My Sweet Mortal | Chapter 3

Gabe was summoned by Marisel to meet at the sunroom on the top of the third tower of the palace. Gabe had been dreading this exchange. He knew Marisel would be furious at him. She had warned him against attending the Winter Festival so many times. Yet he had gone against him and did the only thing she asked him not to do. He had to, though. Some day or the other, he had to speak up for what he wanted.

He approached the sunroom, which was lit with natural light. Beautiful flowers surrounded the sitting area, and standing by the sculpture of the Goddess Deroraki, he saw the tense form of Marisel. 

"I know you are upset, but listen to me. I had a perfect reason to do it…I had to make a change.." Gabe said as he walked towards Marisel through a path enclosed by rose beds. 

She raised her hand to shut him up. "There is no point in apologizing anymore," Marisel said, cutting him off. She pointed to the marble stab, and Gabe sat on it. 

"I am not angry at you," she said.

"You are not?" Gabe asked, surprised. 

"No. But I am upset that you acted so recklessly."

Gabe bit his lips. "There is nothing to look forward to in my life, Marisel. Sometimes, even death seems more exciting than waking up the next day and roaming around the palace aimlessly."

"I know what it feels like, but I told you there is a right time for everything. You just needed to wait."

Gabe sighed. "I know. I am sorry I got impatient."

"What do you want to learn anyway?"

"I want to learn a lot of things. Languages. Science. Mathematics. Magic."

"Magic?" Marisel asked, looking surprised. 

"Yeah."

"I know some tricks. I can teach them to you," she said, pulling out a gold coin from her pocket and showing it to Gabe. "Watch this," she said before closing her fist. When she opened it again, the coin was gone.

"How did you do that?" Gabe exclaimed, examining her palm to look for the coin. 

Marisel chuckled. "It's a trick."

"Are you kidding me? You have to teach me how you did that."

"Gabe, there is something I need to inform you," she said, turning serious. Like she had been dreading it. 

Gabe frowned. "What?"

"You are going to get initiated next week."

Gabe's heart thumped with excitement. He had heard all the stories of how vaisas were initiated. He knew they chose an Alpha of their liking and got their virginity taken. Gabe had already wondered what it would be like. To be wanted by someone like that. To be touched. To be pleasured. 

"You look excited."

Gabe bit his lips. "I always wondered why you never initiated me at the right time."

"Because I didn't want this life for you."

"What's wrong with this life? All the vaisas enjoy it. They have all the luxuries in the world…

"They remain mateless," Marisel said, cutting him off. 

Gabe knew that when he took his vow to devote himself to the enclave, any chances he had of finding his mate would be lost. A lot of omegas and women chose a life of misery and poverty, going back to living among the commoners once they stayed at the monastery, which came to an end, just for the hope of finding eternal love. But there were bigger things in life than being a commoner's omega wife, and that's why most of them chose to devote themselves to the worship of the gods by serving as a vaisa. 

"I have no interest in taking a mate," Gabe said firmly. 

"It's a shame that vaisas have been taught to believe this is a better life. That serving as sex slaves for the so-called gods is their calling."

"I know how some Alphas treat their omegas. I think this life is far more respectable than being an Alpha's personal slave."

Marisel sighed. "Okay. If that's what you want." 

"Yes, this is what I want. I want to serve the Gods and the House of Hestros."

"You should go back," Marisel said, barely concealing her distaste for Gabe's comment.

"Of course," Gabe sighed;

"Goodnight, Marisel," Gabe said, his eyes holding a touch of guilt for upsetting her.

Gabe turned away and left for his quarters.

***

Gabe pressed his forehead into the pillow, excited for his initiation the following week. He turned back and plopped on the bed, groaning in the darkness of the room. The wind outside howling, raindrops were splitter splattering on the window panel. It was a cold night, colder than usual, but Gabe felt hot. The prospect of losing his virginity making hot between his legs. Touching yourself before initiation was forbidden, and lately, he had been finding it more and more difficult to resist the urge. 

