The Love Potion 45 - 46

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Thanks for waiting - if you were 😋The melodrama draws to a close, I'm sure everyone will be relieved.

45 The Lady and the Truth

How long had she been crying for? Perhaps, it wasn’t as long as she thought. If she kept crying like this, she’ll probably dry out someday. (Zuben: And leave a desiccated husk for Ernest to roar at)

That would be good…

Better yet, she wanted to dry out and become ashes.

For then Iris would not see, if Ernest married someone he truly loved. Unlike her, she would be a happy bride who was genuinely loved, never feeling sad, suffering or depressed.

Oh, but that’s right. There was still her lace work; commissions were complete and ready to be delivered. Above all, there were people looking forward to seeing her creations. She could not afford to dry out.

Iris smiled tearfully and buried her face in her knees.

Just then, she heard the door sliding open.

‘Iris, are you here?’

Iris’ body became alert at the familiar voice of her beloved.

To be honest, she hadn’t expected him to come looking for her. She couldn’t imagine him running around searching for her after losing his love for her.  But he was here now, and she was afraid of what he was going to say. If she was told face-to-face that she had no right to be there, she didn’t know what she would do. (Zuben: Become a puddle of water)

‘You remembered how to get here…’ Ernest said softly contrary to Iris’ expectations.

What was his expression? She wanted to see him, but fear got the better of her.

Ernest was not discouraged; he walked up to Iris who was curled up on the couch.

‘You’re very clever to have learned how to get inside after one visit.’ He said with a small chuckle. She could hear his footsteps getting closer. (Zuben: Who’s a clever girl - you! Yes you!)

Oh dear, Ernest…it seemed he remembered everything that happened while he was under the effects of the love potion. He remembered bringing her here. If so, he would remember taking Iris’ first time.

His footsteps came to stop near Iris. She stiffened. She could hear the rustling of his clothes.

‘Iris, I want you to marry me.’

Ernest was a fool.

‘No, there is no need for that.’ She said tearfully. (Zuben: Ya know you could be preggers right? Oh right “daddy and I concepted you in anger *quiet sob*”)

His love for her disappeared when she gave him the antidote. He would have known from Leticia revealing the story of the love potion that he had been under its effects. It would be impossible for him not to be angry.

‘What if I told you I love you, truly?’ (Zuben: Irees, You know me love-a you truly, from my head down to my goolies…)

He was still trying to take responsibility; he was trying to give Iris tenderness as though he loved her.

‘No, you can’t do that…’

He did not have to tell her loved her. For him, she had to tell him no.

However, it was profane to refuse. Iris knew she had to be punished for giving the King a love potion. Ernest seemed to sympathise, but as King, he could not afford to be so merciful.

‘You know everything now, don’t you? Then…’

Tears overflowed and her throat was sore with emotion. Still she took a deep breath and continued,

‘I’ll take whatever punishment…execution…’ (Zuben: Let’s end this crazy melodrama with death!)

She will pay for her crimes. She wondered how her family will fare but she was sure Matthias would take care of it. The responsibility of not being able to manage Leticia should be taken on by Matthias. Even though she thought Iris was a terrible little sister. (Zuben: What did Leticia do outside of running her idiot mouth?)

‘Execution?!’ Ernest roared, ‘Don’t say such stupid things; that’s like killing me and telling me to die.’

‘You can’t have any sympathy for me!’ She said loudly raising her face, forgetting her face was tear- soaked. Her deep purple eyes widened to the limit at what she saw,

‘Wha-what are you doing?!’

Ernest was kneeling on the floor before Iris. Iris leapt off the sofa and tried to get him up. The king of the country should not bow before others.

‘Ernest-sama! Please, stop this! Why are you doing something like this?

‘I’m sorry, Iris. I was the one who trapped you.’

‘Eh?’

She could not comprehend what he was saying. She was the one who trapped him, not the other way round.

Ernest looked up at her with a grave expression, Iris was puzzled.

