Chapter 29
Anastasia didn't like how he was standing close to her. The door was open, and people could see them like this. "We should get back... the door is open," she whispered.
"I don't care if anyone is watching," he replied. "You will be the Queen soon."
"But not for a long time," she said. "Soon after you are crowned, I will be gone."
"And what if I say I don't want you to go?" he asked. "What if I want you to be my Queen until death?"
"Tell me this is some joke right now," she muttered.
He chuckled. Then he began to trace his fingers across her skin, and her body stiffened again.
"Your veins," he whispered, continuing to trace them down to her collarbone, and she gasped. Anywhere he touched her skin ignited a fire within her.
She didn't like the way he was looking at her. He was staring at her as if he wanted to kiss her. Those hungry eyes were making her knees feel weak. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She swallowed hard. Did he know the effect he had on her? She had never had this kind of feeling for any man. God, she had never been with any man before. He was the only man who had seen her naked and shared the same bed with her.
Then he chuckled before stepping back. Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief, biting her bottom lip as she watched him turn around.
"Let's go back," Cassius said, walking out of the room, and she followed him.
When they reached the main hall, they met maids holding a tray of food. Anastasia sat down on the bed, and Hannah placed the tray in front of her.
As she took a bite of the apple pie, she nodded her head, enjoying the taste. "What about you? Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.
"I drank some blood," he replied. "I'm full."
She nodded, taking another bite and chewing slowly. Feeling some crumbs stuck at the corner of her lips, Anastasia took the napkin to wipe them away when Cassius used his finger to gently remove them. Her eyes widened when he licked his finger. She frowned but didn't say anything, continuing to eat.
Night fell, and they prepared to sleep. Cassius left for his room, and Anastasia laid on the bed, closing her eyes, feeling her body being drawn into another world.
She dreamt of seeing herself in that ocean. But this time, the clouds darkened, and lightning struck, waking her from the dream.
She slowly peeled her eyes open, blinking the sleep away from her eyes to see Cassius sitting on the bed close to her.
He raised his hand to brush the strands of hair on her forehead. He looked mesmerizing, like someone who had just walked out of a painting.
"Good morning," he greeted. "How are you feeling today?"
"I'm feeling alright," she replied. For a moment, Anastasia found herself drooling over him. She had the urge to run her fingers through his hair and make it rough. She wanted to touch his skin to feel how cold he was.
"Shouldn't you be in court?" she asked.
"I will be getting married soon and I need to be preparing myself," he declared. "I will go to court after our wedding."
Anastasia began to think about what would happen after their wedding. Would they share the same room? Would there be a honeymoon? At the thought of it, she felt a blush creep up her cheek, and she smiled sheepishly.
"What are you thinking about?" he inquired.
"What would happen after the wedding? Are we going to share the same room?" she questioned.
"Like normal couples, yes," he confirmed.
She frowned. "And?"
"Don't worry. As long as you don't want anything to happen, we won't do anything." Her frown deepened.
The way he spoke the as long as made her feel a shiver. Was he thinking of doing something with her before?
"Well, you need to get dressed, and let's head downstairs for breakfast," he announced, standing up. "I should call the maids," he mentioned, walking out.
"I can take care of myself," she retorted. Then he left the room, leaving her alone.
Anastasia took a deep breath before standing up from the bed and walking towards the bathroom. As she sat in the bathtub to bathe herself, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulders.
Anastasia screamed, feeling two sharp scapular fins protruding out of her skin. She held onto her shoulder as she stared at the firm scapular fins.She must transform into her mermaid form, as she was dehydrating at an alarming rate.
Anastasia tried to shift in the tub, but nothing happened. Then she remembered that this was not the ocean; she couldn't just shift in any water. She rubbed her shoulder, feeling the firm scales shooting out. The pain was excruciating, and she winced. Just then, she heard footsteps approaching, followed by a knock at the door.