Embracing His Empire by Sai Marie Johnson

Author:Sai Marie Johnson [Johnson, Sai Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blushing Books Publications
Published: 2017-05-28T23:00:00+00:00

A Feast Fit for a King

Xenocrates and I sauntered into the banquet hall to the sounds of welcoming banter and loud clapping. I recognized the faces of a few of the men from the voyage and spotted Livania filling wine goblets. Juleppa sat at the table end nearest to where I stood and frowned as she glanced in my direction. Whatever the woman thought of me, I knew immediately, she and I were never going to be the sort of companions Xenocrates wished us to be. He released my arm and threw both of his hands into the air.

"Men and women of Pretus!" He began, "I welcome you to my coming home banquet, but I must make an announcement that gives me great pleasure. I, your king, have found myself a woman to take to wife!" He looked back at me and waved me forward, grabbing my hand, as soon as I stepped up beside him, and raising it into the air before the guests. "Meet your future queen; Caecelia of House Servili!" he announced.

The room erupted into cheers and clapping, which brought me a great deal of humiliation. The attention was overwhelming, and I found myself feeling faint, almost instantly. Xenocrates looked back at me and ushered me forward. In the center of the hall was a long table, which had been prepared for us to sup at. I sat and quickly motioned for Livania to come fill my goblet. I wanted nothing more than to drink myself into an oblivious state. Intoxication was something I felt would soothe both my worries and my mind.

Xenocrates leaned in and whispered against my ear, "Caecelia, it is my utmost desire for you to come to enjoy yourself here. To see that I was your liberator and not your captor, for here, you are amongst your own people, in the place you belong, fulfilling your birthright."

"I cannot force my mind to accept what you say, Xenocrates. All I have ever known is the Daejian way, and the only family I have ever believed in, you ripped away. How you expect me to enjoy myself here is something I cannot fathom. Forgive me, if I am not celebratory during your engagement banquet," I stated. As I looked back at him, I noticed that he held a flicker of pain in his eyes. Perhaps the truth was he wanted me to come to love him, in time, and my words stung deeply as he realized I would never be Alassea of Thessaly. Perhaps in a life he knew, but in my eyes, I was never going to be that girl. I was Caecelia of Servili, daughter of Hortis and Melina. And while he could force my hand to be his, only I could determine if I came to love him as a woman would her husband. The one thing Xenocrates could not control was the only thing he seemed to want the most; possession of my heart. I could not be forced to love him, and he seemed to understand my rationale at that moment.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.