Everything in me sings to life under his eyes, but so was that growing patch of darkness in my heart that held the grudge.

"Rise Charlotte." He says, shaking the wood under my heels. His voice authoritative, deep and electrifyingly sexy. My end fingers and toes sparking with heat at his proximity, pulse thrumming with a high acceleration and how he never blinked away from me.

But I also took hint of how compliant Charlotte was. When the time comes and the questions pour from me, it will start with that.

Charlotte lifts herself from her knee, strands of her golden hair unloosen from her bun as she met his eyes, a soft smile of a glow displayed onto her face, as if she were proud to have done what she had.

"Please come in my Queen." she says, ushering me inside.

I throw my gaze around to everything around me, the shed is opposite of anything royal from the home, aged dark wood with dangerous splints, homes to a few spiders in the far upper corners, the scent stale and I swore I heard the squeak of a mice somewhere in the distance. I have never used nor cared for this little shed, but now it feels as though it was a running club house for them. Three closed laptops, upside down files, a heavy tension.

All eyes on me. Majority were in awe, but only his were hard, observing my every move.

A pair of feet patter hastily towards me, and the quiet room uplifts with the sounds of two happy little boys. One which looked a little familiar.

"Queen Tiana!" They say in sync, eyes overfilled with joy before bowing down to me on one knee. Thier heights were just underneath my breasts.

"Hi!" I beamed, "Please rise."

They suddenly stiffen a little bit and looked up to me, before slowly peeking over their shoulders to where he perched himself on the edge. A wicked gleam in his eyes as he uses those ambered colored hues to glare at me with a ghost of a smirk. And when he subtly nodded, the two kids rose from their knees.

I'm taken back, my brows tighten with confusion, cocking my head to the side with an appalled mood, glaring right back at him even when the young boys chatted away before me.

"Uh your majesty." I heard on the side of my ear, Ray chimes in stepping close to my frame. "We are thrilled to have you back to us."

I blink from Nasir's hard glare and deeply inhaled to Ray's sentimental words and turned to him, meeting his soft sad eyes.

"Thank you, Ray." I sighed. "I just wished I knew what happened."

I noted how the silence simmers into the room, Ray looked over my shoulder on the left and I follow the gaze towards Charlotte, who had her head down, avoiding Nasir's eyes.

"I tried to speak on the subject sir." she defended.

By this point I was in a solo game of Pingping as my eyes bounced to every quiet individual in the room.

"Boys go outside." Nasir suddenly demanded, his voice again shaking the aged wood of the shed. Neither argue, in fact jumped to his command with haste, until both were out the door.

He uses his hand to wipe down his face as he rose from the edge of the desk, slipping his hands into his pockets. "My Queen." he says to me, my pulse racing the closer he was getting, until my head trailed up to his frame before me. "Allow us to talk."

***

Irritation bubbles in my nerves, leaving me breathless and I rose from the chair, throwing an accusing glare to Charlotte. "I thought I told you I was done with this conversation."

Cautiously she stepped to me, holding out her hands to steady my brewing rage.

"No Charlotte." he demanded darkly. And like before she complied. "Let her soak it in."

"Gunter would never." I declare, holding a challenge to his dark eyes as we bicker away like a couple of rivals.

He drew in his shoulders coyly, "You're right, the mafia's son would not be a part of these organizations, or slowly immobilize his wife to keep her silent and out of the way." His tone matter of fact like. And his nonchalant demeanor was beginning to irk me.

"No. So far, it has been our bodyguard that has caused more damage in the castle, perhaps check yourself before pointing fingers."

I hinted Charlotte and Ray lowering their heads in the background as If I struck a nerve so deep, they felt it.

He scoffs seconds later after the silence stretched between us, the ends of his lips curling into a smirk before his eyes fall flat. "Very well than my Queen, believe what you want or don't. But you did see those rooms the day after the massacre."

Shivers race down my limbs at his cold voice, reminded of the day I had forced myself to forget, despite my conscious swimming a complete darkness, the taste of iron spreads onto my tongue and I inhaled, finally facing the nightmare in broad daylight. "It is a day I can never forget."

"Then you should know what the Mafia is capable of. Each, and every, one of us. The king is only title, a crafted glass work for anyone to wear, it is the man you married that you need to be weary of my queen."

Something twists deeply in my gut, as I fight to hold his glare.

"I will not hear any more of this, in fact I will act like I didn't hear a thing." I glided my eyes to Charlotte and spoke. "For your sake and your sake only."

The line of my patience has finally reached, and I pivot my heels towards the door, feeling his heated glare down my spine.

