[center][h1][color=ffce00]Munir[/color] & [color=#758173]Mina[/color][/h1][/center]

Date: Evening of Sola 22nd

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[center][u][b][h2]Part Two[/h2][/b][/u][/center]

The fire had died down to embers, casting a warm glow over the room as Mina lay snuggled against Munir's chest. Her fingers traced lazy patterns on his skin, and she couldn't help but smile contentedly. Munir's words had touched her heart, and she felt an overwhelming sense of love and affection for him. It was a feeling she hadn't expected, but one she welcomed with open arms.

She looked up at Munir, her eyes soft and filled with adoration, yet a spark of mischief was there too. [color=#758173]"I think you admitted to loving me earlier,"[/color] she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling of the fire, and then she giggled. [color=#758173]"You've stolen my heart, Munir. I never thought I'd find someone like you, someone who makes me feel so alive and cherished."[/color]

Munir sighed with contentment. He was spent, but in the best way. He had one arm wrapped around Mina, and his head was propped at an angle against the headboard. [color=ffce00]“Mmm. I don’t know. I wonder if you could have been hearing things, because I was…well…we know what happened. I might need medical attention from the absolute gashes you’ve dug into my back…”[/color] Munir teased. Of course she was right. He said the ‘L’ word earlier. He said it and meant it.

[color=ffce00]“Just your heart? It seems my skills were rusty.. I want your heart, your body, everything. I want it all…[/color] He quipped and gave the top of Mina’s head a tender kiss. He held her close, allowing their naked bodies to remain connected under the blankets and their body heat to entangle.

They laid there in each other's arms, basking in the afterglow of their passion. Mina couldn't remember a time when she had felt so complete, so content. For the first time in a very long time, she felt happy. But as she nestled closer to Munir, she could sense a change in the air, a tension building. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the heavy footsteps approaching the room.

Then. The door to his chamber burst open. Hakim stumbled in after Count Sebastian who had charged in. Sebastian’s eyes fell on the two of them and his face was flushed with anger, his eyes burning with fury. [color=792A31]"Mina!"[/color] he bellowed, his voice echoing through the room. [color=792A31]"What is the meaning of this? How dare you!"[/color]

[color=#758173]“Uncle!”[/color] Mina scrambled to sit up, clutching the sheets to her chest, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

[color=ffce00] “Hakim. It’s alright. Leave us…” [/color] Munir said nonchalantly, dismissing his retainer with a small wave. His other arm instinctively went to wrap around Mina’s waist as she sat up, covering up with a sheet. He pulled her down towards him in a motion to look like he had claimed her as his. He gave her a reassuring kiss to her temple and whispered [color=ffce00] “It’s alright, my Moon and stars. We’ll be alright ...[/color] Looking up at Count Sebastian, Munir addressed him without fully sitting up, as if his being with Mina was something that happened matter of factly. [color=ffce00] “Count Sebastian. How good it is to see you. Yes. It is as you are thinking. Mina and I were, moments before you entered my room, connected, both mentally and physically. Now. I am a stranger to Kolonivkan customs but in Alidasht, this can go one of two ways. I’m sure you’ve heard of my reputation, so I will let you guess how this proceeds from here…” [/color] Munir said with a disobedient smirk on his face.

Count Sebastian's face contorted with rage and his eyes flashed with something dark as he saw the scene before him. Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged at Munir with surprising speed and strength, pinning him by the throat against the wall.

[color=792A31]"You dare defile my niece, you wretched scoundrel! Make her another of your play things?! Risk her to end up just like her mother!"[/color] he hissed, his voice unnaturally cold and menacing. His grip on Munir's throat tightened, and a low growl emanated from deep within his chest.

