6. Malakai
Malakai
Cuckolding my firstborn son wasn’t my finest moment. I stride out of the little private office, leaving Lili to reassemble herself while I deal with the wreckage I just caused.
“Dad. Did she say yes?” Kenton’s eyes meet mine, filled with the anxious hope of a boy on Christmas morning.
“Wedding’s off,” I grunt.
“What?” He looks like I punched him in the gut. “She said no?”
Female rejection is not something my son has a great deal of experience with. It’s normal that he would take the news badly. A pang of guilt for the way I’m treating him pinches my middle, but it’s not enough to stop me from taking what I want.
“She said no to you. Not to me.” I’m already on my phone firing off a first note to my assistant. Cancel the wedding—his. Announce a new one—for me.
Kenton turns ashen. “You can’t be fucking serious. Jesus, Dad.”
“Your wedding is off. Mine is taking place this afternoon.” I squeeze his shoulder. “This is what you wanted. You should be glad.”
He jerks away.
Behind us, Liliviere steps out from the chamber, looking a lot more disheveled than she did 20 minutes ago. Kenton’s brow knits furiously. “I can’t believe you just went in and fucked my fiancée.”
He turns his back and strides out, back to the helicopter.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to call him back and explain that I didn’t actually fuck her, but somehow, I don’t think my son would care about the technical distinction.
It hardly matters anyway. I betrayed him.
It was selfish, and I do feel bad about that, even though I don’t regret meeting Liliviere.
She is the first woman who’s made me feel alive again in ten years.
All the while, the ancient King of Kellimar has barely stirred from his nap.
“I’ll have my palace advisors draw up the marriage contract,” she says. I pull her close and kiss her hard. At least she’s certain she wants this too.
“They can work on that while we prepare for the wedding.” I scoop up her slight weight and throw her over my shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she protests, her skirt turning as she tries to wriggle free.
“You’re coming with me. With the rebels active in the area, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“You can’t just run off with me!”
I smack her bottom to make her calm down. That doesn’t work. Like the barbarian I am, I drag her to the chopper and thrust her inside. Kenton, already buckled into his seat, recoils.
“The fuck are you doing, Dad?” he shouts. “I don’t want her in here with me.”
“You can use the flight to get to know your new stepmother.” If looks could kill, I’d be dead from Kenton’s glower. Liliviere, too. She’s red-faced and fuming.
“This is kidnapping,” she snaps.
I shrug. “You’ll get used to it.”
“I have responsibilities in Kellimar. You should both stay and learn more about my country.”
“That isn’t necessary since you won’t be living in it anymore.”
“I’m starting to think this is a mistake,” she says.
“You and everybody else,” Kenton interjects. “My phone is blowing up. First, people thought they were sending me congratulations. Now everyone is up in arms. Kudos, Dad. Looks like you just started the Great War all over again.”
By the time we land in Enovar, my advisors have convened a meeting. More like an intervention.
“Your Imperial Majesty, we believe this is a grave mistake. First of all, there’s the age difference. Young Princes Liliviere is young enough to be your daughter.”
“Age is just a number. She wants this. I want it, too. Nobody else’s opinion matters.”
“Then there’s the optics of throwing over your own son.” Another councilor winces. “We did so much work to stop the people from calling you Malakai the Monster. Overnight, you have upended literally years of work.”
He’s right. This is madness. I’m destroying everything I felt for a woman I met a few hours ago. I can’t bring myself to care. This is the first time I’ve felt alive in ten years.
“How are the wedding preparations coming along?” I ask.
Dead silence. The council gapes at me in disbelief.
“No one is planning a wedding until the furor dies down,” says my head legal advisor. “You need to think this through, sir. If you marry anyone, the Gremalian queen is a far better choice. Let Kenton marry her. You cannot go around ordering people to get married on a whim.”
I point a finger at his weaselly face and say, “This is my empire, and I will do whatever the fuck I want. There is no force on this planet strong enough to stop me from marrying Princess Liliviere. Get that woman a dress and find a chapel. Now.”
“It’s the wedding contract that’s the problem. Her Highness’ advisors are refusing to sign off on it until there are stronger guarantees in place for the protection of Kellimar.”
“Fine. Give her whatever she wants.”
Everyone around the table gasps.
“This meeting is over. I have made myself clear.” Madness though it may be, Princess Liliviere is the only woman I want, and I’ll have her.
Whatever it takes to get her into my bed as soon as fucking possible.
Before I physically explode from need. One hand job isn’t remotely close enough to sate my pent-up physical desires.
I need that ring on her finger. Immediately.