47| Freedom of movement

THIRD PERSON POV...

Alyssa was so carried away by the arts and paints on the wall as she strode through the hallway. For her there are still things she really need to feed her eyes on, but unfortunately, she bumped into something hard like a metal.

"Ow!" She rubbed her nose as she lifts her head to see what it was. When her eyes came face to face with something she least expected, she almost lost her balance.

Dave was so fast in capturing her into his arms. With her fingers holding onto his white t-shirt like it was the only precious thing in her world, she blinked once, twice and thrice before realizing that it wasn't a dream. Her eyes still wide open in shock as her heart beats fast in accord.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, politely, still staring deeply into her eyes.

When realization hits Alyssa, she shouted at him, pushing him away from the embrace. "Get away from me!" She continued yelling and she won't stop. "Don't touch me, stay far from me!"

He had no other opinion but to take his arms off her after putting her to a stable balance. "I'm sorry—"

"Don't you ever....." She poked a warning finger at him. Cold sweat breaks on her forehead. "Ever think of saving me. I'm married now, so stay away from me." Only God knows where that silly idea came from. Since the last guy Alyssa hooked up with, she promised herself to always decline every guy that comes her way with the 'I'M MARRIED' tag.

He nodded. "I understand, please accept my apology. But why can't I see a ring on your finger?"

Her eyes bugged open as she look down to her hands, thinking of what to say in defense. "Um....I got it resized—beside, it's none of your business. Get out of my way." She pushed him aside and began to hurry down the stairs.

Not too long when she dismissed from his sight, she slipped on the stairway. Dave rushed down when he heard her screaming.

Her left elbow was already bleeding badly when he got there. "Shit!" He cursed, "Bring the first aid kit!" He ordered the maids and servants.

"No, no, stay away from me, I don't need your help." She declined when he knelt on one knee, ready to see the wound.

"You're seriously injured, Alyssa. Why are you still proving stubbornness?" He frowned when she retrieved her arm.

"I already told you, am a married woman. You won't want to touch another man's wife, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't. But for now, let me take care of the wound. Your husband is not here to do it, right?"

Just then, the maids arrived with two first aid kits. He took one and began to set out the items.

"I still won't let you touch me." She rebuked him when he was ready to apply the wool and mentholated spirit.

He sighed in frustration. "Fine, since you don't want me to treat the wound..... I'll ask the maidens to do it." Without waiting for her response, he stood up, handed the items to the maids and left.

Something made Alyssa hate herself for declining him while another made her feel giddy for the few moment he spent talking with her.

And it began to be like that for the past few days now. From one thing to another. From one drama to another scenario. Even during dinner, Alyssa mistakenly dropped her fork on the ground and Dave helped her pick it up. Everyone was curious and suspicious. He caught her using the palace's cellphone and the payphone booth down the residential area so many times in a day, he brought her a brand new phone and sent it through a postal service. When she declined again, he begged Triana to help him give it to her indirectly as if she was the one who bought it for her.

Another time again, her shower ran out of water with plenty of soap covering her eyes, Alyssa raised an alarm, wailing like a baby in the bathroom. Dave came to her rescue, though, he sneaked into the bathroom, seeing her naked for the first time since the time of the incident at the hotel. He repel the shower and brought back water in the pump. But that didn't stop Alyssa from accusing him of breaking into her bathroom uninvited.

And another day again, it was the family's picnic day. She happens to be on her mensuration period without even knowing. Her white dress got stained at the bottom at the back of her ass, fully showing. When she stood up to make a call, Dave was the first to realize it. He quickly stood behind her, blocking the others from seeing the stain, though they were suspicious of the two these few days. Dave willingly took off his black t-shirt and wrap it around her tiny waist. Thank God he has a vest on. And when the empire asked him what's the issue, he said he was hot and needed fresh air.

Ask me what does his fresh air privacy got to do with his tshirt on Alyssa's waist?

That was the one question Dexter wanted to ask when Alyssa picked up a fight with his brother.

It was just yesterday here that Dave found out that Alyssa has been faking her hashtag 'I'M MARRIED' thing when Christian begged his father to teach him one of his online assignment. A quadratic equation and an algebraic expression in math, Dave asked him if his mother was married to someone else and he said a big 'NO!' Then, the latter smiled wickedly.

