Chapter 8

I run my hand through my hair, thanks to the sudden movements full of my badly contained anger, I have made a disaster the hairstyle that the maids did for me, I pull the lapels of my jacket to smooth it, I get up feeling tormented; not only because of everything I heard about myself in the great banquet hall but also because of the anguished gaze of the lady who a few minutes ago lay prostrate before me. Benhard has called her an indulgent woman, however, her eyes did not convey that aspect when I saw her for the first time. There was defiance in them, as if she had set out to scale an impossible wall and was climbing it at all costs. Although her eyes convey the sensation of sweetness, there is such a characteristic fire in them; but after just a moment ago, his eyes had no spark, they were just looking somewhere.

Maybe she already fears me. It would not be surprising.

Tired, and with my eyelids trembling to close over my eyes, I go to the planter and carefully caress the petals, some flowers close quickly and others let out luminescent particles, peculiar to this species of plant; I close my eyes for a moment as the wind from the vents at the top of the dome enters, caressing my face and hands.

–Summer kingdom, Eldinne– I pronounce that as if it were the amulet that protects me from all evil, the distance between our kingdoms is long, the customs are undoubtedly different but my curiosity about her is more than the distance

Like an excited child, I curl my mouth in what I believe is a smile, maybe not, but for me it is the closest thing to that; I walk back to the place where the guest is resting, with an exalted mood, but this time not because of anger or indignation.

I move through the corridors from time to time looking towards the center of the room, nobody notices anything, the leaders laugh, laugh loudly, but there are no majors against times. I realize that Lord Montgomery and his son are not in the room; if they know what is good for them, they will learn to get away from what could be their grave.

I get a few more glimpses, as I move from my royal chair to the back to climb the stairs, Kalied Youhnan joins me at the same pace as my stealthy but quick stride.

–Your Majesty will not return to your post?– He asks, he wears his black cape wrapped around his forearm while his other hand is resting on his sword.

–Not right now– I say

–Majesty I'm not good with conversations, I'm just a mercenary– he answers solemnly

I almost go before his statement but I purse my lips not to do it –I do not know how you are the Grand Duke of the nation, Kalied– I commented almost trotting up the stairs

He is unfazed, he never does –Ask your late father, Your Majesty– he murmurs then to return as an apparition as soon as we reach the corridor

I just glance behind me to see that he's gone. I stop at the first guest room which is halfway down the hall. The door is half open and a maid is braiding her hair that used to be a mess of strands from her struggle with her fiancé. If that man can be called a fiancé, which should be discarded as an option to head of any position.

I enter the room like an elusive cat; I stood behind both of them, as soon as the maid notices my presence, she immediately moves away and curtsies and then leaves the bedroom.

–I hope the rest has been good for you– I say, I make the poor feint of an affable smile but I can't do it so I try to convey with my words what my face can't –you must be more forgiving than me.

The young princess who now wears a long mane in her fiery reddish hair, is startled at hearing me, she remains on her back for a moment. Silently praying that the intimidating tone in my eyes is gone by the time she turns to look at me.

–It's not worth it when it will be a detriment to His Majesty– she turns to see me with a small smile

She rises quickly and comes to me to make a solemn curtsy, the mane now sliding down the side of his neck, falling like a rich waterfall over his right shoulder. As soon as he gets up I can see his appearance better. She wears long, delicate earrings of a dark color, which lightly brush the curve of her shoulders, two long reddish locks fall on each side of her face and a moderate shower of notable freckles covers the bridge of her nose and cheeks; Her eyes have recovered such a magnificent shine, the mane that is channeled from the top of her head gives her an innocent image and at the same time so strong. I have not even cared about the bow, I am just there paralyzed contemplating her tanned skin and the necklace that is lost in her cleavage giving a brighter and more elegant contrast to her person.

Then I regain my sense of hearing. I have the impression of having lost myself in some very remote place admiring some rare creature that I have just discovered.

–I want to apologize for the inconvenience I have caused His Majesty this evening. Although it was supposed you have to accompany the guests today, but is here with me– she formally apologizes

She keeps her face away from my irises, my disappointment creeps in with the other emotions in me; I want him to observe me directly, but she remains at a safe distance from me. I inspect some side of the chamber to take my eyes off her, rummaging through my repertoire of words for something to say that will relax her defensive position.

