Chapter 13 - Ominous

The tension was suffocating. I suddenly felt my throat burning up and the desperate need for a cup of water. I stood still as they gave each other looks only them was able to understand. I can feel the edginess coming from Anton standing behind us not to mention the awkward feeling of his hand holding mine as we stood in front of his serious father.

"You came earlier than expected," the King said pushing the tension lower.

"We sent a letter," Prince Kairus answered dryly. He then stepped forward to the seat in front of the King's study table. I am not able to see everything in the King's study, all I see is what was visible through the lights coming from the half-closed curtains behind his majestic seat.

The room was huge for sure. I see a dark oaked table, where he rests his elbows as he watches how the Prince made me sit on the sofa. I made sure to show my disapproval of what he was doing to make sure the King didn't count me on the Prince's contempt attitude. After I was seated, he let go of my hand and sat right next to me.

I watched as he leaned on the backrest of the sofa as if he was not in front of the most special person in the Kingdom at the moment.

"Yes, and I wanted to know the reason behind this earlier visit. " said the King as he tried to hide his dissatisfaction with the Prince's behavior.

He didn't even dress right for the occasion.

"We are going to be busy in the next few days as we are preparing for our upcoming wedding," he answered without any sign of reluctance of lying in the face of the seated King.

I saw how the King glanced at me when he heard the word wedding. I tried to smile in approval. Yes, we are preparing for a marriage that is never going to happen.

"Anton?" he then shifted to the guy standing behind us.

"Yes, your Highness." Anton immediately answers. The tone of his voice was dreadful as if he was expecting the worse to happen in this meeting.

"It seems here that the Prince forgot to introduce his Wife," he smiled at me. The smile didn't seem sarcastic but I doubt that he feels the same as what he shows me. "And she seems not interested to share her name,"

I knew it. A chill crept down my spine as I have realized in what way he just attacked me. After that smile full of emotion, he struck me with a backhanded statement. I would've talked if I was able to.

"I am sorry, Your Highness," Anton apologized. He forced to push his shaky voice away with one cough and continued, "The Lady is Celeste Alliyah from a Count's manor." he carefully said each word. "The Lady wasn't able to introduce herself as she does not speak, Your Highness."

"Does not speak?" the King asked with a hint of confusion.

"The Lady is mute, your Highness." Anton finally said. I saw how the King's face grew even brighter with the information. And I knew at that moment that was not a good sign.

"Mute?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

I tried to shake off the feeling of uneasiness by giving a slight smile as I bowed my head to show my respect after what he had just done. He sounded as if it was something hilarious.

I watched the Prince on the side of my eyes. He was not doing anything. This is when I thought of why he brought me here knowing well enough this was going to happen. What royalty in their right mind would marry someone who doesn't speak in the line of a hundred women?

If I were someone else, I would also feel the same. But for my part, I felt shame and self-pity. I also felt neglected when the Prince didn't even move an inch.

"How did someone who used to love singing and music turn out to marry someone who can not make a sound?" the King said, adding more to the feeling of torment inside of me.

It was only then that I felt ashamed of not being able to speak. I would if I wanted to. But for someone who has embraced being mute for her own reasons, I felt extremely humiliated. All in front of the King of the Kingdom who should have been comforting the disabled. If he does this to someone else, I wouldn't imagine the feeling. It would hurt more than this.

And a person who loved singing and music? Does he mean the Prince?

But I tried to hide the feeling of disappointment by smiling as he laughed at me.

"I do not like how you disrespect my bride in front of me, King." he cut him off. "I have long lost my respect for you. I wish you could have done better to change my mind but you did worse."

The suffocating tension grew even thicker as he spoke. I didn't know what to do when it was me who he was talking about.

I've heard something about what happened in the Palace but I never knew it was this deep that he had to act this way toward his father.

No one spoke for a few moments. This has become the worst 7 minutes in my entire life. And I want it to end right at this moment. I couldn't stand anymore to this awkward father-and-son reunion that I never expected to be this bad. Although I was the reason why the tension has grown even thicker.