***

Evening soon reached as I watched half the sun vanish into the invincible line of the horizon, glowing hour raining its glow onto me as it illuminated my skin, my pores absorbing the warm flames, but the thoughts that spiral in my head burn my peace. The sky will soon be dusted with speckles of stars, and Gunter is nowhere to be found in the castle. I must speak what is on my mind, even when I myself don't believe what I was told for a second.

Or did I?

Regardless, I watched in a span of almost three years, Nasir be the one to tarnish the royal castle with blood, he wields the gun that took so many lives, he is the reason why I am seen as weak, and he is the reason behind this hatred. I hate him, I just hate him, and I hate it more that I am the one to be blamed for this, when he wasn't even my fucking guard to begin with.

I forced a harsh breath through my clenched teeth, mulling over every detail. I bet he had a good laugh, at me while I those picket signs were flaring in the air for all to see.

'Long live the King, the queen had longed perish.'

Aggressively I wipe the streaming tear that slithers down my cheek, and the other on the verge of spilling, I used to look at him like he was the most radiant being to ever walk the earth, certainly he was the most radiant in mine, now it feels as though those years were a blur. He grew to a man, innocence long tarnished when he traded it for the mafia, and now he is a threat to my title.

Curse him, curse everything he ever said to me, whether the lie or the truth, just fucking curse him whole, and curse myself for ever fantasizing about him, curse the way my body involuntarily reacts when he is around, and curse my fucking heart for thumping so loud I could hear the drums in my ear canal.

Glowing rays hit the emeralds upon my crown, and I watched the speckling emeralds flickering along the walls, like dancing little green diamonds, and I am reminded than the weight I truly hold. I don't need Gunter aside me to make my own laws, I am the new generation that carries centuries worth of power onto this crown alone, a task entrusted to me by the women of my past.

I want Nasir out and I want him out this instant.

With a final huff I gather it all, my pride and queendom. Eager to put my weird to the test and demand my so-called bodyguard to leave, but as I headed towards the door my knees weakened, lungs constricted tightly, and I almost toppled to the face first to the wood of the door - there it goes again, my heart ramming so much I can barely walk.

My thumping pulse, or the hot blood molting in my veins, it was a debate between two and I chose to say fuck these butterflies and latched onto the cold handle and strode down the hall. My mind races with many things to say as I nearly bump into the working maids, my clopping heels alerting anyone nearby and I throw gaze to the windows at the dissipating sun -- I must reach him before dawn is fully upon us.

The breath of the wind hits my cheeks, and I feel the true burn at the surface of my ski.

"My queen may I -"

I threw a dismissive hand to the maid without paying her any mind, my eyes and rage set on Nasir alone, and as I rounded the castle towards his room my heels had begun to sink into the sand, the air shifts and I smelt fresh wood, and heard faint sounds of something sprinkling.

Dawn is soon upon us, but it still gave that golden glow, anticipation burning, words are ready at the tip of my tongue as I rounded the corner, parted my lips to shout -- but everything in me suddenly suspends.

The lids of my eyes refuse to close, and greed widens the pupils, the words drip down my tongue floating into the wind, never to be fathomed again and disappeared from my mind. In this moment I forgot how to talk, forgot how to breath and even forgot why I came, my eyes were locked.

Locked on the shower head streaming crystal clear water down onto the naked man before me, I face the muscular back, ripened scars and tattoos adorned on various parts of his body -- he is luminous.

The water gracefully streaming through his jet-black hair, powerful and toned arms lathering up the soap and a round shaped bum, down to the strong toned legs. Steadily he angles his head upwards and twisted towards the glowing light, allowing me to see the bulging biceps of his thick arms. His eyes were closed, and lips parted as I watched the strong jawline and the thick Adams apple throb as he collected the water into his mouth, before sharply shooting it out, raising a hand to run those fingers into his damped hair.

Electricity whizzes throughout my nerves and focused on forbidden parts of me, a cloud hazes my vision, and I had the urge to trail my tongue across my lips. My fingers itch to rub an ache in between me and the swelling buds of my nipples. Strong arms, broad shoulders, a slim toned abdomen sculpted with hard abs and a deep V line that leads down to - he suddenly twisted again, and I gulped, missing the true size of him.

Vulnerable, in his own prime, not paying mind to anyone that could be witnessing him in such a state. Raw, vulgar and naked. Unabashedly my idled tongue breaks from my mouth, trailing the buds over my moistened lips, this time pulling it in between my teeth. His hands featherily run across his body leaving the soapy foam in its awakening trail, and it was then I witnessed his hand other reach downwards and gently gripped his shaft, I nearly tumbled back.

