Chapter Extra 64.1- Cliché Male Lead part 2

Ceaser's POV

Today is Damion birthday, I have been busy, almost too busy to be thinking useless things. I should focus on my duty and that's it. I can't keep my mind occupied with thoughts that only disturb my work.

Even if about..."Lady Cramer, was .. ahhh." I could hear the maids around my manor whispering about her. I felt my mood going south.

I should be focused on serious matters but somehow I keep getting distracted by the thought of her. Damion has been telling me something I was already suspicious about, his cousin Lord Duke Burious, he has been conspiring against the crown. Damion thinks that his cousin will try to get to his weakness the person who was involved in trouble with Lady Vilahana.

He says he has someone working for him to make sure the Lord Duke doesn't hurt anyone.

"Ceaser, that's the situation. Today she will be coming, I need you to keep an eye on Rahua." Damion says.

"Who is this Rahua? " I ask. He looks frustrated.

"You have met her before, we saved her along with Lady Vilahna, when they were being taken, by the human trafficking criminal." He says.

"So her name is Rahua." I say thinking that I have heard her name before.

"I have told you about her, before...

never mind. Important is to keep an eye on her, and keep her ."

"You look nervous Damion." I say, I have met Damion since he is a little boy, never had great impression of him, he always looked weak and afraid, always hiding behind someone else's shadow.

What impresses me is calculated approach to solve the matter with Lord Duke Burious, Damion plans to let the Duke act first catch him in the act to later have solid evidence against him.

To think think that this little boy would grow up to be this assertive and strong. To certain extent I am glad that he managed to surpass is past ghosts and became the promising future king that he is today.

"I have to protect her, and I will for the first time show her who I am." This person does have positive influence on Damion.

*

The main gathering started, the Palace was vivid with guests from Nobel houses all over the kingdom gathered to honor Damion's special day.

The Palace was filled with laughter and celebration.

I made sure to give orders to every knight, to keep their vigilance, maintaining an air of regality and composure, as King's Knights.

But even amidst the festivities, my thoughts kept wandering back to Lady Vilahana. I had been assigned the task of keeping an eye on Rahua, ensuring her safety as Damion had requested.

And yet, I couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. I shoud focus on my task head. That moment my determination wavered when I saw Lady Vilahna, she looked stunning, her demeanor towards others, always so confident.

Smiling while greeting, some other, makes me jealous, that she is not giving the same smile to me.

My intentions were to turn and walk away, but my body as if in defiance walks over towards her.

"Hello Lady Vilahana." I say interrompting the greetings and smiles she was sharing with others.

"Hello Lord Marquess. " Others greet me, I keep focus on her.

"He-hello, Lord Marquess." She says putting a distance between us. Her smile fades away as soon as she acknowledges me.

It stings, I don't remember having offended her, but I feel like I did somehow.

She excuses herself, and walks away from me. I feel that she is avoiding me.

She walks over to the girl that Damion was asking me to keep an eye on. They seem to be exchanging greetings.

I should be angry, for her avoidance, but I can't help but to feel my heart softening just by looking at her.

My head keeps telling my heart to walk away, I almost succeed, but I get pulled agains towards her.

"Hello Lady Vilahna." I repeat my greeting. I feel so embarrassed for such lapse, that I turn my attention to the Miss Rahua.

"What are you doing here?" I says more coldly that I intended, I can't seem to be able to control my emotions when I am around Lady Vilahna.

"Lord Marquess..., " Lady Vilahana says are voice softly touching my hears, but I don't like the distance she keeps putting between us.

"Ceaser" I interrompt her.

"Excuse me?" Lady Vilahna's looks surprised to my request for her to leave the formalities, maybe I was too cold.

"Please.... Call me Ceaser." I try once again, with a more cordial tone.

"I... I.." she suddenly blushes, turn my attention to Miss Rahua not wanting to lose composure in front of her.

"My question was not meant to be rude. Miss Rahua, why are you not together with other invitees?" I make my tone more cordial.

"My family..... we are here to serve the cupcakes to the guests."

"I am sure the Palace has enough maids for that. You should get ready for the party. "

"I... Don't have clothes for the party." She replies.

"The Miss Rahua had when you were at Lady's Vilahna party."

"That's because, the Lady was so kind enough to provide me those clothes." I see, Lady Vilahna must like Miss Rahua very much.

"Lord.." she finally speaks to me, but I don't like how she's trying to put up a distance between us, I frown as an automatic response, "...Ceaser," she then corrects herself. "Miss Rahua is obviously not prepared for the party, maybe something should be arranged for her." Lady Vilahna appoints an immediate solution.

