Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Breakfast

Dominus felt his cheeks burn as he thought about the events of the night.

It only took one smile from the queen, to make him feel all over again. He cursed the gods as his eyes stared at her beautiful lips.

“Good morning, Sir Dom,” she greeted him as he entered the balcony. The table was laden with food and two sets of plates and cutleries were perfectly laid facing each other.

He frowned as he thought of whom the queen will be having breakfast with, in her own chambers no less.

“Please sit,” the queen motioned her hands towards the seat parallel to hers.

Dominus’s mouth fell wide open, his eyes focused on hers, waiting for her to explain what she means. Did he just imagine what he thought he heard?

“Please sit down and eat with me, Sir Dom,” she smiled again, her eyes shone brightly as they met his golden orbs.

.....

“Do you mean? Do you mean for breakfast, my queen?” he asked, his voice low as if even saying it out loud will sound like a joke.

“Yes, my knight. Please join me for breakfast,” she urged him, her hand gently reaching out to his arm and tugging gently.

He felt a tingling sensation on his skin just from the mere contact of their skins. He prayed for whatever test this is from the heavens to stop. He can barely contain himself from grabbing his queen and tasting her lips for breakfast.

“It is inappropriate your highness,” his deep baritone voice echoed in the air as the queen looked up at him with pleading eyes.

“Please Sir Dom, it will be my pleasure if you will join me for my meal,” her soft-spoken voice wrapped itself into his heart making him follow her command.

The queen smiled and began to eat silently in front of him, he grabbed the spoon and fork and tried to concentrate on eating his meal.

She cleared her throat, “Is anything wrong Sir Dom?”

He stopped chewing and swallowed as he heard her voice again, still avoiding her eyes as he looked at his food with much-disguised interest.

“I mean, is it so intolerable for you to share a meal with me?” her words astounded him.

“What do you mean, your highness?” he frowned hearing those words from her.

Intolerable? To be with her? Does she finally take notice of the way he responds to her whenever she is near? Is she going to remind him of his place?

“You don’t seem to be enjoying your meal, Sir Dom,” she pointed out, her voice almost breaking as she felt emotions bubble up her chest.

“Do you not like sharing a meal with me? Do you despise it so?” she asked, her voice almost a mere whisper as she lowered her head.

What she said made him look at her. How can she think that way, that he doesn’t want to be sharing this moment with her?

Every moment shared with her is precious to him, he stores them in his memories so carefully. Being with her makes his heart feel so at ease, and spending time with her is all he looks forward to.

He cupped her cheeks tenderly, her eyes widening in shock as she looked at him with glassy tears.

“Don’t say things like this my queen, I beg you,” his voice was low as emotions took over him.

———-

“Why? It is true! You claim to care for me, but you do not enjoy any moment you spend with me. You despise being in my presence, that is how I feel. You do it out of your duty. You do it because you have no choice,” her lips trembled as she spoke making him focus on them more.

Without thinking, he reached for the back of her head and pulled her head closer to him until their lips finally touched.

It was a gentle kiss, almost like petals merely gliding against each other, but it didn’t stop the queen’s heart from thumping loudly in her chest.

He let go of her and looked into her eyes, “Your highness, all you said just now, is the opposite of how I feel.”

“Tell me then, tell me what exactly do you feel?” her cheeks burned from embarrassment but she bore through it. She wanted to know exactly what he meant by those words.

“Forgive me, my queen, I can’t tell you,” he said with finality as he took a deep breath.

“Why? I’m you queen and I demand to know,” she said, despising herself for trying to use her authority over him.

“Even a barbarian like me is entitled to some privacy my ladyship. But if you must know the reason why I can’t tell you is simply because you are my queen and nothing will change that. The circumstance prevents me from telling you whatever it is you wanted to hear,” he straightened up from his seat as he finished his meal.

“Don’t speak in riddles, please. I just want to know what it is... what it is that you feel for me,” she bit her lower lip as she whispered the last words.

He chuckled and caressed her cheek tenderly, “I guarantee it, if I tell you now, you will run as far away from me as possible.”

She blushed but let herself get lost in his soft touch. “How can you be so sure of that?”

“I am sure of it, because even I am scared of the extent of my feelings where you are concerned, my queen,” he whispered back, aware that the words he spoke to her are something reprehensible.

He has no right to feel the way he does. No right to touch her, and no right to want to be beside her every waking moment of his life.

Her lips trembled as she looked up at him, not knowing how to respond as her heart beats faster with his glance.

“If you can’t say it... at least let me feel, a bit of the things you refuse to say,” she mumbled.

His eyes turned to murky gold as passion overtook his reasons and claimed her lips once again. He didn’t let her go this time until she was breathless from his kiss.

“Is that enough?” he whispered, his voice hoarse from desire.

“Not just yet... no not nearly enough,” she smiled and tugged on his collar, lowering his head.