CHAPTER 3 MAKING A DEAL WITH HIM

"I would like to go outside today, it's been weeks and have not gone outside the palace. I know you might think I want to run away but the guards can follow me, I just want to stay outside for a while" I said trying to reason with Lena as she was the only one I could talk to freely and we had gotten quite close even if I still hated her master."Hmmm, ok I would have to speak to the master and ask him if we can""Why do you need to ask him? Am just going outside the palace besides there are guards everywhere, I wouldn't be able to escape" I urged her "Yes, but you have to be very careful, there are things you still don't understand about this territory." she said in warning"Then make me understand Lena, I can stand on my own, I even learnt how to fight when I was young from my uncle, he was a village guard so whatever you are hiding, you can tell me." "Maybe another time you can explore the palace" she smiled.A young maid entered the room, "Master Zander invites you to eat breakfast with him miss" she said shyly as she stared at her feet.I tried to smile back at her but she kept staring at her feet, "Ok I will be down in a minute" I informed her"I must go set the table dear one" Lena said fondly after the maid had left"I could help too Lena""I don't think the master would approve, besides you are a guest, think nothing of such dear" she reprimanded me "Yeah, more like a prisoner you mean" I thought"Ok, can I at least accompany you, so I don't die of boredom?" I said exasperatedly As we both entered the kitchen, the scurry of the maids all came to a halt, they all bowed to me like I was the mistress of the house and awaited my instructions, I looked to Lena in confusion but she just smiled and told them to get back to work."Lena what was all that about just now?" I asked her as we both walked through the passage"Well the master has never brought home a woman so in their eyes you are his bride and should be treated with the respect accorded to the lady of the house" she said with pride"Why didn't you correct them that am just a prisoner here?" I scoffed"Dalla dear, there are so many things you still don't understand but one thing's for sure my master is more calm than he used to be" she said as she left me at the dining hall.I sat down thinking about the last time I saw Zander, at least I knew his name, and weird is the fact that the handsome stranger I met was the same person still, how could he be my saviour and my captor, it was confusing. I was deep in thought when I felt chills down my spine like a soft caress and I knew he had arrived and was staring at me just before I turned to look at him. "I see you're well rested princess" "Yes I am" I grudgingly overlooked the nickname "Well I hear that you have been yearning to go outside the palace, I would allow you only on the condition that I follow you""Its fine and I also would agree to stay with you and be yours on a condition" I said, two can play the game "Dalla you not in the position to bargain, you will stay with me whether you like it or not" he said proudly"But fine let me hear this condition of yours" he prompted I couldn't help but glare at him, he was so egotistical but I calmed myself, I had tried different times to escape but I always got caught "I want you to get the cure for my brothers' ailment from the sea princess" I said worriedly thinking of my brother as I had spent time doing nothing but eat and sleep here while my brother suffered, if I could make this beast of a man help him, I didn't mind being his, not because I felt giddy and angry at the same time anytime he is near me but because of Walt, I assured myself. He stared at me for a while and then said "fine if that's all you want I shall journey to get it in a month, if that's fine by you" he inquired "I want to go with you" I stated"No!! It's too dangerous, I can't risk you getting hurt" he disagreed strongly "Am not made of glass I can fight too" but he just laughed heartily"You mean like in the bar" he smirked, I would trust you but this is far more dangerous, I have heard that the sea princess is more vicious than all of 100warriors put together."And you, do you have the strength of 100warriors to face her all alone" I asked He just smiled and ate his breakfast in silence."I have a meeting with one of our subordinate territories about the water that has been flowing from their stream into my kingdom destroying the houses at the border, so I would be gone for 2days, do not leave the palace for any reasons, and don't do anything stupid like try to deceive Lena again like you did 5nights ago""I wouldn't, as far as I have your word that you would help my brother" "You have my word princess" he said as he lightly stroked my lips I felt the heat his hand produced from where it touched me, it was ridiculous that I feel this way around him, I jerked my face away before he could see what his touch was doing to me, I think it is just fear. At least that's what I said to myself. He retracted his hands and walked away once I jerked my face away. I made my way to my room, thinking of the expression in his eyes when I withdrew from him, I think it was sadness I saw. I must be imagining it because his eyes has been nothing but cold since I met him besides, monsters don't have feelings, I thought as I rested on the bed and closed my eyes but I couldn't sleep, I decided to look around, as I stepped out of my room I saw a room opposite mine it had large oak doors, I looked left and right but the guards were not around so I tried the locks and it opened to a large room, there was a king size bed at the centre of the room, I knew this must be Zander's room, the bed was neatly arranged and smelled of him, his scent everywhere felt like a drug to my senses. I couldn't see any personal stuff, like a photograph or painting or even a personal item, but as I walked towards the bed, I noticed a shining metal on the floor round the whole room, I think it was Mercury. It flowed at the sides of the room, seemingly held by magic. My eyes widened at the sight of it."Why would there be liquid Mercury round his whole room" I ponderedI reached to touch it and heard a scuffle outside, I immediately ran into the closet and hid there. As I peeped through the hole, I saw Zander walk in. he took a needle and withdrew the same shiny substance into it and then injected the mercury into his body. I could see that he was in so much pain as it flowed through his veins making a line to his heart, his veins bulged as if burning as they moved slowly to his heart"Why was he injecting himself, besides a normal human would die if he were to be injected with it.""What was he?" I thought watching him "Even now I can still feel you like you were in the room, I wish you didn't hate me princess" he groaned in pain as the mercury passed through his veins.I heard an inhumane groan and breaking of bones but I couldn't see clearly from inside the closet, I closed my eyes in fear of being discovered and also because I was terrified of what I would see. After a while, there was silence and then I heard him walk out and order the guards to saddle the horses for his trip like nothing happened.Some minutes later, I heard the galloping of horses and I came out from where I was hiding and looked through his window as they galloped away I saw Zander glance up, I quickly hid behind the curtains."Oh God, I hope he didn't see me" I thought as I hurriedly left his room.