The Surrogate Makes Himself Known
"Tell me about Havila."
The daughter of the Duke of Ikpala said to Loe. Of course she thought Loe was the assassinated prince.
Loe looked at the lady. She was quite beautiful but not as hot Lailah was. He could find solace in her for the meantime till he would find Lailah or just forget about Lailah.
Getting married to that lady seemed promising as the king had promised him heaven and Earth.
One of the contentions he had was the fact that he was going with the Duke of Ikpala to Havila, to meet his supposed father and for the marriage alliance to be finalized.
He had wanted to escape but had been caught by one of the guards who definitely mistook his advances.
That had pushed up some doubts about him but he had steered clear of related actions that'd kindle the flame of the doubts.
At least, he was glad that he had his privacy and was living in one of the three castles of the Duke. The lady had only come to pay him a visit. Well, he had no idea what the visit would lead to.
"Is it so important that these folks stay here?"
Loe started, tossing his head at the three guards standing few metres away from them.
They were seated opposite each other on the two acacia chair bordered by a dining table. Twas quite close to what you call a dining hall.
"You should be used to such."
The lady said. Of course he should be. That was if he was a prince.
"I'm not comfortable with them around."
He said again. Wearing a smothered face inspired by displeasure.
The lady thought for a while then dragged in some sequence of air. A sound was made at that and the guards bowed and marched out.
"Comfortable now?"
She asked. He smiled and stood up from where he was. He walked over to where she was seated and held her hands.
She dilly-dallied. She didn't want to. She didn't want to touch his hands in the first place, but let him.
"We don't."
She muttered. He loved the way her eyelids twerked to the sway of her lips. He didn't know if he would be able to nurse the odds.
"Trust me."
He urged. She let him help her up and walked her to the large chair that could house the two of them.
He helped her seat and sat next to her. He faced her but he discovered that she wasn't comfortable with the closeness.
She seemed to be rather collected and reserved. A part of him told him that she was still a virgin. If his hypotheses were point on the hit.
"What's your name?"
He asked. She wanted to call in a guard to say her name but he prevented her. She thought for a while then let the word roll,
"Iluma."
She said. He looked away from her. He was trying to connect to his mental ken.
"See Iluma, I do not know anything about Havila."
He started. The lady didn't seemed moved. She only kept her gaze on him.
"Didn't live with father or love being indoor?"
She asked. She seemed naive and he didn't want to take advantage of her. Even if he had a trick up his sleeves, he wouldn't be using the lady as a bait.
Though he was beginning to regret what he did to his pregnant wife. His ex pregnant wife. But the only thing he had never and would never regret was the meeting with Lailah. He still crave her. Deeply.
"Neither of the two. "
He said. The lady's brow flushed. There were few rings on her nose, few on her ears, bangles on her barefooted legs and chains locked up with precious stones around her neck.
But the truth was, the costly adornments were merely silhouettes and litotes of how beautiful she was.
Though she wasn't as voluptuous and busty as Lailah was, she seemed to close the pace of the beauty. Plus she was very much shapy.
She shook her head slightly, her eyebrows raising to the rhythm of her heart.
"Father wouldn't tell you?"
She added. He shook his head in disapproval. She didn't say a word.
"You're not interested in being a prince or a king?"
She asked.
"No Iluma!"
He hurled. More like a shout. One of the guards opened the door and looked sternly at Loe.
"Stay put. "
Iluma ordered and the guard bowed his head and closed the door again.
Loe sighed. The security was beyond his precision.
"What then?"
She seemed to be giving up already. He loved her persistence and patience. He loved the fact that she wasn't getting mad at him despite the fact that he was wasting her time.
But he had no idea idea how largely the beast in her would display as soon as he was done with what he was about to say.
"I'm not a prince?"
He said. He was expecting her to stand up, call in the guards and have him trashed.
But when he waited for a while and got nothing in return, he continued.
"Neither of Havila nor of any other region."
She yet kept her gaze on him. He was becoming jumpy. There were quite the numbers of meanings he was reading to her silence. He had no idea how relevant the thoughts were.
"When I was coming in search of Lailah, I met a man dead by the road. I took his clothes and wore because mine was in no good state. And when I walked through the market square and entered through the gate, I was crowded and eyed as though I was someone important. I had no idea that the man, whose clothes I took, was the prince of Havila."
He stopped talking. But the lady started crying. He was stupefied. He didn't know what to say.
"I'm sorry if I bothered you in any way. I came in search of Lailah only, and only Lailah. Don't want to be guilty of any other lady."
He quit talking. He moved closer to the lady and put her head in chest. She sobbed a while and stopped.
Loe was as confused as the lady. He had no idea why she was crying or what he was saying.
She raised her head and stood up.
"Thank you."
She said and walked away. Towards the door. Loe called at her,
"What's my fate? Please be fair."
She stopped at the door and smiled at him.
"You remain the prince of Havila."
She said and closed the door. Twas hard to tell for Loe whether twas the door that closed or his brain.