Bonded

Chapter 10

"Because I shall be holding one very very soon."

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Jza could not fathom how her captor found time to run a war and then plan a ball on top of that. He apparently even took time to visit the kitchens regularly to dictate his food plans for them and she had seen him wandering through the gardens with the gardener observing the desolate situation. He would have been the perfect housewife if his gender had been altered since his ability to multitask knew no bounds. His future wife would have absolute luxury because he would leave no chores for her to do.

One day a week after her incident in the library he ordered that she accompany him instead of heading towards the library. She barely finished her ablutions and hurriedly followed him out their shared rooms knowing his temper would flare if she wasn't there at the right time. Her maid ran behind with her hair comb but there was no saving the mess on her head anyway. Her hair hung loose behind her.

"Who shall even be attending the ball?" Jza asked curiously as he finally slowed down and offered her his arm. She took it without protest. Her life was much easier if she chose her battles. She could bide her time until she got hold of the key, "Surely you won't be allowing your uncouth soldiers near your Harem."

"The Harem will not be allowed near this event. My people shall by populating the grand hallways soon. The wives and families of the army men will make up the female population of the ball. The Harem never mingles with the rest of the population. Their husbands will not allow their wives to be in such company."

"Interesting. Are they happy to bring their families to an active war zone though?"The Princess could not hide her surprise. Her father would never have allowed any women folk to traipse into a situation so dangerous.

"You may not wish to hear it but your army ceased to be a challenge a long time ago. My army is proud of its accomplishment and they wish to show their wives this fallen city. It is just a temporary outing but a well deserve done. These wives have been separated from their men for a long time"

They crossed the hall of the Royals on their way to the banquet hall Tarquin had deemed suitable for the ball. The Princess was surprised the artwork still remained intact. Not only were the portraits still hanging of their ancestors but also the current family.

Suddenly the hair at the back of her head stood up. Was it possible she had made it into the gallery? Could her father have commissioned a likeness of her without her knowledge? She had regularly refused his attempts at making her immortal in paint but who knew which artist had targeted her from a distance.

The duo passed by many cameos, paintings and etchings of the royal family. The twelve beauties featured prominently in them. The girls were eager to have their accomplishments displayed and remembered.

Jza kept an eye out for her likeness to be staring back at her but mercifully there was nothing that incriminated her. It was just an inundation of the girls either posing gracefully in a scene or being shown accomplishing various tasks.

"They are very common looking," Lord Tarquin wrinkled his nose like a spoilt brat.

"Pardon me, but did the war addle your brain? None in even your Harem could match their beauty," Jza was aghast at his declaration.

She half expected to be hit in the head by the man but he had stopped wishing her bodily harm ever since she started working in the library. Maybe the information she collected was worth far more to him than she had realised.

"Plain, plain,plain," The man ignored her protest and rebuking words.

"Oh, Lord, I imagine you whither at the sight of me. I was notoriously not in their league," The girl laughed self deprecatingly.