~Mala’s POV
The sudden silence in the room lasted a while. I started to ask myself if I heard him right or those weren’t the words that just rolled off his tongue.
Francis couldn’t even look into my eyes and that was when I knew that the devil ant those words.
So he was done? So he already got what he wanted? So after everything that happened, after all my suffering, the pain, the sha, the hateful words.... The only thing that Francis could think of was taking in another wife.
I stood up from the bed and moved away from him. It seed as if history was about to repeat itself. As a woman who had an affair with a king, It’s expected that he takes in another wife right? But for , it ant alot more than that.
I knew what my mother went through. She was in pain till the day that she died. She started to feel like an intruder in a family that she worked so hard to build. She was there with my father when he was just a prince with no reasoning and all he wanted was to spend. My mother molded him, sharpened him, taught him how to be a man, carved him into the king he was but at the end of the day, what did she get? Betrayal.
I looked and Francis and I didn’t even know what to say to him. Arabella hated enough already....I already knew what I would be up against if she got married to Francis. She would torture and she’ll end up killing like Venessa did to my mother.
Tears rolled down my face.
Francis didn’t know what he was about to cause. Arabella was loved by everyone and I was tagged as a witch. It would only get worse for . I’d remain in the shadows while she gallivants next to the king.
That’s how unfair life can be.
"How long have you been thinking about it?" I asked, my shaking voice pierced through the silence.
Francis slowly raised his head. His eyes t with mine. "Tell how long you have been thinking about it!" I scread.
"I’m sorry," was all that he said.
"So Francis this is it?" I asked and I took a while to mock myself amidst my tears. "I trusted you. I believed everything you told . You told I am the only one who keeps you calm, you said I’m the one that completes you. So where’s all of that now?" I asked.
Francis couldn’t utter a word.
"You did it because of the prophecy didn’t you? Because you don’t want to kill you. And now that I am most vulnerable and you know I can give my life for you, then you decided to move on with your life?" I asked and Francis lowered his head again.
"Oh ... .so tell . You like it rough with her? I saw her bruises. She even said it’s my fault. And I know....I know that’s how I’ll keep getting blad for every bad thing that happens to her because I’m the witch in the picture! What do you think this is? A book? You think we’ll live in peace and harmony? Having more than a wife never turns out well!
There’s soone knocking at the door and do you know who it is? It’s doom, and it didn’t forget to bring chaos with it! I bet you don’t even know what you’re about to do to ....oh....I forgot. You can’t understand how humans feel because you’re the devil....."
"Mala!" Francis suddenly scread. He raised his head and he had tears streaming down his face. He cried.... Francis cried.
I thought I was angry and wasn’t going to forgive him, not until I saw those eyes of his.
Francis slowly crawled towards . He gently removed all the royal accessories on him, leaving himself in his thin underwear fabric. "Never would I hurt you on purpose, Mala," Francis sobbed and I fell to the ground, right in front of him.
His hands shivered as he took my hand and placed it on his chest. "I might be called the devil...and maybe I acted that way in the past. But right here, Mala.... I’m human. And I swear with everything that I have that I love you and I always will," he cried.
I shook my head. "Do not manipulate , Francis...don’t! You love ? You love ....you love .... then don’t marry her!"
"I do not have a choice, Mala. It’s not .... it’s what the ancestors want to do. The one in the prophecy has changed. It’s now Arabella and to be able to stop the curse, I have to get married to her and.... embrace her love," Francis said. "If I don’t, Mala.... I’d die. I’ll fade away like I never existed."
The thought of Francis’ death broke . I knew I couldn’t possibly live without him....but still. "Isn’t there anything else you can do? Talk to the old man.... he always finds a way, doesn’t he? There should be an alternative.. there should be sothing else that you can do."
I wasn’t willing to share Francis with anyone but he looked into my eyes and shook his head.
"I tired, Mala....but there isn’t another way," Francis answered, then he pulled into his embrace.
I wanted to beg him not to do it ..I almost asked him to prove his love to and not get married to her but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to sound selfish. His life was on the line.
Being with the devil ca with things that were far beyond what I expected.
"Then what’s going to happen to ?" I asked him.
"I’d always love you, Mala. I promise. I may have to reduce the way I talk to you when we’re around people but I promise, I’ll make it up to you when we’re together."
"Promise you wouldn’t fall in love with her."
"I won’t, Mala. I promise."
That wasn’t the night I had dread of in the morning. I thought we’d pick things up from when we had stopped the night before but it didn’t turn out that way .... instead, we held each other and cried ourselves to sleep. I held Francis tight....I made up my mind I was going to spend enough ti with him till he would finally proceeded with their plans.
I already knew how selfish Arabella would be. She wouldn’t let lay a finger on him.
*****
The morning sun shinned on my face and I slowly opened my eyes. Like every other morning, I thought I’d either find him next to sleeping or staring at but I was wrong.
He stood in front of the mirror, dressing.
"Where are you going to so early in the morning?" I asked, then I sniffled. "Don’t you want to stay with a little longer?" I asked.
"I am sorry, Mala but I cannot," Francis answered, then he tied his hair up. He was suddenly being cold and I couldn’t even read his expression. I couldn’t tell if it was anger or sadness or tiredness ..or maybe he just didn’t want to talk.
"Do you have a eting with the elders again? Did anything happen?" I asked and Francis shook his head.
"I do not have a eting. I have to ....to leave...I need to et with Arabella," He answered.
I was about to ask him why ...but then I rembered...they were getting married. And he was definitely going to spend more ti with her.
I tried so hard to hold my tears. I didn’t want him to think I was trying to hold him back by crying.
"So when are you coming back?" I asked.
"I’ll be back before noon to have lunch with you," he answered. He looked into my eyes and his gaze was warm.
I wouldn’t lie, I was scared that the love in his eyes would end up vanishing if he spent ti with Arabella.
"Can you at least have breakfast with before leaving? I’ll tell Madam Olivia to make sothing for us. It wouldn’t take long. I promise," I offered.
I just wanted to spend ti with him.
"I am sorry, Mala. I can’t. I’d be having breakfast with Arabella this morning. We’ll have our conversation over breakfast," Francis answered.
My heart wrecked.
"Oh... but can you..." before I could finish, he vanished. "at least give a kiss?" I muttered to myself and the tears I was holding rolled down my cheeks.
Everything just happened so fast. I felt hurt .. broken and cheated. I wasn’t even given ti to process the whole thing. It had begun already. I was already loosing my man to Arabella.
I buried my face in the pillow and cried.
"I am sorry mother if this is what you had to go through. I guess I didn’t really understand your pain not until now. I do not know what to do mother.... I’m scared. I am afraid that I’ll lose him to her. What if he slowly falls for her? What if he gradually forgets about ?" I cried.
My heart was bruised.
My life took a new turn ...I was sharing my man with a woman that slls like roses.
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