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Chapter 10- Unraveling Secrets
“Yo, where’s your duke?” Rath mocked towards their conceited queen. She sat quietly on the ratty old sofa not answering, but cowering and moping over Zan.
“Tuh, ya can’t even keep up with him any more can ya retard. Damn Ava, he already dodging your ass for another?” Rath laughed picking up his hockey stick and giving the puck a good slam before it crashed against the wall loudly. She even jumped at the racket as Rath shook his head. If Antar could see her now, they’d realize what a major mistake she was.
“What is up wit’ ya Ava? You becoming as up tight as your king?” Rath punched a third insult towards her and finally she cracked.
“Lay off Rath. I didn’t ask for your shit,” she spit out. Turning to the other side of the sofa, she pulled the old shabby red blanket tighter against her cold pail body. She heard another cruel laugh that was the final straw as she made an angry sigh and pushed off the blanket to turn towards their beloved second.
“Look you maybe the second in line to bein’ duke, but remember you sure as hell ain’t Zan. So watch yourself or…” she gripped her coat tightly.
“That’s right. I ain’t Zan, but your precious king seems to be missing out a lot don’t cha think Ava? And let’s face it; he’s been loose’n interest in this family, especially you lately. You’s just some groupie hoe. You’s pathetic Ava. Pathetic,” he spitted out coldly towering over her, even threatening her with his usual hateful stare.
She held her ground as her sweaty clenched fists began to throb in pain. And as she swallowed and looked into Rath’s rough eyes, she returned the favor with just as fiery of a look, and with one final stare she passed by him and kept on walking. Her scuffed up boots hit the pavement roughly on her way out of the stifling shack.
She swore and finally stopped in her fast tracks when she knew she was out of his sight and took a deep shaky breath. Her hands clasped and cradled her head as she tried to get it together. No tears were shed as she refused to let it happen. She never cried. Not even once had she ever cried, and she refused that she would start now. Ava took a big gulp of air and inhaled some of New York’s polluted air.
It was never clean. The air, it was never fresh to her, as it always felt poisoned or suffocating to her lungs each time she breathed. Sometimes she would even stop breath just to relieve her body from the dirty air. Closing her eyes and trying to remember Antar’s atmosphere, Ava could practically smell the hot scented spices and the blooming skies that were lighted by their suns of their world. What she would give to be back on Antar’s grounds and be Zan’s titled queen again. Things would be so much better between she and husband if only they were back on their planet. Everything would be so much better. She was sure of it.
“I been watchin you so damn long But I dont know what to say or do. I be sittin around fantasizin’ ‘Bout what I wanna do to you,” De sang along with her I pod as she walked into Eli’s apartment building, and when she passed an old lady walking out she blew her a kiss with a fake smile and kept on walking as the old bat gave her the usual disgusted look.
“Its something about the way you move your body I cant take. ‘Specially when you turn around And you make you’ ass shake” she sang to Jermain Dupr’s “Gotta Getcha” as she danced and hopped her way up the stairs shamelessly, “You the number one most requested in the club, like one of my jams. But no matter what, when I come in You’re right here where I am Breakin’ it down like me in bed.”
“Hey Maria, nice hips. Damn girl, when you gonna let me take ya out,” the guy that lived a couple of doors down from Eli asked arrogantly.
“It’s De. D. E. And sweety your cute, but not that cute,” she replied walking past him and continued dancing her way to Eli’s apartment ignoring the guys still staring at her. “I gotta getcha getcha getcha getcha Someday, some way I gotta getcha getcha getcha getcha.”
Finally after shaking her thing, she took out her key and slipped it into the lock. Humming quietly to herself, she pulled out her hear plugs and tucked them into her pocket. De huffed as she walked towards Eli’s bed.
“Alright Eli, I am here to get your ass out of bed, and on your way out of this lousy building. So come on get up,” she sighed into the dark room. She could barely see the outline of the bed, and when Eli didn’t move she sighed and grabbed a magazine from the desk. “Come on get up!” she smacked her low near the ass area.
“What the hell woman!” a man groaned from the bed. De slammed the light on. At first her reaction was an escaped gasp, but then a second later it was an escaped laugh. She couldn’t help but snort at the sight in front of her. She was gasping for air from the pure hysteria of it, and when they began to sit up she laughed out, “Oh please no don’t get up. Oh g*d, please keep doing whatever it is that you two were doing. Do you know when the last time a man has been in Eli Parker’s bed?”
“De, get out!” Eli yelled disoriented.
