Untouchable Fruit

Secrets and Jokes

Artemis' POV

I'm sitting in my rooms, Chelsea and Briana keeping me company as I lay on my bed, eyes looking up at my bare ceiling as I try to think.

In two days I will have to be lined up and let men one by one look at me like some raw piece of meat thats made for them to shove their tiny prick in and breddd until I'm popping children out.

Once I've given birth that man will never touch me again.

Maybe I can have him assassinated.

Chelsea told me that I shouldn't do it, that I should just allow for my family to rule over the city until further notice, but that's naive.

If I don't ascend to the crown, this city is going to become their playground and they're going to do everything that they want to our people with no repercussions. And once they've run their leading dry, they will pass it on to Susanna who is nothing more than a puppet to them.

As much as I loathe the idea of everything that they have asked of me, I have to do it.

I love my people too much for me to just give up and run away.

I sigh to myself as I turn on to my stomach and raise my head to look through my open bedroom door. Chelsea and Bri are sitting on my couch, talking and laughing quietly with each other. Watching my Knot, my cheeks rise up into a soft smile, looking at the way she glows whether she's in dresses or jeans.

She deserves better than a woman tied down to her duties ti the point of cheating.

Apparently she doesn't think so and maybe if selfish of me to want to keep her around when she's not going to be able to be presented as my lover nor my Knot. But rather the cousin of a friend. Just thinking it puts a bad taste in my mouth, but I know I can't control what she decides.

She would probably kill me if I tried.

She looks up at me as I look at her, her brown eyes meeting mine, and I smile to her, and watch with satisfaction and a little awe as a small blush rises over her cheek bones as she smiles back.

Fucking gorgeous.

I raise myself off of the bed and walk towards them, glad to have changed into something a little more comfortable though my pants suit is still not dressing down as much as I like.

I approach the couch and smile down at Bri and Chelsea when they look up at me.

"Chelsea, I wanted to take Briana somewhere. Will you be alright?" I ask her, my gaze solely for her cousin, but neither complain as Chelsea laughs and pats Briana's leg before kneeling on the couch and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Sure! Just make sure you two stay safe." She scolds and I smile and nod at her, while Bri waves her off before she's opening the door and leaving.

Bri looks up at me expectedly as I smile down at her. "Something to show me?" She asks and I nod as I back away towards my desk.

I scribble out a note to the kitchen before I shake it, letting my magic glow down my arm until the note flashes and disappears.

"Somewhere special." I tell her and she doesn't love as I lean back on the desk, tilting my head to the side as I cross my ankles, formalities never really able to escape me.

"Like where?" She asks and I laugh, pushing my hair out of my face as my fingers run through it, my eye contact never leaving her.

"Somewhere that I would take a pretty girl with a feisty ass mouth on a date if she didn't ask so many nosey questions." I explain to her, and her eyes show her shock, almost making me laugh before I catch myself as she's looks around a little flustered.

"Well... whenever you're ready." She tells me and I finally laugh making her glare at me before I shove off of my desk and walk over towards her, placing my hands on the back of the couch before I walk over her, my hair falling like a curtain around us.

"Don't fly away, little butterfly." I whisper towards her before I turn away and all towards my room to grab something a little more comfortable even if it will get me in trouble. In a few days I'll be paraded around in so many off it's I'll lose track of who I am. Better keep touch with my roots while I can.

I shake my head to myself as I pull on some boot cut jeans and a white blouse, zipping up my boots before I pull back my hair into a ponytail.

As much as I joke about it as if it doesn't bother me, I'm more than terrified about what's to come.

Once I'm done getting dressed, I go into my closet and grab a blanket off of my top shelf to the right before heading back into the sitting room where Briana is putting her shoes back on.

"Ready?" I ask her and she nods with red tinted cheeks making me smile. I open the door for her and the two of us walk out into the hallway, our guards standing by my door on either side.

"Miss Briana you look lovely." Levi says to Bri as the six of us begin walking down the hall and I snort.

"Princess, you look simply hideous." Marco tells me and the four guards snicker behind us as they fall back to their respectable distance.

"I need to stop being nice to men. They're all beneath me." I call back to them and Bri beside me laughs just as Carl speaks up.

"Technically, I don't think it would be us beneath you." He says and the four of them burst out laughing making me wonder if having my boys back is really worth the absolute hell they're sure to give me everyday.

"Imbeciles." I mutter and Bri slides her hand into mine almost making me stumble as we turn a corner, holding on tight. When I look at her, she refuses to do the same to me and looks forward, ignoring my questioning gaze.

"Well, they're funny. We can keep them as clowns." She offers and I laugh to myself as we make our way to the kitchens.

The boys joke amongst themselves behind us
as we walk, making our way down the elevator and out into the hall on the bottom floor. A few servants run off when they see us but those who know me, and my guards, wave and smile as we pass them, being able to drop the pretense of being beneath us in their workspace.

I walk into the kitchens and find it bustling with people, and my favorite of all, the heavy set chef standing over the stover as he moves faster than anything preparing food. "Archie." I call out in excitement and he turns towards me with a grin.

"Ahhh, our little Princess. How are you?" He asks me, looking up from his tasks but it doesn't slow him down at all as he works.

"Just fine. I'm taking this little lady on a picnic." I tell him gesturing to Briana and she nods to the man, but remains quiet as he looks her over.

"Special lady?" He asks with brows raised.

"Just a lady. Do you have my basket?" I ask changing the subject. I know there will be gossip spreading about Briana and I spending time together and I don't care. It won't leave the castle. For the sake of my mothers plan, no one will be able to speak a word about anything.

Freedom a speech is a figment of imagination apparently.

"Of course Princess, right on the table for you." He tells me and I turn and see a large basket sitting on the table behind me. Before I can even make a move to get it, Carl grabs it and hold it firmly in his hand.

Rolling my eyes at him, I thank Archie before my group is on our way.

Getting in the elevator once more, we emerge on to the ground floor and walk through the halls, Briana and I hand in hand as I lead her towards our very first date.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's some cute fluffy content for you guys. I feel like everyone needs it. Wattpad is acting up as I right this (7:30 am) so hopefully the comments start working against by the time i post.

Thoughts?

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QOTD: Do you like peas?