Into My Soul

Raphael's Point of View:

“Raphael, the princess is around, let's go and greet her! Also, act like a man, and don't disgrace me.” Timothy whispered harshly, interrupting my unholy thoughts, and before I could protest, I was pulled into a corner.

“What is the matter now, father? The princess just arrived, I am sure she wouldn't want to be seen with a mere messenger like you!” I replied with a harsh voice, hoping that Timothy would be offended, but he didn't look angry, instead, he offered me a menacing smile.

“Come with me, you half-man! We are both worthless messengers!” Timothy said, taking my hand and leading me towards the princess.

I knew what was coming next, and I turned to look at my confused brother, offering him a gentle smile. "Don't worry, candy, everything will be alright." I mouthed to George, and his shoulders relaxed. He let out a soft sigh, his eyes still fixed on me with a lingering concern.

My father's grip around my wrists tightened, his fingernails piercing my flesh like icy needles. I winced as warm blood trickled down my wrists, the metallic scent filling my nostrils. The room seemed to spin, and I felt my stomach lurch with nausea. I began to reconsider my options. I wondered if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with a woman I didn't have feelings for.

"Father, please, can we discuss this again?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. The pain from my wrists was intense, but I gritted my teeth and attempted to hide it, hoping to avoid drawing attention from the others.

“There's nothing to talk about, now don't embarrass me, and your eyes should be fixed on the princess, not on her guard's ass!” My father warned me as he led me towards the throne. My face burned with embarrassment and anger as I snapped my gaze back to the princess, trying to compose myself. I could feel one of her guard's eyes on me, and I wondered if he'd heard my father's humiliating comment.

As I struggled to maintain my composure, my gaze shifted to the throne, where the princess sat beside... the king. My heart sank, remembering the insults I'd hurled at him when I entered the ballroom. It felt like a trap. I was trapped, and the king's piercing eyes were the predator.

My father's bow interrupted my thoughts, and he released my hand. “Your majesty and royal highness! My name is Timothy, I am one of the royal messengers!”

I froze once again, and I looked at the king with a surprised gaze, wondering what I was supposed to do. Luckily for me, my father pulled my arms, signaling me to bow to the epitome of power, and in a shocked state, I bowed down to the handsome King.

I could feel King Lazarus' eyes on me, and his black eyes squinted as he secretly scrutinized my features. It felt like I was in front of my life judge. One wrong move I could get eliminated or worse sent out.

I knew I wasn't supposed to have feelings for the king, but I couldn't help it, and I wished my father would officially introduce me to him. But Timothy seemed uninterested, likely because he knew the king harbored strong prejudices against gay people. Instead, he turned his attention to the princess.

“Your royal Highness, with your permission, I will introduce my son, Raphael to you.”

Deep down, I knew I was supposed to look at the princess, but instead, my eyes chose to remain on the king, and the king's black gaze scrutinized me once more. My wolf squealed in excitement, and as much as I admired the king's beauty, I couldn't help but feel a hint of danger in the king's eyes.

The king's eyes narrowed at me, and a ghostly smile appeared on his perfectly crafted face, “Feel free to introduce your son to my little sister. She is getting old and needs to get married to a straight man like your son.” His voice was smooth, but I could sense that it was filled with heavy sarcasm.

I felt naked in front of him. It was like he knew my true sexuality; like he knew I was gay, and yet felt attracted to me. ‘Or maybe I was just imagining things.’

“Oh, brother,” The princess giggled like a sweet soul, and a smile appeared on her lips as she admired my beauty. Although I was dressed in a cloak, one could still see some parts of my face.

Timothy felt fulfilled when the Princess checked me out, and he chuckled. “Rapheal is as obedient as a dog, and please forgive him for wearing a black cloak, he is really shy around girls!”

The king and the princess smiled broadly. "Well, at least he is interested in girls and not boys!" The king's tone was playful, but his raised eyebrow and expectant gaze made his words feel like a probing question.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as his eyes seemed to bore into mine as if searching for a secret. His mischievous smile only added to my discomfort, and I immediately turned pale. Thankfully, my father was able to handle the situation, intervening before I could stumble over my words.

“Oh yes, my son loves girls, and gay people make him sick. There was a time he avoided men like a plague, according to him, he could get infected by the unholy disease!” Timothy lied with a smooth voice, smiling like an angel.

Although he helped me through a difficult situation, his words didn't sit well with me, and I cleared my throat awkwardly, giving him a threatening gaze. Timothy understood what the gaze meant, and he laughed nervously.

“My son will make a fine husband for your sister, I raised him well, and he is loyal and faithful. Although he didn't grow up with me, I made sure I visited him every day to imbibe good qualities into him. It wasn't easy raising two sons alone, but I am happy I raised him well.” My father continued, looking at the princess, hoping his words were pleasing to her ears.

I cleared my throat, feeling angry and uncomfortable at my father's blatant lies, and I wished the floor could open up and swallow him.

“Stop talking and bite your foolish tongue, Timothy” I wanted to tell him, but couldn't because I was the center of attention.

My father was trying too hard to fake my sexuality, and the princess looked bored but kept a fake smile on her face. As for the king, he wasn't listening anymore. His eyes were fixated on me, and he stared with an intense curiosity that unsettled me.

It wasn't the type of attention I was used to, the king wasn't staring at me because he was awed by my beauty. He was curious about something else, and his piercing eyes were looking deep into my soul, but I couldn't figure out what the king was trying to find.

“Raphael, how about you come to the palace tomorrow and have a private dinner with my sister, I am sure she will like it?” The king suddenly asked with a gentle smile.