His Arrogance

Maddox walked a few steps closer to where Mara sat. His eyes never strayed away from her, nor did the girl cower away from them. She looked back at him with wonder and anticipation.

What was he thinking? Would he acknowledge his mate, or was he about to reject her?

The other three watched on, each for different reasons. Arya wanted him to abandon Mara and make her his. Iker was almost sure that rejection was due. Yet, if the wolf took over, the result would be different. Ian, on the other hand, was hoping for Maddox to reject his mate.

The man soon squatted and sat cross-legged facing Mara. "Hello, there. I reckon that you are my mate. What do you think? Don't you think that you are fortuitous to have me as your mate?"

Ian and Iker watched on amused. The prince's arrogance has manifested itself. How was his mate going to reply?

"I am sorry for what I am about to ask, but who are you again? I am merely a servant who hardly steps out of her prison. Pardon my ignorance for not knowing who you are. Additionally, having me as a mate, I think you are the lucky one. I mean, don't I glitter like diamonds even with all the dirt?" she smirked.

'Take that, you arrogant jerk. Of course, I know who you are. I finally know how you look. Though you have a godly figure, who doesn't know the kind of heart you possess?' She thought. Ian chortled, incapable of hiding his laughter. It was the first time that Maddox got a sassy reply.

Ian felt proud of the girl. She was not intimidated by the prince's aura. She was not only brave but also sassy. ' Mmmh, Saucy, I think I am beginning to like her more. Such a shame. She is The jerk's mate. If only she had my biological structure.' Ian Thought

Iker struggled to keep his amusement in as well. At first, he thought that the girl was undeserving of his prince. His initial opinion of her has changed drastically following her response. He got to give it to her. She was capable of curbing the man's horns. Let the show continue.

Maddox's handsome face turned crimson red in humiliation. How dare the little pauper sass at him? Though he was already fuming with anger, he was very good at keeping his temper in check.

" I see. Since you do not know me, allow me to introduce myself. I am the crown prince of the Lupus realm, my birth name is Maddox, but my friends call me Mad. Feel free to call me whatever you like. How may I address you, my lady?"

Xiomara was impressed by his manners. Not many could master their temper and keep it in check. She got to give it to him though he was good at maintaining his cool. Yet, not good enough since Mara can easily see the flames in those eyes.

" I am Xiomara. My identity is that of a servant or slave. Whichever you like better. " She knew about this certain prince. Who doesn't know about him? He was a womanizer who liked to play with anything in skirts. Her Intel was evident-based and not mere assumption. Why would the gods pair her with such a womanizer? She preferred loyal people.

" Alright. I will call you Mara. I reckon that by now, you are aware of our relationship. For reasons unknown to me, I have been paired with.. " he paused and looked at her from the head to the toe in disdain " You. I must have committed a deadly crime in my last life to be given a slave as a mate. The good thing though, is that the said slave is easy on the eyes. “

Maddox paused once more to let his words sink in. Behind him, Arya smirked, enjoying the show. She had been anxious after finding out about their relationship, but now the more the prince spoke, the more her anger subsided. While she enjoyed the man's hurtful words toward her servant, Ian's hands clenched into a fist. Though his stoic features remained, he was fuming with anger at his friend's arrogance.

Xiomara looked at the man before her with the same expression. She was not affected by his words. She was expecting to hear such words from him. " Do you have more things you would like to say to this servant? You see, your highness, this slave has a lot of unfinished chores to attend to in the kitchen. If your highness would allow it, this servant would like to be excused. So, can you be a little kind and finish everything you want to say to me? You might not get the opportunity again."

The people around looked at the girl in surprise. For a servant, she had an attitude that befits a royal. She was sassy and proud of what she was. She neither complained nor showed any signs of being hurt by the man's words. Iker watched on in fascination. The more he saw of Xiomara, the firmer his belief of the two complementing each other became.

Maddox hated being talked down to. This time, he could no longer reign in his anger and threw a backhanded slap across Xiomara's face. This made her lips bleed. Contrary to his intentions of making her cower before him, she leaked the blood off her lips and looked back at him with no sign of pain on her face. " Is that all, your highness?" She asked, chin high.

Once again, no one expected the conversation to take that route. Maddox felt regretful for his impulsive response at first but hearing her question, the little guilt he had completely vanished.

" Listen here you little bitch. The fact that you are my mate doesn't give you the right to talk to me however you like. Do not forget who you are talking to. You are merely a slave. We all know why someone is branded as a slave. It's because your parents were traitors of the kingdom or because you were given birth to by a slave. You do not deserve to have me for a mate."

He paused and looked at her, trying to read any sign of discomfort on her face. She looked unaffected though. This only motivated him to be crueler to her. " I like how you look but no one will ever accept you as their queen. Since it's already like this, how about we do this: Being my mate, you will become my concubine as I take your mistress over here as my Queen. How do you like the arrangement, my lady?"

The question was addressed to Arya who felt giddy on her feet. She had never imagined that the prince would notice her. She had almost given up. " I..I... my prince...What about my mate?" She asked. Of course, she would never reject such a good offer. Why would she? There was no other man more powerful than the crown prince in the entire realm.

Maddox stood up, disregarding Xiomara, and walked towards Arya. " You can always reject him. With my powers, there is nothing impossible in this world. This entire kingdom belongs to me. Don't worry about it." As though his words weren't enough, he placed a peck on Arya's cheek before looking back at Xiomara.

Not wanting to let the man have the last words, She stood up from her sitting position and dusted the dirt off her cloth. " I like your suggestion, except for the part where I get to be your concubine. Your Highness, with all due your respect, I would rather stay mate less than be a toy to any man. I might be a slave but not for long. I would rather die than be your mate. By the way, you two make the perfect couple. A match made in hell. Enjoy while it lasts."

She walked out without looking back at the people in the room. Xiomara was aware of what she had done. The prince was likely to make her suffer for the humiliation she caused. She had been racking her brain on how to "die" and leave the realm and what better way than to use the so-called crown Prince?

Arya, Ian, Iker, and Maddox watched the girl walk away, her head held high and her pride intact. She got the last say anyways. ' I will see you again, girl. ' Ian thought as he felt the boiling rage he felt subside. She was nothing like he had expected. Now that the prince had expressed his thoughts, he would not stick around for long. He was going to claim and cherish the girl. ' I hope you survive for a few more months.'

Ian thought as he followed the others towards the house. He was having conflicted feelings at the moment. Being with the prince was getting harder and harder each day. ' Time to plan for an escape.