Chapter3

#Chapter3

Matchmaking

Talus' POV

I was getting married. It was funny though. I never thought I'll ever be a husband. I rubbed a hand down my face. This was good and bad at the same time. The good side was that after this whole thing Queen Tamara will fulfill her promise and I'll go back home. The bad part, I already had Gabrielle. I felt I was cheating on her.

I placed my hand on the golden rails of my balcony. It overlooked a tiny lake. Maids in white kirtles held a bowl and fetched water from it. The lake glistened in its blue as the sun rays hit it.

/"Lord./"

I swerved my head and saw Isalo standing at a doorway. His hands were behind him.

/"May I join you?/"

I nodded.

He slowly walked up to me, his hands still at his back.

/"You finally accepted./"

/"Yes, Isalo./" I sighed. /"I had to. It's the only option I had if I wanted to go home. And also because I hated Dalios. I couldn't let the queen end up with a man like him./"

Isalo chuckled. /"You just saw him yesterday./"

/"Yes,/" I said. /"It was hate at first sight./"

He tucked in his lips. /"I understand. King Dalios is hated by many. He doesn't care./"

/"What sort of man proposes to a woman by threatening her?/"

/"Dalios./"

/"It was a rhetorical question,/" I said. /"You didn't need to.../" I exhaled. /"never mind./"

/"So, Isalo./" I spun my head to him.

Her eyes were fixed below the balcony. The way he gaped at whatever it was surprised me. I followed his eyes and saw a maid washing a cloth. She knelt and hummed a song as she scrubbed. Her hair was red and fell over her shoulders, stopping above her waist. Her skin was white as snow and her cheeks were rosy. She looked so innocent.

/"I see what's going on here,/" I smirked at him. /"Who's she?/"

He snapped out of his daydream. /"Who?/"

/"Red./"

/"Oh, you caught me. I'm so embarrassed./"

/"It's okay./" I crossed my arms. /"Who's she?/"

/"The queen's maid./"

/"Hmm./" I raised a brow. /"Do you like her?/"

He nodded. /"A lot. I wish I could just talk to her./"

/"Well, your wish had been granted./" I waved a hand in the air. /"Excuse me, miss!/"

/"Lord please./" Isalo bit his lip. /"I don't have the balls to talk to her./"

/"Miss!/"

I smiled when I got her attention. Her green eyes watched me intently.

/"My friend here.../" I dragged Isalo forward. /"has something to tell you./"

/"Hello./" Isalo showed her his full set of teeth.

She chuckled, her hand over her mouth. /"Why don't you come down let's have a chat?/"

/"O-okay./" He hugged me tightly. /"Thank you. This means a lot./"

/"Anytime./" I rubbed his back. /"Good luck./"

He withdrew and ran off. /"Thank you!/"

I took in a deep breath. It felt good helping him.

/"I didn't know you were a matchmaker./"

/"My queen./" My lips went wide.

She came into view and stood next to me. Her long hair was twisted into one long braid. She was still flaunting her rose crown. Her long white gown covered her legs and swept the ground. On her waist was a belt made with joining diamonds.

/"Thank you./"

I placed my eyes on her. /"For what?/"

/"Accepting my proposal./"

/"I had to. It was the only way to go back to my home./"

She nodded. /"I understand./" Exhaling, she put both hands before her. /"I want to apologize for asking you to marry me even when you told me you already have a lover./"

/"You were just trying to protect your kingdom. It's obvious Dalios' has an ulterior motive. He can't be trusted./"

She pursed her lips. /"He has removed his guards from our villages. The villagers are complaining./"

/"Why don't you send some of your guards to protect them?/"

/"I don't even have enough to protect my castle./"

/"Why?/"

She sighed. /"My parents preferred peace to war. So they preferred farming instead of recruiting soldiers. Dalios' parents did the opposite. So the two united and gave each other what their ally didn't have. We gave Sania food while they gave us guards. Our families decided that I should marry Dalios to maintain this alliance./"

/"Dalios can never be husband material,/" I said.

The man was too full of himself. He didn't even address the queen by her title.

/"Sorry you had to find about my parent's death from Dalios,/" she said. /"I was going to tell you./"

I shook my head. /"You don't have to apologize./"

A loud screech.

I turned and saw a guard panting heavily, his hand on his knee. /"My queen, commander Janos is back./"

Her eyes went wide. /"Why did you run this way?/"

/"He was the only one that came back./"

/"How about the escorts?/" She asked, her brows high.

/"All dead./"