Chapter 16: 16


    Kinsley stood at the table with Nichs and his siblings as his parents entered the dining room. Once


    the King and Queen were seated, everyone else took their seats. Kinsley thanked the maid that ced


    her meal on the table before her. Everyone began to eat, but as usual, Nichs sat at the table calm


    and rxed, not touching his meal but drinking his wine and refilling his ss.


    “Are you not eating?” Naya asked when she noticed her son had not so much as picked up his fork.


    “I am not hungry,” he said. Kinsley had been at the pce with Nichols for nearly two weeks, and she


    had only seen him pick at his food, only eating a few mouthfuls asionally. In all honesty, she had no


    idea how he managed to get through every day without fainting or experiencing weakness.


    “You must eat to keep up your strength,” Naya lectured. Kinsley had to agree with his mother to a point.


    She would feel better if he ate more.


    “I am strong enough,” he muttered, lifting his wine to his lips.


    “I insist you eat,” Naya ordered.


    “I must regretfully defy your insistence, Mother.”


    “Nichs…” She snarled his name.


    “Nauseous Mother,” he snapped back, harshly, instantly silencing her. “Nauseous… I am always


    nauseated. The medications you insist on have Octavius force on me turns my stomach, and the only


    reason I am not on my knees bent over the toilet violently vomiting all day every day is I do not eat. So,


    do me the courtesy of getting off my back,” he hissed.


    The whole room went quiet, and Kinsley felt awkward being witness to the royal family’s discontent.


    “So, Kinsley,” Teegan piped up, ending the ufortable silence that hung in the air, “how long have


    you and Nicks been seeing each other?”


    “Long enough,” Nichs answered for her.


    “Well, how did you two meet?” Teegan asked, addressing Kinsley once more.


    “In passing,” Nichs answered again. He then reached out and took her hand then smiled. “I thought


    she was utterly enchanting and knew I had to have her. Besides, when I recently lost my vision, she


    stayed when she could have walked away.”


    “And I am sure that the fact that you have the wealth of a nation and the blood of royalty in your veins.


    After all, it is not like women seduce men with wealth and power just to get ahead in life,” Samuel


    drawled as he reached for his wine ss.


    Kinsley was speechless. Nichs’ father had just insulted her in a roundabout way that was painfully


    obvious to everyone at the table. The worse part was neither Nichs nor she could refute his


    usation that Kinsley was only with him for the money. Though she was quickly developing feelings


    for Nichs, it had been the money that ced her in this pce and his bed when neither she nor


    Nichs rejected the idea.


    When no one corrected him, the King ced his ss down on the table. “That is what I thought. Well


    then, let us put all the cards out on the table,” he said, turning his gaze to Kinsley. “You are a pauper, a


    common unimpressive peasant, who is below my son’s station and breeding. He is so far out of your


    league you two are not even in the same universe. Let me debunk the fantasies swirling in your mind.


    He does not love you. He will never love you. How could he, you are beneath him?...


    “He will never marry you. You will never be a princess. He will not make you a queen; because, though


    it breaks my heart, he will never live long enough to be King. If you think he will leave you anything in


    his will after he passes, you are sorely mistaken because everything he has is mine. My kingdom, my


    pce, my wealth; when he dies, you will return to the streets penniless and forgotten like every


    woman to havee before you…


    “But for the gifts, he showers you with now. You wille out of this rtionship with nothing. So,


    enjoy the ride while itsts and knows this; the only reason I am willing to so much as even tolerate


    your existence is that I love my son, and you make him happy; at this point in his brief life, he has so


    very little to be happy about.”


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    His words cut deep, and Kinsley looked down at her meal and realized she had lost her appetite.


    “Excuse me,” she said softly and stood up to leave.


    Nichs’ hand shot out and caught her by the wrist, stopping her from fleeing the room. “Kinsley, wait,”


    he rose to his feet, still holding his her. He did not look directly at anyone, but the anger was clear on


    his face. “I would like to point out, Father, that everyone at the table is a guest in what is my home. And


    until I am cold in the ground, it is MY home, and out of everyone at this table, Kinsley was invited… you


    were not. So, do me the courtesy that the next time you have an opinion, keep it to yourself,” he


    snarled, and then he left the room, dragging Kinsley behind him. He whistled, and Brutus jumped up


    and rushed over to him. Nichs grabbed his harness in the hall, and they made their way up the


    stairs, headed for the room they now shared.