"What was he thinking?" I thought Damion had already prepared everything.

I call one of the maids and I give her direction to take Miss Rahua to change her clothes, and giver the necklace placed in the box that was earlier prepared.

She nods before directing Miss Rahua to her destination."This way Miss Rahua. "

"Is this really alright?" Lady Vilahna asks concerned. She clearly cares for Miss Rahua, I just don't understand why.

"Yes Prince Damion, has planed this." I say. I want to talk to her more, but others tend to join in, I feel the distance between us growing again.

*

We were finally alone, all the people that kept coming to greet her, left one by one.

"Lord... I mean, Ceaser, if the guests greet you is only polite to reply. The Marquess of Arrentela can at least spend a few words. They will think that you are cold."

"They will think what they want to think no matter what I do." I reply, is true not matter what, they will always gossip behind my back whatever they want, why waste my time with them.

"Is true." She says smiling, I couldn't help but to notice how stunning she looks wearing the smile, for moment a possessive thought came over me, wanting to have that smile only aimed at me.

I quickly push that thought away.

Miss Rahua returns, with Lady Vilahna they both keep smiling and talk happily, as stand next to them.

The atmosphere is lively, and the music fills the air, creating a sense of enchantment, I keep observing how she is smiling while talking, her eyes glowing.

Suddenly, the doors to the ballroom burst open, and a hush falls over the crowd. The Princess from Mirantella enters. I knew I should be watching the Princess, but my eyes were fixed on Lady Vilahna instead.

Once again, the doors open, I could hear gasps. Damion makes his entrance, I notice her expression change to one of worry Lady's Vilahna, the room erupted into applause and cheers. Too much noise, the crowd start pushing forward towards Damion, I try to hold Lady Vilahna's hand, as she keeps getting pushed forward.

Suddenly the lights go out, I look around to try to access everything around I try to look for her, but I know that Damion is the priority, since the king is not here. The crowd screams makes impossible to give orders.

Panic and confusion spread throughout the ballroom. I try to make my way through to reach Damion.

Suddenly, the lights flicker back on, and a suddenly scream comes from the maid standing in front of me.

"Her Highness, the Princess Amina disappeared. She was taken." I make I contact with the other knights, giving them orders through signs.

I pull Damion who seems to me lost in thought.

"Damion, the Princess is gone we have to find her, or this will cause a major political problem."

I keep giving silent orders to every knight I see, so they can restore the order. "We are searching through the Palace and the Garden for the Princess Amina, and no one leaves the ball room until further notice." I tell Damion. "Damion!!!" I call for him trying to make him come back to his senses. "Keep your mind focus!! "

"She's also gone. " He says voice low, I didn't know he cared for the Princess that much as well.

"I know we are trying to find her."

"NO!" He yells "Not the Princess, Rahua is also gone, she also disappeared when the lights went off. "

I can't believe I missed, I stop walking. "Damn it!" I can't believe I failed, Damion, mind my was so worried about the Princess and getting to Damion that I forgot to pay attention to her as well."We will find them."

"Check if anyone else's is missing. "

"And you, " I call a knight to the side. " Do me a favour. .." Lady Vilahna, I hope she is okay! Please be okay.

I try to keep focus on the primary target the Princess, she should be out focus if we want to avoid a political problem .

After a while the knights came back from accessing the situation. "Nobody else is missing Lord Marquess." One of the knights reports.

The knight that I had sent specially out, escorts Lady Vilahana to me.

"Why am I brought here? What is going on?" She asks demanding.

"Take her home. And stay there until further notice." I have to make sure she is safe.

"Wait, what? Why? I don't want to go home, I haven't seen Miss Rahua, I think she disappeared as well." Right now I am worried about her as well. I can't protect her if something happens to her, I must be able to focus on searching for the missing two.

"What are you waiting for?" I couldn't control my emotions I don't know if staying here is safe.

"No, I refuse." The knight tried to grab Lady Vilahna wrists and she grawled back. "If you dare to touch me I will have your hands on plate." Knight took a step back.

Does this woman not understand the situation here. I sight. "Well, then stay next to me, and don't leave my sight."

"Lord Ceaser, I am not your knight, for you to order me around." She says that but still sits down with her arms crossed, she is really stubborn.

"We don't have time for this continue searching the palace and the surrounding areas. Leave no stone unturned." Damion orders.

The knights nod in acknowledgement and disperse

"We will find them, Damion. We won't rest until they are safe." I tell him, I can see that he is hurt.

