Are you lovers

The crackling sound of the flickering candle flame was especially loud in this eerie silence. The two men stared at each other with the intense smell of gunpowder lingering in the air. It seemed with only one spark the fumes would be ignited and a blazing fire would spread.

Captain Austin swallowed with his Adam's apple rolling underneath his skin as droplets of cold sweat flowed down his neck.

The sun was still out as it was during the day but because Roan's study room was deep in the palace he had to rely on candlelight to see. This wasn't a room chosen for him but it was chosen by himself. It was the perfect place to have a conversation with people like Captain Austin over here without anyone hearing them scream.

"Your highness, she is a mere servant girl forced to be here by her masters. She is no benefit to you by keeping her here," said Austin.

The room suddenly fell into eerie silence with half of Roan's face hidden in the shadows. He didn't care for the women competing to be his wife. In fact, he planned to pick the least threatening one and marry her then go off to the south border to suppress their enemies leaving her behind.

But this girl, Freya was quite intriguing. She wasn't interested in him and secondly, the captain of the royal guards had the audacity to walk in here to speak for her. Additinally, in her possession was the crystal orb that flashed in his mind at his worst. How interesting.

With a sneer, he asked, "Are you lovers?"

Austin didn't expect he would ask him that. He raised his head abruptly and stammered, "No... no we are not."

Roan's lips quirked into a sinister smile as he slowly got up from his chair. An evil glint flashed in his eye as he took slow but firm strides to the front of his desk. He sat down on his desk right in front of Austin and said,

"Your aunt must have given you the illusion that you are invincible otherwise why would you walk into my study and tell me the crown prince what to do." The more he spoke the calmer his voice was making Austin's sense of crisis intensify. His knees softened under the oppressive air.

Roan beckoned him over and Austin almost collapsed under his light armour. He gulped with his forehead laced with a layer of cold sweat. He took one step forward but Roan wasn't satisfied.

He took off his mask revealing the grey pupil that was as chilling as ice but as sharp as a blade piercing straight into his soul. Austin couldn't even bring himself to admire his transcendent appearance because he was frightened half to death.

"Captain Austin, step closer," he said and this time Austin didn't doddle. He stepped forward and two seconds later his body was hauled through the hard wooden doors. His body collapsed to the ground but the doors remained intact.

He clutched his abdomen with a grimace on his face. Austin had never thought that Roan wouldn't leave him any face considering their history. When they were younger before Roan fell ill they were as close as brothers but ever since he woke up it was as though he had forgotten everything. He became as gloomy as a ghost and spent more time on the training grounds than anyone else.

Austin curled his fingers tightly on the fabric of his clothes as he pulled his body up. From the shadows, he saw a pair of black half-calf boots with a narrow fit walking towards him.

When he raised his head he saw Roan staring down at him his face like the reincarnation of a devil itching to wreak havoc. There weren't any traces of his childhood friend remaining. That person was long gone. Austin struggled to get up and when he finally did he leapt on his leg walking away.

After two steps, Roan spoke causing him to pause his steps. "Captain Austin, have you forgotten who I am?" he said and Austin realised he had forgotten to bow before him as his royal highness before leaving. Austin wiped the blood at the corner of his lips with his trembling hand and turned back.

"After all it is a crime," said Roan his voice cool and distant. Austin forcibly lowered himself and bowed before him respectfully.

"My apologies your highness. Please punish your servant as you see fit," he said struggling to mask his true feelings in his heart.

Roan didn't respond. The silence in that dark passageway was especially loud. For a moment Austin thought the crown prince would make it extremely difficult for him but the man suddenly turned and left closing the doors behind him.

When the doors banged shut, Austin's heart trembled in fear. With the oppressive aura gone, he released his stagnated breath and turned to leave. As he walked away he had one thought in mind which was that this man should never be allowed on the throne. The amount of bloodshed will flow like a river and his family's safety wouldn't be guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Freya was already wishing she could bring chaos upon the Royal family and their future descendants. Who in their right mind thought choosing the future crown princess would involve stripping one's clothes in front of several elderly women?

More than five tents were set up on the training grounds and in each were women or in other words aunties with mean faces like someone offended them and they were taking it out on young women.

They were told to stand in lines with specific names designated to the middle tent. Because of what happened earlier, Freya was also called upon to join the line for the middle tent. In there was the matron Dour as they called her inspecting them personally with her band of cronies.

What made it worse was this girl Isabella standing in front of her. From matron Dour's words, she didn't have to be heard but she especially stayed to torment her.

In her eyes, Freya, a lowly maidservant from an insignificant family had become her biggest threat.

After her third snort, Isabella finally turned around and looked her up and down with a disdainful expression. Freya let her look all she wanted. She just hoped this spoilt young miss could hurry up and say what she had to say so they could all move on.

"You aren't that special," said Isabella her words direct and unrestrained. She had already forgotten her mother's preachings on restraining one's emotions.