King Griffin sat across the parlour in the throne hall, his mind a total mess. He didn’t even notice a maid pouring wine for him. She was wearing a short skirt and her bossom slightly visible from her cleavage, all trying to please the absentminded king. The maid ended leaving with a dissatisfied look on her face. Never for once did Griffin lift his face to stare at her lustfully the way he does the other days.

Griffin sighed for the nth time today when he noticed a glass of wine placed on the table. Wine! Yes! This would be his only confidant right now. He took a sip but...damn it!

"Why can’t you leave my damn mind alone?" He asked, directing the question to no one in particular. His anger propelled him to smash the glass on the floor making the people present stiffen in fear. No one wanted to confront an angry King Griffin, and if you did, you’d have a not so good tale to tell, in earth if lucky.

"Clean this mess," he told a maid who immediately swung into action by her Liege’s command. Griffin watched her sexy back but nothing! Why couldn’t his maids entice him anymore? What had she done to him? That witch! She must have cast a spell on him, right?

"Well well well. Look what we have here," came Lord Newton’s annoying voice. Perfect timing! Griffin thought. If there was a time he needed Lord Newton’s annoying services, then it was now. He could even pay him if he demanded.

"Couldn’t you have smashed it on someone’s head instead? That would be fun, right?" Lord Newton said approaching to where the king was seated, and took a seat! He was as daring as to sit beside the king, uninvited at that! But who cares anyways. Lord Newton was a pain in the ass for Griffin, and it was like he kinda liked it.

"Why the long face...Your Majesty, " he added the last part as if to remind himself he was speaking to a king.

"Is it about that woman? Again?" He asked loudly catching the attention of the maids. A woman! The king was mad because of a woman? That’s impossible!

"No, it’s not," Griffin denied. Hell he needed another cup of wine. Dealing with Lord Newton was another stressful task in itself. "More wine please," he said startling the maids. Since when had Griffin used etiquette? Please was not a word that existed in his dictionary. Maybe they should consider it...revised. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"What then would worsen the mood of the almighty Griffin apart from a beautiful woman? Tell me brother," Newton said placing his hand on Griffin’s shoulder like a brother would do to coerce the truth out of his sibling. But the look he got! RIP Lord Newton. If looks could kill! Griffin was staring daggers at him. He didn’t need to be told to take his hand off the King’s shoulder.

"As I said, I’m okay Newton. I just feel...hopeless," he lied. He couldn’t tell Newton the truth in front of his subjects! And he knew Newton was quick to catch the prompt.

"How about we take a walk Your Majesty, just the two of us." As expected of this scumbag, Griffin thought rolling his eyes inside out.

"Sure. I’d love to visit the garden. It’s been a long time since I laid foot there. I miss the fresh air," Griffin said. He was vibing along well and Newton liked it.

The two made their way out after the king instructed no one to follow them. He still questioned his sanity about the decision he had made. But telling Lord Newton would lift some weight off his shoulders, and he really needed the fresh air. He smirked at the thought. Gardens were not his thing. He in fact thought it was feminine to visit gardens so he rarely visited there.

The garden was in full bloom horning all kinds of different flowers that one could ever imagine existed. The different colors added to the magnificence of the place, and for once, Griffin found it beautiful. He picked a rose flower and sniffed it. It smelled just like her, combined with the beachy scent.

Lord Newton halted in his tracks and turned around to face the king when he caught a sight he never thought would happen even in the upcoming century or decades. Griffin, sniffing flowers at that! Was this some kind of joke? He wanted to say something but ended up opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

"This flower smells so good," Griffin said lifting the awkward situation before he resumed his kingly mannerisms.

"Sure...it does. So tell me Your Majesty. Who is the girl?" Newton asked without beating around the bush. God knew how he so much yearned to burst into laughter that moment but held back. And that? Griffin sighing, and hesitant to talk? He would definitely lock himself in his room and laugh his ass off, roll on the floor if needed. But for now, he had to mask his feelings.

"It’s... She’s from Tasia. A beauty to behold. Believe me she’d arouse by her looks alone." Did you have to exaggerate that part? Lord Newton scoffed in his mind.

"Is it someone that I know?" He asked equally curious. He also wanted to know this woman who was driving Griffin crazy.

"I bet not. She came here together with the other leaders and Kings. I bet she’s a princess of Tasia. I need you to do me a favor Lord Newton," Griffin said looking him in the eye.

Newton was literally rolling his eyes in his mind. Griffin asking for a favor! What could it be that he couldn’t do on his own?

"Okay. I’ll do it if it’s not suicidal," he said with a straight face. Wait! Did Griffin sigh again? He had even lost count of the times that he had sighed. Now this was turning more fun than he had thought.

"I want you to impersonate me!"