Bonded

Chapter 16

Jza breathed in Tarquin's scent as she found herself at loss for words. She pulled herself away and saw the opponent was listless, quite utterly dead. She had to force herself to look away. 

Tarquin did not even pause to examine his prey's dead body. He swiftly moved on leaving the gruesome scene behind. He said not a word while he walked towards their common resting chambers while his companion could not formulate any words. There was an uneasy silence cast around them. Jza belatedly noticed the splatter of blood resting on her captor's face. 

"The weather is forecasted to be clear for the ball in a week's time," Tarquin said, as he placed on his bed. 

"The weather?" Jza found her voice, "Are we not going to discuss what just happened?"

"That was politics," The brown haired man replied nonchalantly. He examined his appearance in a mirror and pulled out a handkerchief to clean up stray specks of blood.  

"I have seen a fair bit of politics in my life and this is not how I have ever seen it being done," Jza continued incredulously. 

"Not when you have to snatch a throne," Tarquin displayed his pristine teeth mirthlessly, "There were quite a few bastards left behind."

 "What an odious man. How could a king make no effort to plan what happens after his demise. He should have known his heir the day they were born."

"And you think King Samuel knows what to do with his dozen daughters?" Tarquin argued. 

"He has a plan, I'm sure of it!" Jza said decisively although remembering her father reminded of her sisters' folly. It seems her father would have to revise his will considering he had a traitor in his bloodline. She just had to find out who. 

Tarquin continued his ablutions, clearing up his handsome face from the unsightly red covering it up. He started untangling the shirt's knots at his throat in preparation to change his outfit and Jza broke her gaze away from his form. She reached out for her notebook from her side table to distract herself.

The man whose presence she was ignoring entered her vision from her left and made himself comfortable on his side of the bed. Jza clenched her teeth in frustration but continued to pretend she was reading her notes as the feather mattress moved under his weight. 

She made an effort to at least try and read her own dates for the Ball's deadlines when she felt herself being watched. Completely forgetting she was deliberately ignoring the man she looked to her left and instantly regretted it. 

Tarquin was lying on his side with a hand under his head just staring at her. She could have noted his newly laundered clothes still untied or his wet hair but none of the changes could compete with the sheer power of his gaze. 

Jza felt her cheeks and ears heat up as her hands fumbled with the pages. She looked away, blinking furiously. His face contained no particular emotion, just a narrowed eyed focus on her.

A hundred things scrambled through her brain; words, emotions, insults but none reached her tongue and before she could gather her thoughts the brown haired man furiously sat up from his reclining position and got to his feet. He gave her one last consuming look as if he intended to devour her with his eyes and walked out of the room with fists at his sides. 

Jza clenched her knees through her dress and wondered how without saying a word he managed to leave her so flustered and distraught. 

____________

The day of the ball was upon them and Jza could see the tension in the air. The staff looked as grim as if they were to be massacred by the end of the day. The food was already prepared beyond expectations and halls swept every hour or so to keep the dust at bay. She knew nothing of how the guests were being hosted since her only responsibly was to organise a Barbarian Ball of incredible standards.