"I wanted you in that banquet because I am announcing a very important event, Kairus." The king changed the subject casually as if the Prince hadn't threatened him a few moments earlier.

"I can still receive that information without coming to the banquet," he answered. He wasn't even looking at him when he answered. Instead, he kept his eyes wandering around the room as he spoke. And he does it unapologetically.

"I want to give you a chance to resurface in that banquet, Kairus," he said.

"For what reason?" this time, he shifted his gaze to see his reaction.

"People are forgetting your existence ."

"And what is the relevance of people remembering who I am, Father?" he asked masking his emotion with indifference. The King couldn't even answer his question. "For what reason are you trying to bring me up to the public after such a long time? You could have done it before."

"I am trying to help--"

"I know what you are trying to do." he stopped him from lying. I watched as a slight yet short smile formed on the King's face.

His face and his words are lies he tries to use to mask his intentions. After a few minutes of being in front of the King, I've found out he may seem to look someone sympathetic. But he wasn't. He was the exact opposite. He pretends and acts when he sees a chance.

He's like a snake hiding in the sand waiting for his prey to be caught off guard. He then spits out his venom slowly expecting his prey not to notice he was slowly killing them by venom.

And the Prince has been on his guard all this time.

That genuine smile, and that back-handed comment. He plays his game well.

"If you are not coming, then I guess I can say it to you first." he changed the subject once more. "Your brother's coronation is coming soon,"

Upon saying those 6 words, the room felt even more suffocating than before.

I see dark, I smell intentions, I taste anger, and the whole atmosphere seems ominous. I felt how my lungs were clouded by an invisible object making it hard for me to breathe.

I looked up only to see the King's unmasked face behind the closed palms in front of his face. He may have those two hands covering most parts of his lower face, but I know he was smiling and he knows what is happening.

That was when I looked at the person beside me. He was sitting in the same position but something was different. He radiates a different energy.

That heavy feeling was coming from him.

The heaviness and the lump in my lungs made it even harder for me to breathe as time passed by. I had to clench both of my fists together to make myself feel something and distract myself from thinking I was dying right where I was sitting.

"You're reeking, Son." The King said. His voice sounded provocative. And it seemed like it worked,

The heavy feeling went even heavier and I started to shake and feel dizzy. I started to see black in the corners of my eyes. I wanted him to stop whatever he was doing. Because it's killing me.

It is something I know I have never felt before. The feeling of feeling someone's ominous intent.

I felt a slight movement on my back. And when I looked on the side, a hand rested on my shoulder. The gloved hands tell me it belonged to Anton. He knew what was happening to me. "Your Highness, I believe it is time for us to leave," he told the King.

"Already?"

"Yes, your Highness. We do not want to meet bandits on our way back."

Their voices grew distant as seconds passed. The blacks in my sight grew even larger I could hardly see the hands I'd been staring at this whole time.

"Lady Celeste Alliyah, I owe you an apology." when I heard my name, my instincts told me to stand up. I forced myself and I was able to stand on the ground.

My eyes were shaky and so as my hands. I saw a vision of hands extended right in front of me. When a loud voice interrupted as I reached for it.

"You're not touching my bride," he demanded, pulling my hands away from the King's. Something in me breaks as the odd feeling gets even worse.

"Your Majesty, we have to leave." I heard a small voice from the back. The sound went smaller and smaller until I couldn't hear anything more but bells ringing in my head.

I felt his hand pulling me away from where I was standing. I almost fell.

I was about to lose myself from the strange feeling when I snapped up to remember I shouldn't let the King see what was happening to me. Trying my best to mask my struggles, I walked together with whoever was holding my hand and told myself repeatedly...

Just be able to walk out the door,

Just be able to walk out the door,

Just be able to walk out the door,

When I sensed the bright light that must've come from the windows of the palace's hallways, I gave up. I heard a muffled noise I wasn't able to understand before I fell hopelessly into someone's arms.