"What about your bride?"
It was hard to conceal her smile but she did it anyways.
"What about her? Does she know about this?"
She shook her head.
Eli took in the information. If she didn't know about this then they were certainly not that close. For a second there, he had been scared that he had forgotten something of much significance.
"Then I see no reason why I should be bothered. I need to go now. I will be back shortly, Kestra." He said as he headed to the door, then he paused, his hand on the doorknob. "Are you certain that you are alright enough for this?"
"Yes, your Majesty." She sat up eagerly, her action supporting her words, something she hoped that he could see from the corner of his eyes.
"In fact, we can do it right now. I advise that we get down to it, so you can regain your strength as soon as possible." She added, putting all her hope into her words.
He could regain his memory any moment from now. In fact, he could step out of that door and remember everything, from how things had happened this time, Kestra felt like there would be no lasting effect as before.
She had to exploit this opportunity before it would disappear into thin air.
The King shook his head.
"I have some things to get to."
"I believe they can wait, Eli."
For a moment he hummed, but shook his head almost immediately.
"I still have to see my Bride first."
Her heart thundered in her ears.
What?
"It is only polite that I assure her that everything is alright."
So what? He was going to meet the girl? That was something she didn't want him to do, to come in contact with her so soon. What if she does something to trigger his memory, then all would be lost. She just hoped that Collin had gotten to her with that fake story already. This outcome had been one of the possibilities Kestra had thought things would turn out to be, and she had made plans for it.
Hopefully, the story would have frightened the Bride enough for her to keep her mouth shut when the King would speak to her.
It was time for her to back off now or her actions might start raising Eli's suspicions.
His memory was only shaken, he wasn't stupid to catch on to things.
"You are right. I'll be waiting for you then."
He nodded, flashing her a grateful smile before pulling the mask over his face and stepping out of the door.
Alone at last, Kestra let out a frustrated sigh and hopped off the bed.
That girl had better keep her mouth shut!
___
Eli had been impressed with the progress Belladonna had made, although he had only paid the proposed solutions she had worked on, a run-through. He was more concerned with enquiring about her welfare and assuring her that the dragon would not act out again.
When she asked about his journey and expressed how worried she had been for him, his replies had been short and polite, his cold eyes building up barriers in between them, just like the hardness that had seeped sharply into his brown orbs, when he had come into his study and was surprised to find her there, standing by his desk.
That confusion had only lasted for a split second.
"Good to see you here, Lady Belladonna." He had said as he walked towards her.
If the look Collin had given her earlier along with his tales of Raquel's woes had not warned her about this, she would have been totally confused about the whole situation and what to do.
Soon enough, he was ushering her out of his study, telling her that whatever she had to say to him, they would have to talk about it in the morning, after breakfast.
The door was slammed shut in front of her, and after that Belladonna's heart weighed heavily in her chest, with sadness. She could feel the distance growing in between, the obstacle that was ripping them was much more than the door that kept them at opposite sides, more than his hard gaze with their impenetrable barriers.
What hurts the most was his mask.
He kept it on all while he was talking to her.
Were they back to being strangers?
By Ignas, no. This could not be happening.
He had forgotten her.
Collin's warning of not rushing anything played itself over and over again in her memory, and as she bit back a hiss of pain and fought the sting of tears in her eyes, she tried to smile, encouraging herself to wait things out.
Telling herself it would be better that way.
"Are you alright, Lady Bell?" The voice startled her. It was Anok, waiting for her but the stairs as he had promised.
When had she walked down the stairs?
She was grateful for his presence, it gave her strength in a way that she couldn't describe.
"I---" she paused.
What was she supposed to say?
Tell him that the King had forgotten her?
That she was scared this might go on forever?
That she knew she was supposed to wait for him to remember, but she was afraid to.
Because waiting was too painful.
Waiting was uncertain.
"I am worried about him." She finally said, feeling the need to share, yet not sharing it all completely, therefore settling for a vague answer.
"The King?" Anok said in an amused voice. "You think he is going to get sick after everything he has done, get sick like Lady Kestra?"
Belladonna furrowed her brows, she had not even thought about that.
"You have nothing to worry about, Lady Bell, you should know by now, the King is different from the rest of us. Stronger, very strong." He patted her shoulder awkwardly, withdrawing from her immediately like the touch would burn him if he lingered a second longer.
Very strong.
Those two words bounced around in Belladonna's head and dissolved into her brain. Her gaze flew past the stairs and a smile stretched across her face.
"Anok?"
"Yes, Lady Bell?"
"Do you advise me to take crazy risks?"
It took him a moment to reply.
"Only if it is needed."
"Oh, it's needed, alright."
Eli had better be ready for an ambush, because there was no way she would wait for breakfast to really talk to him.
Maybe this was wise or just plain stupid?
How would she find out, if she never tried?
With that thought, she did what she had to do.
Panting, she got to his door, slipped the key into the keyhole, pulled the door open, and stepped in.
Eli's eyes found her quickly under the dim light of the room, his attention turned away from the mirror in front of him, the golden light in the room glowing on his mask, his hand still on the sleeves of his robe.
This female had just invaded his thoughts a moment ago, what was she doing here?
"Going somewhere your Majesty?" She huffed, pushing the door close with her leg and locking it with her key, then tucking them away. An action that wasn't very convenient because of the bundle of scrolls in her hands.
"How... What are you doing here, Bride?"
The coldness in his voice almost made her flinch, but she came prepared.
"Ambushing you, of course. The type of ambush you like, Eli."