Jealousy

You sit across from Lord Jackson. He looks like a puppy adoring its master. You start to eat your dinner but you feel the King's gaze on you.

"So, Lord Jackson, do you find your accommodations to your liking?"

"Yes, I'm very happy with my compartment. The view is spectacular, it changes all the time"

You both share a laugh. You take a sip of your wine when he envelops your hand with his. Suddenly you hear a glass falling on the floor at the King's table, everyone looks in his direction and he lifts a hand.

"Forgive me, I didn't watch what I was doing"

Lord Jackson took his hand away after the breaking of the glass. The King's eyes linger on you, while everyone immediately assists to help with the glass.

"Now, I was about to say, it's really good to see you Lady Winters"

"Thank you for the kind words, Lord Jackson"

You try and eat as fast as you can. The King is not at all impressed to see you with Lord Jackson. You then carry on with dinner and finally retire to your compartment. Lord Jackson doesn't leave your side and walk you back to your room. You open the door and walk inside while he stands outside.

"Thank you for a lovely evening, Lord Jackson"

"It was only my pleasure, Lady Winters. May you have a good night's rest"

"You too Lord Jackson"

You close the door and take a deep breath.

(What am I to do?)

You get in bed and fall asleep. After a while, there's a knock on the door. You jump at the knock. You stand up and open the door slightly.

"Your Highness, what are you doing here?"

He's standing in the door looking at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

"May I come in?"

"Yes of course"

He walks inside still avoiding your eyes.

"Sire, is something wrong?"

He looks up into your eyes. You see pain and anguish residing there.

"I hate that you're perfect, perfect for me..."

"Sire...."

"Please, it's James"

"James...I'm sorry that I'm responsible for your agony"

"An agony that I'll happily carry with me. If I didn't know better, then I would believe that we were made for each other"

He slowly walks closer to you and holds your hand. He takes your hand up to his chest, covering his heart.

"I spend my nights thinking of you. I've tried to forget you but these things just don't go away..."

You feel his heartbeat speeding up and he breathes short, struggled breaths. His hand holding yours starts to shake. He moves closer to your lips. He's only an inch away and you close the gap. Your lips softly play with his and his musky scent fills your senses. You feel the heat bubbling between your thighs. He pulls away and rests his forehead on yours.

"When I saw you with Lord Jackson...I couldn't control my emotions. I felt such jealousy flaring up in me. I've tried to calm down...god knows...I just couldn't. I just had to see you, I just had to know...do you still feel the same?"

You step back and look in his eyes.

"Sire, why would you ask me something like that? Why would I change how I feel?"

"Because of Lord Jackson, I saw how he touched your hand and you enjoyed dinner with him. Then you left together and I couldn't....dammit...I couldn't imagine...you and....him...dammit"

You walk closer to him. Suddenly there's another knock on the door. The King quickly jumps behind the door, nodding. You open the door.

"Lord Jackson?"

You stand wide-eyed and you swallow hard, knowing that the King is right behind to the door.

"I'm sorry to knock on your door at such an ungodly hour but I just had to see you. I can't stop thinking about you and how much time we've missed. If I'd courted you from when we first met, we could have been so much further in knowing each other"

The King put his hand over your hand holding the door handle. He caresses your hand with his thumb.

"Oh...uhm...Lord Jackson. I don't know what to say...I..."

"Please don't say anything now, just know what my intentions are and I hope you know how I feel about you, Lady Winters"

He takes your hand and kisses it. He then turns around and leaves. You close the door and look at the King. He looks like an injured animal.

"I know I have no claim over you-"

You walk closer and kiss him to make him stop talking. He grabs you around your waist and lifts you. You close your legs around him and throw your hands around his neck. He breathes heavily on your mouth and you hear him give a low groan. He slowly put you down on your bed and you pull him even closer to you. Your kisses aren't gentle anymore but rather urgent. You feel his arousal against your thigh and you're losing control but then you push him gently away.

"James, I need you to know, that there's no other man for me but you. I want to be with you, I need to be with you. Yes, Lord Jackson has feelings for me but my heart belongs to you and you alone"

"I'm so happy to hear you say that. You can appreciate my difficulty seeing you with him, can't you?"

"Of course but you don't have put yourself through it because I'm only yours"

He moves closer but then grabs his head. He stands up and starts walking to the door. He opens the door.

"Forgive me but I have to leave at once."

He doesn't look at you, just storms out the door. You go after him but he's far gone. You stand in shock and stare after him.

(What going on with him? Did I say or do something wrong?)

You turn around and tries to fall asleep again. Your night isn't restful at all. The thoughts are of the King's sudden departure and those of Lord Jackson didn't give you enough rest. You only fall asleep at six in the morning. Someone knocks at your door.

"Uhmm..."

They knock again. You feel a bit irritated because of the lack of sleep.

"Yes? What??"

Lady Anabel speaks softly "It's me…"

"Oh sorry, come in"

She opens the door and walks in, hands in the air, in surrender.

"What did I do?"

"I'm so sorry, just didn't get enough sleep"

"That would explain your absence this morning at breakfast. You must be starving?"

"Now that I think about it, yeah"

She turns around and pushes in a trolley with food. She then put it on the table.

"Oh, you're an angel!"

You jump out of bed and start eating.

"I thought I'll join you but we better hurry up, the slave driver is looking for us"

"I don't know how much more of her I can't take and especially today. I need a lot of sleep to deal with her"

"Then you better start getting some food in that body of yours to have enough energy, cause you know she doesn't take no for an answer"

"Yes, I know...damn"