CRUEL KING

I Forbid You to Marry!

I Forbid You to Marry!

"I just came from your house," Lori began. His serious and sorrowful gaze left no doubt that he knew about her father. "Dalia told me... I... I truly don't know what to say."

"He was ill... His death was quite sudden for us," Anisha confided, a lump forming in her throat.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, his voice choked with his own emotion. It was true that Lori had always gotten along well with her father. The man and he talked a lot, and the affection—assuming Lori's was sincere—was shared.

"Not as much as I am," the young girl let slip, along with a tear that traced a path down her cheek.

"What kind of illness was it?" he inquired, placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "I mean, was there truly nothing that could be done for him?"

Even if it had been curable, Lori seemed to forget that their circumstances didn't allow them to access the same care as more fortunate people. Remembering that he might be a prince, but likely without any real power, she didn't want to place any guilt on his shoulders.

"It was a little-known ailment, and his chances of survival were slim."

Lori clenched his jaw and his fists. This answer clearly did not satisfy him. At the same time, he knew the young girl well enough to see when she was lying. He refrained, however, from making any remark. He lowered his eyes to the materials she had placed at her feet.

"You've taken over the family business, I see?"

"It had to be done, if we want to eat..."

Again, his jaw tightened. "Ani, I told you I spoke with your little sister..."

"And?" she asked, intrigued by his suddenly sullen expression.

"And I refuse to let you marry!"

"What is he meddling in?" Anisha was shocked by the demand he had just made. "And as for that insolent Dalia, she has another thing coming!"

"What does it matter? I accept it," she retorted, bending down to pick up the things she had put down.

Lori held her hand, and without taking his eyes off her, he continued, "I will make sure you don't have to work anymore. I'll give you land, and you can... you can live your life in peace."

Anisha was speechless. Had she heard correctly?

"I have no need for your possessions, my prince," she said sarcastically, pulling her hand away. "I want to marry according to my father's will."

"He asked you to do it to keep you safe from hardship, not so you'd latch onto the first man you see."

"Listen, we were friends, but it's been over a year since I've heard from you. I then learn you're a prince and that you lied to me, and now you want to run my life?"

Lori sighed, looking down. "I understand that the lie hurt you, and I am sorry. But as for this marriage, I am categorically against it."

"I take note of that, but I'm still free to do what I want, and what you say won't change a thing."

"On the contrary, it will."

A laugh escaped the young girl, at first thinking it was a joke. Then, seeing his severe and very serious expression, she froze. The boy's title quickly came back to her mind, and her face darkened. No, he wasn't that kind of person. He had a deep respect for her, and he must be expressing his disapproval as a friend. He didn't want to see her force herself to take a husband out of spite.

"If you're against it out of worry, I can understand that. But rest assured, I have a guardian who will take care of being by my side..."

"I don't care about this guardian. I refuse to see you with another man, no matter who he is, do you hear me?"

Surprise marked the young girl's expression and sealed her mouth despite the questions swirling within her.

"Ani, I... I want you. I want to be the only one. I'm in love with you, and even though... I tried to pull away and forget you, it wasn't possible. Seeing you again that day in the street, I understood that we were connected..."

The ground began to spin beneath Anisha's feet. She could have jumped for joy, only she sensed that things were likely to be complicated and that Lori's advance was merely a cry from his heart, with reason cast aside.

And then, an inexplicable feeling weighed on her chest. She couldn't identify it just yet, though the image of the stranger who had saved her flashed through her mind. It was as if she hoped to see him again, or... she found herself feeling foolish.

"Lori, don't forget you're a prince," Ani reasoned with him. "You can't possibly marry a commoner. A lowly girl not even from your land..."

"Do you think I don't know that?!" he said painfully. "I have been agonizing for years over the conditions that govern my life and prevent me from being with you. But when I heard about your father, and your sister told me about your plans, I couldn't pretend anymore. I'm not your friend, Ani. I love you..."

His deep blue eyes seemed tormented and pained. If they had been observed from a distance, it would have been hard to believe that this boy was declaring his love for the one he cared for.

"I don't know what to tell you, Lori. I... I don't know if I'm ready to live in your world."

"That's unfortunately not something I can offer you," he confessed, his head bowed.

Anisha was completely lost. He didn't want to see her take a husband, he confessed he loved her, but he didn't plan on proposing marriage?

"My union has already been arranged, and that was long before I met you," he clarified with a somber tone.

Somehow, this news reassured Ani a little. Not that she disliked Lori, but she didn't feel the same way about him. She would prefer to see him with a girl who would love him as much as he loved her.

"I know that," she said with an understanding smile, "and I don't hold it against you..."

"I can't offer you marriage, but I still want to keep you by my side," he said in a tone that allowed for no opposition.

"Pardon?" Anisha cried, bewildered. "What did you just say?"