Make me believe you: 31
The golden rays of the sun bathed the Royal nursery where the King was currently walking into. He had his eyes slightly squinted trying to spot a cotton candy-like fluff ball around with Ava closely following him behind.
Others wouldn't know if the King wasn't ready to let the Queen spend her time alone with the guests as he had been dragging her alongside the entire day since their arrival. He never left her unattended as Lucas couldn't help but note some undeniable changes in Ava.
She seemed to zone out a lot more than she always does, though she was surrounded by her companions and Knight. Ava's hands often kept scratching the other hand whenever Lucas had his eyes trail off of her. She seemed quite stressed all of a sudden.
She was quietly following him without a remark, playing along like a toy that listens to whatever the other tells.
After a few minutes, Lucas stopped on his steps and glanced at the Queen, who had her eyes fixated on a greeny marble wall as always, unaware.
Once they were alone, Lucas cleared his throat, squeezing her fingers.
" Ava, is something wrong? "
He was pretty straightforward while Ava seemed to blink for the answers. It was when she noticed that they were in the nursery without the others and alone.
" Are we... Are we away from those people? "
Lucas hesitantly nodded. He wasn't sure if she really wanted to be in the scene as it felt unreal for her to stand there like a statue doing nothing but space out.
Ava being like Ava was absolutely fine with Lucas although he was slightly worried.
" Are you sure you're fine? Should I just send them away? "
For a second, Ava looked as if he could do that. But she quickly shook her head and heaved a long sigh before untangling their clasped hands to go sit on a wooden bench.
" Ava, what's wrong? Maybe I can help... " Lucas's desperation only seemed to increase the unease inside her heart.
She shook her head, burying them into her small hands.
" No, Lucas. I don't think you can, " she finally answered after a minute of tiredly leaning on the bench due to the growing pain in her body, especially her back was killing her.
" Aslan said you were strolling the corridor last night. "
" Y-yeah, " Fluttering her eyes open, Ava stared at the ground suddenly tensed at the mention of last night as the grieving memories of last night's event eventually skidded over her eyes like a film.
Recalling everything that happened, it sure made it hard for her to stop herself from giving in to her urge of rubbing her hand out of clear anxiousness.
Lucas gently trailed over her fingers when Ava started scratching a particular spot on the back of her elbow, roughly pulling the skin off while her eyes stayed somewhere else, completely oblivious to her reddening skin as if she didn't know what she was doing to herself.
Gulping slowly, Lucas looked at her to catch her eyes. " So...why didn't you come and see me? "
" Huh? " Ava crooked suddenly to a halt as she focused on Lucas, confusion swarming her eyes.
" I was awake, but why didn't you come to meet me? " he repeated, still, calm as ever.
" Ah... I— I thought you were occupied...and—and I just needed some fresh air. " she breathed when Lucas left the topic thereby, in relief, her hand slowly withdrawing the other while Lucas stayed put, silently watching all her actions.
He was aware that the young Queen was uncomfortable around crowds and doesn't like to meet new people often, at least not until a year after meeting someone new. She doesn't like to talk or confront anyone about anything even if it meant that she should be talking about something very important. She would rather wait for someone she knew than talk with a stranger.
To be honest, Lucas doesn't mind her routines but sometimes feels concerned.
" As it seems that the bench doesn't help with your back pain... Do you want a shoulder? "
" Yes, please," she whined, tugging on his sleeve as if she was waiting for him to offer from a while ago.
Lucas softly chuckled and landed right beside her for Ava to immediately rest her head on his wide shoulders. They sat down in a comfortable silence until they were interrupted by a sweet giggle from their back.
Ava was soon to act on her instincts as she soon whipped her head to her back to find a small toddler with bright blond hair giggling with a hand stuffed to his mouth to, maybe, suppress his not-so-quiet giggles.
" Austin, my brother. How are you? " Lucas beamed stretching a hand for the toddler, who's giggles increased even more as he realised that he was caught stalking them.
Lucas didn't take a lot of time to pull the toddler up into his arms while the small chubby hands wrapped around the King's neck.
" Meet my cousin, the little munchkin, Austin Acton. "
" Hi, My Queen. You look pretty! " The little guy commented with a charming smile as he leaned down to cup Ava's cheeks with his chubby hands only to plant a soft kiss on her cheeks followed by a happy giggle as Ava gasped in surprise, her hands naturally making their way to grab the toddler's, over her cheek.
" Thank you, "
" Gentlemen behaviour, I see. " Lucas said, amused.
The other two burst into a fit of giggles. Lucas's lips carefully tugged up into a small creak when the melodious sound of her giggles reached his ears after a while.
How lovely it looked seeing the lady smile and interact with a child...
Lucas had a dreamy smile painting his lips as he walked behind the Queen and the toddler, who held each other's small hands and marched the wing with soft giggles surrounding them like a small blanket.
He sure felt warm when she forgot her anxiety for a while and focused on the kid throughout lunch.
The very large dining table that was set up for 12 was filled with the Royal family with Lucas on the very first with Ava on his right and Aslan on the left. Beside Aslan, the Princess along with her mother were seated with the former King and Queen. On the other side, Austin was seated close to Ava with Lyndia on the other side of the kid, her husband and stepson followed behind with his girlfriend.
They had a warm family talk throughout the time while the table was filled with soft giggles and chuckles from the Queen and the kid. They couldn't listen to what they were talking or giggling about which amused all of them a bit except for the King and his Knight.
" You look more beautiful while smiling, Nythera. " Lyndia smiled but Ava's face stiffened when she felt the attention suddenly turning toward her.
The lady Acton was very warm, based on Ava's analysis since their arrival. But, still, she felt somewhat triggered whenever the Royal family approached her excluding the man beside her, who cleared his throat and dived into a sudden conversation with his Grandmother, fortunately.
