The Crown's Fire - Chapter 105

Chapter 105: Marriage of Convenience
“I’m bored,” Ezme hummed as she helped Atlas with a pile of papers inside his working chamber, situated near the royal estate’s central keep. As the Great Constable, Atlas also oversaw the recruitment, training, and deployment of palace guards and military forces. His office handled matters such as scheduling patrols, organizing defense strategies, and coordinating responses to potential threats.

Ezme understood how toxic that work could be being the Minister of War in her own kingdom. But then she couldn’t believe how workaholic and hands-on Atlas was with his post that he even checked on little single details. She came with him hoping to win him over but what was worst was that she had a competition… not by another woman but a pile of his pending works.

She clicked her tongue and mumbled, “I can’t believe you personally look into these. Just assign someone you trust to handle this. You’ve only just arrived from the battlefield.”

She had looked forward to enjoying her time with him here, but he was too busy even to dine with her. A wry smile crossed her lips as she contemplated how much more human food she would have to endure just to make him take notice of her in a different way.

Unlike her brother Nikolai, who could sustain himself on animal blood and human food alone, she couldn’t. Her appetite was like that of most vampires: craving only fresh human blood. While werewolf blood could suffice, its taste couldn’t compare to the truly satisfying flavor of human blood.

“Aren’t you here to assist me, Ezme? So why are you complaining now?” he questioned, raising a brow. She was still surprised by how this man could make her heart flutter, regardless of his expression. Even now, with that frown on his face, he looked incredibly attractive and sexy to her.

In her existence of more than a century, Ezme had never felt this way about any man. There had been others who caught her interest, but Atlas was different. He stirred feelings in her that she had never experienced before, like the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach and the rapid beating of her heart.

She vividly recalled the night when Atlas had grabbed her wrist and hurriedly pulled her out of Prince Ezekiel’s tent. His words of admonishment still echoed in her mind.

“Are you crazy? The Prince doesn’t welcome the presence of any woman aside from his family members! How audacious of you to sneak into his tent like that, unannounced. Be grateful I arrived in time, or else your head would be rolling on the ground by now.”

“It’s not like he’s powerful enough to do that to someone like me,” Ezme reasoned, unconsciously rubbing her neck where Ezekiel had managed to press a blade against her. He possessed an ancient blade with unique powers, one that could even kill an exordium like her, depending on the speed of its wielder.

Despite Atlas scolding her severely that night, Ezme couldn’t help but be drawn to the unfamiliar feelings she experienced around him. She found herself gazing at him even in his moody moments, and his face seemed to brighten the dark night like sunshine. It was then that she realized he was the one she wanted to spend her lifetime with. It might have seemed hasty, but Ezme knew herself well. She was petty, childish, and stubborn, yet she felt something stirring in her heart that night—something she wanted to explore and nurture.

Returning to the present moment, Ezme quickly approached the seat before him and offered him her sweetest smile. “I’m so hungry. Can’t you see I’m becoming skinnier?”

She missed drinking fresh human blood, and it was already a great achievement for her to last this long. “I will go out with Duke Apollo to have a drink at the black market he mentioned,” she blurted out, knowing Atlas hated that.

“I told you not to go there,” he firmly remarked. Ezme’s eyebrows raised as she justified, “But why are you stopping me when you basically have no right over me? Technically, we’re just friends, so why should I listen to you? Don’t you think it’s a bit overboard for you to stop me from drinking blood?”

She found it comforting whenever he made decisions for her, as it gave her a sense that he cared for her in some way. It was far better than him simply ignoring her presence. She wondered how he would react to her craving for human blood. He knew about her abstaining from it, and she pondered whether he even noticed the subtle changes she was making around him.

Atlas didn’t say a word and instead opened the drawer on her table, grabbing a paper.

“Here, that’s my response to your brother’s letter,” he simply answered.

“My brother’s letter?” Ezme murmured, frowning. She was aware that Marlo delivered word from her brother to Atlas, but she hadn’t asked Atlas about it since she was waiting for him to bring it up first but he never did till now.

Excitedly, she read Atlas’s response, and her eyes widened. “Is this real? You accepted the marriage of convenience?! Are you sure of it?” she beamed. It caught her completely off guard. Was this real? Wasn’t this too sudden for him to accept her? What had led him to make this decision so quickly?

“Did you not read my response? Everything is in there,” Atlas scoffed.

Ezme giggled excitedly. She had expected her brother to make a move, but what truly surprised her was how easily Atlas had agreed. Then the brightness on her face suddenly turned gloomy as she stared at Atlas. “Why? Why did you accept it? Do you like me? Do you love me? Is there some hidden agenda behind this? I don’t mind if there is, but I should at least know.”

Atlas seemed taken aback by her questions in a row.

“What could be the hidden agenda behind this? I accepted because you understand my situation well and who my heart truly belongs to, and you’re not bothered by it. The truth is, I’m not even sure if I could ever love another woman aside from Xenia, and that would be unfair to any other woman my parents push towards me. Knowing my parents, they won’t stop bothering me until I settle down,” Atlas explained.