Chapter 013

"Charlotte," I repeated the name, pacing to and fro in my chambers.

I ran my hands through my hair and wracked my brain. What was I missing?

Who was this girl and why did she have so much importance?

Could she be George's first love? Or the woman he loves? For some reason, the thought gave me unease.

I settled on my silk sheets and laid back, my eyes scanning the walls and finishes. Shall I be worried about this girl?

Or shall I forget the conversation? After all, George said she was leaving after the festival. He said he set her free.

Then again, what was the need to brood?

I would leave after the festival with Danielle. Was that not what my heart wanted?

Did I crave a fleeting moment with my captor? Never. I strolled over to my clothing, pulling out a red corset dress that had been delivered earlier. It was my clothing for the musical night.

I took a quick shower and slipped into it. However, my thoughts were on the visions I had.

The sound of the drums was unsettling. It made my heart race, my eyes stung and my hands trembled.

How could I face everyone while bearing this burden and fear? Fear of which I could identify?

The sound of soft knocking drew my attention. I frowned as the doors opened.

"The musical night has begun, Your Highness," A maid stepped in and bowed. "His Majesty has asked me to escort you."

"Where is my right-hand man?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

"He is preparing the carriage with your belongings. The king has made preparations for your trip."

My frown deepened. Despite everything, George was trying to cover up for me.

"Alright, not another moment shall we waste, Let us grace them with our presence," I offered a tight smile and strolled out of my chambers.

The maids carried my train after me, walking like they were on eggshells, terrified of a reprimand.

No matter how I tried to unsee it, this palace was a golden cage with invisible bars.

As we approached the garden, I froze. "Has the festival not started?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrow.

"Of course, your highness." Another maid responded. She was a brunette with sharp green eyes.

I raised an eyebrow, the silence was more unsettling than I expected. "I cannot hear music," I commented.

"His Majesty ordered only soft music shall be played, courtesy of —"

Before she could finish, another maid nudged her. My forehead creased at the interaction but I did not comment.

As we stepped into the garden, all eyes turned to us. Everyone stood, even the king.

The King of Keyes strolled over to me, a soft smile on his face. As simple as it was, he seemed like the solution to all my problems. As if one moment with him could...

How does one find comfort in their biggest undoing? Would I forget the scent of his perfume? Or the feel of his skin on mine, or the color of his eyes and the way his voice softened when he spoke.

"Since you are leaving," George began. "Shall we have a dance?" He asked, his gaze scanning my face. "If you wish not to, we can —"

"You changed the festival's rules. Loud music was to be played, with drums. Those were your rules and this is your world, why did you change it?" I asked, reaching forward for a dance.

George took me into his grasp, holding me tight as we swayed.

"My world is right in front of me. It shall not morph to fit in with me, I shall fit in. I am simply done that which was right."

"This festival was not for me. It was for someone else, was it not? A goodbye for…"

George spun me around, our eyes locked and a soft gasp escaped as our lips brushed.

"How much did you hear?" He whispered, leaning against me.

I caught the Queen's gaze, boring daggers into my skin before I moved to the soft music.

"Enough," I responded. "Do not bother yourself, I have no intentions of dabbling in royal matters."

He stopped for a second and so did the world. The soft music from the flutes, the almost non-existent sound of drums in the background.

The gaze of expectant eyes, the whispers drowning in the background.

For a moment, everything paused as he looked at me and said. "These are not Royal matters, Ana. These are matters which concern me. Do they hold nothing in your eyes?"

"If you loved another woman, why marry me?" I asked, pulling away but he held my grasp.

"One can only love once and I have loved and I have chosen to let her go. I have chosen to risk everything. I have chosen to risk the throne and —"

"You shall not take that risk again, which is why you are discarding me?"

"I thought you would be delighted to leave. Are you not? Does it not please you to be farthest from me."

My heart twisted in my chest at his words, goosebumps traveled across my skin and for the first time, I initiated contact by touching his cheek.

Our foreheads pressed against each other's. George tried to glance around but my voice cut through. "Focus on me," I said, the words bold and sharp, straight from my soul. "This is our last dance, shall you not spare me a few minutes to loathe you even more?"

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Have you not loathed me enough?"

"No, with you, it is never enough, George," I confessed, his hand inched toward my waist and I did not protest.

"It is never far enough, it is never intense enough. You claim you want to keep me safe, and this became a prison. I say I came to kill you, but for the first time in my life, I feel something I have never felt in years, George."

"Whatever is that?"

"I feel too comfortable, this feels like home, it should not be. You brought me here forcefully. I should not feel these things. The man who slayed the person I was cannot be the one who makes me feel life is worth living one last time."

"One last time," He said, his nose pressed against mine as we danced. My train moved as his grip on me tightened.

The dancers lit up the flames, signifying the music festival's conclusion.

"These feelings, do they not have a name? What do you feel, Ana? Whatever is it?"

I leaned, my heart pounding in my chest at the proximity. "I—"

"Ana!" George barked, his voice tearing through the tranquility.

As I struggled to process his frantic attempts to catch my train, the feeling of warmth hit me in waves and that was when I realized.

My train was on fire.