Page 77 of Bound By Wishes

“You promised not to kiss me until I was well again,” she muttered, pushing my hands away and nestling her face back into my chest. “And as you can see, I’m far from well.”

A smile touched my lips as I tightened my hold around her, feeling her warm breath against my skin. She squirmed in my arms, my embrace tighter than necessary, but the fear of letting her go, of losing her to unconsciousness again, made me gather her closer.

Caleena gasped, bracing her hands against my chest as she shot upright, a look of pure horror etched across her face. “Malik!”

“He’s fine,” I said, as I ran my fingers through her disheveled hair. My touch was gentle and cautious as I tucked her under my chin. I let the warmth of my breath brush against her hair, holding her close, as if I could ward off any lingering fears. “He’s been awake for days now. It’s you we’ve been waiting on.”

“I want to see him,” she said, her breath a soft whisper against my chest, as delicate as a feather brushing my skin.

“I’ll send for him,” I promised. “Just allow me a few more minutes to hold you.”

She seemed satisfied with my answer, snuggling deeper into arms. “I think I’m a little disappointed,” she said. “You’re not my genie anymore.” She brushed her fingers over my wrist where the cuffs used to be.

“What if I offered to chain you to me in another way?” I asked, my voice deepening as I whispered into her hair.

She stilled, slowly sitting up. “What do you mean?”

My gaze lingered on her tousled hair and the dark circles beneath her eyes, and yet, she remained the most enchanting creature I had ever seen. “Marry me.”

“Marry you?” she echoed, her voice soft and trembling. The weight of my proposal hung in the air. The world outside seemed to pause, holding its breath as if waiting for her response. She remained silent for a heartbeat, then another, her breath hitching as she tried to process my question. “Why? You don’t love me, and I don’t love you.”

I sat up straighter, my chest burning as I looked into her eyes. She wanted to believe that as much as I did. "Love is such an unnecessary word," I said with a practiced diplomatic tone. “The simple answer is I am going to be forced to take a bride just like Razoul was,” I explained, meeting her gaze. “And I have no desire to choose from the candidates who have already been sent home.” My words were empty of the romantic pretense, despite the feelings that stirred within me. “I think that we work well together and have a mutual respect for each other after everything we’ve been through.”

Caleena slipped from the bed, standing on trembling legs, and I let her flee, giving her space to decide. “This is madness,” she argued. “I don’t know anything about being a queen.” She was panicking, and I sat back and let her have a moment. “What would make you think I would agree to this?”

I stood from the bed, my gaze never leaving her as I chose my words carefully. “These people are yours by blood and birthright,” I began, my voice strained. “You have every right to be their queen, to lead them, to protect them. And after everything we’ve endured, can you really imaginereturning to the life you once knew?” I paused as her gaze rose to meet mine. “Ordinary is no longer an option for you, not after discovering who you truly are.”

Her voice was a fragile whisper, barely loud enough for me to hear as she confessed, “I don’t know who I truly am.” She looked away, as if ashamed. “And while my life was far from perfect, I worked hard to become an archaeologist. There’s nothing in this world I’ve ever wanted more than to follow in my father’s footsteps.” The words hung in the air between us as I tried to think of the right thing to say to get her to agree to my proposal.

“As my queen, you’ll have all the resources you could ever need.” I stepped around the bed. “You’ll have the freedom to play in the dirt as much as your little heart desires,” I coaxed her, pleased with myself when her eyes sparkled with excitement.

She took a step back, distrust tugging at her features. “You truly expect me to believe you’ll let your queen roam the world, digging up ancient artifacts?” She scoffed. Her eyes narrowed, as if searching for the hidden catch in my words. “I know what it means to be queen, and it’s not freedom. It’s a fancy gilded cage, no matter how pretty you make it sound.”

I stepped closer until I was mere inches from her face. “A cage I will gladly open for you if you agree to my proposal.” My voice deepened, bordering with desperation. “And you can start in King Thalorian’s mines. I know you wanted more time there to uncover your heritage, to dig deeper into the past that calls to you. I’ll give you that freedom and more.”

Caleena’s eyes darted away, her gaze sweeping acrossthe floor as if searching for a hidden door to escape through. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she said, pressing a trembling hand to her chest. “I can’t listen to any more of this, my heart is about to beat out of my chest.”

I grasped the hand pressed against her ribcage and drew it to my mouth, placing a kiss on each of her knuckles. “I’ll make your heart behave,” I murmured, a sly smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. “If you agree to marry me.”

“You’re not doing a good job of making my heart behave at the moment,” she said, pulling her hand from my grasp. “Quite the opposite, actually.” Seconds ticked by as she nervously chewed on her bottom lip, a simple gesture that sent a rush of heat surging through me. “Can Malik stay with me if I agree?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

The council would have a stroke if I agreed to let her friend stay, especially since that friend was a man. “Yes,” I agreed without hesitation, despite the consequences. I would agree to anything if she agreed to my proposal.

My pulse slowed to a sluggish rate as I waited for her response. It was as though my blood was thickening in my veins, making the seconds drag on painfully. She appeared to be weighing her options, searching for a reason to refuse. Finally, she met my gaze.

“Okay,” she said, her voice soft but clear.

Relief flooded through me, but I refused to let any emotion show on my face. “I’ll get everything arranged. We will marry within a fortnight.”

“Why so soon?” She gasped.

“I told you before that you’re a perfect little disaster, just looking for a place to land.” My laughter rumbled through the room, lightening the tension that had built between us. “I intend to marry you before something else goes wrong.” I paused in the doorway. “I’ll have your servant sent to you so you can bathe and change. Then, I want you to join me in the great hall for dinner.”

“Very well, as long as you promise that snakes aren’t on the menu,” she said, a playful glint lighting her eyes.

“I think we’ve had more than enough serpents for a while,” I said, turning to leave.

Caleena called after me. “What about Malik? Can he join us, or is this a date?”

---