Dine with Me

Neera sat back on the couch fearfully. Her eyes were glued to the part of her hand he was holding. His hand was strangely cold, but it gave her a feeling of warmth that when he let go of her; she felt his absence.

Neera sat still as she let him take off the stained cloth around her head; dipping the cloth he had brought in the bowl of water, he gently wiped the stains of blood from her face.

Zavian was very careful, as though any action he took hurt her. After cleaning her forehead, he tied a dry cloth around her head.

''Why did you lie to me?'' Neera's eyes widened in shock as she looked at him, her heart slamming against her chest. How did he find out?

''Seems you did not know that demons can read minds,'' Zavian said as he stood up from the stool and disposed of the cloth stained with blood.

''Please forgive me, your majesty;'' Neera fell to the ground and bowed her head. She did not know the demons could read minds, too.

Zavian walked to where she was. She was quivering and he could tell that she was afraid. When he held her hand earlier, he had seen that it was the maid he had ordered to go call her that had sent her into the woods, and she had begged her to not tell him.

''Stand!'' Zavian ordered and Neera stood up shakily;

Was he going to punish her? Was he going to kill her? She could not tell how angry he was, because there was no emotion on his face as he stared at her. Just then, a maid announced her presence outside the king's tent, telling him that his lunch was ready.

Zavian did not move from in front of her, with his eyes still staring at Neera, he asked the maid to come in. Neera lowered her head as the maids walked in with the King's food. She could feel them casting her weird glances, seeing that she was standing close to the king, and she felt uncomfortable.

The maids stood by the side as they waited for Zavian's instructions.

''What is her name?;

''Ade...line. '' Neera stuttered. She wanted to plead with him to not kill her, but she had not saved her own head yet. How would she save another's?

''Bring her to me,'' Zavian ordered the maids. He sounded furious and Neera feared for her life. What if he ordered them to be killed?

Neera regretted saving Adeline. She had just put herself in bigger trouble! Adeline came into the tent and fell to the ground, wailing profusely;

''I deserve to die, your majesty!'' She wept. She could see death in front of her. There was no way she was going to live. She lied to the king, disobeyed his orders, and tried to kill Neera.

''Ryan!'' Zavian called and Ryan, one of his soldiers, came into the tent. He was surprised to see the maid wailing on the floor. Neera knelt down immediately, her head bowed, as she also pleaded for her own life.

''Take her away. '' Zavian said, and Ryan pulled Adeline by the arm and whisked her away amidst her screams for mercy. Neera was shaking now. She was not sure of what would happen to her,

''Everyone leave!'' Zavian ordered, and the maids scrambled out. Neera stood up to leave too, but Zavian's voice stopped her; ''Not you. ''

He said as he walked to the table where the meal was served and sat down. Neera stopped and turned around.

''Come eat with me.''

Neera's eyes widened as she looked at him, shock written all over her face. Was he not mad at her for lying to him?

She waited for a moment, thinking that she had heard wrong, but when Zavian cast her another glance, she walked to the table and sat down. She could not understand what was going on. First, he helped her change her bandage, and even when he knew she had lied to him, he did nothing to her. Now he was asking her to eat with him.

Neera did not want to think of the possibility that what she was thinking at that moment might be true. Had the king taken an interest in her because she looked like his dead wife?

Neera lowered her head. Judging from his recent actions, she felt it might be true. This was bad for her, but there was no escaping the king as long as she was in the Castle.

''Eat. You look starved.'' Zavian's voice woke Neera up from her trance, and she stared at the array of dishes in front of her. It was a great honor for someone like her to eat from the king's table, but at that moment, all she wanted to do was cry.

She knew if the king took an interest in her, things would be difficult for her, but what could she do? She could not run away, neither could she change what she looked like.

Neera picked up a spoon from the tray and put some food on a plate. The dishes were golden. She could only wash them. Never in her life did she imagine that one day she would eat with them.

''You dislike the food?'' Zavian asked when he saw her staring at the plate mindlessly, and Neera shook her head;

''Not that, your majesty. I feel very uncomfortable eating with these. I'm just a lowly maid, your majesty.'' Neera replied, and Zavian stopped eating, and he stared at her keenly.

She looked terrified around him, like the only thing she wanted to do was to disappear.