“Oh honey, it is really great to finally meet cha. I’m De, and you must be…” she started still laughing at the practicality.
“De!”
“Oh! You must be the reason she’s been goin’ all narcoleptic these last few days. Damn you must be one fine distraction to…” she eyed him up and down with tears of mirth in her eyes.
“De I’m serious!” Eli finally grabbed her by the arm and tried to push her out of the room.
“Oh, so am I honey. Do you know when the last time this girl has gotten some action? Well, anyone who gets into Eli’s pants, gets a hand shake from me. I’m De, the former roommate.”
“Zan, the current “distraction,’” he restated her words with a firm shake and a lopsided grin.
“And some distraction you are,” she confirmed flirtatiously. “Gee, you know I think we’ve met before Zan,” she eyed him wickedly, “You don’t hang out in grocery stores and mall girls as hobby do you? Because I could have sworn I saw you with this punk chick friend of mine that has a big stick up her a…” De mumbled her last word into Eli’s hand as her friend had slammed her mouth shut irritatingly with her fingers.
“We’ll be right back,” she smiled at Zan before practically dragging De to the other room.
“Ouch! You bit me you bitch!” Eli exclaimed half seriously.
“ I’m a hair puller and I bite. I’m not to be messed with,” she proclaimed with her hands on her hips with a held head.
“That’s great De. Get a t-shirt printed up! Now, what the hell are you dong here?” she exclaimed shaking her hand with pain throbbing through her palm.
“Well, I came here to help you get out of bed, but apparently that’s the last thing you need. Girl, that man is fine…”
“De, we didn’t sleep together…I. I don’t think,” she bit her lip.
“You don’t think!”
“I can’t really… we might have. I don’t know,” she started while De gave her a ‘your hair has just been permed and been bleached’ kind of look, “I don’t remember okay!”
“Well, damn girl if you’re gonna let produce boy go to waste, then hand him over to me,” she joked.
“All right that’s it. You’re out of here. Come on let’s go,” Eli sighed. When she didn’t move, she grabbed the magazine in De’s clutches and slapped her on the butt with it.
“Oh, damn now I see what Zan’s work’n with. That’s hot. Slap me again,” she laughed as she stuck out her ass jokingly.
“Yeah, I’m gonna slap you in a minute,” Eli swore under her breath trying to make her budge.
“Alright, alright. I’m leave’n,” she laughed as she ducked her head into the other room, “It was very nice to meet Zan.”
“You too,” he nodded playing the spectator on the couch and lace’n up his shoes.
“Tell ya what, when your done with Miss. Eli Parker let me know and I’ll come over and fix ya a meal. I make a mean grill cheese,” she invited friendly and laughed when Eli grabbed the back of her belt and basically threw her out.
“Eli,” she laughed, “I’m just joke’n with ya. I’m happy for you…” she promised with a sweet sugary smile, “You finally got some!” she laughed as she yelled it through the hallway.
Eli closed her eyes as she heard a masculine laugh from inside, “Alright you’ve humiliated for the day. Now go, and I’ll call you by the end of the second coming when I’ve forgiven ya.”
De was already at the end of the hallway and walking down the stairs when Eli finished her fiery words. She rolled her eyes when she heard De’s last remarks when the old lady down stair had told her to shut up, “What? When’s the last time you got some granny?”
Slamming the door with exhaustion she turned and leaned against the door. She shook her head with a small smile. This had most diffinatly been the weirdest and craziest week of her life she thought, and as her eyes lifted upwards she found two soulful ones staring right back at her.
Wiping her sweaty palms against her jeans, she swallowed and walked slowly towards him. “So,” she cleared her throat and looking everywhere but him.
Her breath caught as he strided towards her irritatingly calm. His tranquil demeanor aggravated her simply because she was so unnerved by it. Her eyes closed softly when she could feel his heat all around her as his arms trapped her from an escape. Eli’s breathing picked up as his hot puffs of air hit against her neck as he inhaled her calming aroma. He wasn’t even laying a hand one her she swore as her body started to quiver.
But then at the perfect timing she locked her eyes deeper when her stomach growled softly. “Yo’s hungry,” he smiled. She nodded her head embarrassed, “Well, we’ll fix that,” he smiled dropping his hand to hers and taking hold of it gently.
Leading the way to the kitchen, Zan headed towards the refrigerator. “I’m just gonna take a quick shower if that okay?” she ushered towards the bathroom. He looked over to her and nodded. As soon as she shut the door, he swore to himself. He couldn’t cook, much less with that shower running and the thought of what was going on in that other room. ‘This ought to be interestin” he thought to himself with an unamused look at the kitchen.
