts from me.

Someone I care deeply for, now harbors hatred towards me -- injected by my own poison.