    Once in their room, Nichs let go of Brutus and sent him to his doggy bed. “Nichs, I am sorry


    about leaving dinner. I just could not…” He turned and took her face in his hands, then kissed her lips


    hard, silencing her.


    His lips lifted from her. “You did nothing wrong. My family means well, but they are arrogant. The


    downside to wealth and privilege. Many would say I have the same faults.”


    “Nichs…”


    “No, hush, let me say this. Regardless of what my father thinks, you must know I cherish every moment


    you spend with me. I know we have a deal, and that money will change hands, but it means the world


    to me that you stay, given the circumstances not many women would,” his hand caressed her face


    affectionately. “He was right about one thing. You do make me happy. When my world has been


    nothing but ck and dark for so long, you have been a ray of light. While my predicament has not


    changed and the oue remains the same. You are making myst days bearable, and for that, I can


    never repay you.”


    Kinsley was grateful he could not see her well. It meant he could not see the tears she was trying so


    hard not to let fall. His words were touching. She was happy to hear he was happy with her because


    she was happy with him. In a short time, she had developed feelings for this man, strange, confusing


    feelings. They did not make sense, but she was d to hear they were returned.


    She gazed up at his handsome face and thought about what the King had said. She had feelings for


    Nichs; she did not want anything between them to ever make him question those feelings. She


    reached up and ced her hand over his and turned her head, cing a kiss on his palm and making


    him smile. She then looked up at him. “I do not want the money,” she said outright.


    His dark brows drew together questioningly. “What?” He whispered.


    “The money,” she said. “The rent, the debt, the million dors; I do not want it, any of it.”


    “I do not understand,” the look on his face confirmed he could not fathom why she would not take the


    money. His hands fell away, and he took a step back, looking worried and tortured. “Are you reneging


    on our deal?” His voice choked. “Are you leaving me?”


    “No,” she giggled. “I will stay if you let me. But I do not want to be your employee. I want to be your


    girlfriend, for real, not just in front of your parents.”


    “Why?” He sounded so unsure. “If not for the money, what do you get out of it?”


    “You.”


    His look of confusion grew. “I do not understand.”


    She giggled and caught his face in her hands, then kissed his cheek. “For an educated man, you are


    dense. I have feelings for you, silly, and I want to be with you.”


    “I am dying, Kinsley. I am deteriorating every day,” she could see pain and sorrow in his expression.


    “Blindness is just the beginning. It is going to get so much worse. I am going to be feeble, a


    burden on everyone. In two years'' time, I will not even remember my own name, let alone who you


    are.”


    She took his hand and sat Nichs on the edge of the bed. She ran her fingers through his hair and


    then lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. “Our time together will be brief and will lose you. But in our


    short time together, we will have loved a lifetime; and when you are gone. I will remember you, and you


    will live on forever in my heart.”


    A tear fell from his eyes and rolled down his cheek. She’d never seen him so emotional. “You love


    me?” He barely managed.


    She stroked his hair. “Yes.”


    His hand came up andy to the side of her face. “I love you too… so much,” his confession of love


    was odd. When one would expect to see happiness and affection, she saw pain and agony on his


    handsome face. He leaned in and ced a soft lingering kiss on her lips, then pulled back andy his


    forehead against hers as he closed his eyes in anguish. “And because I love you so much. I will not let


    you waste your life watching me die,” he then shot to his feet and walked to the door. Opening the door,


    he yelled for Octavius, who appeared out of nowhere immediately.


    “Yes, Your Majesty?”


    “Miss. Wells is leaving us. Collect her things,” he said, snapping his fingers to summon Brutus to his


    side. “Take her home,” he said, holding Brutus’ harness. “And see, she ispensated for her time.”


    Kinsley stood up and came to stand in front of him. “Nichs, do not, please do not send me away.”


    “I set you free,” he whispered. “Live a good life,” he then left the room with Brutus, and she found


    herself alone with Octavius.


    They both remained silent for a long moment allowing Kinsley to absorb what had just happened.


    “Miss. Wells, if you would be kind enough to pack. I will have Stephen take you home. As for your rent


    and your debt, all has been paid, and your ount will receive a deposit of a million dors by the end


    of the business day tomorrow,” her heart was breaking. She had confessed her feeling only to be sent


    away.


    “Keep the fucking money. I do not want it.”