Mystery Room

Alina looked toward the door with an unsettled expression on her face. Being held captive, even in your own space, does not sound like a pleasant experience. We stood in the middle of the room with Finley near the doorway. His ear was tilted toward the closed door. I assume he was making sure Alejo didn't get into too much trouble.

"That man unnerves me," Alina said, indicating the man who just tried to deny me passage.

Maybe my threat to tell the petitioner's court of Caismir's wrongdoing was not unfounded. Alina looked like she could throw up.

So many questions swirled in my mind, but I did not want to overwhelm her. I began with an easy one. "Did he touch you?"

"No," she replied with a hint of disbelief. "He would not dare. He does like staying uncomfortably close. Caismir will not leave me alone so I am basically under house arrest by my father's orders. He barely let Cali in under the guise of me needing help to properly dress this morning. Caismir already has dismissed my maid."

"Did you do something to upset the King?" I asked. I don't understand King Caderyn's treatment of his daughter. These guards were getting more and more intrusive. Alina shook her head.

"Caismir keeps saying that this is for my own protection. It feels like it's more for his own advancement. I tried to get him to let me go to my father to demand this stop immediately but he won't let me leave my suite at all. That's why I need you," Alina admitted.

The Swordsmen's council meeting from the night before flashed through my head. The king thought I was not taking his daughter's safety seriously by relaying my siblings' behavior. Surely all this was not because of a possible skipping injury and an offer to take some guards.

"What do you need me to do? I clearly do not outrank Caismir in his mind," I stated. I was still kicking myself for almost not getting to see Alina.

"Go to my father. Talk some sense into him. Get him to call off Caismir and the others." Alina's eyes pleaded with me.

"Why didn't you ask Cali? Maybe you would've been free by now," the words tumbled from my mouth without much thought. I was not the king's favorite person.

"I have grown accustomed to seeing my father with all of his limbs intact and likewise accustomed to seeing Cali outside of the dungeon," Alina stated in a matter of fact manner.

She was right. If things could not be resolved with words, Cali could fall back on communicating in ways that yielded results. Probably not the best way to approach the king.

"True. Let's leave treason off the table." For the first time today I saw Alina smile. It was weak and fleeting but there none the less.

Alina started walking toward a door on the opposite side of the room. Its placement mirrored the position of the door that I knew led to her chambers. I remembered wondering where it might lead when I met my family in her parlor the day of our engagement.

"Well in case one of those men goes to ask the queen if she sent you to the Prince's Chambers, we might as well let you see them." Alina opened the door in front of her and disappeared into the chambers.

I started to follow, glancing toward Finley. His ear was now firmly placed up against the door. His mouth was set in a flat line. The conversation on the other side of the door interested him greatly.

"I'll be there in a moment, Jack," Finley managed between gritted teeth.

I nodded, passing through the doorway. Alina could probably use a moment without any guards around, even if Finley defied the mold she hated.

I entered a room with a grand desk sitting in a bay window. Heavy deep blue curtains framed the window. They matched the rug that sat underneath two settees and a chaise lounge on the opposite side of the room.

"Wow, this is magnificent," I said in awe. I assumed that the prince's chambers would only be sleeping quarters. It made sense that there was a study. My eyes flitted across the room before landing on something that took the excitement away for a moment.

Alina caught my expression. "You can take down the giant painting of my father. He had it commissioned after he proposed to mother. It was never in my taste," Alina admitted.

The large portrait portrayed King Caderyn's coronation. He was crowned by Queen Valerie, but the portrait only focused on him. The queen's hands could be seen, along with her torso. The image cut off at her neck. For most, I think it would be inspirational.

I fell outside that group. It reminded me of all the responsibilities I would be taking over from a man who disliked me. Likewise, it reminded me of the authority being misused to keep Alina captive inside her own home. It turned my stomach.

I reached for the frame and gently took it off the nail. Turning it to the wall and setting it on the floor, I looked at Alina as if to ask for permission.

"Well I did say you needed to redecorate. I think that is an excellent first choice," she encouraged. "This way leads to the bedroom and this door leads to the washroom. There is a door that joins them as well," Alina indicated to two of the three remaining doors.

"Where does this one lead?" I asked.

"It leads back out to the hallway, very close to where you were having your earlier discussion about who sent you," Alina let a mischievous grin run across her face. She heard my whole discussion from here.

Her smile faded as she studied my face. "Go check out the rest of the chambers. I'll wait here," she urged while taking a seat on one of the settees. Some thought took her mind off being my tour guide.

I quickly passed through the ornate rooms, even finding a large dressing room off of the bedroom. My mind was distracted by Alina's soured expression. I returned to the study and sat next to her.

"I'm sure that we will get you out of here soon enough," I guessed at the problem.

"That's not what's on my mind," her words were strained. She took a deep breath and looked me square in the eye. "Jack, would you kiss me?"