Chapter 5 : Veiled Summons

As the sacred rites of marriage unfolded, a symphony of whispers danced amidst the opulence of the venue, each murmur a testament to the anticipation that hung in the air.

The union between the two had been officially sealed, under certain circumstances and agreements forged within the royal and Rafael families. Rafael was obliged to continue fulfilling his responsibilities and maintaining ties with his own family and homeland. However, according to the arrangements, the night following the ceremony mandated that Rafael spend it, at the very least, within the confines of his new abode for the week. However, there was an air of peculiarity; Rafael appeared to be a changed man, perhaps afflicted by a split personality. He seemed softer, almost akin to a docile puppy.

***

In the dead of night, Rafael jolted awake, his breath ragged with distress. "Where am I?" he rumbled, panic seizing him. He scanned his surroundings, finding his notebook where he meticulously chronicled the day's events, a lifeline to help him recall and make sense of everything that transpired.

"So, it seems we have indeed embarked upon the journey of matrimony," he whispers to the shadows, rising from his bed to traverse the somber expanse of his quarters.

*The door groans softly as it swings ajar, revealing Levyoka ensconced in the embrace of tranquil slumber.*

"It appears more fitting to seek solace here," he muses, drawn to her serene countenance. Finding a sanctuary beside her, he gently cradles her hand, fashioning it into an impromptu pillow as they share the stillness of the night.

With the first light of dawn, Levyoka awakens, greeted by the unexpected weight of Rafael's presence, nestled beside her in peaceful repose.

"What?!" she exclaims, her voice a soft crescendo, tempered by the realization that her outcry might disturb Rafael's tranquil repose.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" she jests, a playful sparkle dancing in her eyes. "Have you, my dear Rafael, assumed a guise of assertiveness in the cloak of night?"

Stepping beyond the confines of the chamber, Levyoka encounters Rafael's vigilant guardian, stationed nearby like a silent sentinel.

"Is your master of a different hue today, displaying the facets of a split personality?" she teases, her tone laced with an undercurrent of possessiveness, leaving the guardian momentarily befuddled.

The guard stood frozen in disbelief, his mind racing with a torrent of anxious thoughts. "Don't tell me she already knows about Sir's condition, could it be?" he pondered frantically, his heart pounding in his chest. "No, I might be overreacting. There's no way she'd find out," he reassured himself, though doubt lingered like a shadow at the edge of his consciousness. Regaining his composure, the guardian is startled anew as Rafael emerges from the confines of the princess's sanctum.

"Sir, what transpired? Why do you find yourself within her chambers?" the guardian queries, his perplexity writ large upon his countenance.

"Tsk, Rohan, do not vex me with your inquiries," Rafael retorts, a semblance of disdain coloring his features.

"Could it be that you've had another nightmare?" His tone laced with concern. "You always seem to transform into a gentle puppy upon waking from those unsettling dreams," Rohan's laughter rings out, drawing an irritated response from Rafael.

"Enough of your mirth. I find it wholly intolerable," Rafael grumbles in frustration.

***

"Sir, breakfast awaits in the hallowed halls. Her Highness patiently awaits your presence," Levyoka's handmaiden intones, her voice suffused with earnestness.

In the resplendent banquet hall, where the opulent tapestries whispered tales of bygone eras and the flickering candlelight danced upon the gilded surfaces, a scene unfolded with all the grandeur befitting of a royal court.

"Why, Levyoka, are you indulging with your gauche hand?" queried the king, his regal voice resonating through the hall like the toll of a distant bell. "You can hardly manage it with grace."

Levyoka, her countenance marked by a subtle defiance, met the king's gaze squarely. "Father, I am bereft of the use of my right hand, courtesy of one who deems it fit for his pillow," she lamented, casting a pointed glance in Rafael's direction as he poised himself to take his place.

Rafael, though inwardly vexed by Levyoka's jab, maintained a facade of composure, offering a courteous smile as the king directed his attention towards him. "I fare well, Your Highness, in no small part due to your gracious hospitality," he responded, his voice smooth as velvet.

Informally intimate, Levyoka extended a morsel to Rafael's plate, her voice a soft caress as she urged, 'My puppy, do indulge.'

With a regal twinkle in his eye, the king interjected jovially, 'Ah, it seems you two fare splendidly, but spare me the illusion; I might as well anticipate a grandchild from your union,' his words laced with jest and mirth.

A palpable stillness descended upon the gathering, each member momentarily suspended in anticipation, until Levyoka's infectious laughter rent the silence asunder, filling the hall with warmth and merriment.

Meanwhile, Rafael observed her with a mixture of exasperation and begrudging admiration, silently musing upon the enigmatic allure of her vexing charm."

***

Within the confines of Rafael's chambers, where the air hung heavy with the scent of aged parchment and flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows upon the tapestried walls, a moment of quiet introspection unfolded.

"Sir, a missive from Lady Gandara awaits your attention," Rohan intoned, his voice a gentle interruption in the stillness of the room.

"Very well, Rohan. You may depart," Rafael responded with casual grace, his demeanor betraying little of the anticipation stirring within him as he accepted the letter.

With measured composure, Rafael broke the seal and unfurled the parchment, his gaze alighting upon the words with a mixture of curiosity and intrigue.

The missive bore but three words, yet within their simple arrangement lay a profound entreaty: 'Come back home.' Each letter seemed to resonate with an unspoken longing, carrying echoes of distant whispers and faded echoes of familial ties. It was a summons veiled in simplicity yet fraught with unspoken complexities, beckoning the recipient to heed its call and return to the embrace of hearth and kin.

Ah, indeed, a layer of intrigue shrouds the relationship between Rafael and the sender of the letter, Lady Gandara. Despite their initial claim as lovers, Rafael's indifference towards the missive hints at a deeper complexity within their connection.

Rafael's apparent detachment from the letter suggests a rift between them, a gulf of unresolved emotions or unspoken grievances that looms large between them. What secrets lie buried beneath the surface of their seemingly idyllic liaison? Only time will unveil the truth, unraveling the tangled threads of their enigmatic relationship.