CHAPTER NINETEEN
Marcus handed me two small bottles that were both transparent and showed a milky white liquid in one of the small bottles and a pale red liquid in the other small bottle. I watched the Royal healer do his work, mesmerised. What ever he had done to my leg and whatever he had given me soothed the ache that was slowly killing me and after he had done his work, after the pain that resided in my leg and throughout my body had lessened immensely I was left speechless as I stared at Marcus in surprise and awe.
"Is something the matter, your Highness?" Marcus asked, the smile disappearing as worry became evident on his face.
"Oh no," I said instantly, a smile taking over my lips. "It's just...what you just did now. That's great work and wow," - I chuckled when words failed me at that moment - "I'm sort of a little speechless."
Marcus's wry lips turned up into a smile. "Ah," he said, his face lighting up. "You find healing interesting?"
"Well, whatever you just did was fascinating so yeah, it's interesting," I replied and then furrowed my eyebrows when his lips broke out into a full blown grin, and his dark brown eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Like father, like daughter," he commented, still smiling, and just like that, with those words uttered by him, the light and carefree atmosphere that enveloped my room lifted and changed into a heavier atmosphere. Marcus' smile slipped off his face and a frown replaced the smile that played at his lips and his forehead creased - I wasn't sure whether it was because of concern or confusion - when he took one glance at my face. "Did I say something to upset you?" he asked, his voice gentle.
I was just about to shake my head when he said, "Ah, I see. You don't quite like your father, do you?" After the question escaped his mouth, he peered at me through those curious brown eyes of his. For an old man, Marcus was handsome. While his youth was slowly disappearing, grey hairs taking the place of black hairs, he managed to look happy, joyous and highly spirited. I didn't reply to his question because I knew that whatever excuse flew out of my mouth he wouldn't believe it. I didn't know Marcus at all but what I had gathered from the session he had scheduled with me this morning was that he was curious, always questioning and gave you that doubting look like he knew better. When he asked me how I was feeling at the beginning of our session, I lied. I told him that I was aching a bit but I was okay. But he saw through that and told me that yes, he knew that I was physically okay but emotionally okay? That I wasn't.
"Your father isn't a bad man, Princess," Marcus said after a pause. "He might have not been as brawn as his brother but he was smart, and he still is, and smartness is what makes a person brave, not brawn."
When I didn't reply to his wise words, he offered me a tight lipped smile before he stood up and approached the foot of my bed which I was resting on. I could barely feel my legs and while I was certain that I still had the ability to walk - Marcus proved that I did - it would take me a few more hours or perhaps the rest of the day to regain most of my lost strength.
Marcus packed his equipment, sealed his bag and moved towards the door and that was when I called out his name, fidgeting slightly because what I was about to say wasn't going to be easy. "Marcus?" I called out, my voice not loud but quiet enough to get his attention. The softness that laced my voice hinted that I had something somewhat important to say.
He turned his head, his hand on the handle while the other hand clutched his bag that was secure on his shoulder, he asked, "yes, my lady?"
"Thank you."
"For what?" he asked, his eyebrows raising in curiosity.
"For telling me that about my father," I replied after a beat of silence and I paused, pressing my lips together and bowing my head before I raised my head, a few strands of my ginger red hair covering my left eye and met Marcus' brown eyes. "I needed to hear that."
Marcus smiled and this smile was different. It was softer and more understanding. "Anytime, Princess," he nodded, smiling, before he left and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts about Ronan, my father.
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I was back up on my feet by the following morning and I had never been more thankful to get out of bed. Every fibre of defiance had died down within me when Marcus gave me a stern glance when he came to check up on me in the evening and told me that I needed to rest my legs and let the medication do its work. It was remarkable how my legs felt so good, so not painful and unrestricted - unharmed. If I had to lift up the pair of sweatpants that I was wearing now over my calf then four gashes would stare right back at me. The Lockteer had done its damage and while I had recovered from that event, that monster had scared me, carved into me and whenever I looked at that wound, those gashes that I knew would be visible forever, I felt anger rising within me and boil under my veins. But it wasn't only anger. It was fear, too.
