THE MAD KING 1: THE FAKE BRIDE
img img THE MAD KING 1: THE FAKE BRIDE img Chapter 3 TWO
3
Chapter 6 FIVE img
Chapter 7 SIX img
Chapter 8 SEVEN img
Chapter 9 EIGHT img
Chapter 10 NINE img
Chapter 11 TEN img
Chapter 12 ELEVEN img
Chapter 13 TWELVE img
Chapter 14 THIRTEEN img
Chapter 15 FOURTEEN img
Chapter 16 FIFTEEN img
Chapter 17 SIXTEEN img
Chapter 18 SEVENTEEN img
Chapter 19 EIGHTEEN img
Chapter 20 NINETEEN img
Chapter 21 TWENTY img
Chapter 22 TWENTY-ONE img
Chapter 23 TWENTY-TWO img
Chapter 24 TWENTY-THREE img
Chapter 25 TWENTY-FOUR img
Chapter 26 TWENTY-FIVE img
Chapter 27 TWENTY-SIX img
Chapter 28 TWENTY-SEVEN img
Chapter 29 TWENTY-EIGHT img
Chapter 30 TWENTY-NINE img
Chapter 31 THIRTY img
Chapter 32 THIRTY-ONE img
Chapter 33 THIRTY-TWO img
Chapter 34 THIRTY-THREE img
Chapter 35 THIRTY-FOUR img
Chapter 36 THIRTY-FIVE img
Chapter 37 THIRTY-SIX img
Chapter 38 THIRTY-SEVEN img
Chapter 39 THIRTY-EIGHT img
Chapter 40 THIRTY-NINE img
Chapter 41 FORTY img
Chapter 42 FORTY-ONE img
Chapter 43 FORTY-TWO img
Chapter 44 FORTY-THREE img
Chapter 45 FORTY-FOUR img
Chapter 46 FORTY-FIVE img
Chapter 47 FORTY-SIX img
Chapter 48 FORTY-SEVEN img
Chapter 49 FORTY-EIGHT img
Chapter 50 FORTY-NINE img
Chapter 51 FIFTY img
Chapter 52 FIFTY-ONE img
Chapter 53 FIFTY-TWO img
Chapter 54 FIFTY-THREE img
Chapter 55 FIFTY-FOUR img
Chapter 56 FIFTY-FIVE img
Chapter 57 FIFTY-SIX img
Chapter 58 FIFTY-SEVEN img
Chapter 59 FIFTY-EIGHT img
Chapter 60 FIFTY-NINE img
Chapter 61 SIXTY img
Chapter 62 SIXTY-ONE img
Chapter 63 SIXTY-TWO img
Chapter 64 SIXTY-THREE img
Chapter 65 SIXTY-FOUR img
Chapter 66 SIXTY-FIVE img
Chapter 67 SIXTY-SIX img
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Chapter 3 TWO

"Wh...what did you say, father?" Akila asked, horror written on her face.

Her father smiled again, this time wider than the last,

"My daughter, you would be getting married to the king. You would be the queen, and I would be the queen's father. Isn't thıs great?" He laughed heartily, chewing vigorously.

"Ahhh...how time flies! One time, you're embarrassed, and the next, you're father to the queen. Thank God! Thank God!"

He flicked his eyes back to Akila. "We leave tomorrow by dawn. They want it to be dıscreet and fast. Go to your room now. Pack just lıttle thıngs wıth your mother and sister and be ready." he added, "Ahh, I'm so happy. I'm so happy."

Aila whipped her head toward Akila, watchıng as her sister's hand trembled on her lap. Her eyes wıdened wıth shock. Her heart beat rapidly and dangerously in her chest as Akıila clenched her fist and slowly liftıng her head up.

Aila shook her head. Her stomach dropped again as she gulped down.

No....no....Akila. Not now...please. Not now.

"Do I get a say in this?" Akila's voice cracked in the air.

The room went silent at her words, the temperature reducing dangerously. Her father's smile twinged down a bit at the edges, something dark flickering in those orbs of his.

Akila should never have said anything. She should have just swallowed the words and kept it. Aila pinched her thighs, squeezing hard enough to draw pain as she withdrew her head to herself. There was going to be lots of trouble now.

"I'm the one that would be marrying a man no one has ever seen, and you're just throwing it on me? Am I your daughter or just a trade item?" Akila continued, rage thrumming in her voice.

Aila gulped down again, shutting her eyes, awaiting her father's usual self. Akila had poked him, just like always and...

Her father's cheerful tone faded in an instant, replaced with the commanding and authoritative tone they've both been used to in their 19 years of living,

"This is not the time for tantrums, Akila! You will pack your things right now and be prepared tomorrow morning! And God help me, if you're not, I will beat the living grace out of you!"