*********

TRIANA'S POV....

I sat in the porch under the tree in the fields busy checking something on my IG page when my bestie walked in. I was engrossed by her outfit and good looks. Seriously? When does a girl began to admire her fellow female? It's weird, huh?

She was putting on a mini pink satin spaghetti gown—wait, is she going for a party in the morning? Her cleavage is clearly seen, exposing her creamy skin and collarbone. A pair of silver stilettos and silver purse to match alongside silver butterfly earrings. Her white slender long legs are smooth up to her exposed thighs. She had her nails polished in red, matching the colour of her lipstick. A watermelon flavor, I guess. Her eyeshadows and makeup are like the HDs. And her hair was left to fall on her little round shoulders. Still, I admire the cute golden necklace on her neck.

"There's a party downtown and you never cared to invite me?" I cut myself off the tantalizing appearance.

"A party?" She laughed briefly and flicked her hair. "Well, babe. There ain't no party. I just wanna take a tour in the area."

Who takes tour wearing such outfits? Is she going to hunt a man?

"A tour?" I sat up, keeping my phone on my lap with my arms crossed. "Girl, you're looking to dashing to go on a tour looking like this. You'll have no choice but to share your number for a million guys that'll come whistling at you."

"Ugh," She waved her hand briefly, dismissing my words in disgust. "Fuck them. I don't give a shit bout them and if they dare to speak the word 'Phone number'? I'll make them cry."

I wanted to hold back my laughter but I couldn't. "Sorry, but what you just said was quite funny. Did you say 'make them cry?" I mimicked.

She nodded, dramatically posing for me with a proud look.

I couldn't do anything but stare at her for a while. Then I added, "You know what? An advise."

"No, no, no. I won't buy it." She vigorously shook her head.

"Of course you have to." I don't care if she'll take it or not but it's gonna be for her own good. "Go inside and change, then we'll talk about what have been happening between you and Dave lately."

The mention of my brother in law's name made her roll her eyes in distaste. "To hell with that dude." She groaned. "I don't want to talk about him and please end it there. Full stop."

"Okay, one quick question. Why did he tied his shirt around your waist the other day at the family's picnic?"

She froze for few seconds. Then, she hesitated. Briefly turning her face away from me. "I don't know."

"And what about the time he lifted you on his shoulder and took you with him, what happened?"

"Jesus! Triana, can you stop asking these questions?" She freaked out. "Am going to run mad if you keep it on. Moreover...." Her tune lowered as she mumbled. "I was on my period and he was the first to see it so....he saved me from the embarrassment with the help of his shirt."

I paused for a moment, processing her explanation. "Ah...." I gasped. "A good news is about to happen."

She frowned. "What good news?" Without waiting for my reply, she added. "Look, we didn't have sex so if you're insinuating that I'm gonna get pregnant for that....that....."

My brows stood up, waiting for her to complete her sentence but it seems like the words are just to heavy for her mouth. So, I butted in.

"Go on. That what?" When she pouted her lips, I helplessly shook my head. "Alyssa, you'd know that he's Christian's father. Your son's father, so it's very difficult for you to call him names, right?"

"Not really." She gritted her teeth. "I hate him and you know that. I have no idea why he was the one that saw it. Why wasn't it you or the queen or Mrs. Winter or anyone infact except him. For these few days now, he's been making life so unbearable for me here."

I fished out something from her statements and that made me frown. "Wait, don't tell me you regret coming here to see me."

"See you? Hell no, not at all." She grinned. "I never came here for him anyway." When I nodded, she sighed. "I have to go now, girlfriend. Your chauffeur is taking me and he's waiting."

"Okay, don't stay out late. Remember our Netflix selection tonight."

"Of course, I do." She chuckled and waved 'Bye' before leaving me alone in the fields.

I continued from where I stopped in my IG page but then, Alyssa ran back again after few seconds, panting with a shocking expression like she had just seen a ghost during daytime.

I got so confused that I even stood up abruptly. "What's the matter? Are you okay? Is everything fine?"

She placed her hands on her knees, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her normal breathing speed. I know at this moment in time, she can't answer my question so I let her take her time.