‘The love potion was just soluble sweets. I gave them to Matthias to get them to you.’

‘Hold on, what are you saying?’

‘I wanted you. I wanted to get you into a situation you could not escape.’

What was he telling her? Iris had no idea. Even so, tears fell down her face and her heart was expectant. (Zuben: No comprende)

Ernest looked up and stretched his hand out to wipe her tears with his thumb.

‘That night, I was not under the influence of any sort of love potion when I took you. It was what I wanted; I wanted to make you mine.’

‘But, that can’t be right.’

Yet, she would be happy if it were true. (Zuben: Of course you would)

‘Iris, please forgive my foolishness.’ He said looking into her violet eyes.

Looking into his golden eyes, she asked, ‘Why? Why would you do such a thing?’

‘Because I loved you. Only you.’ He replied as he tried to wipe the tears with his fingers, but the tears were too much, they still ran down her face.

He held her wet face in his large hands and pressed his lips against her eyebrow.

‘I love you.’ He repeated

‘You’re lying.’

‘Why would I lie? I truly love you.’

‘How come?’

‘One year ago, I saw you crying and you captured my heart.’ (Zuben: And dick, don’t forget that part)

Ernest kissed Iris’ tears. Holding her hand, he rose off the floor.

‘One year ago…’

What did that mean? It looked like there were a lot of things that she did not know. Her eyes were filled with anxiety. But her heart was filled with hope.

Ernest held Iris’ had firmly as though to relieve his anxiety, he drew her to the window. Beyond the large windows was the gazebo she had cried in not so long ago. There, Ernest drew a box from a drawer underneath in the window. He opened the lid and took out the items from inside, and arranged them on the top.

‘Iris, do you remember these ornaments and shoes.’

The hair ornament with pale pink stones set to look like cherry blossoms, and pretty shoes of the same colour. Both were dirty and broken. The moment she looked at them, something dawned on her. 

 ♔♔♔

46 The Lady’s Love

‘These are…’

That night, one year ago, Iris had thrown the ornaments and shoes at the pillar of the gazebo beyond the window. Heartbroken at the royal ball, it had been painful to see accessories she had thought suited Leticia more than she. She had flung them away in anger.

‘But why do you…have this?’ (Zuben: Cos he’s a stalker going through your trash etc etc)

 He had kept them in a safe place; Iris could not fathom why, she looked at Ernest inquisitively.

Ernest drew her into his embrace,

‘I fell in love with you that night.’

‘Eh…?’ Her violet eyes were filled with surprise. She blushed and lowered her eyes in embarrassment, ‘But that night, that was the night I…’

She had been crying. She had chosen to cry there because the area had been deserted. She had shouted out her ugly emotions, throwing her things – very unsightly for a noble lady. How had Ernest fallen in love?

She was mortified.

‘Yes, you were out there crying all alone.’

‘Then, why?’

‘I saw those beautiful tears, and fell in love. Do you think I’m a bad man?’

Did he feel uneasy? Iris wondered as his arms tightened around her.

She grasped his shirt, and put her head against his wide chest and shook her head.

‘No, I don’t think you’re bad person.’ (Zuben: Well…)

Sure, if he had told her this on first meeting, she would have been absolutely alarmed. It didn’t seem to be normal, being fascinated by a woman’s crying face. (Zuben: Well…) She would have thought he was into sadomasochism.

But she knew him; she knew his kindness, his sensitivity to the subtleties of her heart, his affection for her was so abundant she felt like she would drown in it. She had thought his behaviour had been due to the love potion, even then, she had gotten addicted to his warmth.

She was fully aware of his feelings.

‘But, you’ve been a bit…’

She wanted to be careful what she said, but in the past week Iris had felt awful. Although she had not been in any pain, but she was a bit resentful that he deprived her of her sleep and strength.

