"Not a surprise. Let us just hope Arianna doesn't make more surprise visits."
"Let us not count on that, because we know she will," the king said.
"I will kick her out again, if she does," Gabriel said and smiled, before winking at me.
I tried not to focus on the conversation or any of them. I just ate the sandwich I had in front of me. It was strange that the fridge was just stocked with food, that I hadn't provided, and I knew it would continue being stocked. It was something else to get used to.
No! Not get used to it.
I couldn't get used to it.
Dammit! I was already being sucked into their world. This was going to be harder than I thought. I felt the king brush my hair back, the touch again making me shiver. He must have noticed, because he smiled at me, and it looked like he could see right through me.
"I made my intentions clear though," the king said before turning to Gabriel and Ace. "I choose her."
"Well, then you two should probably get on with the whole marking," Gabriel said.
I coughed choking on the bite I had just taken off the sandwich. Gabriel just laughed, as he watched me struggling not to die. The king patted my back, looking annoyed at Gabriel.
"What?!" he said innocently holding up his hands.
I swallowed what I had eaten, luckily not dying, before looking at him angrily.
"Don't say that again," I told him.
"Ah, starting to act like the little queen she is, giving me orders. Do it again," he said, almost like he liked me ordering him around.
I just glared at him, and he just smiled at me. I placed my half-eaten sandwich down on the coffee table, having lost my appetite, but the king didn't allow that. So, before I could really put it down, he took the plate pressing it into my hands again.
"Eat. You need it."
"Not so hungry anymore," I said and glanced at Gabriel.
"I am not speaking lies though," he said.
I grabbed onto the plate though, even if I didn't plan to eat more. The king urged me though, pushing my hands upwards, telling me silently to eat more. So, I took a bite while looking at him annoyed, and he seemed satisfied when I gave in. I shook my head, before turning to Gabriel again, swallowing the food.
"And what do you think will happen if we did?" I said, playing along for now with this idea.
"Well, then there isn't much they can do."
"They could kill me."
A growl left the king. Clearly, the idea of me dying hurt him, just like the idea of him dying hurt me.
"I won't let that happen," the king said darkly.
"But marking me would give them even more reason to," I said. "Neither of you can deny that."
It was quiet, as I pointed between the three of them.
"And I don't know about you, but I want my heart to continue to beat," I said.
Everyone seemed to grow a little more serious and quieter, as I pointed this out.
"If this should ever work, he would need to convince the council or at least half of them," I said.
I didn't plan for it to ever work, because I knew he couldn't even win over one of them, but I played along, so I had to point this out as well.