–I considered that His Highness would run to me thanking me as your savior– I comment

From her cherry lips, a mischievous giggle escapes that gets under my skin.

–Forgive my rudeness. I thank you, indeed I am in debt to you– she leans a little

Without being able to describe the sensation that she makes me feel with her gestures, I sit on the closest piece of furniture in the bedroom.

–Since you are so grateful, Your Highness should help me to get the attention of a young woman who has caught my attention– I say –but, of course, having spent so much time locked up, I don't understand how I should treat a lady. May Your Highness help me?

Her dark lashes flutter over her eyes, her gentle giggle is gone, and now her head has shot up in a rather serious tone. Finally she looks at me, and there is nothing but interest in knowing what I have to say, he approaches the set of furniture that I occupy and takes a seat in the one in front of me.

•Elijah's POV•

I, perhaps I have heard wrong, so much that I am tempted to laugh, but then, it has made me curious. Majesty has lost the forceful intimidating tone in his eyes, so now they look like two almost translucent diamond gems through which you can discover some secret, I am tempted to go closer to him and so I do, when I sit in one of the nearby furniture.

In my mind, only Glenda's words throb, about the king's confinement and the reasons why she was in that situation; Not much is said about it in the kingdom news.

For a moment I thought that she would see me as a careless noblewoman who seeks lawsuits; This is how all noble society sees me, however, this time he sided with me; If he had not been there, she would have been raped, and the entire high society would have thought that the son of the Duke of Eldinne did me a favor by taking me, since within this society, I am not suitable as a princess. All for an incident, an attack and an unsolved trial.

Little by little, I look down, somehow the way he looks at me and the hazy tone of his eyes make me feel intimidated. I try to ignore that expression on his face, maybe it's the one he's always had.

–Well. Until I win the lady, you will be my confidant. You will teach me how to treat a lady, Lady Elijah– reaches out to seal a contract

This time he's not wearing his white gloves, so even if his gaze is frigid I can feel the pleasant warmth on his palm, which is squeezing my hand considerately. I can't help but want to laugh at his statement, his meaning was like: you will teach me ... or I'll kill you. Just thinking about that, I was amused, however, I can resist the urge to laugh in front of him; rather I focus on another fact, the way his hand covers mine completely, a pair of veins popping out on the back of his hand calling my attention.

As soon as the squeeze occurs, he separates his hand from mine leaving me again with the feeling of having my fingers stiff from the cold. Luckily the dress I'm wearing is quite hot; the tired-looking young man stands up with a disguised expression of regret on his face but noticeable since it is the first gesture his face seems to have since I saw him.

–I must come back. As soon as you feel better, you can return to your family; I hope the rest of the night is to your liking– he heads to the door

–Good evening, Your Majesty.

He pushes the door open and looks back at me with his lips slightly pursed, with a slight curve that I sense as his effort to smile. Under the light of the lamps, a slit in his lower lip deepens and he looks really striking and peculiar; I look away from his mouth and nod without mentioning a word, my face sure is totally red. More than it is.

–I'll visit you in a couple of weeks, when you're settled back in your country– he agrees and is about to leave but returns –and I don't think Lady Elijah is a bother.

They are the last words we crossed that night. The noise of the door makes me jump a little in my place; I bite my thumbnail with a sunken brow, suddenly realizing what I've agreed to.

That mistake!

–He said he's going to Eldinne in a couple of weeks!– I exclaim in a low voice –although two weeks is enough to bring my parents up to date.

Just a problem with them, if my parents find out about this, they will not see it as a good thing, rather, they will be greatly alarmed. I roll the strands of hair that fall on either side of my face between my fingers; to thank him for what he has done for me tonight, I would not know what to do. I look around the room. Please! He does not need anything, he can have whatever he wants, he is the sovereign of the regions so I found it quite reasonable and practical to help him with his dilemma no matter how crazy it sounds.

What lady would not be willing to return his attentions? I mean, he's the king and besides, his manners have something to envy.