Fisted into his hands was the swollen organ of a man, despite his hand being massive alone, he couldn't wrap around it fully, or wholly. A red fat tip is exposed, and I gulped.

Like a man in agony, he stealthily leans his head back, chin angling upwards to the streaming shower as the vaping steam engulf around him, his hands work around it, massaging to an extent before he hastened the movement. Strong knees buckled and he plants an arm to the cemented wall of the castle, he groans seductively, moaning as if it were excruciating, every sound he cried tightens my heart and liquid oozes in between me.

And just as he in the brinks of whatever release he searched for, A maid calls my name loudly, jolting me from my stare, and commanding his attention.

My heart plummeted to the soles of my feet. I was discovered. His ambered orbs look at me with shock, before it softened to something dark, an inkier color that rimmed the outline of his pupils, something wicked swimming in the waters behind that look.

The maid strides closely to me, eager to see what I am gazing at when I ushered her to pause.

"Please go back inside." I spoke, nearly declaring with an unusually louder tone than ever. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. But when she makes no move, I shoot her a gaze that had her bowing, and she strides off.

Now we meet eye to eye, that awkward silence holding me by the neck as I keep my eyes from trailing any lower, -- Yet my attempts are pathetic, and he caught it in seconds.

Nasir dropped his hand and twisted towards me to display all six foot plus of mighty strength, purposefully grinning by the way I turn my head.

"Is there something you need my queen?" he says darkly, running his free hands along his thick chest.

"Please hurry with your bath." I thankfully said in the nick of time.

"Why rush, there is plenty of room. join me."

My breath gusts from my lungs and I turn to him appallingly, him and that dark grin. He is bold and disregards me as his queen. Now I remember why I am here, to throw him out and be the last one to grin when I get my way.

My shoulders stiffen, stretching some distance between us as I walked beside his frame. "Please finish with your bath, we need to talk."

***

I furrow my brows in question as I examine the large, taped outline on the wall, and the cinders of white dust that was never cleaned, as If someone busted through the paint.

"Ignore that."

I jolted, twisted my frame to his eyes at the entrance of the door, a towel wrapped lowly around his waist and that smirk. He ducks his head coming in, and the door comes to a loud groaning close.

"Please get yourself dressed." I spoke.

He looked at me deeply, and his smirk sinisterly stretched to a grin, "As you wish."

In seconds the towel around his waist pools to the floor, and I turn my head in the nick of time, listening to him breathily chuckle as the hot blood rushed to my cheeks.

The dawning realization hit me deeper, when I hinted the circumstance. Us in the room, his frame completely dominating, and my smaller fidgeting frame.

Hold yourself Tiana, never show weakness, he cannot hurt you or touch you.

I speak through the ruffles of his clothes, "There is an important matter we need to discuss."

"Oh," he drawls. That musing tone, as if he takes me for a joke. "And what do we need to discuss my Queen?"

I drop my hands, my heart racing and I turn to face him, half dressed. "I want you out of my castle." I demand. "I want you out this instant. You have the gull to come here and murder lives, then try and have your way with me, and now you try and establish your authority above me."

I roar out every bit of my annoyance, yet none fazed him, rows of white teeth display as he chuckles, hovering a white shirt above his shoulders. I force my eyes not to look any lower, and certainly not the outline of the menacing bulge in his grey pants.

"Is that all?" he says, tugging the hem of the white shirt down.

I scoffed, "Is there more you have done while I was -- I throw the quotation symbol -- asleep"

"Nope. Just about caught up." He grins.

His grey sweatpants hanging loosely around his waist, and white shirt cutting into his muscled biceps. This was him getting ready for bed? steady your hormones Tiana, but why did he look so good.

"Anything else you'd like to add?" he says cocking his head to the side, before he perched himself on the edge of the bed, leaning back to give me his undivided attention with his strong legs spread wide.

My eyes trail to those strong bulging arms holding up his weight. Careless, nonchalant, as if my words and command were a joke to his lacking amusement. And finally, my patience hit the end of a nerve, and I gritted my teeth. "Nasir," I said darkly, his eyes trailing upwards as he watched me stride closer. "Get out."

Silence stretched between us than. Unsettling silence. Our eyes holding a challenge.

He huffs suddenly, and shrugs, "Thought we established my meaning for being here."

My brow arched, "Excuse me."

"If I were to leave right now," he says steadily rising up to his feet. "Who will make your pussy wet?"

I angled my chin up to his frame, unconsciously backing up when the space between us encloses.