"Thank you, Ceaser. I should have been more vigilant. I didn't get to tell her the truth. She may be angry at me, I didn't have any chance to explain things to her."

Lady Vilahana scoffs, her stubborn and confident demeanor makes her more impressive, "If I may speak," she interjects, her tone laced with annoyance. "I saw something strange before the lights went out. It was a man, lurking in the shadows. Perhaps he had something to do with their disappearance."

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

Lady Vilahana rolls her eyes. "Because no one bothered to ask, you were just ordering me to leave and then to stay."

"Describe this man to me," I say trying to keep calm, and not upset her.

"He was tall, with dark hair and a cloak. I couldn't see his face, but he seemed to be watching Rahua. I found his attire strange, but before I could say anything the caos happened."

Damion quickly gave orders to the knights they disperse immediately looking for the men from the description.

" I don't understand why would they take both of them, I mean they have no connection with eachother."

"You are the connection Damion, maybe whoever took them is trying to target you specifically and they are just collateral."

"Maybe that's remaining of Rebel army." Lady Vilahana commented, she was somewhat lost in thought. "Now that I think about it, I remember Miss Rahua mentioning that something similar, to "real" the master mind is controlling things from the shadows. " She is intelligent woman, lady Vilahna, make connections quickly given the right information.

Damion and me exchange glances, knowing that Lady Vilahana's words held some truth.

After a while the sister from Miss Rahua, came pleading Damion for help to find her sister. He was obviously already doing that, but did take in her request.

"We found Her Highness, we found the Princess Amina." One of the younger knights came running towards us yelling in excitement.

"Where is she?" Damion asked.

"She was found hiding in one of the storage rooms," the knight explains. "She seems to be unharmed, but she's quite shaken."

"Good." I say

"Now we just need to find Rahua, take the Princess, to interrogation chambers, no matter what she says "

"What is on your mind Damion?" Why would he put the princess through such process after she was just found?

"Is just, she was just found in the storage room? Why there? There's no one outside of the people from the Palace with access to it. I need to know how did she ended up there, if she saw Rahua. There's something strange. If anyone took her why would they take Rahua instead of her, wouldn't they think the Princess is more bargain leverage?"

"It makes sense. But don't let your emotions guide you, we don't want to cause any further political issues." I remind him.

" If I may add," Lady Vilahana spoke up, "Your Highness, should approach this with caution, if you make her think she is suspected her, she may close up and it may cause more problems. In a more comfortable chamber would be the best place to interrogate her, I can go talk to her pretending to comfort her, and see what she says" I was caught off guard by Lady's Vilahna suggestion, I didn't want her to get involved but she seemed determinated to help, and find her friend.

Walk lady Vilahna to the chambers, and waited for her to comeback out.

I kept walking back and forth I felt worried, for the first, I didn't have the control over the situation.

After what it seemed an eternity, Lady Vilahna leaves the room, her expression seemed sad.

I worry, what my have had happened inside.

"Did you find out where Rahua is? " Damion quickly asks.

"Probably, but I don't know if we can trust that Lord Duke Vital really gave her the correct information." She says, I knew it, Lord Duke Burious is not someone that would make mistakes so easily, since he was responsible for the rebel army uprising. He was a smart man.

"Lady Vilahana!!" The Princess Amina suddenly opens the door.

"Yes, your Highness." She says her voice almost like melancholic.

"My .. my maid.. she says she overheard, something, it may be the location where he is keeping her." The Princess says.

"Princess Amina, " Damion called out for her," Thank you! For letting us know." She entered the chambers without saying anything or looking back.

"Get ready to go, we are going to arrest Lord Vital, make preparations, to leave at once." Damion orders knights and everyone starts to organise to leave.

I couldn't help but worry at the sad expression Lady Vilahna was wearing. "What's wrong?"

"It's just I felt like, me and her had a lot in common. And I couldn't shake the feeling..."

"You and her are nothing alike." They are both completely different, she cares about her friend, she admitted when she was wrong, she wasn't afraid to take a punishment for what she did wrong.

"Can I go home now?" I could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Yes." As soon as I reply she leaves. I felt useless I didn't know what to do Lady Vilahna looked like she needed comfort, I wasn't sure why, but my heart was aching because of it.

Before I knew I was running after her. I needed to comfort her, I needed to tell her...

I could see her approaching her carriage, I didn't know how managed, but I pulled her back to me.

I didn't want to let her go, I didn't want to leave her like this.

"I... Love you." Before I knew those words were said, my lips reaching hers.