The Prince's Soulmate - S01 E71

4 months ago

The Prince's Soulmate - S01 E71

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 71

“The slight bump?”

He nodded. “That’s the trigger. It’s connected to his ring. Whenever he wants to, all he has to do is press a small button on his and it sends an electric current through my body.”

I stared at him stupefied. “Electric current? Are you serious?”

“Yeah. It’s kind of like a taser.”

“A taser that you wear on your finger? Ashton, that’s abuse.”

“Report it to the king,” he laughed drily. “Cav has one too. I haven’t exactly figured it out, but I have to be close to the king for it to work.”

“Like in the same house?”

“Like on the palace grounds.”

“That’s still quite a big distance,” I said in surprise.

“That’s why it’s so damn annoying,” he hissed. “It’s hard to explain, but he activates it and then tells me what he wants me to do through the mind link. He’ll usually do that until he finds something he can use as leverage. It’s usually my family or the guys. Then he drills his wishes into me over and over again like hypnosis. When he does that I can’t sleep or do anything else.”

I stared at the ground with a deepening frown. That didn’t resonate well with me.

“It sounds really painful. Are you okay?” I asked softly.

Ashton moved closer to me and put his arm around me with a smile. “Are you worried about me?”

“Yes, I am,” I told him seriously. “It’s not fair to you.”

He nuzzled my hair. “I’ve learned to deal with the pain. It’s just when he uses Cav or Brooke or my mom… I just get so angry.”

“I would be mad too,” I murmured. “If someone tried to manipulate me using my family or friends. How can he use his own wife and children as bargaining chips?”

“That way, there’s a higher possibility that I’ll actually do what he wants. If I don’t, then it gets so painful that I can’t even think straight. These parties help me to blow off some steam and defy him at the same time,” he chuckled darkly.

I must have looked pretty distressed, because he nuzzled my hair again. “Don’t worry about me,” he insisted. “I can handle it.”

I looked up at him and his eyes softened.

“Stop trying to deal with all of this alone,” I said, wrapping him a hug. “You have friends; you can rely on them too. I’m sure they won’t mind.”

Ashton hesitantly hugged me back and exhaled.

“I’m not bringing them into this. He’s been wanting to try it on them, especially Jun. Brooke’s not old enough yet, but it’s only a matter of time. If me or Cav stop wearing our rings at home, then he’ll give one to Brooke. He always knows how to get what he wants.” He tightened his hug and rested his head in the crook of my neck.

“Well, he can’t get into my head,” I said softly. “I’m here for you whenever it gets tough. Don’t do this by yourself.”

He smiled, but in a moment it became a frown. “I made you cry.”

“Don’t worry about it anymore. You’ve been having a hard time. Once the betrothal is over, then you won’t have to be pressured with this anymore.”

He was silent at that.

“Right?” I asked, taking in his doubtful expression.

He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “The thing is, it’s not so simple.”

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“But the king said I could-”

“Said you could choose what you wanted to do? Yeah, he meant it.”

“So what’s the problem?” I frowned, searching his eyes. “Is there something more to it?”

He hesitated, but I urged him to tell me what was on his mind. He sighed again.

“The king’s plan isn’t just black and white. Him allowing you to choose simply means that he won’t be the one forcing you into the marriage. I will.”

“What do you mean?” That didn’t make sense.

“If you don’t agree to the arrangement, then I will not be crowned as heir to the throne and Brooke’s training will start. I can’t stand by and watch him destroy her. He knows I won’t. So with the mandatory dates, he’s giving me time to convince you to go through with this. He’s controlling me to control you.”

“So you mean, either way…”

“He wins.”

I sighed. Of course, there had to be some catch. And by allowing me to see my mother, he was making sure that I would commit to going on the dates with Ashton. His plan was coming together perfectly. I felt like I walked right into that one.

“So is it possible to get out of this?”

“I don’t know. I’m working on it. I have a friend who might be able to help.”

“Why is he so bent on having me do this?” I sighed. “Literally any other girl would jump at the chance to marry the prince and join the royal family.”

“That’s how he is,” Ashton scowled. “He has this obsessive desire to control everything. That’s why he won’t give you up.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, once he sets his sight on something, he won’t stop until he gets it. If he decides that he wants something, it won’t matter if he gets a million others just like it. He has to get the one that he wants. He thinks settling for anything else is losing.”

He sighed. “Since he already has his eye on you, it wouldn’t matter if every princess in the world volunteered to be my wife. He has to have you. He won’t stop until he gets you. And I think there's more to the contract than he's letting on..."

I sighed and then gave him a small smile. “Let’s not worry about this tonight. You’ve had a long week and I’m sure this is the last thing you want to think about.”

“But-”

“Shh,” I whispered, holding him closer.

I felt him smile and he inhaled deeply and loosened up. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

After a few minutes, Ashton finally let his exhaustion take over and fell asleep on my shoulder. I didn’t want to wake him up, so I gently eased his head from my shoulder and got up slowly, placing his head on some cushions.

I sat on the edge of the sofa and watched him sleep. His chest rose and fell gently with each breath. A few silky strands of his midnight hair fell onto his forehead and his long eyelashes brushed the dark circles under his eyes. His sculpted jawline clenched ever so often.

He looked younger, more peaceful and somewhat vulnerable. I brushed my palm tenderly against his cheek.

“Good night, Ashton,” I whispered and got up to leave, but his hand circled around my wrist and pulled me down on top of him.

“Stay with me,” he mumbled in his sleep as he held my head against his chest.

He sighed in contentment and drifted deeper into dreamland. I blushed at how close we were and tried to remove myself from his grip. Ashton was strong, even in his sleep and I couldn’t seem to escape his iron grasp.

I huffed at my futile attempts and gave up, resting my head down on his chest. I could hear his heartbeat and it seemed like the perfect lullaby. I was soon fast asleep too.

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To be continued