Lonnie walked through the crowd with watchful eyes towards everyone she passed. She ignored the thugs calling to her from across the streets and kept on walking. She hated Earth. There wasn’t another planet that so depressing and degrading, but she’d get back to her home sooner or later. It was only a matter of time before she reigned as queen. As soon as her brother and Ava were killed, they would have full control of Antar.
She stopped and sat back on the steps on some apartment building waiting for him to show up. She chewed her gum brutally and finally spit it out when it lost its flavor, so she did to everything near her. Once the people were of no use to her, she’d throw them away with no remorse. It’s how she survived, and she liked it that way.
She gasped as she was quickly torn out of place and pushed against a dark alley. Her arms were held in place roughly against the wall as she smiled wickedly to the stranger, “Your late.”
“I’m taking the risk here, so we’ll call it even,” the man whispered into her ear, “Did you do it? Vilandra?”
“They’ll be here next week. That’s a promise,” she breathed.
“I don’t need promises Vilandra. I need it done,” he warned with his grip turning tighter.
“It will be done Kivar,” she warned.
“Good,” he watched carefully before grabbing her neck roughly and giving a hungered kiss.
“Vilandra, you remember the Baron Kivar don’t you?” her husband inquired with a mistrusting eye towards the new guest.
“Baron? I thought your position was as a senator Kivar?” Vilandra asked as she addressed him with a secret gleam in her eye.
“It was, but the council all so graciously gave me the new position,” he smiled and lifted his gaze towards her husband, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen your wife Rath. With all due respect to the queen of Antar, dare I say your betrothed is still the most beautiful woman in the palace?”
“I can not argue with you. She’s indeed one of my most prized possessions,” he agreed without the slightest smile from his mouth. Zan did not trust the man nor did he with the council or anywhere near Vilandra.
“I didn’t know you were invited Kivar,” Rath sneered subtlely.
“The entire council was invited am I wrong?” he answered smugly with a plastered smile trying to restrain his dislike for king’s right hand man. He knew the second in command was getting close to finding out the affair. It was only days now until he’d figure it, a week if he was lucky. He had to act swiftly and fast in his plan he noted quietly to himself.
“Well, I can see you have many guest’s to attend to, so I will distract you no more,” he forged a smiled to him and nodded his head towards Vilandra with a undisclosed look only known between the two lovers.
She watched him go with a small smile. “Be careful Vilandra,” Rath warned obscurely with mistrusting eyes. She turned with a high held head and placed a cold hand to his neck.
“You’re distrusting for nothing,” she promised with those treacherous eyes.
“I’m distrusting of everything,” he reminded, “For the sake of our empire.”
She returned with a bitter stare and shrugged her shoulders callously, “Then, beloved, it is your funeral.” Turning swiftly from her jealous betrothed, she walked past the ridiculous guests of the party. She even ignored Nicholas tonight, as he tried one of his attempts. She knew all to well that he was a well-known man for pleasing the council and woman so she had heard for many years by trickery and false, but also tempting, promises. She turned her head from the notorious man towards the gardens where it was quiet and secluded for her thoughts.
She watched the deep red sky as two of the suns were shinning into night. Sprinkles of blue and purple stars flickered through the lighted sky as the gentle callings of nature could only be heard playing its soft music through out the night.
Her breath was stolen and was his when she felt his hand enrapture her arms possessively. She knew all too well it was not her husband’s hands that were now laid upon her. “I’ve missed you,” he breathed into her ear and seductively tilted her neck with commanding hands.
“I can tell,” she whispered quietly with lack of words sorely growing fewer and fewer the more his hands danced along her skin. He laughed roughly against her neck and turned her with such force before taking her lips. She swore to herself as she felt the guilt slide from her mind. Despite the things she had done with Kivar, she did feel remorse and guilt for what she was doing. Her husband was a good man, but she was never given the chance to have a choice. Rath and she had been destined to be together even before they were born. It was a marriage the council had made not them, certainly not her.
She envied her brother for having a wife he had chosen himself. He had a wife that he loved, and although she had seen less of his affection of her during the years he at least had had that choice. She was never given one. So this, the romance between she and Kivar, was at least her choice. There was no wrong in being with Kivar. It was her only choice and she would have it. She had a right to it. At least that’s what she told herself while laying in her husband’s bed.
“Have you decided?” he breathed against her lips. The mood-changed instantly for Vilandra as she unwrapped herself from his clutches.