Akila stood up with a bang, her fist clenched and tears running down her cheeks. "Beat me?" She scoffed.

"Akila..." their mother yelled, "listen to your father now!"

"I'm done," Akila started, making a chill run down Aila's spine.

She closed her eyes, tapping her legs rhythmically on the ground.

"I'm done with all of this! You've never considered us as your daughters. We're never good in your eyes. We're never enough. And for years now, we've accepted it. But now, you want to marry me off?"

Akila stepped closer to them, her eyes widened. She pointed, "I would never marry the king. And none of you...no one of you can force me." She spat before walking out.

"Come back here, Akila!" Her mother yelled out.

"Akila!"

"Akila!"

The door banged shut instantly, a long silence pooling the room.

Aila gulped down as everything echoed down, pinching her thighs with her head bowed to the floor as she awaited her father's words.

She could feel his boiling rage, her mother's sweet nothings to pacify him and not lash out. "I would talk to her, Adnan. She will be packed before tomorrow."

Her heart almost leaped forward as he stood up. Slowly, she raised her head and reopened her eyes to meet his sharp, widened eyes and tightened jaw.

He pointed a finger towards her, his chest heaving up and down, and slowly he said, "You would talk to her, and speak sense into her before tomorrow. If she's not prepared, I will punish the three of you in this house."

She gulped as he approached her, his black fearful orbs staring down and directly into her brown ones- the ones she got from her mother. He grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to stare more into them,

"What have I said about looking at me when talking to you?"

He flung her away from his grasp and marched out of the room, leaving her mother alone.

Her mother approached her, saying, "You better talk sense into that girl and convince her. She's not ruining this for me in any way. If I could convince him to pick you, I would, since you won't trouble me!"

"Find her and talk sense into her!" her mother said sharply before walking away.

Aila felt her heart twist in her chest. She has always been the straightforward child, the not-too-pretty child, the soft one, the one that followed all the rules and bidding.

And her mother was right: if her father had told her she would be getting married, she would have said yes and agreed even if she didn't want it. She hated his wrath, his stiff belt on her skin, and his insult, which she was so used to, to the extent that it was now engraved on her skin.

Her twin sister, Akila, was the stubborn one-the one they couldn't tame-and the prettiest one. With curls like her mother's and pure black eyes so black they could lock in your soul, she was the preferred choice. Everyone loved her.

Aila sniffed in, cleaning her eyes and returning to the room.

Her father has threatened to beat them if she doesn't talk to Akila, and her father does not make empty threats.

She would do as she has been told; convince Akila. Akila always listened to her. And this time, she had to, if it would make their father smile more and give more compliments instead of his usual insult, she has to.

_________________________

It was late at night when Akila knocked on the bedroom window, startling Aila in her bed as she stood up. She unlocked the window and opened it, Akila popping in like a thief in the night with a little box in her hand.

"Where have you been? I've had to send Mother away more than three times now. And I've been packing without you. I was worried." Aila said in between yawns and rubbing her eyes.

Akila's eyes gouged the small room where she slept with her twin sister. There were two boxes on the floor, with her clothes neatly folded in one. She smiled sadly as she saw her sister's box, some of her clothes and essentials in the box. She was going to be traveling also.

"Why are you smiling like that? It can't be that bad."

Akila sniffed in and turned to her sister, dropping the box in her hand on their little table before holding Aila's hand softly, her eyes staring pleadingly at her.

Aila squinted at her, the sleep wearing off as she stared suspiciously at Akila. The only time Akila held her hand this soft and stared at her like this was when she wanted to suggest something unattainable: like running from their father.

"If you want us to run away this time, I can't and won't help you. You know father would find out, and then he would....

Akila laughed out dryly, cutting her off. "No. No. We're not running away. I've found a better solution this time."

Aila's eyes widened, her ears perking up as she stared interestingly at Akila, "What better solution did you find that would save you from an arranged marriage this time?"

"A good one," Akila responded immediately, taking a considerable gulp.

She cupped Aila's cheeks, staring at her straight in the eyes, "Do you remember the dark magic woman down in the village? I went to her, and...

Aila snatched her hand and face away from her sister. She stepped back from Akila, her eyes widening in horror,

"Akila, what did you do?"

"Nothing yet!" Akila snapped a bit, heaving a sigh.

She grabbed Aila's hand again, this time softer than the last, "I just met the witch and talked to her. I don't want to go. You know I don't want to. I told her, and then she gave me a spell....

"What spell?" Aila cut in, her voice quiet with dread.

Akila inched closer, her voice reduced to a whisper, "A soul-switching spell."

Aila's eyes widened, her heart dropping to her stomach instantly,

"Switch your soul into my body, Aila. And you'll go instead of me."

            
            

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