Chapter 84

"How was your hour with the prince?" Crystal asked the question as if she didn't know, but it was obvious from her uncomfortable expression that she knew and so did everyone else. The rumours of him storming out on our lunch date must have reached the Capital with the way things worked around here.

"Terrible" I answered with a sigh, my eyes glaring at the sunlit flowers of the garden we sat in. It didn't matter how awful I felt, the rest of the world will continue to look beautiful.

"There's alot of rumours going around... Why did he rush out?"

I wanted to groan at the reason. It was my fault so I didn't have a right to feel so... so disapointed. But I kept thinking of his arm wrapped in Lady Rayas and it made me frown. It didn't help that last night I dreamt of him again.

For once it wasn't something that made me wake up red, panting and feeling strange butterflies. He had simply stared at me the whole time, opening his mouth to speak and then he would shut it. Sometimes he reached over, but he never touched me. I hated it because it felt real. Too real.

"I offended him" Was all I said as Lady Montgomory interrupted our quiet space, marching into the garden with the most boastful smile. The other ladies in the garden gathered around her at once.

Apparently her date with Jules had gone well, as did everyones except mine, but I was wrong about that being the reason why they gathered around her.

"Is it true?" One of the ladies, her voice evidently disturbed and frightened as Lady Montgomory gave a grim nod, her smile wiped immediately.

Is what true?

She replied in a tone much too low for me to overhear,so I glanced over to Crystal except she seemed just as clueless.

"They're visiting Grandor?" I hear someone say in despair, recognising the voice of Lady Selvius. She looked ashen, and her legs seemed to almost give way underneath her.

Just what was going on? both I and Crystal stood up just as the Princes' aid entered the garden, eyebags resting under his eyes although he forced a smile.

"Greeting, ladies of Grandor" He bowed and the garden silenced, eager to hear what he had to say. "Todays task will be suspended as tonight we will be expecting guests from the Empire to join us for dinner. They will be visiting to check in on the status of the competition and you will be expected to join them for dinner so please compose yourselves" the threat in his words echoing in the vast garden. I heard a few strangled gasps, a sound akin to a sob here and there.

"Who will be joining us?" I asked, everyone looked at me in surprise. They probably wondered why it mattered.

"The kings brother and his wife" He replied and the seriousness of the situation was made even more evident.

Was it to evaluate the competition? or for better word spy?

The princes aid had excused himself soon after he was questioned a bit more.

"Why on such short notice?" Crystal frowned.

"Vampires can teleport" I answered thoughtlessly and she practically fainted.

"Don't say that word so loudly!" She whispered harshly and I didn't bother rolling my eyes.

"Crystal- things are going to change so we need to prepare"- my words cut off when I saw him. He entered the garden and I could have sworn for a moment the flowers smelt sweeter. I looked away awkwardly, eyes training on a flower as the ladies began to crowd him.

I glanced at the crowd wondering if I should join for appearances, but I found myself turning around and going deeper in the garden. Walking as fast as I could, trying to drown out the sounds of the ladies talking to him. When I finally could hear nothing except muffled laughs I finally slowed, releasing the breath I held as I crouched to the floor with a gasp.

"What am I doing?" I held my face in the palm of my hands.

"That's a good question" I practically shot up at the voice of the royal advisor who happened to catch me in an embarrassing situation yesterday, staring up at the his stifling expression as humiliation walloped through me.

"Mr- Sir Willow, what brings you here?" I asked, hoping to cover up my state.

"I could ask you the same" He smirked down at me and I looked away in embarrasment.

"I-I suppose".

"I'm delivering some documents to the prince- he told me he'd meet me in the gardens" He lifted the papers in his hands slightly with a humoured smile, "and you?"

"I was- I decided to explore the gardens while I can. Whose to say I'll ever see it again?" I meant it as a joke and it may have served, had another voice not interrupted in a voice colder than the northern mountains.

"Then you should get a good look" The veiled bitterness made me flinch and I could feel both the warmth of him and all the coldness at once.

Why did I feel so relieved he had spoken to me even though he hadn't said anything nice?

"Your.. highness" I replied meekly, nodding while looking away, realising he was quite close despite how he seemed to be mad at me.

"Shouldn't you atleast look at your monarch when you greet them? Not even a curtsy?" I could feel the heavy atmosphere and I realised I was in danger. The mockery in his voice both familiar and not.

"My apologies" I curtsied, eyes daring to look at him, but all it did was makemy body freeze up. His red eyes stared so intently at me, the roaring emotions behind them making me catch my words in my throat. "Your- your majesty".

"That's more like it. Stay like that".

I didn't dare move. I felt something I hadn't felt towards him in a while just then- anger and annoyance.

How dare he?!

"Your majesty. I've come to deliver"-

"Why were you meeting one of my candidates in such a secluded place?" he snapped at his advisor and we both silenced. The mutual understanding that right now he was capable of murder.