Philip wanted to meet me in the evening. He said that he would love to get to know me better before his week in Deidrif was over and even though his parents had already returned back to Alecta, he claimed to be staying in Deidrif all because I was pleasant company and pleasant company was always hard to come by. His words, not mine.
The way Philip talked was so animated that as he spoke about his past adventures outside Alecta and even within the the castle walls made me excited and also very curious to know about him - know everything about him. I wasn't quite sure what had triggered my obsessive interest in Philip but every time he spoke I felt a little dazzled, dazed.
I also found out that Philip had been quite the ladies man. He, however, told me that he had put all childishness and all that playfulness behind him. He said that he was waiting for the right woman to sweep him off his feet and whenever he'd talk about romance his fingers would brush against mine or his shoulders or leg would be pressed up against mine and I wondered if he was trying to tell me through those actions that I was the woman that he had been waiting for. Of course, this was ridiculous because I hadn't even known Philip for three full days.
He wanted to take a stroll through the Royal Garden with me and I happily obliged. Over the time that I had spent inside the castle I wasn't aware that we even had a Royal Garden and while I wasn't the one who got very excited about nature I felt as if I needed a breather from this all and taking a stroll through the Royal Garden with Philip seemed like a great outlet and a great execerise to my legs that still felt like they were somewhat restricted. By the time Philip knocked on my door, calling out my name with that charming and joyous voice of his, I was slipping on a pair of sneakers, the pair of sneakers that I had worn ever since I was on the chase by Thorin's men. I did have many more comfortable shoes in my closet but these specific shoes reminded me of my mother because she was the one who had bought them for me and nostalgia clogged at my throat when the thought of my mother came to my mind as I tied up the laces. Shaking my head and forcing those thoughts out of my mind, I got up from my bed where I had been fixing my sneakers and headed to the door.
I smiled once I opened it and caught a glance of Philip's smiling face. "Philip!" I exclaimed, my lips stretching into a smile on their own accord.
"That's what they all say," he drawled, his brown eyes lighting up with mischief.
I couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled from my lips. Rolling my eyes, I stepped forward and closed my door behind me, grabbing his arm to walk down the corridor. "You're feeling very cocky today," I commented as Philip slipped his hand into mine, slotting his fingers through mine and while my heart remained the same pace and didn't change, my mind gave a silent cheer, more than happy that Philip was holding my hand.
"It's called confidence, my lady," he winked at me and I giggled at his response before we began to make our way down the corridor.
Coincidence then decided it was time to make its appearance and Alastair's door opened, his figure emerging from the door. My heart picked up its pace, beat twice as fast as Alastair lifted his eyes and met my own. The swirl of grey was almost nonexistent in his eyes and I wasn't able to read any emotions within the swirl of grey that I had always found myself constantly drawn to. He was acting guarded and I shouldn't have thought anything nor felt anything about that but I did. I couldn't help but feel the twinge of hurt.
"Hello mate!" Philip chipped up, oblivious to the tension that was making itself at home as his grip around my hand tightened.
Alastair's stormy grey eyes travelled downwards and I watched his face, how his jaw tightened and locked into place when his eyes settled on Philip's and I's interlocked hands. I instantly wanted to rip my hand away from Philip like his touch burned me but I couldn't. It was like I didn't even have any control over my hand. "Philip," Alastair greeted, malice delicately lacing through his silvery voice and if Philip noticed then he surely didn't say anything. Turning to me, he bowed his head and said it a softer more gentler tone, "Genevieve."
"The Princess and I are going to the Royal Garden," Philip announced and I didn't know why but at that moment I expected some sort of bomb to go off. "Do you want to join us?"