“Kivar, I’ve told you I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she pushed away but was pulled again forcefully into his arms.
“Listen to me. Your brother is intolerable right now. The war is rising whether he wants to believe it or not. I’ve tried to show him that I mean Antar no harm, but he refuses to listen to me. I want peace Vilandra,” he lied profusely but the princess didn’t seem to notice, “Don’t you? And how are we supposed to stop the war from colliding when your brother won’t even let me and my men into the palace’s walls. All I’m asking you to do is in one week to make sure that that gate over there,” he pointed towards the side gate with rugged vines and rusted metal on its worn bars, “Are open for me and my men to enter by the second moon’s turn. That’s all I ask Vilandra. Don’t you want to prevent the war from happening?”
She watched him with soft eyes and thought carefully over his words. She seemed to be warring down so Kivar returned, “We, your people and mine, if we can fuse together Vilandra, then no one will dare to start a war. Imagine it. Together we’ll make sure that nothing with happen to this world. Together we’ll be inseparable,” he breathed as he intertwined their hands together to prove his point.
Looking into his eyes, she sighed and nodded her head tiredly. “Okay,” she whispered finally giving into him. He grinned and kissed her roughly on the lips before with drawing and bidding her goodbye.
The princess fell to the stone covered chair and closed her eyes with shame. Why did she do these things? She never knew why she did what she did. There were no explanations or excuses for them, but she was hoping that in one week she would be redeemed. She hoped that in one week, after letting Kivar into the palace’s doors, all of her sins would be exchanged for the good one she was about to do, and she truly did believe Kivar wanted peace.
There were some nights when she didn’t like who she had become. She had never thought of herself as a wife that would stray from her husband but still she did so, and she felt even guiltier when she looked upon her brother. He was such a faithful husband to his wife. Often she would wish that she could be so noble as her brother. She would even swear on her life that he would never even dream of an affair. No, he was a good husband and an even better king. She sighed to herself quietly on the bench wishing she were as strong as he.
Eli ran her hand through her wet hair and in took the steamy air from her shower. Looking into the mirror, she watched her reflection carefully and didn’t recognize the person staring back at her. She didn’t know who she was anymore; she didn’t even know what was real anymore. Was this world real or was the other? And how could you decide. Was she Eli or was she Amara? These questions seemed to constantly plagued her mind.
Pushing back her question for now, she sighed and pulled open the door after tucking a white towel over her damp body. At least she felt a little better after taking her shower she supposed.
She froze mid step when six feet of male was standing in front of her. It mad it worse that he was doing that stupid half smile thing he always did when he was being cocky. He raised an eyebrow suggestively at her current state.
Pushing back the heat and aggravation, Eli kept walking until she got her closet. It was the first time when she was actually regretting having a New York flat with no walls to separate the kitchen from her bedroom.
“Hungry?” he asked. She closed her eyes tightly as she could feel his eyes everywhere he was looking, and she knew all too well what he meant by hungry.
She nodded her head and glanced over at him. Clearing her throat when he didn’t move she said with her cloths in her hand, “I know this don’t look like much, but this is actually my bedroom. So do you think that maybe you could turn around or somethin?”
“It ain’t nothin’ I haven’t seen before,” he answered arrogantly with a devious smile. Finally when she pierced him with unamused eyes, he laughed and turned around with a roll of the eyes, but he had to swallow hard when he heard her towel drop, “Since when did you become all shy and shit?” he asked roughly to try and clear the air and swore to himself at how familiar this all felt to him.
“Probably around the time you turned into such an ass,” she returned, “Done.”
Turning Zan took in the sight of her tanned body covered in denim short skirt with frayed edges and off the shoulder punk black shirt. Damn, he swore to himself as she casually passed by him and sat at the table expectantly.
She laughed and shook her head when she found pop tarts and cereal on plates at the table. “I don’t really cook,” he scratched his ear with a slow smile.
She nodded and agreed, “That’s okay. I don’t either.” Looking across the table, he leaned against counter studying her. She swallowed as her smile slowly disappeared. Sometimes she really did wish she knew what he was thinking.
“So,” she cleared her throat, “We kind of need to talk.”
“Yeah, we do,” he agreed. They both nodded in agreement, and looked somewhere else as silence hit the air dramatically and quit uncomfortably. Eli sighed tugged on her skirt as she watched Zan sit on the counter. The awkward silence stayed through the air as the two strangers thought of things to say.
“So…”
“Yeah, so…”
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Love ya guys. Kissess