"Who else can make your body this vulnerable just by being near you." he recites as if he reads my sins. A preacher before the alter, listing the commandments.

I hold my composure, despite the swelling of my nipples until his lips are near my forehead, the scent of wood and forest wafting me, and it felt as if I were bathing in the streams of a waterfall, enwrapped in its earthy soil.

"I have heard enough." I forced. "You have crossed the boundary one too many times, and now my patience with you has reached far beyond the peek."

"So why didn't you send your husband?"

I pause my words, "What?"

"Why didn't you send your husband? or even alert proper authorities to try and rid me from the grounds. Why did you come to me, all alone?"

"I-I-"

"Why did you come to me, knowing we'd be here in my room," His broad chest brush against mine, and I'm slightly pushed backwards as he steps forwards. "Why didn't you take proper measure as the Queen and used your power to try and throw me out of here."

The emphasize on my title leaves a distaste in my tongue, "Why do you mock my title", I rasped. "Is it not you that tells me to remind myself of my place?"

"Not with me."

"Excuse me?"

"I said my queen, not with me." He threw a dark gaze to the crown above my head. "Listen to me when I say, I will have you in the unholiest ways. Doing the unholiest things and saying the most vile and nastiest words. All while you have that crown positioned right above your head."

"Get out!" I finally roar. "Get our Nasir, this instant!" My hands rise, throwing punches to his chest that left not even a dent in his fleshy armor. "Get out Nasir, get out or else I'll-"

And just before I could spill out whatever threat I had at the base of my throat, his hand wrapped around it, whole body compressed down onto me as my back aligns to the cold wall behind me. My heart thrashes, and the touch of his cold hand releases signals of desire throughout my body.

I'm left blinded, can't see the obsidian color of his eyes, but felt the rumbles of his hand. His soft lips graze the shell of my ear and the other hand daringly cupping the globe of my left breast, a single finger flicking the sensitive bead of my nipple behind the gown.

"I've been nice," he grates. "And look what it's gotten me, I almost fucking lost you over and over again." He squeezed the bud, and I arched, "I am done being nice with you, I am done being gentle and waiting for you to come to me. Too fucking patient. Now I'm going to take you."

My eyes flutter, and threw a gaze out to the open window, the curtainless window and a projection for all to see from the outside. Naked to the eyes of anyone. "What are you - Oh!"

The trail of his moist tongue drags at the line of my neck, while his hand massaged the globe.

"Do you have any Idea what it's like, watching the woman I care for die inside?"

My pacing heart begins to soar.

"Do you have any fucking Idea what it's doing to me, every time I watch you side by side next to Gunter, playing husband and wife?" His snarls, his tone dark, and deceptive, lulling me into a tensing passion burning between us two.

Desire flushing through me, rolling down my body like waves. This was possessive, something stronger, and I felt it poke my stomach.

""You don't have a clue do you, what you do to me? how you affect me, and how fucking crazy you drive me, every single day I can't have you to myself or tell you how much I feel."

He feels? I gasped erotically in that moment, taken back by the cold intrusion. His cold palm slips into my gown, right past my bra, now holding my naked breast, feeling the painful swelling he caused.

"Make note my queen," I moan quietly while he squeezed and played with me. "I am done." His hand becomes harsher, almost abusing his strength on me. Pressing, flicking, and tugging, and every touch burns. "I want you," His strong knee pushes up to my clit. "In every worse way," I found myself somewhat rubbing myself onto him, searching for that release that balled in my abdomen. "And I will take you. Do I make myself clear?"

I fight the thumping rage inside me, nearing a satisfying expel of release, while letting every word process as I try and sustain this violent desire. And when I let his words thin to tendrils, he slightly squeezed around my throat.

"Y-yes!" I chocked, for no other reason but one, to have him continue to assert himself onto me this way. Hoping maybe If I stayed quiet long enough, he could press onto me harder, or squeeze the pebble further, or better yet toss me in whatever position he craved.

"Good girl." he says. His dark tone sinking a shade deeper. "Now please leave before I lose myself control."

Instantly his heated frame dispels before me and I almost collapsed, He turns and faces elsewhere, while I observed his backside, already missing his touch.

Why are you still here Tiana? leave. I couldn't. I wanted more, I wanted him planted above me, depriving me of oxygen and stripping me until I am nothing more than his toy. I loved it, I loved the feeling ... of him dominating me.

Feeling my presence lingering in the room still, he turns his head and meet my eye. The dark gaze hinted the unspoken words. Leave. Or there will be secrets too great to hold, and sin too far gone it could not be redeemed.