I play with the two rings in my hands. One is slightly bigger than the other, and I curiously put the smaller one on my right hand's middle finger. It fits perfectly. So I let it stay there. I realise my scent is slowly fading away. The ring is working well.
That is when I hear a little shuffling sound from the cell and take a sharp turn to look behind me. I spot that the commoner has moved a bit, just enough for the light to reach his face, and now I can finally see how he looks.
...I thought commoners were ugly, that they looked tired and plain. But the person in front of me is far from plain.
Without realising, I am looking at his face, observing his features, wondering how a mere commoner like him has developed such features. There are wounds and cuts scattered everywhere on his face but still... I flinch when he stirs in his sleep, and his eyes open slowly. But his attention is on the hay beneath him.
I make no sound but compose myself to look strict and serious. I take a deep breath and continue staring at him. As he opens his eyes, I see how weak he looks. He blinks several times and doesn't raise his head. It seems that he is too tired even to move. Finally, I build up my courage and clear my throat.
His head jerks in my direction. Fear is written all over his face. I bite my inner cheeks as I look at his feared expressions. He doesn't say anything. He doesn't move but looks at me in fear that leaks out from his eyes and expressions. I guess he's scared of me.
"Uh... I- I wanted to talk with you." I dumbly say. Don't know what else to say. It's not like I can say, nice to meet you. Hi, how are doing?
He audibly gulps and nods. He moves his terribly chapped lips and tries to say something, but nothing comes out.
"Water," I mumble. "Guards! Bring some water!" I call out. The guy flinches as I speak louder. I hear footsteps of the guard who's by the door. He walks to me, but without water. He eyes the person in the cell and me. Then furrows his eyebrows.
"Why are you going to give him water, your highness? He doesn't deserve it." the guard speaks with a venomous voice, not against me but against the commoner.
"Do as I said. Plus, who told you to do this? I heard the order came from my father that this commoner should be prisoned for the rest of his life with hard labour but NOT without water." I give him a big glare. He is lost for words and quickly bows. He runs out of the door and comes back instantly with a wooden bowl of water in his hands.
"Give it to him," I order.
The guard uses a key and opens the cell. He walks in and gives the bowl. And the commoner takes it with shaky hands. I assume it is because of the harsh treatments he received from this particular guard. The guard walks out and closes the door. He looks at my state, how I am seated on the floor and quickly grabs a chair from aside and respectfully asks me to sit on it. And I do.
Meanwhile, the commoner in the cell chugs in the water in split seconds. He squeezes his eyes. It might be because the freshwater touched his dry throat. But he drinks it all, panting like a wild animal. I only tap my fingers on my knees as I look down at him, waiting for him to calm down.
"Now, can you talk?" I ask, frowning as I see the guard hasn't moved from near me. He sees my frown and goes back to the door where he won't see or hear us.
"Yes-" the commoner says in his hoarse voice. He clears his throat and nods.
"Why did you do it?" I straightaway ask the question that's been bothering me all these days.
"I- I-I-" he stutters, looking at the ground with bewildered eyes. I patiently wait for his response, leaning back on the chair with my arms crossed on my chest.
"Why?" I ask again as he doesn't say anything further.
"..y-you looked beautiful," he whispers out and slaps his hand across his mouth as soon as he says those words. He buries his face in his knees in shock.
Even I am shocked.
I did not expect that. I didn't know what I expected either... Maybe I was waiting for him to evilly laugh and say how he wanted the kingdom's Prince to be his.. or he wanted to take revenge from the royal family for who knows what.
The answer he gave me was something I didn't expect from him. He even has the gut to say those words. What a weird person...
"If it was another beautiful person in my place, would you mark that person too?" I ask.
He looks up at me and quickly shakes his head.
"Right. I expected that. What is it you wanted from me? Now don't flatter me with sweet words because I won't buy any of them. Just tell me, is it the money you wanted? Is it fame? Or revenge? Or just for fun? For your own delight? You have messed up anyways, so don't stress yourself to lie." I say.
He shakes his head.
"It- it's neither." his voice doesn't come as single. It breaks from here and there.
"Then what?" I ask, getting impatient.
"I- I didn't want to hurt your highness," he says with much difficulty. "Or.. embarrass you like this-" he looks down, guilt written all over his face, and his skin tone was slightly red.
"Embarrass me..." I repeat his words, "What embarrasses me?" and ask.
"T-that someone like me... has marked someone.. like your highness."
I don't reply to his words. But I raise my eyebrows, not getting what he's coming at.
"A-and my intention wasn't money... o-or fame like everyone says. I- I didn't know you were the Prince... I-I approached to ask where- the chief cook o-of the kitchen is-- and before I knew- it happened."
"So you are telling me that you didn't mean to mark me?!" I raise my voice. "What is this? A complete joke to you!? Something so small that you can explain it like this! You have pretty much- pretty much changed my whole life!" I let out my anger.
"I- I am sorry- I deserve to be killed, don't I?" he asks.
I take a deep breath.
"No. You don't."
There is a moment of silence between us. He doesn't dare to look at me, but my burning gaze is fixated on him.
"What's your name?" I ask.
"Name? Oh, I- I am Bright," he mumbles.
I nod.
There's another minute of silence, and I remember the ring.
"I almost forgot. Take this." I say. As he looks up at me, I throw the ring toward him, which he catches on time. He takes a look at the ring and looks at me in confusion.
"Did you know that your pheromones are sweet to me?" I ask. But I don't let him reply. "Since you have marked me, with our scents, a bond can form between us. And you already know what a mate bond can do. The bond itself can make me fall for you, and I don't want that to happen." I explain.
He slowly nods, looking even worse than before as I say those words.
"So wear the pheromone stopper I gave you. Wear it all the time." I order.
He obliges my order and slips it on his left hand's middle finger. He clenches his hand and stares at the ring for a while till I gain his attention by adding something.
"I don't know what awaits us in the future. I don't even know if your intentions are bad or not. But if the events turn out better. I don't want us to fall in love just because of nature. So maybe, fall in love naturally. But don't have your hopes up. The probability is low. I don't like your kind, peasants."
💀just wait a bit your highness. You are going to fall hard in a few days.
-Sunshine👑