* * * *
Irisa smirked, she opened the door, and looked around, she maneuvered the gown she wore and walked out of the room, locking the room to make sure even though Nancy awakens she would not follow after her.
She took in a deep breath and turned around walking toward the first hallway she found, grinning like a little girl knowing that what she was doing was going to get her in trouble. She did a little dance as she descended the flight of stairs.
"Finally!" she said to herself, she gasped her eyes doubled as a knife was stuck to her neck.
"Who are you? What are you doing in the master's manor?" a deep feminine voice gritted out from behind her.
Irisa swallowed, "hum... Can... You drop the knife first?" the voice scoffed.
"I do not think you are in a place to negotiate! Now answer me! Who the hell are you?!" she shouted.
"I... I am..."
"Nevermind!" she interrupted, "you are going to answer to the master!"
"Just hear me out!" Irisa tried to explain but the woman already shouted for the guards, she sighed and closed her eyes as a crowd gathered. She tied Irisa down unto a chair, she would not allow her to explain herself and what she was doing there.
"What is going on here?" Aaron queried entering with Eli and Viron, "What are you doing Isabelle?!" Eli questioned and they walked toward them.
"Why did you tie the princess up?" Aaron walked toward them and untied her, "princess?" Isabelle blinked.
"M'lady!" Nancy shouted agitated and ran toward them, "you locked me in the room! How you could?" she questioned angrily.
Irisa smiled sheepishly, "I am sorry Nancy, I... I just... I was bored of staying in that room all day I wanted a small break." Isabelle just stood there as she fell into Aaron's arms, "are you alright?" he questioned quietly worried that she might have been hurt, Irisa shook her head and smiled assuring him that she was fine.
She could not believe that Aaron was allowing anyone to hold him, he explicitly stated that he was not interested in any sort of romantic advances.
"What were you doing tying the princess up?!" Eli questioned snapping at her. She turned to him from the slight she had just witnessed her mouth agape.
"Answer me!" he yelled again, making her flinch backward, the knife she held falling from her hands, "oh God! You even have a knife! Isabelle, have you gone mad?"
"It is alright Eli, I am sure Isabelle did not mean to tie her up and drop it. Plus, Irisa here is not supposed to be outside." Irisa groaned.
"Can we just leave this place this is so embarrassing?"
"She is your wife?" Isabelle questions slowly and almost quietly, Aaron nodded smiling, "yes, the first prefecture princess of Hasten and the First princess of Kaley, princess Irisa. Irisa this is Isabelle the disciple's instructor."
Isabelle bowed quickly courtesying, "I apologize, princess, I am very sorry for holding a knife to your neck, I thought... I thought you were a spy... It was my mistake... Please punish me appropriately." Isabelle stated firmly.
"It's alright! I understand you are trying to protect the manor but not letting me explain is the reason the matter was prolonged, but all is well and forgiven now! We can now move past it!"
Irisa more from his arms but Nancy blocked her, "not so fast, m'lady!" Irisa groaned as Nancy crossed her arms while the little crowd dissipated.
"I just want to look around the manor! What is so wrong with that?" she questioned but Nancy shook her head not having it.
"I am not allowing it! My prince will you tell your darling wife how she almost got herself killed running around playing hero and I know you, m'lady, from looking around you will see a horse or a bow and start having ideas!" she accused.
"I will not..."
"No! You will stop behaving like a petulant child and follow me and rest in the room." Irisa stomped her feet on the ground.
"Can I not just get fresh air, it is my right!"
"No!" Nancy refused, "you know sometimes I wonder who is the princess here! So bossy and full of authority!" she stuck her tongue out and turned to Aaron who turned away not wanting to get it in form.
"So that is how we are doing this now Aaron! You are going to pay for this Aaron! Pay for it! I mean just fresh air!" she yelled as the four men walked the other way, Aaron was smiling sweetly while the other men watched him. Irisa shook her head and sighed before walking sluggishly toward the stairs, leaving Isabelle to grasp what she had just witnessed.
* * * *
"How could he?!" Ruby, Isabelle's companion questioned angrily.
Isabelle shook her head, "just sit down Ruby you know the walls have ears. If word gets to the princess we might be in trouble!"
"Oh please!" Ruby waved off, "we all know that the prince has eyes for you? I know that are married but that is only politically! It does not matter nor does it negates the love you have for each other!"
Isabelle shook her head feeling frustrated, "I have lost him, Ruby! There is nothing I can do! She is the princess! I am a nobody!" she cried sadly.
"Do not be like this, Isabelle! You have gone so far! Aaron loves you! He loves you!" Isabelle shook his head.