He wanted to throw the blankets away and relieve in the night's cold air. 

He tried to distract himself from the thoughts of his initiation by thinking about the King. The memory of him replaced some of his brain fog. Gabe had so proudly demanded education for The Enclave slaves, but no one signed up to pursue education. The Enclave slaves were happy in their captivity, like a frog in a well, scared of the world outside. He wondered if the King would allow him to go to the city to get an education. Or he would dismiss his demands, citing that it was too much trouble to send a single person to the city. 

Gabe's heart leaped when he heard a noise outside. He looked at the door and saw the faint hint of a shadow at the bottom of it. He heard soft footsteps. No one was allowed at the Enclave quarters at this hour. Not even guards. They stayed at the entrance but never came in. Gabe's room was at the end of the hallway, and if someone was returning after their services, there was no reason for them to walk up to his room.

He wondered if it was an intruder. They had one of those a long time ago. A guy who had fallen in love with one of the Enclave girls and followed her to her room, demanding to get married to her. It was a whole mess. But that happened during the day when one of the guards wrongfully let him in. 

There was a soft creaking noise right outside his door. He sat up straight, his heart racing. 

He scrambled at the bedside table, looking for a torch. Gabe's room was small but the door was made with heavy wooden material, not so easy to break. 

With a broken sigh, Gabe slipped on his cold slippers and stood up, courageously abandoning the warmth of the blanket. He put on his silk robe, tied it around his waist, and decided to check who was outside.

Even though Gabe had stayed in this palace for a long time now, he was still not comfortable roaming outside in the dark, thanks to the horror stories of the servants. The old servant warned the slaves of a monster who took omegas at night. He knew it was to scare them off, so they didn't come out of their rooms without a chaperone at night. 

He took a deep breath and opened the heavy door with a woosh. Except for the sound of rain and the wind ruffling the large curtains on the hallway windows, nothing was there. It was a noisy night, and with Gabe's over-the-top imagination, no wonder he managed to scare himself. Now that he was out of his warm bed andd outside the room he decided to go to the Kitchen to grab something to eat. He was feeling hungry. He hadn't eaten last night because of the nervous jitters. He walked into the dark hallway and towards the stairway that led to the kitchen. Some of the Kitchen workers slept in the kitchen to make something if one of the royal residents demanded something to eat at night. 

Squaring his shoulders and stretching his neck, he walked firmly and passed the corner to reach the staircase. And screamed. 

A tall figure was standing at the edge of the staircase, a pitch black robe of heavy cotton fabric handing from wide shoulder, legs covered in fitted pants. Gabe didn't breathe or try to make any movement as he stared. The man, the devil at the steps, cocked his head and looked at him.

"Hello there," he greeted in his deep voice, rumbling louder than thunder yet so low that perhaps only Gabe heard it. 

Gabe froze as he realized who it was. Without the regal attire, the King looked like the god of death instead of the god of winter. This whole frame was hidden in the shadows, so it was no wonder Gabe couldn't tell who he was.

GAbe squirmed, remembering what he was wearing. A skimpy robe above small boy shorts. He had worked hard to appear beautiful this afternoon, and here he was in his nightwear, worn slippers, and ruffled hair. This was the King, the divine, and appearing before him like this was blasphemy. A disrespect for sure. 

"your Majesty..." he said, bowing as low as he possibly could. 

"I didn't expect to see up so late at night?" The King commented, strolling closer.

Gabe swallowed. His body trembling like a leaf in the storm. Seeing the King like this without anyone around was intimidating, if nothing else. 

"I…I...," he stammered, suppressing the urge to flee. "I heard someone. I thought I would go check." 

The King took a step towards him. ""No one told you not to chase shadows at night? They might turn around... and take more than just a bite."

"You are right, I shouldn't have wandered out."

