The surprise guest III

The princess, though feeling the weight of the King and the mysterious man's stare, stood her ground with admirable courage. She could sense their unspoken desire for her to leave, but she refused to succumb to it.

She was a princess of a vast kingdom, for god's sake. How could she let herself be humiliated like this? 

Her face hardened, and she ignored their piercing gazes as she turned to look at Ceremus. 

"Your Majesty, who might this young man be?" She casually asked. 

Ceremus could see the way she looked at Hael, eyes full of awe and admiration. The very sight of it made him boil with anger, but he restrained himself. "No one you should concern yourself with, " he hissed. 

Nastasya was momentarily stunned. From Ceremus' tone and expression, it looked like he was ready to kill anyone who asked. The princess, bewildered by the sudden turn of events, could no longer bring herself to speak to the King. 

Hael suddenly felt pity for the young woman. She hadn't done anything wrong, yet Ceremus was so cold to her. He could guess the reason for his aloofness, and it made him happy to know that despite how beautiful this young woman was, her looks didn't seem to rattle him. His eyes were only on him, but that didn't excuse his rude attitude. 

He looked down at the princess and gave her a polite smile. "I don't think we've been introduced. I am Hael, a figure of mystery in King Ceremus' court, " he said, adding to the intrigue. 

The princess was startled by his sudden introduction, not expecting the young man to speak to her first. "Oh, uh, I see. You are the King's personal…wait, personal guard!! " she exclaimed. 

Hael found her reaction amusing but nodded his head. "Yes, Your Highness." 

Nastasya's mouth hung slightly open, but she quickly regained her composure when she realized she was still in public. "I wasn't aware that His Majesty had a guard. How curious." She said, her voice soft. 

Hael, who was still standing, took one of the empty chairs and sat down. He was now somewhat on the same eye level as her and had a better view of her face. She truly was an outstanding person. 

"How did the two of you meet?" She continued. 

Hael glanced at Ceremus, and though he appeared to be calm on the surface, he didn't miss the flicker of anger and annoyance in his eyes. Hael quickly cleared his throat, turning his attention back to the princess. 

"We met at the Battle Olympia. I won the title of ultimate warrior and requested a duel with the King as my reward. He was impressed with how I fought and asked if I wanted to be his guard, so I agreed." 

Nastasya's eyes widened when she heard this. Hael spoke of their encounter as a run-of-the-mill thing, his tone casual and nonchalant, yet she couldn't help noticing the softness of his gaze when he spoke of that moment as if he were fond of it. 

The King's calm expression wavered at that moment. How could it not when his guard acted like their encounter was the best thing to happen to him? 

"I-I see." Replied the princess as she let out a nervous laugh. She could tell there was a sudden shift in the mood but couldn't quite place it. "It looks like the two of you are close. I couldn't help wondering the nature of your relationship." 

Hael smiled when he heard this. "I would say we have a pretty good relationship, wouldn't you agree, my king?" he said, addressing the King with a tone that was both respectful and familiar. 

Ceremus' golden eyes rested on the audacious guard, who had an amused smile tugging at his lips for a moment. Once again, had anyone else made such a bold statement, they would've been executed on the spot. Everyone in the room felt their breath hitch when they heard Hael. 

Yes, it was known now that the King was fond of Hael. He treated him well and, from the looks of things, considered him a trusted friend. But it was a completely different matter now that they were in public, where several pairs of eyes and ears surrounded them. It didn't matter their good relationship; he couldn't act too familiarly around him. 

His cavalier attitude towards the ruler of their kingdom was a sure death sentence. Even Nastasya and Octavian, who weren't citizens of Trojas, could tell he had gone too far, yet the King did nothing. In fact, he was trying very hard to hold back a smile when he heard those words. 

"… I guess the ultimate warrior isn't dying today?" A guest commented. 

"Such a pity; I was looking for some drama today." Another guest said. 

The others standing and seated near the guest gave him warning looks. "You better hope the king didn't hear you say that." 

The guest glanced around the room and suddenly felt a heavy gaze on him. When he turned to see where the stares were coming from, he locked eyes with the one man he wasn't supposed to: Ceremus. The tension in the room was thick, and from the looks of things, the King had heard his comment. 

He felt a shiver run down his spine, his face turning deathly pale. 

The others who witnessed this shook their heads with pity. "Looks like there really will be someone dying today." They whispered. 

Ceremus felt his mood improved when Hael spoke well about their relationship. He told the princess about their little adventures, and Nastasya listened intently to his tales. 

Octavian, observing things from afar, sighed in relief when he saw that the King no longer looked like he was about to blow her into oblivion. With his mind temporarily at peace, he directed his attention to the man sitting next to the King—Hael. 

He recalled Atalanta telling him about a fascinating man she met during their Trojas visit. It was all she could ever talk about, which made the knight a little curious about the mysterious man who made the Atalanta Cardonia, a punisher of men excited about another person other than herself. Though she hadn't described what he looked like physically since Atalanta didn't care about those things, she said there was a specific energy about him; it was large and imposing but also light and welcoming. His very being was oxymoronic—a contradiction of sorts. The intrigue around Hael's persona was undeniable. 

Looking at him was enough to terrify any mortal being, but once you got closer and saw him for who he was, he was nothing like a beast—just a large and charming young man. 

It was no wonder the female commander was so curious about him. 

Her sparkling pink eyes seemed to sparkle even more every time Hael spoke, and the King didn't like seeing the fascination and admiration in her eyes, the way they lit up and followed Hael's every move, as if he was the most captivating person in the room. 

"Hael, I think it's about time we retired. I'm feeling a little tired from all the commotion around us, the constant chatter and the weight of my responsibilities," He said, his voice carrying a hint of exhaustion. 

The man in question looked at the King in surprise. Nothing about his expression indicated that he was tired, but he didn't question his reasons for wanting to leave. He got up without having to be told a second time, ready to accompany Ceremus to his chambers.

Nastasya noticed that the two men were about to leave and abruptly rose from her seat. 

"Y-You're leaving already, Your Majesty?" She said, her voice laced with alarm. 

Ceremus cast her a side glance before nodding his head. "Yes, it has been a rather hectic few days, and I've grown tired. I'm retiring to my chambers, but please feel free to enjoy yourself." He said. 

"Your Majesty, I understand your weariness, but this matter is of utmost urgency. There's something I need to discuss with you in private," She said, her eyes briefly flicking towards Hael before returning to the King. 

Ceremus raised his eyebrows at this. "I'm not sure what you'd like to discuss, but it can wait until another time." 

"It cannot wait!" She exclaimed, her voice raising as she took a more resolute stance. 

A flicker of annoyance flashed through his eyes, but he nodded, gesturing for her to continue. His patience was wearing thin. 

Nastasya smiled but quickly realized that she was still in the presence of others and that what she wanted to discuss was too sensitive for others to hear. Her cheeks heated up in embarrassment as Ceremus stared at her expectantly, making her feel exposed and vulnerable. 

"Right, yes…I'm afraid this isn't something I can discuss in front of an audience." She said, her voice losing its previous edge. 

The King narrowed his eyes before glancing across the room. He met eyes with Anemone, who nodded and gestured for the young woman to follow him. Octavian saw the Princess he was supposed to guard leaving the room. He swiftly approached her, his eyes unreadable as he felt the King's eye on him. 

"Octavian, you do not need to escort me this time. I'll only have a quick chat with His Majesty." She told him. 

The knight in question shook his head. "I must look after you, Princess. I'm afraid I cannot leave you alone." He said, his tone firm and leaving no room for discussion. 

"Alright then," Ceremus said, his voice dark and frosty. "Let us make haste."