My fingers tightened and loosened around the lace of the dress.

–Got damn. Maybe, if I'm a troubled noblewoman– I scratch my hair and make a little face

Even if he managed to scare my fiancé tonight, I'm still another man's girlfriend; Eldinne's laws are clear on that score. Not only the fact of another man will visit an already engaged young woman but also the scandal that Travis will surely bring to his father. I will be punished or possibly Travis's father and Travis himself will come personally to humiliate me for my "bad behavior." In this society, women are not taken into account, especially a "segregated" princess like me.

Without any other remedy I get up and smooth the fabric of the dress; I walk dragging the tail of the same through the room and open the door, the guards there bow their heads and guide me through the long, almost endless corridor to take me back to the living room. Despite spending considerable time in the guest room, my momentum did not subside as I would have liked. In the living room, I watch my parents run towards me in terror.

–Elijah! Are you okay? His Majesty told us that you weren't feeling well and you were resting in the guest bedroom– Mom announces, she's the first to inspect me from head to toe, I hide my split nails in the tulle fabric that the skirt of my dress is wearing

I force a small smile to calm her down. I put my hands on her elbows and shake her a little.

–I felt a bit suffocated. But I'm better now, it must be the dress– I say

–Daughter, you have been eating a lot- she accuses to downplay what she herself has seen in my own eyes, mother does not miss anything about me, like the fact that she has been observing my new hairstyle –yes, sure is that. You must control what you eat– ends by saying

–More relevant, where is Travis? He should be here with you– father looks for the blonde all over the room

Surely, faced with such humiliation, he has decided to retire for today. The annoyance has stung my tongue and prompts me to express the following words with as much disdain as I can:

–He left me alone after the presentation before the king .. and then disappeared leaving me alone, again– I emphasize the last words with all the intention

Father waves his hand and his red beard curls with the fetuses he makes with his face, expressing that what I have said cannot be.

–Impossible! He would never do that, it must just be your jealousy– minimize

Again: My jealousy? Seeing that I can't do anything to convince him, I decide it's all for tonight for me.

–I'm going to retire now– I take the front of the dress and advance

–Elijah, don't be impertinent– snaps dad somewhat irritated

I stare at him. I'm no longer in a good mood to argue or be around people. Only one thing has gotten between my eyebrows: I want to go back. I want to go back to the hotel as soon as possible, if I could go back to Eldinne I would do it immediately

–If my fiancé isn't here, it doesn't make sense for me to be here, does it? So I retire– I mention

Father takes my arm and makes me turn around, I complain a little when he touches the scratch that has been recently bandaged. The sleeve of the torn dress catches his attention, he lets me go immediately; Mother's gaze is quite alarmed so she suddenly intervenes.

–Father, please, not really– I am interrupted by mother's indulgence as she takes my arm with a sneaky smile towards my father.

–It's OK darling. Let's let her go back to the hotel, anyway, she's right– she waves his fan slowly and walks me out of the place

I rush to the exit with her. It has been a humiliating evening, I couldn't see your Majesty in the face right now.

–We will talk about this when we return, daughter. Forgive your father, there are reasons why he behaves like this– she says regretfully

I swallow the answer I want to give her but I am too tired to debate the reasons that she exposes. I enter the carriage and lie back in the cushioned seat. I close my eyes the whole way to get there, the climate change affects me only a little, thanks to the Eldinne jewels that have absorbed enough heat from our territory, it keeps the extreme cold of our bodies away when we stop in Saizen; since both kingdoms are at both extremes, the temperatures are so incredibly different that any of us without our respective jewel could die suffocated or frozen by the conditions so radical for each one.

I press the jewel that was previously hidden under my cleavage, between my breasts; the yellow color in it flashes a dim, flickering light that tells me that it is working to keep me warm in this country of eternal winter.

–Miss!– Glenda greets me at the entrance of the hotel somewhat surprised –What has happened?

Head down, I lean on her chest. The courage is gone, now I only have the helplessness and rage that makes me shed hot tears of contempt for Travis. I don't even think about the fact that we are outside and I shouldn't cry in public; I do not intend to stay with his humiliation.

Somehow I'll end the engagement.