"What do you expect I do? Aaron seems happy! The way he held her! The way he asked if she was hurt? I can not bare to think of it." Isabelle wept bitterly. Ruby walked toward her friend and sat next to her, she pulled her into a deep hug, comforting her.
"I never thought he would tell his wife about his ambition! They say she heard the lies he had told to the state and she traveled all the way here to save him. They all love her, I can not compete against her..."
"Do not say, Isabelle! You are his first love! He will never easily forget you just for a few months with that spoilt princess. I am sure she has not ever lifted a finger in her life. You have done a lot to earn your place in the world! You are a beautiful strong woman and we will make sure that Aaron knows it and we are going to win him back, he will wed you!"
She held her friend's hand, wiping her tears away, "we do not do everything we can. We will make sure that she is out of there. She is taking your rightful place, she is taking your spot and I am sure all she is doing is for the throne she will sit on. She knows that going against a man like Aaron will not be a good idea!" she explained.
"How do I make see me, Ruby? He is busy! I do not think he would have time now that his wife is here! He will not blink if I jump off a cliff."
"Do not ever say that! I will not ever lose you! We will do everything to make him know that it is you he loves and nobody else, not even that princess!" Ruby spat out.
"I saw the locket of commitment! She was wearing it! I am sure he gave it to her, I am very sure it. He must love her Ruby! He must!"
"Then we will make him see you! We will do everything to make you be his one way or another and I have a way!" Ruby smirked feeling on top of the world.
* * * *
"I have come to spend time with you!" Aaron grinned getting into bed next to her, Irisa moved to create more space for his large body, she had never really noticed his figure until that evening.
"I am not talking to you Aaron, you left me with crazy Nancy! Knowing she was dragging me here to reprimand me and you did not do anything!"
"Your highness you put too much thought into that, I can not interfere in your affairs with your maid, she is yours to command. Plus what she did was for your good," he explained taking her arm. She yanked her off hearing what he just said.
"Well, you can go and spend time with my maid then!" Irisa looked away crossing her hands and making Aaron sigh.
"Common Irisa! Alright, I am sorry! Do not be like this! Plus we have something to discuss as husband and wife." he pulled her into his arms and placed a kiss on her cheeks and forehead.
"You can not bribe your way out for my forgiveness!" she pulled away, almost smiling as she heard him groan again, she was sure he was going to let out of the room soon.
"What do you want Irisa?" he questioned knowing that was what it would take to get her to respond to him.
"Well, I want to go horse riding with you of course!" she clarified to make her horse riding dream less harmful, he shook his head hearing this suggestion. Remembering that the physician had advised strict bed rest.
"You are not going horse riding, princess knowing your health conditions. You should not think of that, no wonder Nancy did not want you out of the bed."
She gasped faking surprise, "well like I said before if you want to go to Nancy you can go and spend time with her but I will not spend a second with you, with that attitude of yours!"
"Oh common now, don't be stubborn, princess, it will cause you wrinkles!"
"Are you saying that I have wrinkles? You are saying that I am old?! How dare you?" Aaron sighed knowing she was doing that to get him to let out of the room.
"About a bath?" he questioned and pulled her by her waist, "I do not need a bath, I took one this morning, why not let us walk around, I need fresh air Aaron! The physician did not say you should rob me of it!" she complained.
"Princess," he took her chin pulling her closer to him, "you can not expect that I would just recover from the shock of you almost dying twice, it was very hard on me, on Nancy. I am sure she feels personally responsible since she gave you the drug."
Irisa shook her head, "I am not going anywhere, Aaron! You and I are stuck together forever. Do not be scared and a little fresh air will not hurt, we can just sit down somewhere and you can discuss what has been on your mind since."
He sighed and thought deeply of the consequences of taking her out, "I have a special place to take you," he smiled as she grinned, a spark light up in her eyes. She felt so happy about what he just said.
"Common," he ushered her out of the bed as the moon shone into the room. He pulled a coat from the rag and placed it on her shoulder helping her wear it. She kept mute watching as he got her as comfortable as he could. He grabbed her hands from inside the coat and smirked, "we will have to sneak out, do not want Nancy seeing us. She not only punish you but me too." he grinned as she threw her back laughing heartily.
She followed him toward the other side of the room, confused, "what are you doing?" she questioned as he placed his hand on a lamp and pulled it open.
"Wow?!" she exclaimed as they entered the tunnels, it shut immediately, making her yelp and cough from the dust emitting from the door. She followed him forward-looking around the tunnels as they proceeded out of the tunnel in twenty minutes.
"Where are we going Aaron?" she questioned as they made their way out of the tunnel to a small bush. They walked toward the other side of the manor, Aaron smiled victoriously and led her on a small pathway toward a lonely dark road.
