Chapter 25

"My Lady."

She stirred up from her nap and woke up late afternoon. The attendant had to wake her up in fear she couldn't sleep at night and also because of the command by the king himself.

"Lady Elizebeth. I apologize for disturbing your beautiful slumber." Lady Akra said apologetically. Her usual bright expression slightly changed into dim.

"Hurm?" She nodded in her disheveled hair. Rose sat on the sofa, her eyes close, still.

"The king requested your audience."

"Without my father?"

Lady Akra contemplated nodding, the plain smile covering her guilt.

She fluttered her eyes a few times, to come into a term of she was not sleeping anymore. It was a good sleep and people dared to disturb her. This was the first time people dared to disturb her rare beauty slumber. Even if the king. Her father never once interrupted her sleep. Sometimes he let her sleep the entire day to the next day because he was well-versed with her difficulty.

And the king dared... the king…

She munched her saliva inside her mouth and gulped without care. The lady appearance she worked out ever since went like a river in front of Lady Akra. She scratched her head a few times, installing her answer as long as she could just because.

"Emily?" She searched her maid around. Eyes half-opened.

"She is busy in the kitchen."

Oho interesting, Akra sneakily woke her up without Emily's knowledge. It only means one thing. Emily warned everyone to not disturb her but Akra had to do it for the sake of the king. Sneaky and displeasing.

She narrowed her eyes, thinking something dark.

'What should I do with Lady Akra? Should I mess with her? I'll tell Emily after this.'

"Can you help me to get ready?" She said cutely. Covering her dark thoughts. Tilted her head and blinked innocently.

Lady Akra huffed in relief. It's clear she was so glad Elizebeth took the offer. Both Akra and the king knew it was a gamble to summon Elizebeth without the duke. One word from Elizebeth, they knew they would be in trouble however the king couldn't stop himself from calling for her because he had his own agenda to fulfill as the father of the nation and also the father of the prince.

The intention was so crystal clear to Elizebeth. She decided to stay blind for a time being, doesn't mean the king could abuse his power. Her sleep was precious. Every single of it and he dared to disrupt it. Inside her heart, she was plotting an evil thing to get it back to the king. Maybe it might not concern her father but she could use her father against the king. A little hassle was nothing compared to her grand plan soon.

"Get me ready to grant the audience of the king, Lady Akra." She sat properly like a lady. Her aura exuded a dignified lady in the wrinkled clothes.

"Should we change your gown, My Lady?" Lady Akra helped her to stand on the floor barefoot.

"It's okay. I like this gown better." She refused. Her voice was so calm and imposing. Gave no room to Lady Akra to oppose. She was the true lady from the duke house, in that sense.

"As you wish, My Lady." Lady Akra bowed to her and swiftly moved her hands to straighten the wrinkles on the gown and brush the long wavy hair. Her hands skillfully finished her job without giving an unnecessary comment as she was aware of Elizebeth's sharp demeanor.

It's clear she hated when people disrupted her precious sleep. Everyone in the kingdom knew her problem. It was considered a public crisis as well. The physicians constantly come and go from the duke's mansion yet nothing was definite. The problem was still hanging behind her back.

"The king is in the garden, My Lady."

"Okay." She said curtly.

The rest of the walk was stiff. No one dared to approach her like usual, and sneakily peeking at her.

"My Elizebeth!" Callisto's eyes quivered with love. He painstakingly asked for the best food to soothe the lady. He knew Elizebeth was not in her best mood when she had to get up forcefully without a reason. But Callisto has his mission.

"I greet the King of the Shariz Kingdom, Your Majesty King Callisto." She greeted sharply and lady-like at the same time. The stiff smile on her face was just a courtesy and unfriendly.

Callisto nodded. "Rise. Don't be too formal, Elizebeth. We will become a family soon. You can call me, father if you are ready." He sneakily set her up. Beaming happily.

Elizebeth stared at him indifferently. "Thank you for your kind offering, Your Majesty. However, I have to refuse. I have only one father and one mother. I have no desire to betray them both as they are so dear to me." She bowed again.

Callisto beamed again. He would never give up. "Rise, my child. Sit here."

"Yes, Your Majesty." She rose and ambled to the seat that was dragged by the king's footman. "Thank you, sir Benjamin." She flashed her famous soft smile.

