Chapter 3 - Tit for Tat

In the evening, Zara was strolling through the garden behind the palace when she spotted Albert approaching.

"Why is he coming here?" Zara thought to herself, averting her gaze.

She was about to ignore him and leave when Albert called out, "Princess Charlotte ... Can we talk for a while?"

"Uh... Father wouldn't like it. We shouldn't meet alone like this before marriage," Zara replied, trying her best to avoid a conversation with Albert, but he wasn't going to let her go that easily.

"Don't worry about King Arthur Halbert. I spoke with him and came here with his permission," Albert said, locking eyes with her.

Zara lowered her gaze. But then, an idea sparked in her mind, and she nodded in agreement. The two of them walked side by side.

"I know in royal families, marriages and politics are matters decided by the elders. We can't do much even if we want to... But if you don't want to marry, you can tell me. Our engagement isn't public yet, so if the alliance breaks, no one's honor will be at stake," Albert said.

"I wish I could... Oh... I mean, it's not like that. Whatever my father desires, I will do. I have no objection to this marriage," Zara replied, though her response didn't come from the heart.

Some time ago, King Arthur and Queen Chrysalis had met Zara in the same garden, where Arthur had made it clear that she would not refuse the marriage. He told her bluntly that if she did refuse, any calamity that befell the kingdom would be on her shoulders. If a war broke out and people died, she would be responsible for their deaths.

Zara didn't want this marriage, but she also didn't want to be the cause of so many deaths. She had decided to make Prince Albert reject the marriage himself.

"I'm glad to know that you aren't being forced into this marriage," Albert said.

Zara snapped back to reality and nodded. After a brief conversation, Albert left.

That night, Zara sent a message to Albert through a guard, asking him to meet her in her chamber. When Albert arrived, he was shocked.

The room was completely silent, with no light. Suddenly, a faint glow appeared in one corner of the room. Zara, dressed in a sheer long skirt and a half blouse, suddenly appeared behind Albert.

She began to touch his hand, sliding it up to his chin, and then started dancing seductively, her movements sensuous. Albert felt extremely uncomfortable. He tried to move away, but Zara kept coming closer.

Albert felt strange. The girl who always remained quiet in his presence was now behaving this way. Before he could say anything, Zara spoke, "You've come, I've been waiting for you, my Christine."

"Christine? But I..." Albert began, but Zara placed her finger on his lips and said, "You have no concern for your beloved Zara? Do you even know how I've been living here?"

Hearing this, Albert felt even more bewildered. He asked immediately, "Princess, what could possibly trouble you in your own palace?"

Instead of answering, Zara began dancing again. Albert couldn't take it any longer and grabbed her wrist, pulling her close. Their lips were just inches apart. Zara stared into his eyes for a few seconds before collapsing unconscious into his arms.

Albert carried her to the bed and then left the room. If anyone found out that Albert was alone in Zara's chamber at that hour, it would cause a scandal.

***

The next day at the dining table, everything appeared normal. Neither Albert mentioned anything to anyone, nor did Zara say a word. However, Albert kept sneaking glances at Zara.

After a while, when he found Zara alone behind the palace, he approached her and asked, "Princess, are you okay now?"

"Yes, why? What happened to me? I'm perfectly fine," Zara replied, leaving Albert a bit puzzled.

"Do you not remember anything from last night?" Albert asked, to which Zara shook her head.

Albert didn't say much more, but left with a confused expression. Meanwhile, Zara was smiling behind him.

She was now waiting for King Arthur Halbert to summon her with the news that Albert had called off the wedding.

After two days of waiting with no news, Zara began to suspect that her plan might have failed. That very night, she sneaked into Albert's chamber, avoiding detection.

Albert, who was just about to retire for the night, stood up from his bed upon seeing Zara and said, "Princess, you're here?"

"Which princess? Whose princess? I am Zara. The people of this palace killed my king. I won't spare anyone. I'll kill them all. Hahaha..." Zara said in a strange, masculine voice.

"What are you saying?" Albert asked, confused.

"Didn't you hear, or don't you have a brain? I said I will kill them all, and the process has already begun." After saying this, Zara once again fainted.

Albert didn't know what to do. Should he inform the king and queen, or try to figure out what was happening on his own? Lost in thought, Albert left the room.

***

Back in his chamber, Albert gave strict orders to the soldiers outside to not let anyone, not even Zara, into his room.

After returning inside, Albert locked the door and stood before a large curtain that hung on the inner wall. He suddenly pulled the curtain aside, revealing a large painting... and it was none other than a portrait of Zara.

For someone who usually kept a stoic expression, a smile suddenly appeared on Albert's lips. He touched the painting with such tenderness as if it were the most delicate thing in the world.

"Someone once said... if you truly desire something with all your heart, the entire universe conspires to bring it to you..." Albert said, gazing intently at the painting.

As he stood there, memories of the day he first saw Zara flooded his mind. About a year ago, Albert had come to Arkendale to visit a friend. While strolling through the market with his friend, he had seen Zara, who was there in disguise. Seeing the lively, carefree Zara wandering through the market, Albert found her quite different. He felt himself sinking into the depths of her lake-like deep eyes. Despite himself, he found himself drawn to her.

Before he knew it, he had grabbed Zara's hand in the middle of the bustling market. He wanted to admire her for a little while longer.

"Do I know you? Why are you holding my hand like this?" Zara asked, glaring at Albert.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were my sister. Actually, I'm new here and got lost. I don't know where my sister went," Albert lied.

'Sister? I must be crazy to say such nonsense,' Albert muttered to himself.

Zara didn't respond to him and left with her friends... but she found the whole encounter quite strange. She walked slowly, realizing that the man who had just grabbed her hand was now following her.

"Listen, I am neither your sister nor an ordinary girl. Stop following me, or you will regret it," Zara said angrily, to which Albert apologized and replied that perhaps they were just heading in the same direction.

Albert stayed in Arkendale for a week but never saw Zara again. He didn't even know that Zara was the princess of Arkendale, who had snuck out of the palace in disguise that day.

When Albert first saw Zara again after entering the Arkendale palace, he was stunned. He couldn't quite comprehend what he was feeling.

He had tried to forget Zara as a pleasant memory of his time in Arkendale, but seeing her again rekindled the hopes he had buried deep within him.

But when Albert realized that Zara didn't remember him, he felt a bit disappointed. However, it wasn't all that bad, because soon, she was going to be his wife... their marriage had already been arranged. But once again, his hopes were being dashed, and this time, it was Zara herself.

Zara thought that Albert didn't understand her actions, but he was fully aware. Her coming to his chamber, dancing in front of him, and then mentioning another man's name—this made it clear that she didn't want to marry him. Now, Albert just wanted to know the reason behind her refusal.

Albert snapped out of his thoughts and spoke to himself, "Is there someone else in your life... Do you want to marry someone else?"

Even thinking this gave Albert a strange feeling in his heart. He wanted to know the truth before his feelings for Zara grew any stronger and caused him more pain... and that's why he had tolerated all her strange behavior so far.

"If you want to play this game, then fine... Albert is no less than anyone," he said, covering Zara's large portrait with the curtain again.

Meanwhile, Zara was sitting outside the armory of the palace, counting spears or looking at the horses neighing outside. She had no phone to scroll through, nor any social media app for chatting... After spending a long time in the library, she had wandered to the back of the palace.

"This prince is really stubborn. Even after all this, he's still smiling... Looks like I'll have to play my trump card now..."