Chapter 14: Chapter 14 - Allure and Fear
Quick Note: Ok so I've been getting a lot of comments about this chapter and certain actions the MC takes during it and the following four chapters. Now, normally I wouldn't do this but it's starting to get annoying having to say 'just keep reading until chapter 20' so I'm putting this here. Before you make any complaints or any comments please, for the love of god, please read till chapter 20 before you do. I can guarantee any problem or worries you might have with the MC being too passive or beta will be gone by then.
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Shining silver eyes and a seductive smile. A beauty, the woman in front of me was a beauty, but also... dangerous. Her eyes were that of falcons, tracking me, watching me, assessing me. I felt like prey, like a worm before a sweeping bird. It felt uncomfortable, to say the least. I had not felt true danger or fear since I had come to this world but I was feeling it now. It flooded my body and it took everything I had to keep it down! I held back the urge to shiver uncontrollably and I wanted nothing more than to summon everything I had, but... with a force of will, I didn't know I possessed I pushed almost all of it down. Not now. Don't lose yourself. My eyes refocused on her and just for a moment, I swore I could have seen shock in her eyes, shock and... fear? No... it couldn't be, could it?
Her long blue hair, flowing down her shoulders and to her back, so dark it was almost black. Slowly, gently, almost as if carried by an invisible wind, waved behind her slightly. Her alabaster skin was unblemished and smooth, adding to her beauty. The silver and blue dress she wore was tight-fitting and hugged her like a second skin, showing off her curves and... generous assets. I didn't think a prospective queen would be dressed in such a way, it was very... sexy? I couldn't find a word for it, my mind was preoccupied with what the fuck I should do! I didn't like this. I felt off-balance, I hated feeling off-balance. How did this keep on happening to me? How did I keep stumbling upon people when I was traveling? Did the system or higher power have something to do with this? Was it a coincidence that I just so happened to come across one of the faction leaders on my way to the capital? Whatever it was, I was here now. There was no running away, at least not easily and without offending someone. Focus, I thought to myself, calm yourself, and act logically.
The queen tilted forward slightly and I caught a quick glance down her cleavage. My focus crumbled. How the fuck was I meant to act logically with this pin-up model in front of me! Her smile grew, she knew exactly what she was doing. Sure Leone and Domino were just as beautiful, but they were my summons and weren't actively trying to seduce me. Adarra practically leaked out seductive and sultry vibes with a fair bit of danger. She was a succubus, If not in physical form then at least in presence. I was actually focused on her so intently that I almost missed the loud cough from beside her.
With a start, I realized that we weren't alone and that I had been staring. I blushed slightly in embarrassment and cleared my throat. I could have sworn I heard a noise of disappointment from her? but it could have just been something else. My gaze swept from Adarra to the two people beside her. The one on her left was a tall and bulky-looking man wearing simple silver and blue combat robes that showed off his muscles. His hair was dark brown and his dark eyes looked at me like as I was a speck of dirt. I immediately hated him, and the slight sneer on his face didn't help. The woman on Adarra's right was far more pleasant to look at. She was dressed in armor similar to those around her, but hers was more intricate and detailed. She had a pair of wings emblazoned on her chest plate. Her helm, which she carried in the crook of her right arm, had two small silver wings on both sides. She had short brown hair and her face was almost as pretty as Adarras, with its green eyes and full red lips. Too bad she was glaring at me. A seductive queen and her two hounds. I held back the urge to let out a laugh.
"I suppose I should introduce myself," I finally said, to which the queen nodded. I had to be careful and show as little fear as possible.
"My name is Nathan, your majesty," I said and saw her smile grow a bit more when she heard the title. A bit of praise wouldn't hurt for me to give and might improve her impression of me.
"You should be kneeling," growled the bulky man, glaring at me. I hadn't expected him to speak and was caught off guard for just a second before I recovered. I stared into his eyes for a few seconds and I don't know why, but I got a distinct feeling that this man was trying to piss me off for whatever reason. Well, I can play that game too.
"I don't bow or kneel to just anyone," I replied in a mocking tone. "Your queen means nothing to me." the words were stupid and were digging me a fresh grave, but I couldn't stop them. This man who I had just met was trying to anger for no good reason. Showing fear was bad, but simply rolling over and doing nothing was worse.
"How dare you!" the woman on Adarras right hissed. "You speak to the queen!"
"Your queen," I said sharply. "Not mine."
Her glare looked sharp enough to cut steel and she took a threatening step towards me. I prepared to send a mental command to Rath if she attacked. If she thought she could scare me then she was sorely mistaken. She had no idea of the power I held.