Ernest knew he had been wrong to treat her that way; he hugged Iris like an oversized dog begging for forgiveness at the slight thought of her retaliating. (Zuben: Don’t forgive him, step on his dick and crush it ¬.¬)

‘I’m so very sorry, Iris. I thought you didn’t love me, but I didn’t want you to leave me.’ He said full of remorse. But then he stopped, holding her closer his whispered in her ear, ‘Truthfully, I was scared more than anything.’

‘Scared?’

‘Yes. If I lost you, I would not be able to live. You might believe that it is an exaggeration, but it is an undeniable fact.’

This was Ernest’s true heart; he did not want Iris to doubt it. But she felt that it was a little too much, Iris raised her face from his chest and asked,

‘How come you were there that night?’ (Zuben: Er, you’re in a room facing the Crying Spot, do the math?)

Ernest smiled at Iris and replied, ‘I had never been in love till I saw you crying that night.’ (Zuben: Is that the answer to the question?)

‘How…’

‘Because, I couldn’t care less about the existence of the being called woman. Honestly, I still have goose-bumps around any other woman that isn’t you.’

But, why Iris alone?

Ernest sat her down and told her of his past, about his sisters and the feud over the throne and how the situation changed his reaction to women. Iris had no way of knowing about all this being a mere daughter of a Marquis. Like him, she had an oppressive older sister, stuck with the connection of birth that they could not escape. (Zuben: Y’all could have escaped but you weren’t smart enough to)

Ernest pressed his lips to Iris’ forehead. She did not say anything, but held onto him tightly. He touched the tears that had not dried on her cheeks,

‘I had always thought that women would use their tears to further their advantage, to lesser or greater extent.’

He looked down lovingly at her,

‘I never thought that there would be someone who wouldn’t so such a thing existed.’

His large hand cupped her cheek,

‘But you were different; that night, you sat out there crying by yourself, not wanting anyone to see. Do you know how shocked I was?’

‘I became fascinated by your dignified beauty in the moonlight. And I realised I wanted you.’

He tilted her head up to look at him, ‘Iris, you are the only one I want. The only one I need.’

‘Ernest…’

Even though she didn’t want to cry, tears were filling her eyes. Iris’ heart was overflowing with joy.

‘If you weren’t by my side, I would forever have to spend into my hands.’

‘Ernest! Don’t say such things out loud!’

Why did he always make such reckless remarks at such important moments?

Iris blushed up to her ears; she looked up at him with loving exasperation.

But Ernest looked at her with the hot flames of desire in his eyes.

‘It is the undeniable truth; my body would not be aroused by any other person than you. If I lost you, I really could not live.’

Iris became even more embarrassed, but she could not deny being glad to be told that she was needed. The love she had thought she would have to surrender was reciprocated; she could not help but be happy.

‘Me too; I love you.’ She said as happy tears fell down her face. She felt that today, she was emotionally weaker than normal. Still, she wanted to be open about her feeling, she was happy.

Ernest kissed her tears, ‘Your tears are sweet,’ he said with an ecstatic expression. She thought he looked rather cute, she smiled. She thought tears were salty.

Ernest kissed away her tears, then leaned back with a solemn expression on his face he said, ‘Iris, please marry me. I promise to make you happy. So please say yes.’

‘Y-yes.’ She replied. She nodded firmly so that her thoughts could be conveyed.

At that moment, Ernest roared like a beast and hugged Iris tightly. (Zuben: Does anyone find Ernest’s “roaring” sexy? I just think it is so cringey! It sounds like Chewbacca in my head)

‘Iris! I love you. I love you.’ He said.

Iris replied over and over.

Iris was overflowing with unbearable happiness; her tears of joy would not stop. (Zuben: The tap is broken)

‘Ernest, I love you. I want to be with you forever, so please, keep on loving only me forever.’ It was Ernest who made Iris remember how be indulgent, so she made an indulgent wish.

Her words seemed to have intensified the flames of Ernest’s love, because the heat of desire in his eyes for exceeded Iris’ imagination.

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