I don't know how it came to this but practising with weapons and improving my use of internal force brought me peace. Earlier it was walking in the garden and tea with my father. But that seemed a lifetime ago. Like it was not me who did, it was some poised princess dressed in a gown too expensive for her taste and smiling at things not realising the harsh truth of life.
Bretrarum was right, the world was harsher and he unknowingly prepared me for it.
The Kingdom I once considered my second home, the place where Henley resided and I imagined in my head of walking hand in hand with him after we get married felt like a suffocating prison. Thankfully, Dark Prince requested a quarter near his father's place as he announced my arrival to Henley. Thought I was hiding right now, I had to face him in the ball kept in his honour.
Suddenly my depressing thought process was interrupted by a sword clashing with mine and Dark Prince almost materialised in front of me. We duelled for a few minutes reminding me of older days and I still struggled to hit him but my body could pick up his aura, his body heat around me now.
"Enough Princess, you have been doing this for hours now. You are exhausting yourself." He said with an unpleasant frown on his face.
I stopped and dropped the sword from my hand, I could feel the numbness course through my upper arm and the nauseous feeling in my gut. He was right, I haven't slept and eaten, all I did was trying to let my anger and misery out by hitting thin air.
And there was gratitude due so I looked at the Dark Prince and even in the mask today, I can feel the concern from him.
"Thank you," I said.
When he just remained silent I elaborated for him, "For not being one of those who destroyed my home. For not being able to hate me enough and making my life a little miserable." He just stared at me with a passive look like I was not in my right mind.
"I have a war ahead of me and I might not live through the whole thing, hell, I hope I do not. But I need to fight it for my father and myself." I said feeling anger surge through me.
And he sighed and came closer, even then making my heart flutter, "We, Princess. We have a war ahead of us."
That was enough to make tears well in my eyes and I embrace him wrapping my arms around him seeking comfort that could set my dishevelled heart and mind at rest even though trusting anyone was becoming even more difficult now.
---
The angry waves coming off the King of Nevarlia was almost the same as evil glare from Henley's stepmother and it was slightly amusing. Aside from them, everyone was shell shocked as I walked in the ball with my arms interlinked with non-other than the feared Dark Prince. Probably because no one has ever seen someone in such proximity with him.
And even though he lost to Henley in this battle, no one still dared to mock him or judge him his reputation was enough to make people tremble.
I was dressed according to my new status, in a royal black gown with black feathers adorning my dress below my waist. They glittered as I moved under the light. My hair was put to perfect waves and a little tiara was set on my head which felt more like a chain on my neck.
Diamond and emerald, the two of my least favourite jewels were used as my accessories. A thumb-sized emerald rested on my chest attached to a silver chain and it felt too cold my bare skin.
As we walked in the expected reaction among the crowd made me feel a lot better. The previous disdain and insults were replaced with fearful silence.
It was amusing to watch how everyone feared Bretrarum more than the King himself.
"I think you need to stand beside the Prince my dear," King said and I froze as the realisation dawned on me.
Obviously, it was the dinner for the winner, all the Kingdom's ruler shows up to bestow their own prize so Averia was here. She was the first bride of Bretrarum as everyone knew, I was just a pity case taken in by Dark Prince.
I noticed Dark prince trying to open his mouth to make an objection and it would have been nothing less than a threat knowing his reputation. I clutched his arm a little tighter to let my feeling known.
"She can sit next to me." Henley's poisonous sweet voice pierced like a knife through my skin.
I literally felt goosebumps rise over me, I felt so pained and disgusted. He was supposed to be my childhood friend, my confidant and yet all this while he lied to me.
But I plastered a fake smile on my face and went and sat down next to him controlling my urge to shout at him to stab my heart multiple times.
As soon as I sat down the little murmurs and talking began and gradually the tenses atmosphere eased up. The Sorceress looked as bored at the gathering as Dark Prince and avoided each other completely. She had the attention of all the males present except the Henley and Bretrarum. For a minute I felt pity for her as even the older men with Queen's on their side ogled her.
And yet she held a brave face, being the only female ruler.
"How have you been Lia?" Henley whispered softly and I felt like grabbing his neck to ask how did he think I was.
"Better than I expected," I answered not meeting his eyes because my anger would have been reflected through them.
"You do look beautiful." He agreed.
"Calm down, it looks like you could kill someone. Unclutch that fist Princess." Bretrarum's voice in my head shocked me as I lifted my head up and saw him casually taking a bite of his food.
Can he read minds? Or was it like just getting in my head and nothing more? I had to ask him, I can't let him know my thoughts. The whole thing angered and embarrassed me further and used the knife to cut the meat a little more forcefully than required earning a weird glance from people near me, including Henley.
"Something is stressing you out." He said and a part of me snapped.
How dare he ask me that?
"You think?" I hissed at him and saw a look of surprise on Henley's face at my outburst.
I immediately tried to regain my posture.
"It's just that I am living in the same place I was tortured in and it brings back the bad memories hence I can't sleep." I made an excuse for a short temper.
He nodded maybe believing me but mostly not bothered about my hardships at all.
"Don't worry I will help you, Lia." He said looking at me with determination.
And it almost felt like he was the Henley I grew up, the one who would play hide and seek with me, one who taught me to dance, one who made promises of forever. But the determination was there for the power.