"Your welcome, My Lady." Benjamin smiled as he prepared a cup of afternoon tea as he did every time she had an informal meeting with the king. Only a few people knew about the secret meeting.

To avoid disturbing their talk mostly about the duke and the nation, Benjamin and the rest of them tried to leave the tea and the food on the table and leave in silence.

Callisto peeked at her. It was hard to approach her in her unfriendly mood. It was his fault for disturbing her sleep but he was desperate. His child was here in the same castle ground. He wanted to introduce him to her like any proud father should do.

"May I know the intention of the calling, Your Majesty?" Said her as she put down the cup on the table without any sound.

"Be at ease, Elizebeth. We are alone." Callisto helped himself and put biscuits with different colors inside her plate.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Her intonation was still as rigid as before.

Callisto moved around her lips to say something, anything, to ease the suffocating tension between them. It's hard to be on good terms once she was so pissed. A normal subject would never dare to make him so pitiful and helpless to gain the favor but she was the Elizebeth.

She is considered the princess of the kingdom. His wife didn't want to bear the children anymore, afraid the same complications that happened during her first pregnancy rose again and he respected that. His wife also happened to adore Elizebeth as much, any wrong input from Elizebeth to her ears, her dearest wife would punish him.

"Elizebeth. I'm wrong. Please forgive this old man." He lowered his ego as the ruler of the kingdom and sincerely begged for her forgiveness. Elizebeth was too precious for him too. He doesn't have a daughter, only Elizebeth could be the replacement for his longing.

"Your Majesty disturbing my sleep." She pointed out straight.

"I know. This old man doesn't know better."

"Your Majesty knows better. Even greater than the servants in this castle. Rivalry with Dada." Said her firmly.

Callisto couldn't retort to the words. Both because Elizebeth spoke the truth and also was envious of the duke for having a nickname. The prince was so distant with him and far from giving him any nickname. If only his prince was so affectionate. He wouldn't be this desperate to ask for someone else's child to pay him attention.

"Yes, I know better." He agreed. Changed his words.

"Your Majesty is not an old man. Your Majesty is the handsome king."

Callisto flustered by the sudden change of attitude. His heart was fuzzy with warm feelings. This was why he loved Elizebeth so much. She spoke nothing but the truth.

"The crown prince should embrace Your Majesty. Your Majesty looks lonely." She came down from her chair and bravely embraced the king. She knew the king secretly loved it. She was the Elizebeth after all.

Callisto quickly embraced her and put her on his lap. His handsome face looked radiant with the pure smile intact on the face. If only he had a daughter, he would spoil her rotten. The same way or even more than the duke.

"Can Elizebeth love this lonely king too?"

"Okay." She said as soon as the king finished. "I will love Your Majesty."

"Really?" Callisto didn't believe his ears. "You will love me?"

"Elizebeth will love Your Majesty. Your Majesty is Elizebeth's king. Elizebeth must love the king." And then she laughed innocently after playing with the king's heart.

The pang of disappointment hit his chest. She's not an easy opponent at all. The confession wasn't between him and Elizebeth as a person to another person but between the king with his subject. He didn't want that.

"But I want you to love me like you love your Dada." Demanded him greedily.

Elizebeth gazed at him. Looking at him as if he was out of his line with her unreadable face. She wasn't an easy opponent after all.

"You can't?"

Elizebeth shook her head.

"Why? Even if I demand you to do so?"

Nodded. "I will love you as your command."

"But not as a father?" Callisto lifted his brow.

She bobbed her head again. Her hair bang moved cutely on her forehead. The wind ruffling her long hair made her beauty even more.

"Because I'm the king?"

She nodded before jolting when realized something and shook her head after that.

"Yes and no?" The king had difficulty understanding her.

"Elizebeth will love Your Majesty as a king but Elizebeth can't love Your Majesty as a father because Elizebeth has her father."

Callisto gritted her teeth. His blonde hair that glistened like sunlight had caught Elizebeth's eyes.

She looked at the king's hair attentively. Mesmerizing by the beautiful volume on the king's head. It was a waste. King is a handsome man, so does the prince but she could never like him. The dream she dreamt terrified her so much. The prince can't protect the weak Elizebeth and she would face the same hardship if she fell for the prince. She must protect herself from the calamity in the far future.