My heart was hammering against my ribcage so fast that I was certain that if Alastair said yes and accepted Philip's offer my heart was going to jump right out of my chest. No. I did not want Alastair to come along. Ever since the incident at the ball Alastair kept scrutinising Philip, suspecting something. A part of me wanted to jump with victory because I knew Alastair was jealous but another part of me told me to let it go, to just move on because Alastair was adamant on not having a relationship with me - a relationship that was not platonic anyway - and if Philip was here, standing in front of me like Prince Charming then why not seize the opportunity?
"I can't," he replied, his eyes fixed on Philip as he spoke and I could practically hear the stiffness that laced through his voice. "I've got to meet the King in fifteen minutes." There was a beat of silence before he spoke up again, tension sizzling in the air, "I do wish to speak with Genevieve - alone - if you don't mind, mate."
Philip's eyebrows raised and his lips stretched out wider. He turned his head to me and winked, his soft blonde hair falling over his livid brown eyes before he said, "you're lucky to have Alastair as your guardian, my lady." Then turning around he declared, "well, I'll just wait by the entrance. Don't take too long though, Genevieve. You do not want to miss the sunset."
And with that he flashed me a charming smile, his pink lips pulling up in an enticing movement before he looked at Alastair and gave him a nod. He turned around and started walking away and when his retreating figure disappeared from view, I sighed, blowing out a breath that I hadn't realised I had been holding until now.
Whirling around to face Alastair, I threw my hands in the air, quite dramatically which was never really my taste, and exclaimed, "what is up with you?"
He raised his eyebrows at my question and walked towards me, stopping when he was was just less than a metre away from me. My heart started to beat faster, harder, and I bit my lip when the sudden yearn to grab Alastair's shoulders and bring my lips up to his in a fervent manner shot at me.
"What did I do?" he asked, his grey eyes no longer guarded and I saw confusion, and a hint of anger, whirl around in the swirl of grey.
"Why do you act like you're so suspicious of Philip?" I bit out, anger starting to seep into my system. "Was it because he wasn't trained like you? Was it because he wasn't able to fight? Because he chose to put his safety before mine and protect himself?" A few seconds of silence passed and I watched as Alastair's shoulders dropped, shame and slight regret whirling in the swirl of grey. Softening my voice, I said, "he's not you, Alastair. He's not as skilled as you so you can't blame him-"
"I don't blame him."
"And you most definitely can't blame yourself."
His jaw tightened before he said, averting his silvery gaze away from me, "it's my duty to be suspicious of everyone."
I stared at him, open mouthed. That was his reply? After the small conversation that had just transpired between us, he chose to say those words? I folded my arms across my chest and stared at him while I silently scolded my heart to stop racing this fast and my stomach to stop doing whatever the hell it was doing. "You're suspicious of Philip, an old friend of yours, but you're not suspicious of Bronia, my maid who also happens to be an old friend of yours?"
He sighed, his head dipping a few inches forward and I watched as that dark, jet black hair fell over those alluring grey eyes that I had constantly felt drawn to. "That's unfair," he huffed out, a little childishly which didn't suit his character at all and I held in the urge to smile. Seeing Alastair not tensed, more relaxed and at ease around me always managed to make me feel different, for something foreign but very welcome to stir in the pit of my stomach.
I took a couple steps forward until we were head to head, chest to chest - of course, not in the literal sense because my head only reached his shoulder and I had to crane my neck slightly to look up at him. I didn't really want to move closer to him, I knew it was dangerous - for both my heart and myself - but there was just something about Alastair that managed to draw me in, pull me towards him like some invisible hand was pulling me forward. "You know what I think, Alastair?" I asked, my voice low and soft as I looked at him through my lashes. His grey eyes grew a shade darker. "I think you are jealous."
He was silent for a moment, his dark grey eyes assessing me and I watched the swirl of grey, watched as temptation and burning passion danced freely in the swirl of grey. "Is it wrong that I might be?"
