>>Corvina
My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped out of the bath, the warm tendrils of steam enveloping me like a comforting embrace.
Today's the day.
I'm seventeen now. But as soon as I woke up today, something has been bothering me. My heart rate keeps rising at random times. The anxiety in me caused me to get late for everything and I even ended up spending so much time in the bath in order to calm myself down.
I let out a soft breath as I walked over to my room but as I reached for my towel, a sudden movement caught my eye, freezing me in place with a sense of alarm.
It wasn't Nancy who was making her way through the doorway, ready to assist me with dressing. Instead, it was Hael – his presence a jarring intrusion into the sanctity of my privacy.
Shock coursed through me like an electric current, rendering me momentarily speechless as I struggled to process the sight before me. My mind raced with a thousand questions, as I frantically wrapped the towel around me.
And at the same time, without hesitation I ran for the nearest cover, the curtain. It was the nearest thing to me but in the confusion and hurry, the towel fell down and I almost tripped on it.
My mind was a mess but I somehow managed to reach the curtain and then I wrapped myself around it as Hael came in and stopped to look at me.
Serving as a flimsy barrier between myself and his unwelcome gaze. The fabric clung to me like a lifeline, offering a semblance of protection in the face of my vulnerability.
"Hael," I stammered, my voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and apprehension. "What are you doing here?" I wasn't even sure how I had wrapped the curtain around me and so I had to struggle around a little to pop my head out of it while making sure the rest of it stayed intact.
But even as the words left my lips, I knew that there would be no easy answer to my question. His presence in my private sanctuary was a violation of boundaries that left me feeling exposed and vulnerable in ways I couldn't begin to articulate.
As I clung to the safety of the curtain, a sense of unease settled over me but as Hael met my gaze with a silent intensity that sent shivers down my spine,
!!!
It was alarming and I was so shocked
Shit!
I should have gone for the closet!!
"My Lady," He called, "Allow me to dress you." He seemed calm unlike me and he was pretending nothing was wrong about this.
"No!" I replied, "Where's Nancy? Why are you here?"
"But you'll be late," He answered, "Your guests have already started arriving."
"No," I clung onto the curtains tightly, "A maid should help me dress, not you,"
"But, I am your slave," He smirked, "Why are you being shy around me?"
!!!
This little!
"You are still a man!"
"You'll be late," He changed the subject, "And I'm the only one available."
What the hell is he planning?
"You've never dressed me before, so why are you here today?!?"
"I just want to make you look pretty on your special day," His smile looked cunning. I glanced at the clock. But I really was short on time and it didn't look like he had any intention of leaving.
"Where's Nancy?" I glared at him, "It doesn't make sense that she's not here." I refused to leave the curtains, "She prepared the bath for me, she can't just suddenly get 'busy'"
"Well," He finally chose to answer me, "She fell from the stairs."
"What?" My eyes went wide, "How?!"
He shrugged, "Not sure, but she sprained both her ankles," He smiled, "So I am all you have at the moment."
I was left speechless. What am I supposed to do now? I pursed my lips and thought about it
"Turn around," I ordered, "And close your eyes!"
Hael's expression softened and without a word, he complied, his lashes fluttering closed in obedience to my command and then he turned around.
With a quick exhale, I moved swiftly, slipping out of the curtain. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached for the dress I had laid out earlier on the bed, the fabric soft beneath my fingertips.
As I pulled the garment over my head, the silk cascaded around me in a shimmering cascade, I couldn't help but feel a surge of vulnerability wash over me as I tried to keep my eyes on Hael.
He didn't move or even make any such attempt.
Once the dress was in place, I took a deep breath and walked towards the dressing table. "You can open your eyes now, Hael," I called out and he turned around.
He did a full circle first before he opened his eyes.
"You can help me now," I replied and looked away.
He smiled, "Of course," He walked over, "After this, I'll dry your hair," I glanced at the towel that was lying on the floor and then sighed. I rubbed my chest, I thought the anxiety would be over but it still lingered.
As if telling me something was about to go wrong.
Water droplets fell down my wet hair forming a puddle on the floor as Hael came over. He placed his hands on my dress and started doing the adjustments.
"Zip it up first," I said as I felt conscious about it. The zip of this dress was long, it exposed all of my back because with it open, the dress was falling to the front, even exposing the back of my shoulders as well. I had to grab the dress from the chest so that it wouldn't fall off of me and leave me completely vulnerable.
"I need to make sure everything else is fine before I do that." He was adjusting the dress from below and I rolled my eyes.
"Do the zip first!" And he stood up. He barely reached for the zip when the door to my room burst open, startling me.
I shot my head towards the doorframe and my eyes went wide.
"Your highness Lyal?"
I was surprised to see him there. It's rude to enter a lady's room like that but there he was with the doors wide open along with his eyes. As Prince Lyal stepped into the room, his sudden appearance sending a jolt of surprise coursing through the air, I felt a flush of embarrassment creep up my neck. Caught in a moment of vulnerability, with Hael's hands lingering on the zipper of my dress, I could sense the tension crackling between us like electricity.
I wasn't doing anything wrong but the view can certainly cause misunderstanding. Because even though maids can help males change, male servants aren't allowed to do the same for female nobles.
"You," He was fuming.
Lyal's gaze swept over the scene before him, his expression a mask of thinly veiled suspicion.
A heavy silence settled over the room, broken only by the soft rustle of fabric as Hael zipped my dress up and then withdrew his hands, "It's very rude to come into a lady's room without permission."
"You!" He pointed at Hael, then looked at me, "And you!" His expressions showed he was disgusted, "I can't believe my eyes," He grabbed his head
"Excuse me?" I was utterly confused, "You can't believe what?" I stepped towards him, "There's nothing going on here-" And that's when my eyes landed on Tracy.
She was right behind Lyal, so I didn't notice him right away. But she must have been the one to bring him here.
"Don't lie to me Corvina," Lyal stepped back, "I've seen enough," He turned around to leave.
"Your highness!!" I grabbed the dress to go after him but my dress was heavy and he practically just rushed away.
Tracy spared no second in running away either while Hael made no attempt to move.
***
As Prince Lyal strode through the garden, his footsteps echoing in the hushed stillness of the evening, a sense of determination burned bright within him. His mind was made up, his resolve unshakeable as he prepared to take a stand that would forever alter the course of my destiny.
The guests, gathered in the garden, turned to watch as he approached, their murmurs fading into an expectant silence. Everyone could see how furious he was.
As he reached a good enough place in the garden, he raised his voice, "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his tone firm but tinged with a hint of sorrow, "I have come here to make a declaration."
That's when I barely reached the mansion door that led to the garden barefoot.
A ripple of anticipation swept through the crowd, their eyes fixed on him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. But Lyal paid them no mind, his focus unwavering as he prepared to speak his truth while I started descending the stairs.
"I cannot, in good conscience, proceed with the engagement that has been arranged for me," He continued, his voice ringing out with a clarity that cut through the air like a blade. "From this day forward, the engagement comes to an end!!"
Oh No...
I paused in the middle of the stairs as gasps of shock and disbelief filled the air, the guests exchanging incredulous glances as they struggled to comprehend the magnitude of his words.
But Lyal paid them no mind as he prepared to take his leave.
"Your highness!!" I called out to him, trying to run down but the dress got caught in my foot, and I stumbled. My ankle twisted and I fell down the rest of the stairs brutally.
But even when I raised my head to look at Lyal, I only saw him leaving, without even making an attempt to look back.