And secondly, I'll update the chapter here, after 24 hours, I'll remove it.

I'm really sorry, please do support me on dreame.

It's not yet complete on dreame but to read it fully, it'll be on dreame exclusively.

Thank you ♥

Love you all

~~~

Zaccheus POV

    As he stood on the podium expressionlessly, waiting for his mate to greet him with her warmth, his mind drifted back to the previous night.

He knew his mate was hiding something big from him when he told her that he was a virgin. Even though her eyes twinkled with mischief, there was still some sadness and guilty in them and that made him restless.

He didn't whether she was a virgin or not, all that he wanted to be her acceptance.

Screw virginity.

He crept inside her room the previous night, watching the rise and fall of her chest as her hair has covered all her face with drool trailing off to her ear. He chuckled lightly, slightly touching her face to remove her hair when she mumbled out his name.

"Mate is amazing" Ryl whispered with adoration imprinting the image of her face to his memory.

"Yeah" the King replied absent-minded, sitting at the edge of her bed.

The King wondered how he was blessed with a fragile hearted soul like his mate- the complete opposite of him.

She was his strength.

He stood up after staring at her, pecking her forehead which made her s.h.i.+vered and he smiled. Even though she was asleep, her body still wanted him.

When he turned to leave, he was held back by her, staring at him sleepily.

"I thought I was dreaming" she yawned softly, smiling at him while he chuckled and pecked her nose.

"I'm sorry for waking you, just wanted to see".

"Oh," she wiggled her brows playfully, "You miss me" she teased him, nudging hid shoulder before her eyes widened in realization.

"We aren't supposed to meet a day or.." she was interrupted by warm lips on hers. All her senses were driven away as they moulded synchronizing together as sparks erupted over their body. He stopped a little and stared at her eyes longingly, "I don't care about the curse. What only matters, is me seeing you" he captured her mouth again.

She responded to the kiss fervently without missing a beat as his tongue explored her mouth hungrily.

"Me too, I miss you" she kissed him.

He kicked off his shoe and got in bed with her which made her immediately to rest her head on his chest, hearing the rhyme of his heart beating soothingly.

His hand was lost in her wavy hair, playing and twirling it which made her sighed in content.

"Tomorrow is a big day," she sighed loudly while he hummed in response.

"A big day, new chapter".

"Yeah" her hands trailing and touching his perfect abs.

They were in perfect silence, drowning in each other scent and comfort before the atmosphere tensed, "Tell me about your parents" he asked slowly as her hand stopped touching his chest and scouted a little away from him which made his heart to tug painfully in rejection and frown.

He watched as her lips trembled as she bit her lips hard to stop herself from crying, blinking her eyes uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry," he said in remorse, "I don't mean to hurt you".

"No, you didn't hurt me. It is just that it's a sore topic for me" he could hear the trembling in her voice as she rubbed her body to protect her from her demons.

"I've been hiding, I think it's time for me to open up" she sniffed sitting away from him, staring out of the window.

"All started on my birthday when I was seven years old, the day my mother died" she stopped, her nose was red with tears. "My father was a doting husband to his wife and an amazing father to daughter but when his wife which was my mother died, he became a monster I didn't know". He crawled to her and engulfed her in his warm large arms, whispering some soothing words to her.

"Papa as I used to call him and he hated that" she chuckled humorlessly, "He changed that night. The loss of his wife drove him to be alcoholic and abuser. I was starved, beaten repeatedly for any single mistake. He called me murderer because my mother died in my place and I used to wish that, the day should reverse back so that I could have been killed not her" he growled softly which vibrated round her body, hating her last sentence, she saw his sullen expression and smiled rea.s.suringly at him. "It was then but not now" she pecked his jaw.

"I don't know why I trusted you guys, maybe because we are connected by faith," She said, "every time my father was in need of money or was in debt, my body was his exchange. He would bring the man or men home whenever I tried to fight, I would be beaten the brick of death. His punishment did varies, from burning me with his cigarette ashes to craving with broken bottles" she cried while he rubbed her back, having it hard to control his fury for her father and those men.

"I'm sorry" she sobbed loudly, "I'm not worthy of your love" her body shook with tears, "I'm tainted... I'm..." she cried, using her hand to m.u.f.fled her voice.

"It is okay..." he was interrupted by her.

"It's okay if you reject me. I understand," he growled loudly which shook the castle.

"Don't you dare" he gritted, fuming. "I'm the one who's not worthy of you" he caressed her cheek, cleaning the tears stains away from her face. It pained him to see her crying, his heart was bleeding.

"You've not seen my body that's why you think I'm worthy" she snorted, "I've scars all over my body, I'm a damaged good...." her self disparagement were m.u.f.fled my his lips descending on her. Furiously kissing her before he slowed down conveying warmth.

"I don't care if you've been touched before or I wasn't your first but what I care about is I, spending the rest of my life with you and be your last" he spoke with adoration.

He was brought out of the previous night by the trumpet been blown announcing the arrival of his mate. He could wait to have her because he had promised to kiss all her scars away and make her forget everything.

He felt his mate heavenly scent and the normal beating of her heart before he saw her, it was only a night distance but he missed her so much. It was paining to follows traditions even though he had broken one.

He saw her red stiletto walking into where he was before he saw her G.o.ddess's face.  He was awestruck with what was before him, he felt his finger twitching to tear the cloth as his junior was throbbed painfully wanting to explore her.

He didn't know he was holding his breath until his warm big hands took her cold small ones softly.

They stared at one another for a long period of time yet short by another trumpet been blown which indicate the ceremony should start.

***

"The trumpet has been blown" the younger man said, fidgeting his fingers together, he was scared.

"Yes, I head it" the man replied dismissively, cuffing the cufflinks of his suit.

"We will have to pledge our loyalty, I hope he won't know" the younger man voice trembled with fear.

The older man shoot him an annoying glance, rubbing his face  tiredly, "He can never know because I've cut off your loyalty with him".

"How?".

"You can't understand" the man smirked and patted the dumbfounded young man and walked away.

"The time is counting".

***