My eyes widened and my heart began to accelerate its pace, thumping faster against my ribcage. That was not the reply I was expecting and I found myself dropping my eyes to his slightly purple tinted lips that looked more than just inviting at this moment. I swallowed hard, the battling emotions in me rising. I wanted to give into temptation, I wanted to lean in and kiss him, to feel his lips against mine once more but I knew I shouldn't. I couldn't, I thought as an afterthought as the image of a grinning Philip flashed across my mind.
I sighed and took a step back, putting space between Alastair and I that was much needed. I could practically hear the sexual tension sizzling between us. "There's nothing wrong with that," I started, secretly pleased that Alastair was jealous, "but you refuse me every time. I understand that you obey the law, that you cannot bend it because for some reason that you refuse to tell me, you value your job highly. And I respect that. Why can't you just do the same for me?" I paused, gauging in his reaction but he didn't react. He had his trademark serious, passive and brooding expression on his face. Sighing, I continued, "I'm not asking you to leave me alone. I'm just asking for a little space and no...tempting words or actions. And I, uh, really like Philip. He's sweet and caring and he's very charming. He's a sweetheart."
Alastair looked at me for a few seconds before those slightly purple tinted lips of his pulled up into a smile but I could see that it was strained, that his heart really wasn't in that smile. "I know," he said, nodding. "Philip's a lucky man."
I bit my lips, silently hoping that he would say more but when Alastair continued to give me that strained smile, I gave him a smile too, and I could tell that he knew it was strained just like his. I turned to leave when he exclaimed, his hand closing around my wrist after he reached out for me, "wait!"
My eyes dropped down to where he had his hand, his touch sending pleasurable tingles throughout me and he immediately removed his hand, pressing his lips together before he said, "I wanted to run something by you. You wanted to learn more about your nightmares and since you'll be busy with Philip today, would you like to spend tomorrow morning in the Royal Library?"
"Oh."
His eyebrows furrowed. "Oh?"
"Uh, Philip is only staying for the week and he kind of wanted to spend most of it with me..."
"Oh."
"Yeah... Oh."
"Well," Alastair said, "we can always do it whenever you want to. Have fun with Philip."
His voice sounded clipped and I hinted a little hurt in them but before I could even reply and tell him that I really did want to discover more about my nightmares and how exactly they worked, he strode ahead, leaving immediately. Sighing, I followed him down the corridor and watched as he took a different route to the court room - the room I had first met my father in - before I turned and headed for the entrance and when a beaming Philip greeted me with a rich coloured red rose in his hand, I found myself forgetting about Alastair and thinking, Oh Philip, with a big silly grin across my lips.
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"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Philip whispered, his eyes set upon the sun that was sinking slowly into the horizon.
"It is," I replied, having no clue as to why I whispered the reply back. I watched the colours dance around, the different hues of yellow, orange, red and that tinge of purple that made looking at the sun set all the more breathtakingly beautiful.
"You know," he started, his voice soft and somewhat nostalgic which told me that he was about to either tell me a story or something of high importance. "I used to dream about escaping this life, going to the mortal world. Alecta is a lovely Kingdom and my parents are doing a great job at being part of the Kingdom's inner decisions. But I can't do everything that I wish to do. I used to be a ladies man and I actually did enjoy playing around and fooling around. I've told you this. I didn't tell you this, though." He paused, his eyes elsewhere. "I met this girl. She changed me, she made me believe in hope and in love and in all those silly things in those childish, unrealistic novels. But here's the thing, she wasn't part of Royalty or Nobility. She was a maid. And I couldn't have her even when I so badly wanted to resign from my post and become just a common man so I could be with her. But even if I did that, they'd banish me from Alecta and I don't know, maybe push me away to the mortal world. I wouldn't mind living in the mortal world but I knew she wouldn't follow. Her life is in Alecta, her family is in Alecta and she'd never risk losing what she has for a silly man who got distracted from his duties because he fell in love."