" Madam Acton, how is Lady Longmore? "
Lyndia turned to her Grandson and smiled at his lovable concern for her cousin. " Oh, she's doing absolutely fine, Son. We got to meet her last week and guess what? " she chuckled and continued seeing Lucas squinting his eyes curiously. " Your cousins are arriving within a short period. I hope you'll give them some precious minutes, "
" Only if no one ever tries to attack me with sqweakers! "
Lyndia burst into a fit of giggles as the others followed noticing the King's squinted eyes on the particular plate that had freshly air-fired prawns with juicy curry that was placed far away from the King's reach.
" Of course. "
Ava noted the difference and looked at Lucas as if asking what was the commotion about only when she made sure that no one had their eyes on her.
Lucas rolled his eyes to the back of his head and whispered that he would promise to tell her later to which Aslan on the other side scowled, sipping on his water with the look directed at Ava that said: You'd never know.
The night rolled over faster than Ava expected and she was soon laying on her mattress in one of Lucas's comfy hoodies with small shorts that barely covered her knees. She was laying on the bed like a starfish, her mind racing all over the world of thoughts that never happened to meet an end. It was half past 11 when the door to the chamber was gently knocked followed by faint footsteps hurrying far away from the door.
Ava instantly knew who was it and immediately covered her a-bit-exposed legs and waited like a good girl when Lucas peaked his head inside to check if she was asleep before striding to his study for the night.
But after seeing the Queen lying down on the bed with her baseball-sized eyes blinking at him, he reluctantly entered and greeted her with a smile.
" Was it overwhelming— "
" Don't you ever think why I always am calm around you? " Ava suddenly perked her head with a tilt of her chin to which Lucas blinked not really wanting to pinpoint the answer.
But she shook her head and mumbled something under her breath immediately after a second. It wasn't what she was about to ask him.
It naturally slipped out of her lips.
" I don't know... " Lucas decided to speak. " I thought you were tired and wanted to sleep, "
" No. I was waiting for you. " Ava breathed, her feet shuffling out of the comforter as her legs gently dangled down the bed while she stared at the King.
" Why? Did someone make you uncomfortable again? I can do something if— "
" Lucas, let me talk. "
Lucas's lips were sealed shut when his eyes bored her's in surprise.
She didn't panic or freak out calling him with his name. Instead, she was as calm as ever and parted her lips to talk again without freaking out even after realising that she addressed him by his name.
" I want to know. I want to learn about this...place even more. " Ava looked at him, almost as if she was fragile and would break anytime. " As long as I'm going to stay here, I need many things as possible to keep myself occupied. So that I wouldn't miss my family and get used to my new life here...with you. I hope you'd help me, "
Lucas had a hard time hearing all those words from her which made him doubt himself if he was sleep-walking somewhere into a pit in the middle of an abandoned forest that was controlled by faes. But Ava looked like she was absolutely in her right mind.
Lucas directed her gaze to her eyes and couldn't believe that she was perfectly stable and had nothing wrong with her head.
" I still don't believe that fairytale about humans and magical people," said she, when he stayed speechless for a few seconds. Lucas didn't fail to notice the change in her eyes when she swallowed hard. " But you told me it was true and now...I want you to make me believe you. I don't think I could survive in the society as a Queen without knowing about them if they were there truly, " she quickly trailed at the end when Lucas's eyes grew wide.
" Ava... I don't understand what suddenly came into you. Are you— "
" Make me believe you, Lucas. " she cut him off yet again. " If all those things that you told me the first day we met were true, let me hear you again. Prove it to me. "
He stayed silent. He could faintly hear something deep inside his heart screaming to let her know. Screaming for her to know everything.
But his mind was totally awake.
He could hardly imagine what it might cost. He knew he'd never get the choice to make her the Mistress of Kouzlo even if it meant he'd be alone for the rest of his life while his people would suffer without a Lady.
But it wasn't the matter that was making him anxious right now.
Something within him urged him to move closer to the Queen than he was now. His fingertips itched for a flick as if they were automatically being pulled to one another for a friction so that they could somehow set the chamber on fire—
Lucas knew he was going insane.
Ava watched Lucas making a fist before shaking his head violently— as if trying to throw some unwanted thoughts away from the sacred brain— combing his hair back with a loud sigh, roughly.
" Fine. "
Ava perked up, immediately jumping down from the bed with her curious eyes of hers pasted firmly on his posture.
Lucas's eyes softened seeing her all excited and bright. He wasn't sure if she'd be bright enough to withstand the darkness he was going to introduce her to.
" I'll take you somewhere," he said, softly. " Put on something warmer and meet me outside my study after 15 minutes. "
Ava blinked when Lucas walked out of the chamber saying nothing as if she had expected him to say something more or the exact opposite of what he said earlier.
Nevertheless, she stood up running off to Lucas and hers closet to get ready.
After closing the door behind him, Lucas thanked the Goddess that Aslan wasn't anywhere around and he could gladly grab the wall for support when he felt the hard tug near his heart.
" I got you, yeah. I got you, " he breathed with a hand on his heart and blinked his blurry eyes.
Since the party of the Dawn's, the King of Briston had been experiencing sudden discomfort like this in the middle of the day or night whenever he was around the Queen— which he was not willing to admit— to be specific.
He shrugged it off earlier wondering that the pull was just normal and had nothing to do with anything besides some stress or sleepless nights.
But he remembered sleeping a lot last night and waking up relaxed this morning.
On account of these frequent attacks, Lucas would have marked it up as something to be wrong with his heart but the thing that had been sprawling around the bottom of his mind since the day he met Ava, kept him awake through some nights.
Lucas let it slide for now and moved to his study as if nothing happened before.
To be continued
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