"That's enough," said Adarra in a sweet voice that sent shivers racing down my spine. "We are not here to fight you." she didn't look angry or annoyed as I had expected but instead amused. She took a step towards me and I felt Rath's head lift slightly. It seemed Rath also knew that Adarra was dangerous, as I hadn't even given him a command. The queen stopped but didn't even glance at Rath or look frightened at all. She looked completely at ease. It was scary.
"May I ask where you were traveling to?" asked Adarra. I thought about lying then immediately scraped the idea. I couldn't lie, it would do me no good. I needed to head to the capital and get into the meeting, and I had a chance in front of me. Even if I did lie, I would still head to the capital and there would be a chance she or one of the people in her faction would see me since that was obviously where they were going.
"The capital," I answered.
She perked up and took a step closer, this time glancing at Rath who didn't move, "Why?"
"Business," I simply said. Saying I wanted to be part of the meeting would arouse her suspicions and would not benefit me in any way.
She took another step and appeared... in front of me? I quickly sent the mental command to relax to Rath. The queen was fast and that just confirmed that she was a cut above the rest. Dornand had also told me as much. She placed a hand on my chest and I held back the urge to flinch. As beautiful as she was, I couldn't shake off the feeling of being prey before a predator. The mix of seductress and huntress was very odd and just made it harder to focus and stay calm.
"Your quite handsome you know," she said, as she stared into my eyes. "But that's not what interests me." Was that good or bad, because I couldn't tell. The compliment was nice, but the way she spoke revealed very little. There was no obvious emotion in her voice apart from the sultry and seductive tone, which made it hard to read her.
"Where's the other?" she asked, and I tilted my head in confusion. Other?
"The blonde who disappeared. Where is she?" she asked, and I just barely managing to keep from showing the shock on my face. She had seen Leone! We had been quite high when I had stored her. No normal person would have been able to... I stopped. Adarra wasn't a normal person. I mentally sighed. It was a mistake, but an honest one. There was no way I could have predicted this.
"Gone," I answered, not wanting to say anymore.
She spent a long minute staring at me with those hawk-like eyes before she disappeared and reappeared at her original position in between the man and woman. I sighed in relief. It was frightening how intense her gaze could be up close.
"Would you accompany me and my forces to the capital?" she asked, and I saw annoyance on man and woman's faces. They clearly didn't like that idea, and the woman glared at me. almost as if she could make me say no. I wasn't going to say no. This was my chance to get close to Adarra and into the meeting. I would do what I needed to do. The rewards for the quest were in my mind as I nodded at her, "I will accompany you, your majesty."
She didn't look surprised at all, she just smiled at me as if she knew that I would have accepted. The two beside her did not look happy and were glaring daggers at me. A lesser man might have cowered or sent them an apologetic look, but I wasn't a lesser man. I shot them both a smirk as Adarra motioned for me to follow.
"What about Rath," I asked Adarra as I arrived at her side. The soldiers were in a marching position and the man and woman who had been next to Adarra were standing behind us. She gave a small smirk, "Why don't you make him 'Gone'." So that's how she wanted to play this, I thought, ok. I stored Rath, but Adarra didn't look shocked and started walking. I did hear a few mutters from the armored people around us, but nothing more. We walked back into the camp and I managed to see a few things in-between our escort, but not much. I'd have to explore later if I could. Adarra didn't speak as we walked, but the fear and allure were still present.
The soldiers stopped 15 minutes later and parted to show a large tent that was easily as big as a small one-story house. Adarra walked inside and motioned for me to follow. I walked through the tent flap and looked around inside. The tent had a fairly large silver and blue carpet and was divided into 3 sections. The right side held a bed big enough for two, a desk, and a table. The left corner next to the tent flap held chests and an armor and weapon stand. The far left side was curtained off, but I guessed it was a bathing area of some sort. I had gone camping before and this was a huge upgrade to any tent I'd ever been in.
Adarra turned to me, "I will have servants come and prepare a bath for you," she said. "I will also have fresh clothes brought to you. Those rags your wearing won't do" Rags, was a bit of an exaggeration, but I did appreciate that I'd be getting clean and new clothes.
"Thank you," I said.
She nodded her head, "You will be having a meal with me, and some of my advisors later."
Wait, what? that threw me for a loop. I knew I would have to get close to her to be invited into the meeting, and it was obvious she had her reasons for inviting me into her camp, but I hadn't expected this at all. Off-balance again. She gave me one last smile before walking out of the tent. The allure vanished, but the fear stayed.
I immediately slumped onto one of the cushioned seats. I sighed and waited for the servants to arrive.
I needed a relaxing soak.
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