I handed her my bottle of water. "Here, have this." She gulped it from top to half, almost emptying the whole content inside. "Take it easy." I rubbed her back after she handed the bottle to me. "Would you sit?"

She shook her head, "No. If.....if.....if...."

"Relax, easy."

"If I sit down, he might come to get me."

"He? Who?" I frowned deeper in confusion.

She pointed to a direction far from the field. "He is right there. I'm sure he's heading this way—ouch. I almost broke my newly bought stilettos."

I peek to the side she pointed. I only saw Dave standing there afar off, taking with my chauffeur. Am sure they were talking about Alyssa because my chauffeur pointed towards the fields and Dave nodded before heading towards the field.

Alyssa jumped and ran to hide behind the big tree when she saw him coming. "I beg you in God's name, Triana. Swear to me you won't tell him am here? Infact lie to him that I've gone back to Swiss."

"How do you expect me to do that? You know very well that I always get caught while telling lies. I'm not a good liar." I whispered back.

"Just try for my sake, please. Even if it's just a little."

"Why the hell are you hiding by the way?"

"Are you crazy? I don't want to see him. He's a lunatic."

"A luna—"

"Triana?" Dave's deep voice made me startled.

I quickly swiped around and began to compose myself with a shaking smile. "Oh hi there, nice to meet you for the first—I mean, second time today."

He had no expression of pleasantry in his look as he ignored my greetings. "Where is Alyssa? I saw her standing here a while ago?"

The sound of that rang a bell in my ears. "Oh," One hand on my lips as I clicked my tongue. "Sorry, you just missed her." When his brow corked upwards, I cupped my chin. "She went back inside—damnit! No, she.....she flied back to Swiss."

"She flied back to Swiss?" He pointed at the hem of a pink dress peeking out of the tree.

I cursed my guts under my breath.

Damn it! Now he sees me as a retarded liar.

I wanted to stop him but he was so fast to approach the tree before me. He pulled Alyssa out. Alyssa glared at me with dark fiery eyes.

"Let go of me." She snatched her wrist from his grasp. "What do you want from me, huh? Why are you pestering me all around? Why are you stalking me?!" She snapped maddeningly.

Dave as a cool guy who barely fights or argues and knows how to tolerate women, answered in a calm manner. "Why are you hiding from me like am some kinda monster?"

"And who said you aren't?" She mocked. I just crossed my arms, watching the two creating drama in front of me. "Stop stalking me, I already told you before. I'm a married woman, someone else's property, leave me alone!"

He let out a brief chuckle, "Someone else's property? Alyssa, can you please cut up with this....." He waved his hand briefly, quoting her words, "I'm a married woman' stuff? Like seriously, it doesn't makes sense you denying your statues because I know you're still single."

"And how is that your business, minster?"

"Forget about that." He tucked his hands into his front pockets, sighing in relief. "Where are you going dressed like this?" He pointed slightly at her outfit.

Alyssa as a drama queen, gloated, swirling around and moving her hips in accord. I assume she wants to give him a free to air VIP 'look but you can not touch'

"You see this?" She flicked a strand of hair behind, though it touched my face. "How do I look? Hot, huh? Yeah, I know. Well, FYI, I'm going to take a tour round the city and you know what....minster?" She poke a finger on his chest. "Think about all the hot guys out there, waiting to get my number. With just a whistle...." She blew a whistle, "You know what am capable of doing, right?"

"And you're not leaving this premises whether you like it or not." Oh meh, that's the third time I saw Dave with a straight face.

"Fuck you!" Alyssa yelled. "Who the hell are you to deprive me of my movements? I have freedom of movement, you hear me? I got it!"

"Then let's watch and see. Let's see how you'll leave this compound when I already got it sealed." He left without waiting for her response.

Alyssa faced me, almost losing her brain cells. "Did you hear him? Did you just heard him? I was right calling him a lunatic, but you never understood now see what this lunatic is trying to do. Trap me in his father's palace, can you believe that?"

"Calm down." I patted her shoulder, rubbing my temple with the other free hand. My head will bust if she don't keep quiet.

She continue ranting for a very long time, talking, shouting on top of her voice. I got an headache and sent for meds. Her make-up was already ruined and her curly brown hair now a total mess on her head. Some strand were even standing outstruck on her head like 'mother electrified.' making her look like a female character in horror movie.