Mina screamed in horror, desperately trying to pull her uncle away from Munir. [color=#758173]"Uncle, stop! Please stop! Let him go!"[/color] she cried, her heart pounding in her chest. She had never seen her uncle like this before, and the sight terrified her. But what terrified her more was what she saw in that grimace, what she knew could be coming next, and she desperately tried to yank her uncle away. Instead, Mina was tossed aside like a ragdoll and crashed against a side table. She let out a pained cry as she felt a warm trickle down her arm, glancing down to see a small gash and blood. She dipped her fingers in it in shock at first, but a fierce determination overcame her as her now bloodied hand went to push herself up. It almost seemed like she muttered something before pushing herself up once again.

[color=758173]"Sebastian, stop! Please, let him go!"[/color] Mina pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't bear to see Munir hurt, and she couldn't understand why her uncle was reacting with such violence. Something in Sebastian faltered for just a moment, as if being hit by some trance. [color=758173]”I love him![/color]

Of course there were sounds of commotion. To which Munir’s retainer heard and charged back through the door. Upon seeing the situation, Hakim immediately drew his sword and made a move at Sebastian. To which Munir thrusted his hand into the air, to stop Hakim. [color=ffce00] “Count…Sebastian… I can…ex-explain… if you… un-hhhand me..it… it is not…as it seems…” [/color] Damn this man is stronger than he looks, Munir thought. He can feel the air leaving his esophagus, and was tethering on losing consciousness.

Her words seemed to snap her uncle out of his trance for a moment. He looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise and realization. He stumbled over his words as he tried to address Mina, releasing Munir in the process.

[color=792A31]"Mina, I... I didn't mean... I was just... trying to protect you,"[/color] he stammered, his voice shaking with remorse.

[color=#758173]"Get. Out."[/color] There was an unsettling chill within those two simple words. Sebastian looked stunned for a moment, but then he tried to reason with her again, taking a step closer.

[color=792A31]"Mina, please, I didn't mean to hurt him. I was just trying to protect you. You don't understand..."[/color]

[color=#758173]"Get out! Get out!"[/color] she screamed, her voice filled with anger and pain. She grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it at him. Then another one.

Sebastian stumbled back, finally realizing the gravity of his actions. He looked at Mina with tears in his eyes, his voice breaking as he tried to apologize. [color=792A31]"Mina, I... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you or him. I just... I was worried... I love you, Mina, and I just wanted to protect you..."[/color]

But Mina didn't want to hear his apologies. She felt betrayed and hurt, and all she wanted was for him to leave. She picked up another object, a small decorative vase, and threw it at him with all her strength. [color=#758173]"Get out! Get out!"[/color] she screamed, her voice hoarse from shouting. Her show quickly followed and then the other one as she pelted her uncle with anything she could grab and throw.

Sebastian stumbled out of the room, tears streaming down his face, and Mina collapsed back to the ground, not remembering when she'd stood. A raw, pained, and angry scream escaped her just before she began sobbing uncontrollably.

Upon being released, Munir crumpled to a heap on the floor. Gasping and coughing, Munir tried his best to stand up and gather himself. He heard the back and forth between Sebastian and Mina, and wanted so badly to interject. However, he did not fully regain his composure until the very end, just before Sebastian left.

[color=ffce00]“Count-Count Blackwood. You and I will have a r-r-real conversation one day. Man to man… Hakim, see the count out.”[/color] Munir said, sending his retainer to make sure Sebastian was alright. 

Meanwhile, Munir moved slowly back towards Mina, picking her up from the floor and just held her in his bed, letting go of a few small raspy coughs in between. [color=ffce00]“There there, my Moon and Stars. There there. I’m here. I’m alright… you’re alright…”[/color]

Mina clung to Munir, her body trembling with a mix of fear, anger, and sorrow. His presence was the only thing that could bring her a semblance of comfort in that moment of chaos. The weight of her uncle's betrayal and the violence she had witnessed, her own violence she displayed, weighed heavily on her heart. She felt broken and vulnerable, but she also felt an overwhelming sense of love and gratitude towards Munir.

