The King's Obsession ✔️

THIRTY EIGHT

Word Count: 1416

~Akara

With a bit of Zavian's help, I've managed to track Grey down.

Someone in the men Zavian hired to infiltrate Tai's estate knew of a man who was once asking questions around town about me. From there, it didn't take long to have a note passed onto Grey, who unsurprisingly, hasn't left the Jade Province.

And just like I suspected, he came to the meeting spot I mentioned in the note; about a thirty minute walk away from Zavian's estate.

"I wasn't sure I would ever see you again," he murmurs, coming to stand a few feet in front of me.

"You were meant to run away." I was hoping I wouldn't see him again. Not because he's apparently in love with me, but because I don't trust him. I need to trust my instincts, even if I don't know what my state of mind was during that time.

"How could I, when you're here," he says earnestly.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. This love sick act has to drop soon, I mean, he knows I'm in love with Marek, and I'm to be married to the King, and yet he still follows me around. Its me wonder what more happened before I lost my memory, that he hasn't indulged yet. I need to find out, before it gets me into more trouble than I'm already in.

"Doesn't matter. I need you to do something for me," I exclaim, stepping forward.

Grey's expression lightens. "Anything."

"I need you to find the man who tried to kill me, upon Tai's instructions." The sooner we find him, the sooner he can testify against Tai, giving Zavian a valid, legal reason to imprison him without the public going awry.

Scratching his head, Grey looks off through the trees. "I don't think he will be willing to come forward."

"He won't go to prison, I can assure you," I say. "I want him to testify against Tai."

"The King?"

"Yes. I mean, he tried to kill me!" I exclaims, throwing my hands up. Grey looks confused, that I would want to go against the King, which I'm assuming is because I'm getting married to him. But how can he not see how purely evil Tai is? I'm just going to have to rely on the fact that Grey will do anything for me at this point...

Not because it makes sense, but because it's me.

"Is that really a good idea?" Grey asks uneasily. By doing this, he's putting himself at risk of being caught by Tai, and locked up for a very long time. I want to assure him he will be fine, that Zavian would ensure nothing would happen to him.

But that would require telling him who Zavian is, which may lead to what is going on in Tai's estate right now.

"You just have to trust me with this, okay?"

Grey sighs, running his hand over his face before he shakes his shoulder, as if he's coming to his senses. "Sure...Where are you living now?"

"Someone has taken over Tai's estate, so we are staying elsewhere. Close by," I explains.

He stares me down with those dark eyes of his, looking relieved. At first, I'm convinced it's because he cares about my safety, that it means something to him that I'm not in danger right now. That is, until the edges of his lips turn up in a smile that makes my stomach turn.

"Perfect," he murmurs.

"Why's that?" I ask warily.

He continues to smile, eyes moving my face, to flicker behind me. "Because now I can do this."