At this close proximity, Gabe could smell The King, like hints of smoked oud and an unsettling sweetness of spiced amber. But above all that, Gabe recognized the smell of a very familiar perfume—a perfume the more experienced The Enclave slaves wore heavy, sophisticated scents that the perfume seller imported from the high mountains of the Marcella Dynasty. 

"You are even tinier up close?" The King said almost to himself. "You should go back to your bed chamber."

Gabe gulped. "I was thinking of going to the kitchen, Your Majesty. I was feeling hungry," Gabe said in a small voice. It was overwhelming to stand before him without crumbling. 

"I know something you can eat to satiate your hunger?" the King said. 

Gabe looked up expectantly. "What, your Majesty?" 

King Deroki narrowed his eyes, like he didn't understand Gabe or perhaps, before clenching his jaw and taking a step back. 

"Go on…go where you were going," he said. 

Gabe wanted to walk past him and leave him behind, but something in him made it impossible for him to move. His eyes roamed the King's face. Fascinated by it. Transfixed by it. 

The King raised his hand to Gabe's face, a single finger tracing a slow line along his cheek. Gabe stilled, the sensation traveling through his entire body like sparks of electricity. He clutched the thick curtain behind him, his heart thudding with nervousness.

"Why are you nervous, love?" the King whispered, his breath warm and fresh. Gabe felt desire simmer in his chest—a weird sensation since Gabe had never seen King Deroki other than a divine being. This close, he felt things he wasn't supposed to feel for an immortal. 

"I have worshipped you all my life. It's overwhelming to be near you."

"A devotee, I see," the King whispered. "How would you serve me, my devotee?"

"How would you like me to serve you?" Gabe asked, voice trembling. 

"My sweet, shy little omega," The King murmured. "As pure as the holy river of Hestros," he continued as he placed his warm hand on Gabe's cold cheek, making him shiver. My stomach fluttered with forbidden desires. Desires that had no place to exist for an immortal. 

"So eager to please your god, aren't you?" Deroki said, his voice teasing. 

Gabe squeezed his eyes shut, his heart thumping madly. 

"Yes, your Majesty," Gabe whimpered. He had no idea what the King wanted. It couldn't possibly to bed him. 

Gabe had heard great stories about the King. King's lovers, the most sorted after The Enclave vaisas, were a dream to Gabe. he looked up to them. Tall, beautiful, graceful. They were like gods and goddesses. Those omegas were like queens that you could only admire from afar. And all twenty of them were in love with the King, or as the rumor was. But then, who wasn't. His divinity was worshipped by the whole world. There was no way he would desire Gabe. Gabe was plain, awkward, and mediocre at best. But that did not mean he did not desire the King. In fact, King Deroki was the only Alpha Gabe ever desired. As forbidden as the thought was. And as much as he wanted to shut them off, the thoughts polluted his mind.

During the fevered delusions of his heat, Gabe couldn't resist imagining himself among those enclave omegas who serviced him. Gabe's mind, almost reluctantly, would conjure the King's form—a figure unattainable, larger-than-life, like a fantasy he had no right to crave. And yet here he was, the King's attention solely on him now, Gabe trembling under his gaze, reeling from the question if he really wanted Gabe.

"You intrigued me. I even approved your request to attend education."

Gabe's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Oh, yeah. How could I not? You asked so sweetly. I couldn't resist."

Gabe remembered Marisel's old warning to stay away from The King. Maybe there was more to his tricks than he led on. 

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Gabe said.

"No need to thank me. You deserve it. Such a bright omega you are," The King said with a slow deliberate caress of his thumb on Gabe's cheek.

Gabe sucked in a breath. 

"You are going to get initiated next solis, arn't you?"

Gabe bit his lips. He nodded. 

Very slowly, The King pulled his hand away. "Maybe you could service me when you learn the art of pleasure."

Gabe's heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. "I..I.."

"Until next time then, love," the King said, interrupting him. "Take care. Be careful… and don't let the shadows find you when you're alone at night," he said before he was gone, vanishing with a wisp of air.