She watched quietly as he led her toward a mountain, she climbed up with his help as the moonlight some brightly with many stars in the sky.
They crossed the mountain leading them to a small lake, she asked looking at the slight before her, she looked around blinking, "this... This?" she stuttered before her eyes flew back to him.
"This is beautiful Aaron, how did you find it?" she looks back at the mountain they had crossed, "when I was young, Isabelle would chase me around because I placed cricket in her hair, so I would run around and find many places to hide. I found it with Isabelle and it is our favorite place." he grinned explaining.
"Well, this is very beautiful Aaron, thank you for bringing me here, I can finally stretch my legs and feel better." she stretched her body feeling better, and he walked toward her.
"The thing I want to discuss with you?" her hands fell and she stared at him listening attentively.
"I am conflicted..." he started staring into her eyes, "I am caught in between fighting for the throne and you."
"Me?" she frowned. "What does that mean?" she questioned making him sigh, he swallowed and took in a deep breath.
"I... Irisa..." he took her hands slowly caressing them. Her heart rate as she stared up at him, "as I said the morning before, you are a wonderful person and since you have to be in my life although I have encountered some issues it is worth it, you are worth it. You matter most to me in this world and I have come to terms with the fact that nobody else in this world can take your place..." his hands flew from her arms to her shoulder before shifting to her lower neck.
"It is not easy to say this but you have stolen my heart and no matter what you do this valuable gift you have robbed me of can never be returned..."
"Aaron..." she whispered her hands resting on his chest. He pressed her hand on his chest directly where his heart was located to show her all he was saying was true, "you do not have to say it back or reciprocate the feeling Irisa, I will wait, after all, we have forever do we not?" he explained trying not to overwhelm her.
"We do..." she smiled softly, "I have feelings for you Aaron but sometimes I fear. I fear that it will not last long, that Kaley will separate us," she muttered looking away. He pulled her face back up for her to look into his eyes so she could see the safety, security, and assurance in his eyes.
"I can begin to put into words how I feel for you, but I burn for you, I crave you. The first time I saw you were not the most pleasant and the second and the third but I hope it will change. Viron said action speaks louder than words, if I have learned anything from my master it is that, you should tell people how important they are not because they could leave but because they are here now.
You are here with me Irisa and nobody has ever known me the way you do... I love the way you would chew your walnut with some savoriness that you ignore etiquette. I love the way you would pick onions out of your meal just to spite Nancy. I love that you have never made it easy for me, you are confident, smart, and gorgeous, even if we have no title, you always be the one that holds my heart in your possession. You will be the only mother to my children and overall you will be my only Empress."
She stared at him before busting into hot tears, which rushed from her eyes, she dapped her face trying to hide it. She squeezed not believing he felt this strongly for her, "I am... I do not know what to say Aaron..." she sniffed, "this is so beautiful. I can not believe you feel this way for me. I accept the locker of commitment and your love."
He blinked, "really?" he questioned surprised that she was agreeing, she nodded, "that is the sweetest thing I have heard." she whispered her cheeks flaming.
"Well you will hear more sweet things from now on," he mumbled smirking as she pulled away from him.
"You have not explained why you are conflicted between the throne and I Aaron? You said you were leaving it, and I supported that decision, why are considering?" she questioned staring at the lake, it was so peaceful and lacked chaos, something that she could relate to.
"You are correct like you said when we were in the palace. Taking the throne is not that easy and even though my father supports me the Empress will rein and only forfeit her growth to her son's wife. She would order us to be killed as soon as she can. I cannot continue this race knowing the danger but Kaley's politics is fragile. A court is a dangerous place and the political and civil unrest this minister has caused will end up being lethal."
"Viron, Eli, and I were discussing the rampant corruption that has riddled the court. Ministers and their families are constantly stealing and the empress and her son are the ring leaders. I thought of exposing them but..."
"The Empress will know someone is onto their plot and schemes," she interrupted and he nodded, sighing.
"Everything is in their favor Irisa but if we close our eyes to it, we will perish with them, and if we choose to stand for the people, for what is right then we will perish faster than we can blink."
"So we will perish anyways?" she joked, trying to lighten the tense mood, "you want to discuss this with me to see if I would stop you from fighting for our people?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, if today you tell me that I should back off, I will and I will never speak of it again, I give you my word."
"Aaron I would be selfish to want to have you all to myself. Everywhere I go I see how much of a disaster the Empress's reign has been. We need someone like you, someone who is strong, who is intelligent, and who is not afraid to fight for his people. You are not a coward Aaron, you never were and I am choosing to stand by you every step of the way. If you perish I perish too and I am making that promise on this locket and the grave of my mother."