ELORA"Ow." I winced as someone tugged on my hair. I had been sitting in a chair for hours, my behind and back ached."As they say, beauty is pain," Lucy said. After Skye left, she had come tumbling into my room excited. I wondered what was so exciting about being stuck in a seat for hours. My head burned too."My back aches," I whined as the hair stylist pulled my hair even more. "You've only been here for a few minutes." She replied, amused. She was seated on my bed, admiring the dress I was to wear. "In a few hours, this should be over. Trust me, you'd look stunning. I can't wait!" She clapped and squealed.I couldn't relate to her excitement so I gave a small smile. "Hours? That's a long time. Isn't this a dinner?""Not just a dinner, Elora. It’s a dinner with the king and his family. Your first time meeting his family as his mistress. It's a big deal." She said slowly then stood up and twirling dreamily.My hands were clammy. "When you put it like that...""Oh, Elora. It's goin
Nobody said a word as I was led to my seat. The servant pulled out a chair and I found myself at the king's right, beside Kate. The king's strong mesmerizing woodsy smell hit my nose and I was reminded of last night in full force.I was too nervous to look up at him but the aura he exuded made his presence too hard to ignore. The memories of how his mouth had tasted the night before evaded my mind, causing my cheeks to heat up.I turned to Kate, trying to distract my mind. The smell of vanilla on her was near suffocating, with something even sharper that I had to hold back a strong sneeze. Her hair was let down, like her mother's and her dress was the same shade as her ginger hair. The arms were off her shoulder revealing a surprisingly enticing skin. Kate and her mother weren't ugly, no matter how much anyone wished them to be. On the contrary, they were breath taking but their beast-like character portrayed the opposite.On the opposite side of the table was Skye, who was seated by
ELORAMy heart sank. I didn't know why but I suspected it had to do with the fact that the king had more important duties to attend to than me. I was confused. What did his visit to my room mean? However, he was the king of Bale so I didn't expect less."What duties are so much more important than pleasing a beautiful woman like this, Rome? Hm? What duties?" His nasally voice said, eyes darting between me and his son.I wished he could stop drawing attention to me.The king turned back, eyes on her even while he responded to his family."I'm not like you, father. Can we eat peacefully and go back to our businesses?"The room felt even hotter."What other business is more important than spending time with family?" I could hear the smugness in his voice.Skye scoffed. Loud. All eyes went to her."Family, indeed."Her father gave a deadly glare and then turned to me. His eyes softened."Now, Elora. If you have any difficulties, you know where to find my chambers, right?"I didn't know ho
ELORAI fiddled with my gloves, waiting for another one of the royal family to stand up abruptly but after the king left, they loosened up. The room was filled with Kain Kurt's boisterous laughter and Monica's giggles. Her sons decided to put up a show for everyone. The two men climbed onto the dining table skipping like little girls, spraying food on around in the process.I shifted back in my seat and locked eyes with Skye. She noticed that I was uncomfortable so she gave a tight nod. She stood up and I followed."Have a wonderful night, sir." I bow to the old king.Before he replied, Kain cut him short. "May I escort you to your chambers, my dear?" His eyes danced. He reminded me of a monster. My palms turned sweaty and my heart beat faster. I bowed my head to avoid his face."That's won't be necessary, Lord Kain." Skye said, coming to my rescue. She stopped, waiting for me to leave the room.I bowed and walked out surprised I hadn’t straight up bolted from the room.Immediately th
ROMEThe king couldn't take the discomfort the royal family dinner offered any longer. He made his way out of the room straight to his favourite place in the Castle. The Red River. It was the most private place, apart from his chambers, and it held dear and fond memories of his mother. He could visit there and converse with her, informing her of what was happening. He was sure he was going to be engulfed in her peace.As he approached the river, he kicked pebbles around like a youngling. He had played the pebble game with his mother when she was healthy enough to. He threw one into the still river and watched as the ripples expanded. He threw another and another, hypnotized by them. The king was jealous of the river. He wished he was as peaceful and still as it was.He closed his eyes. "I miss you, mother."He walked deeper into the woods, farther from the river. The royal woods held diverse trees and plants. Many of them were used by the royal physician to concoct his antidotes. The
ELORA"Goodnight, sir," I said to the royal physician who insisted on walking me into the main palace grounds. He was almost like a big brother guiding his little sister. "Goodnight, ma'am. Do not forget your checkup tomorrow." He bowed and walked in the opposite direction.This night had been emotionally draining and I yearned to sleep in my bed but frankly, I knew sleep would be hard for me to come by. The palace staff had all retired for the night so it was only the guards on night duties milling about. That was alright because I didn't want attention. It seemed everyone in the palace knew about the family dinner and I didn't want to constantly lie through my teeth that the dinner went splendid. "Elora!"I whipped my head in the direction of the voice to see Lucy running towards me. She was sporting her nightdress and a large shawl. "Oh, my I waited ages for you." She gripped her knees to catch her breath. When it was steady, she stood up. "Where have you been? Dinner was over
ELORAI froze, my heart threatening to burst when the king got up from his bed and walked in my direction, a sudden night breeze bringing the strong smell of alcohol to me.He’d been drinking? Oh no. I couldn’t have come at a worst time.His eyes had apparently glazed over with sleep because even when he reached me, he kept calling me Erika.He bent down, scooping me up before I even noticed him move and carried me bridal style onto his bed. It all happened in quick succession that I didn't know when I landed in his bed. He lay down and covered us with his large blanket.How did I go from tossing on my bed to laying in the king's bed in a few minutes? "Why do you smell so much like her...?" He mumbled. He flung his hand across my small body and pulled me closer to him, wrapping his large arms around me as he tucked my back to his front, spooning me. My heart thumped faster as I imagined how angry he would be when he woke up and realized I was the one in his bed. His breath fanne
ELORAIt was a relief that apart from their homesickness and worry, my siblings were safe. Olivia was her bubbly self and the twins enjoyed their time spent with Kano. I didn't know how long the situation would be peaceful so I was determined to let them enjoy the moment. The royal infirmary was a short walk from my room. It was a large, imposing stonewalled building with pretty flowers around it. I heard it was the very place many of the Bale antidotes originated from. There was a buzz of royal staff wearing the usual grey uniform but now a silver ribbon indicating they were the infirmary staff.As I approached them, they bowed."Your Highness." They greeted."Good day to you." I smiled waving.The lobby area of the infirmary was a large space with cushioned seats and a small furnace that wasn’t in use. A large mahogany table sat to one side and a petite lady was sat behind it."Your Highness." She stood up, bowing when she saw me."Good day, I have a meeting with the royal physicia