[color=#758173]”I know he’s just worried I’m going to end up like my mother, unwed and with child. He doesn’t want me shunned as she was, risk me being driven mad like her…but that rage and violence…”[/color] She trailed off, shuddering some at the thought of it all.

[color=#758173]"Thank you,"[/color] she whispered through her tears, her voice barely above a whisper. [color=#758173]"Thank you for being here, for protecting me, for loving me."[/color] In that moment, she realized how deeply she cared for him, how much he meant to her. And she knew that despite the challenges they would face, she wanted him by her side, to be her safe harbor in the storm.

[color=ffce00]“Oh my dear. I can make sure you’re with child after tonight. But then I will wed you, and you will be my queen. None in Alidasht or Kolonivka shall shun you, lest they suffer the wrath of Alidasht. It is only right I am by my queen, to protect her when needed and to support her in all things…”[/color] Munir said, holding Mina close to her.

To be truthful, her ‘violent outburst’ went relatively unnoticed by Munir, as he was gathering himself. In the moment, he simply held onto her, giving her soft, gentle kisses on the head and cheek, while allowing their body heat to mingle.

Mina's tears continued to flow as she listened to Munir's words. His offer to make her his queen and protect her was both comforting and overwhelming. But his comment about ensuring she would be with child after tonight struck a nerve. She knew he meant well, but the weight of her uncle's anger and disappointment still lingered in her heart. She was also beginning to realize what the consequences of her actions could be and it frightened her greatly. She understood his desire to marry her and provide her with security, but in that moment, it felt like he was reducing her to a mere pawn in a game of politics and succession.

[color=#758173]"You can't just say things like that, Munir,"[/color] she snapped, her voice quivering with emotion. [color=#758173]"You can't treat me like some pawn in your plans, or some vessel to fulfill your desires. I am not just a means to an end."[/color]

Her words were unjustified and harsh, but in that moment, she couldn't help but lash out at him. Her uncle's actions had rattled her, and the wounds from her past were still fresh. The pain of her mother's tragic end still haunted her, and she couldn't help but project that pain onto Munir, even though he meant well.

Through Mina’s outbursts, Munir remained steadfast, holding her gently but firmly, and constantly offered small, reassuring kisses wherever he could. With a commanding, but still gentle tone, he said [color=ffce00]“Lady Mina Blackwood of Kolonivka, I need you to hear me, and hear me well. You’re the singular object of all of my desires. You vex me in ways no one and nothing else has before. And I wish for nothing less. You say that I can’t treat you like a pawn. Of course I cannot. You’re the Queen of my chess board, free to move as you pleased. You say that I cannot view you as a simple vessel of my desires. Of course not. You’re to be my Queen. The mother of our beautiful children and the shining jewel brought to Alidasht from the North, not a simple vessel. You say that you cannot simply be a means to an end for me. Of course not. You are my end. You alone are what I’ve been searching for, in this life or the next. I will not probe into your family history. Because they are not my concerns, should you choose to keep them from me. However, know this. Whatever tragedy has befallen you in the past will not repeat themselves. I will not allow it, even if it shall take my entire being to prevent.”[/color] 

With the end of his words, he shifted slightly on the bed, noticing that Mina felt cold, even under his blankets. Slipping from the bed, he allowed the sheets to fall from his still naked body as he walked to add a few more logs to the slowing embers in his hearth. He also snatched something from a nearby table as he returned to the edge of the bed. Bending down on one knee, he extended his hand to Mina [color=ffce00]“May I have your hand, Lady Blackwood?”[/color] Held in his other hand, if Mina chose to look, would be a golden ring, made amber by the fire in the hearth. On the ring is a singular gemstone, obsidian in color, with something etched in it.

