Boarding the ship, Darius first walked Xen first into the King’s great cabin so that she could rest and clean up.
“Hmm… this is impressive,” Xen teased. “Truly a luxurious cabin befitting a king.”
It wasn’t her first time sailing. Not by a long shot. While their ships were comparable to the Cordonians, the design differences were almost barely different enough that it was mostly the same.
“Do you like it? Or is ours lacking compared to an Ebodian ship?” Darius curiously asked. “I haven’t boarded one of your ships before.”
“It’s mostly the same, barring a few differences here and there,” Xen shrugged. She then hummed out in thought, “Hmm… Later, once we visit Ebodia, I can show you around the kingdom, and let you see the interesting things we’ve got. Oh, and I’ll also bring you to all of my favorite and secret spots to spend time in. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
Seeing her glowing in anticipation, Darius suddenly pulled her in for an embrace. “I would love that, my love. Thank you…”
“Hmm, what’s going on?” she inquired, probably wondering why he had suddenly pulled her for a hug like this..
“It’s just that I’m so overwhelmed at seeing how eager you are to give me a tour of your kingdom. I’ve never seen you glow like this before,” Darius explained himself.
“I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose you, Xen. So please… don’t you dare die on me while facing those trials. If things don’t go our way and you feel that you might lose your life… just quit.”
Xen almost seemed to tilt her head against his shoulder, as if asking him to explain further.
“I’ll find another way to make things work. And even if you refuse to quit, I’ll still interfere because I can’t afford to lose you,” Darius confessed. As much as possible, he didn’t want to feel pessimistic, but he still wanted Xen to know that he won’t be idle if she was about to lose her life.
[0)??? “That? Don’t worry, you won’t lose me, my King. I promised you that,” Xen firmly declared. “We’ll be together in this lifetime. I will win those trials fair and square, so wait for me to be officially crowned as your Queen. I’m not planning on letting any woman stand and stay by your side as your lifetime partner except for me.”
Darius almost chuckled in relief. “Ah, you make my heart flutter, my love. I think I’ve finally succeeded in making you mine, Xen… All of what you have are already mine for the taking,” he murmured. It felt amazing. His heart was being filled with too much joy, and he was actually struggling to keep up as the smile on his face threatened to grow even wider.
Xen wasn’t saying the exact three words of ‘I love you,’ but her actions were more than enough to give it all away. Those promises she just made told him what there was to know about her true feelings… her heart… Of course, he still wanted her to say those three words, but he wouldn’t mind being more patient. In the end, what mattered was her actions towards him alone. Her acceptance of him…
“I love you,” he whispered while lovingly kissing her head.
“Hmm… I thought you needed to leave and go back to the Admiral?” Xen suddenly asked, gently pushing him away with a light smile on her face. “Go. Don’t keep him waiting. I also need to wash up anyway.”
Darius chuckled, “Alright. I’ll be quick.” He then gave her a peck on the lips before turning around to leave, going back out to the deck to discuss a few things with Admiral Osman.
Seeing the wide blue seas beyond, he took in a salty breath before proceeding to the quarterdeck where Osman was currently staying. Opening the door, the king was quick to assert his authority as he walked in.
“Her training will start tomorrow morning, so make sure there will be no mishaps during our voyage,” Darius reminded as he stood beside Osman, watching the calm oceans out in the dark.
“I understand, Sire. But you do know that it’s uncomfortable for us to work in a tunic…” the Admiral opened up. Earlier, Darius had immediately telepathically instructed everyone on the ship to wear something that could hide their upper bodies before he and Xenia boarded the vessel. They complied, but it was rather stifling to say the least.
“No. Make sure no one will remove their clothes,” Darius firmly denied, ignoring the admiral’s sigh as he continued. “To add to that, no one is allowed to shift either come tomorrow during our training.”
It was a necessary sacrifice. He was aware that his men preferred being bare-chested most of the time, but he didn’t want them to be that way whenever Xen was with them.
Letting out a breath, he then consoled, “It would only be for a few days, so you all just put up with it until we’re done.”
[So petty,] Zeus scoffed.
Darius simply ignored Zeus. He didn’t care if he sounded petty or childish, but he just couldn’t stand seeing her eyes roaming around towards the naked chests of other men!
Hearing his orders, Osman didn’t comment. However, his heavy sigh didn’t pass by Darius’s ears.
“What is it?” Darius asked.
“Are you sure about this, Sire? I mean, will Princess Xenia even be okay?” the admiral asked. “She’s a human. And even though you’ll train her hard, things won’t be easy. She needs more time.”
Darius also let out a long deep sigh as he replied, “She’s confident and determined, Osman. That’s more than enough for me to believe in her. Let’s just proceed as planned. No need to go easy on her. I’ll have her back if things go wrong.”
He firmly stated, “We’ll need to hone her well so that she’ll be able to stand against these elements exactly like how a werewolf could. Three days to focus on the air and water elements, all while we’re sailing our way to Valcor Island.”
“I understand, Sire,” Osman replied.
Nodding at his admiral, Darius turned as he added, “I’ll be eating dinner in the cabin with my wife. Please ask for someone to prepare and deliver it on time.”
With his orders given, Darius promptly walked back to his private cabin. Opening the door, he instantly noticed that Xen was on the edge of the bed, having already changed into her sleeping wear as she sat in wait for him.
He was about to walk towards her when Xen said, “Go clean up and change first. After that, let’s talk.”
Somehow, Darius could feel that something was amiss from her expression alone. However, he didn’t ponder on what exactly was on her mind. Instead, he simply did what she asked. As soon as he was done, their dinner had come and Xenia was already seated at the table.
Joining her, he worriedly asked, “What is it, my love? You look bothered.”
Xen bit her lower lip, a habit of her that always drew him on edge. He sighed deeply, holding onto her hand and gently squeezing it as he repeated, “You’re scaring me now…”
Shaking her head, Xen flashed him a smile as she deflected, “Let’s eat first. I’m starving. I’ll tell you about it afterwards, okay?.”
Nodding, Darius patiently waited as the two of them ate in silence. They were fine just a while ago, so he wondered what was bothering Xen all of a sudden.
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