My heart softened at Philip's words and I found myself automatically reaching out and slipping my hand into his. I gave it an encouraging squeeze and when Philip turned his head to look at me, a small sad smile made it's way to my lips. "When did this happen?" I asked, my question low and soft, the proximity between our bodies didn't call for a loud voice.
"Three months ago," he replied, a charming smile hanging on his lips and even though I felt like it was fake. I couldn't really tell because it looked the same as all his smiles. "But I do think that I'm getting over her."
I smiled and turned my head away, resting it on his shoulder as my eyes trained the now almost invisible sun. I squeezed his hand again in encouragement, silently telling him that I was here for him.
A few moments of peaceful silence fleeted by before Philip sighed, his breath tingling my hair as he spoke, "do you ever wish you could slip away?"
A faint sad smile made it's way to my lips even though I knew he couldn't see it since his head was resting on top of mine and my head resting on his comfortable shoulder. "Sometimes," I whispered, closing my eyes and enjoying the serene atmosphere that enveloped us, my body slowly losing all its tension and sinking into the warmth that Philip's body provided.
"Do you ever think that maybe we could do just that? We could slip away."
His words brought me from under the short reverie I was in and I backed away slightly so I could take a look at his face and the expression that was gracing his handsome features. "What do you mean?" I asked, curiosity laced through my voice, a series if questions exploding in mind.
He looked at me hard and long, his soft brown eyes storming with conflicted emotions before he smiled and shook his head, "never mind."
Sensing that he didn't want to talk about what he was about to suggest to me, I tugged at his hand, drawing him closer so that our thighs were pressing against each other and our body heat mingled, I teased, "so tell me, how did Prince Charming get over the love of his life?"
He chuckled. "She wasn't the love of my life," he said, a humorous tone laced through his voice. "I did love her..."
"But?"
He shrugged, his shoulder blade brushing against mine before he said, "but I don't love her in the way I used to."
I furrowed my brows, looking at him with an inquisitive expression on my face and asked, "what do you mean?"
"I got over her. I sort of moved on."
His replies were way too cryptic and so I rolled my eyes and said, "yes, I know that. But how?"
His soft brown eyes met mine and I didn't really feel my heart accelerate but something in me told me that I should have been both excited and nervous. "That's a good question," he whispered, leaning in and lowering his voice even more, like he was afraid that someone might overhear us but with that mischievous twinkle in those soft brown eyes of his I knew he wasn't really afraid of being overheard. Maybe he was leaning in just for effect. "The answer's pretty simple but I have to admit that it's quite scary to say, my lady."
"Why?" I croaked.
"I don't want you to run away."
A lump formed in my throat. "I don't think I will."
"My lady, thinking and knowing is two different things," he said, his pink lips lifting up into another charming smile.
"Well, I'm not the one who is stalling," I shot back, eyebrows raised in a manner that said do you dare argue against my words?
"I got over her because," he started, leaning in closer so that his soft looking brown hair brushed against my forehead in a teasing and delicious manner.
"Because?" I croaked out.
His breath washed over me and I felt my whole face heat up. "Because I met you."
I knew what was coming before it actually happened so when Philip's lips met mine a second later after his declaration I wasn't surprised. A part of me felt it to be wrong, for Philip to kiss me when I was still conflicted about how I felt for Alastair but another part of me, a part that I didn't quite feel myself in, told me to just let go and I found myself doing exactly that.
I let go, my hands slipping up Philip's chest and into his blonde hair that was soft as I had predicted, with the shining sun vanishing from view along with any thoughts and feelings I had about Alastair Ignacio.
A/N:
mwahaha, told you lovelies that i had something installed for you in this chapter ;) anybody actually ship Philip and Gen or see them as a couple? anybody crying at the fact that Gen fancies Philip?
question: any more theories/conclusions? drop them below in the comment section!
thanks to @mispaint for the lovely banner:
next update: may 28th/29th.
until next time,
-anha xo