"You will?" I asked not trying to sound condescending.
"Wait and watch." He said and winked at me.
What wrong did I ever do to you, Henley? I wanted to ask him, I wanted to know for how long have I have been not a human but an object of greed for him?
I just nodded with a small smile on my face.
As the food time ended, it was time for the dreadful period of dancing. It made so sense whatsoever to make us dance on any celebratory event. But no one ever complained about it.
Without even thinking I was next to Bretrarum like I felt the safest and most calm next to a Prince whom everyone feared. But I realised that probably what King said was true, I was just a stand-in, a second choice while Sorceress was the Queen to be. She would be the one who will dance with Prince in the royal balls and not me. And even though I hated the idea of dancing, I hated the idea of Bretrarum and his Queen even more.
"Stop glaring into air and dance Princess," Bretrarum said offering his gloved hands to me.
"I think I should stay here. Your father might not approve."
"And I don't always agree with him, remember." He said and grabbed my palm seeing my reluctance.
The sorceress didn't seem bothered by it all because for now, she didn't know that the man she was crushing on is actually this feared masked Prince. Once she realises she will make my life a living hell.
He pulled me to the dance floor rather forcefully and King looked displeased as expected.
The cold-blooded killer dancing with me was earning a fair share of attention.
For just that moment, the other thoughts vanished from my head and his proximity filled with senses. His hand on my waist was rather possessive and his eyes slowly caressed my face making my ears heat up.
"Are you a mind reader?" I asked slowly avoiding to look in his indigo eyes.
"No, just strong enough to get my thought into yours."
I nodded still looking elsewhere.
"You taught me to look in the eyes and not at the feet Princess." He was amused at me.
So I looked up and regretted it immediately. I was undone at the concern I could see in them.
"I will get revenge for you." He said knowing too well my sour mood for the diner.
"No, I will get it myself. I will let everyone see what pain is and what I went through." I said through gritted teeth.
"And I will help you with that." He said.
"That is why we are getting married," I said and I realised my words were harsh because hurt reflected in his eyes.
"If I didn't know for sure about your feelings, I would have assumed you hated me and were just using me." He said it lightly but I could feel the underlying hurt in his tone.
I chuckled at his words darkly, "But I am still at a disadvantage here. Like a fool whose trust was broken, I have already started believing you and trusting your gestures, enchanted by your eyes while vulnerable to the fact that like all the other you might also just be using me."
The hurt in my words was so transparent that Bretrarum stopped swaying to the beat for a second.
"Don't worry too much Dark Prince, aren't concubines just for King's use anyway."
My humour was not appreciated as his gaze darkened and he pulled me closer rather sharply making me gasp. I knew what would follow so I placed a hand on his chest.
"Don't do anything drastic, Prince." I reminded him and his glare intensified.
People around us created a safe distance but to me that glare did nothing.
"On a brighter note, If I ever learn to trust again and open my heart you will be the first person," I said and saw his glare soften a bit.
The familiar tinkling of glass caught our attention and the Queen was again standing to make a vital announcement.
The champion's prize.
He can ask for jewels, a small piece of land, weapons, blessing almost everything.
And Henley was looking at me. I had a bad feeling about this. I had been in this situation when Bretrarum asked me as a prize and I remembered how Henley said he will help me. Bretrarum still hasn't married me so practically he can still ask for me.
I was merely a tool for them that had no choice and respect of its own and should go where these powerful, greedy Prince's want.
Before everyone can silent down and Queen can make her announcement I untangled myself from a surprised Dark Prince and walked to the podium.
"May I?" I asked the Queen with my dangerous smile which was very effective since my husband to be was Dark Prince.
She nodded and left the centre aside.
"Before the announcement, I would like to announce that three days from now you all are cordially invited to my wedding with the Prince of Nevarlia." There I did it, my hands shook with fear and my heart was throbbing painfully past.
The sorceress looked a little surprised but not offended at all.
I saw the defeat in Henley eyes and amusement in Bretrarum's that was good enough for me.
While the crowd gather was shocked for a second and gradually applauded at the announcement as I came down and Queen was back.
As Henley's name was announced and he was offered a prize of choice, his eyes met mine and I tried my hardest to not show the hate.
"I request the palace of Silverlights." He said and I felt my heart drop heavily.
"He wanted you as his bride." Bretrarum deducted, unintentionally his arms tightening around me.
"Yes and now he aimed for the thing I value most. If I didn' t knew his real plans I would have been fooled into thinking how he was saving this for me." I said a lump forming in my throat remembering my home.
"Bret-." I choked with heavy rush of emotions and hid my face behind a curtain of hair.
In front of the whole crowd, he pulled me in an embrace not letting anyone else see my tears or how broken I was.
----
Okay, my awesome readers!
I am better. still having a fever after effects like body ache and residual bad cough but still better.
So I really hope I did this chapter justice. I had to display Princess' conflicted angry mind.
Even though I have myself been lied to by one of my closest friends for a trivial matter like money, I got over it thinking that it showed her character and just gave up trusting her with any of my likes or secrets.
But Henley was doing something way harsher so I was trying to portray her hate and pain at best.
How do you think the story is going so far?
NEXT UPDATE: FRIDAY.