The Flame- RETURN OF THE DRAGON HEIR (Book 2)

11. Magic is everything

It's been two days since the crowning ceremony, now. The least I have done in these past two days was to get up, change my clothes, have my meals and crawl over my bed again. I haven't seen Adrian in these days, nor lily nor Princess or the king himself.

"What's your name?", I asked the maid, who usually comes in every two hours to check if I needed anything.

"Clare", she replied.

"Nice name", I said smiling at her, "Please do me the favor of coming here and sitting beside me", I asked her still smiling.

She didn't move for a second, just stood there blankly, as if she heard me wrong.

"Are you fine?", I asked her, taking her hands into mine.

"Ye..Yess guardian Princess", she said awkwardly.

"What happened then, you won't sit beside me and talk?", I asked her, softly.

"No...No, it's not that...guardian princess..."

"I wish to be called as Rose", I told her, with a small smile.

Now she smiled at me back "You have a good heart, child", she told me.

"Thank you Clare", I smiled at her. She now clambered onto the bed and sat beside me.

"Yes Rose, tell me what do you want to talk to me about?", she asked me directly.

I was rendered speechless for a second, by her frankness.

"I wanted to ask you something", I started awkwardly.

"Yes, go ahead", she said locking our gazes and encouraging me.

"What do you think about your king?", I asked her hesitantly.

She didn't reply back, but stared at me blankly, her dark eyes which almost resembled mine penetrated me. It was like one of those calculating looks which Olivia gives me sometimes. Those looks, which made me shiver to my toes, sometimes. It was after a few seconds that she spoke again.

"Is this about something Rose?", she asked me puzzled.

"I don't know", I said stepping down on the floor and starting to walk, trying to put my thoughts together."The king two days back summoned me to the throne room and told me that he has appointed a guard for me, who will come with me back to the school...you know like how he did with Adrian...", I told her. I didn't know if I was clear in putting forth, what I meant to ask, but hoped that I didn't have to explain anything more.

Luckily she was smart enough and understood exactly what I meant to ask. "The king is quite popular, to do anything that would bring greatness to his name Rose", she said stepping down too. "Everything he does has a deep meaning to it. Like with the Prince", she told me meeting my gaze "He appointed those people around him, to make sure his engagement with the Princess of Stansia remains secure and is not harmed by any other ordinary girl...This is a common knowledge known to everyone in the palace", she said smiling at me "He still doesn't know that his plan failed miserably", she said, smiling

"What?", I asked her, my heart thumping against my chest faster now.

"Nevertheless, what I meant to say was that his actions are always in favor of the things which gets him maximum benefit. I know what you are thinking about Rose", she said, all of sudden.

"You do?", I asked her, stunned for a moment.

"He cannot harm you Rose", she told me meeting my eyes. There was a different kind of energy and intensity now in those dark eyes "He cannot manipulate you, I do not know of his schemes, but I know that you are strong. 'The Flame of Life' gives you the powers, which is difficult to comprehend, by others. It shapes your personality too. It makes you strong, stronger than what others think you are. No one can harm you, Rose, do you understand?", she shook me vigorously.