Chapter 46: If you had asked nicely

"Victor." The king acknowledged, the corner of his mouth raised in a smirk.

Eve peeked at the graying man that had come to stop in front of them, the golden crown on his head and the heavy gray robes marking him as a royal- someone with the audacity to wear a bigger jewel on his head than Theodore, she thought, the possibility of a way out of the trouble flashing in her mind, making her excited.

The man laughed, reaching out to pat Theodore on his back. "The last I saw you, you were this small." He said, lowering his hands till his knees.

Theodore huffed, dusting off the place he touched. "That wouldn't be true unless you were alive a century ago." He retorted, his smirk growing deeper as he looked at the man pointedly.

The man looked away in embarrassment, awkwardly shifting the folds of his robes. That was when she saw the insignia on his chest, a very familiar image of a soaring eagle in golden threads. Her brows raised at the sight. The man in front of her was no one other than Victor Calder- the king of the northern kingdom that was known as Ernt.

Her little village was supposed to be a part of Ernt, protected by the goodwill of the very same king standing before her. Yet, there he was, embarrassing himself and everyone in his kingdom by being stepped on by the Ibitean king whose army ransacked his borders.

A strange feeling rose in her stomach- one that was a mixture of disgust and hatred. The coward! How dare he bow?! Stand tall you spineless excuse for a human being! She wanted to shout at him at the top of her lungs, but the man was already trying his best to be embarrassed.

Victor glanced at her with a frown, feeling her stare on his face. Biting her feelings, Eve lowered her eyes, earning a curious glance from Theodore. The king of Ernt turned to him, his face painted with a wide smile once again as he stepped aside, only to reveal two well-dressed women.

"This is my wife, Lillian." He said, nodding towards the older among the two. "And my daughter, Lucille."

The women tilted their heads to the side, making a show of a polite acknowledgment- refusing to bow before the king of Ibitea. But the color on the princess' cheeks did not go unnoticed by Eve. The woman was blushing like a flamingo.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Theodore replied, nodding at them. As Eve watched, he turned towards the princess. "How are you enjoying the ball?" He asked, smiling at her suggestively.

The princess lowered her head, biting down a shy smile. It was obvious how the girl was attracted to Theodore.

"I haven't danced yet." She said, glancing at him nervously.

At that, Eve huffed, a little too loudly for her own good. "Yes, walk right into the death trap." She murmured, keeping her eyes on her foot.

The silence that followed struck her as odd. Eve looked up, only to find four pairs of eyes on her. The king of Ernt stepped forward, his brows furrowed in irritation. She was dumbstruck when the man's hand shot out to grab her by her arm.

"What did you say, girl?" Victor asked, his voice low in a warning.

Eve stared at the man wide-eyed, debating in her head whether to push him away or not. The latter, she knew would keep her head on her neck. The former would probably land her in more trouble than she could imagine.

The man's hand was cold like a dead person's. A musty smell emanated from his clothes, pushing through even after the burning sting of the perfume from his robes. Eve wrinkled her nose in disgust, stepping back unconsciously. The man's grip tightened around her arms.

Theodore exhaled loudly, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. Victor turned towards him with a frown.

"You should let go if you want to go out of here alive." He said, his face bereft of any emotion.

Eve's jaw slackened at the weight of the words. That was no less than a threat, she thought, glancing towards Theodore nervously.

"Theodore!" The man exclaimed, shaking in rage.

Theodore huffed, pulling her to his side in a clean swift motion. His touch burned into her skin sending currents of electricity through her veins. Her heart thumped against her chest violently as she stared at him in awe.

He leaned towards the man, his neck bent slightly downwards as he warned, "Don't forget your place, Victor. You're in Ibitea, not Ernt. And this one here," He said, pushing her behind him, "is not your slave to do as you wish."

Victor grit his teeth, glaring at his host before looking away in embarrassment. His wife and daughter, shifted towards him nervously, the queen supporting her husband with her hand. The woman glared at her accusingly, glancing around to see if anyone saw.

But the crowd was unaware of the happenings, laughing loudly with their partners as they slid around the floor with the rhythm of the music. Theodore straightened his back, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I might have let you have her for a few if you had asked nicely." He said, stepping away from Eve, "But not anymore."

Eve raised her brows, looking at the man in irritation. Did he just-

"Oh, and I'm borrowing this one." He said, pointing towards the princess.

Before Victor could protest, Theodore grabbed the hand of the girl and vanished, sliding into the crowd at lightning speed. The king and the queen stared at the direction with their mouths open. They quickly turned towards her, as if asking for an explanation.

Eve smiled at the couple awkwardly, bowing before quickly slipping into the crowd. She could hear her heart pounding against her ears.

"I will kill you the moment I have a chance." She cursed, stabbing Theodore a thousand times in her head.