Mina's anger had been a mixture of fear, confusion, and her own past pain. Munir's response to her outburst was unexpected, and his words struck her like a tide of emotions crashing over her. The strength and depth of his feelings for her were evident, and it overwhelmed her. As he spoke, her anger began to subside, replaced by a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

His proclamation of how she vexed him, of her being the Queen of his chessboard, the mother of their children, and his end – it was all so much to take in. She felt a mix of vulnerability and tenderness, but also a pang of panic. This was moving far too fast, and she was unprepared for such a momentous decision. The weight of his expectations, as well as her own, bore down on her, making her feel as if she were drowning in a sea of uncertainty.

Munir's proposal, kneeling before her with a ring in hand, was an image out of a dream she hadn't dared to dream. But dreams, she knew, often held secrets and shadows. As her eyes locked onto the obsidian gemstone, a rush of memories surged through her. The weight of her past, the secrets she held, her own hidden fears – they all swirled within her, threatening to break the fragile surface of her composure. How could she explain everything to him? How could she tell him her darkest secret? How could she put him at risk like that?

She held her breath, torn between the undeniable connection she felt with Munir and the fear of revealing her true self, her family's history, the shadows that had haunted her. It was too much, too soon, and she wasn't ready to lay everything bare.

[color=#758173]"I... I appreciate your words, Munir,"[/color] Mina said, her voice trembling with a mixture of emotions. [color=#758173]"And I don't doubt your sincerity. But this... this is all so sudden. I have…things from my past that I'm not ready to share yet."[/color] She felt a surge of guilt for withholding the truth from him, but she also knew that this was a decision she needed to make for herself.

Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she felt her heart shatter with the weight of her conflicted feelings. [color=#758173]"I need time to think, Munir. This is a decision that will shape both of our lives, and I can't make it lightly."[/color] She offered him a tearful smile, her heart aching as she realized she might be pushing him away. [color=#758173]"Please understand. I... I need to find my own answers before I can give you an answer."[/color]

With that, she gently pulled her hand from his grasp, feeling the absence of his touch like a physical ache. She turned away, her tears falling freely now. [color=#758173]"I'm so sorry,"[/color] she whispered, her voice barely audible as she slipped from the bed, hastily grabbing her wrapping herself in the bedsheet and abandoning her clothes altogether. She needed to be alone, to sort through her thoughts, to face the secrets she had kept hidden for so long.

Without another word, she fled from the room, her heart heavy with the weight of her decisions and the emotions that threatened to consume her as tears freely flowed from her eyes now.

A wave of darkness rushed over Munir as he listened to Mina speak. It seems as if she is not ready to accept his, albeit hasty, proposal. He steadied his nerves and refrained from interjecting as Mina continued to speak. As Mina finished her words, Munir felt as if the fire in the hearth had turned to ice, and the light from the moon gave way to the darkness of night. It felt as if his world was crumbling and being blown away like sand. As Mina pulled away from him, he found himself instinctively reaching out to try to find her hand once more, grasping at nothing but shadows.

[color=ffce00]“Mina… I…” [/color] was all that Munir could eke out as Mina made a hasty exit from his chamber, leaving her clothes behind. Munir sighed and allowed the ring to tumble from his palms, metal bouncing against the granite floor. As Mina made her exit, the door to his chambers was left open, and Hakim stepped in. [color=ffce00]“Dearest Hakim. Please take Lady Mina’s garbs, package them so as to not give away their truth, and send it to her chamber. I bid you good evening. I wish to be alone for a while as well.”[/color] Hakim merely bowed his head slightly before gathering up Mina’s robes and made his exit, the chamber door creaking shut behind him.

As the night settled, Munir sat near the fire and idly poked at the charred wood within, occasionally adding a log or two to keep the fire burning. The gold ring with the etched obsidian jewel remained where it had fallen, casting a long shadow across the polished floor of the impossibly cold chamber. The despair within him grew to be a barathrum… 

[color=ffce00]“I don’t care about your past. I don’t care about your family. I certainly don’t care about whatever it is that troubled you. I accept them all…You’re all I want.”[/color] He whispered to himself, suddenly faced with a dolorous reality.