Chapter 19 : Inside the Prince's room

While Julius wanted to rest his eyes, Clarrie suddenly said, "You can put your head on my lap if you want to rest." He wanted to reject the damned offer because he knows that it was not the princess at all that requested it, but whoever was the woman he does not have to think about it for now. He needed a nap even just for one minute. He should just allow himself to decrease head strain.

And Clarrie did nothing wrong with saying her words out loud, she was acting like Princess so it should be fine. Besides, he looks tired and she just cannot ignore it. At the least, the Princess's reputation on the prince's side would not be looking depraved. She was about to move her right hand, but she could not disturb the prince. And only to notice that their hands were intertwined. While sitting and staring at the prince, she noticed that there was a tiny scar on his ear and his lashes were not thick, but long and straight. He had a Grecian nose it was weird but she seems to see that the prince feature was like a mask. As she enjoyed observing how flawless the prince face was, her left hand gradually goes closer to his face.

Fortunately for Julius he opened his eyes on time or else his face will be known by the fake princess.

"What are you trying to do? Seducing me while I 'was' having forty winks?"

Clarrie rolled her eyes as she moved her legs to make the prince stand up. "I do not want to waste another time here; I have more important things to do." She said as the prince quickly rise up.

"You know that you are the one who invited me to sleep on your lap, Princess. You do not have to be embarrassed about it; I know you like it anyway."

She also quickly stood up as she added, "I thought that you could just be nicer even for a few minutes, but nope. Being nice does not exist in you, Prince." She patted her lap as she moves away from him.

"What is it that you really want to have in your life, Princess?" Julius asked, it was up to him to critic how the acting of the fake princess went.

Clarrie suddenly halted in the middle of the room and pulled up the shawl to cover her mouth again, she did not give any reaction but she squinted at the side of where she thinks the prince was standing.

"I see, Princess is telling me to not talk about it nor ask about it. A fine way to rely a message in silence, amazing. But perhaps it might be better if you talk, both of us need to have that knowledge with each other."

She resumed walking; she simply did not speak even if she was capable of replying back. Still, in her mind –There it goes again, the Prince showed his boastful side—she nodded while thinking.

In Julius sight, the fake princess was particularly trying hard to be a real princess. She did her best but he still hopes that she must realize how her acting skills go. Of course, he might also practice acting like Prince Zhang Wei too. God in heaven, he looked-for time to craft such talent.

Before Clarrie opened the door to walk out from the room she spoke, "Prince, I still thank you for your time."

Julius unexpectedly returned a smile, "You do not have to thank me, Princess. But, let me thank you instead. I will make sure your presence will be known soon enough to my people. Because I have no doubt that you would stay here and near from me for a while."

"Good night and farewell, Prince." Clarrie swiftly opened the door, she was not feeling at ease as she kept in her mind that none of the Prince's man in night shift should see her.

"I have to hurry back at my friends' home."

The door closes and Julius inside shivered his head, because he forgot that he was holding the sword all this time, from massaging the fake princess palm, he was holding it. Incredible! He just apprehended it.

***

A horn speaker that was used for the public announcement made Zina open her eyes while accompanied by a headache. She was starting to think of how she fell asleep last night. The General was talking with her, feeding her an orange—which did not taste that bad—they discussed things related to the marriage and the prince, why can't she remember the rest afterward? Did she just pass out?

Zina fully covered her face with a blanket as the cold wind touched her cheeks and shoulders, making some of her remaining unhealed wounds go numb again. "Ugh." She complained. A Princess should not be seen as weak, her people must see her as a strong example. She must heal fast. And she needed Clarrie at the same time. 'I must learn to stand myself up.'

"Come on Zina you must stand up soon because you are a princess," she said to herself while peeking at her legs that were still covered with last night's thin translucent fabric of silk. "A strong princess." She continued, with a serious tone once more.

And when she was able to move her legs, she smiled but it quickly changes into a plain lip bite, as she motioned it, the pain gradually rises up again from her wounds and the body ache starts to kick in too. Making her thoughts focus on remaining solid because of the sore sensations that arose. 'Zina, you could do better without anyone else assisting you, even if it hurts, you must fight back.'

Zina and Clarrie run through the hardest roads together, they were both filled with constructive solutions. In other words, the wounds cannot be compared on how hard for a Princess to keep her wellbeing secured every day.