37. The Sweetest Couple
**Chester**
"He *what*?" I shouted.
Amanda showed no reaction to my outburst. Her head was lowered in a respectful manner.
"I vow that everything I told you is exactly as I had witnesses, Your Majesty," she said. "Since then, Lady Ester has not been herself."
I marched a few feet towards the throne before returning back to my previous position. My hand covered the lower half of my face as I processed what I heard.
"Why did she hide it?" I wondered aloud. Amanda didn't provide me with a response. I knew what I had to do.
With a smile, I tucked my hands into my pockets. "I planned to have a chat with him about the upcoming wedding, but it looks like I'll be seeing him sooner than I thought."
_________
**Ester**
Another week passed after that day. I soon put Christopher behind me and focused on my mission instead. In the past, Chester didn't agree to sponsoring the clothing line after his meeting with him, so I wasn't worried about them working together.
It's early in the morning on the outskirts of the city. The craft festival was buzzing with people. I saw mugs, paintings, jewelry and other things that were all handmade.
Sirius had his arm around my shoulders while Anna walked beside us. It was my idea to check out the festival after hearing about it from my maids. My intentions were to take note of how the small businesses operated and relay it to Chester. I figured a first hand experience conversing with the workers would be a great step on how to go forward with the seminar.
To say that people's jaws dropped would be an understatement. A circle of bodyguards kept the other visitors away as we browsed stalls. They called out Sirius' name as well as mine, trying to get our attention.
"Thank you!" Sirius smiled at the vendor as he handed her the money. In his free hand was a white paper bag with the vendor’s logo and socials. In it was a newly purchased trinket tray.
The vendor fanned herself right in front of us. She was about to say something but Sirius had already turned away from here. “Do you two see anything else you want?”
We both said no and went on to visit other stalls that caught our eyes. As Anna made us stop at one that sold necklaces made from natural elements, Sirius handed the bag to me. “For you. I saw you eyeing it and decided it would look good in our room.”
I giggled, taking the bag from him with a small. “And here I thought you finally realized that pink should be your favorite color.”
He chuckled along with me and leaned down to connect my lips with his. Some phone cameras captured our intimate moment. Anna gagged.
“You left a building with over fifteen bedrooms to come out here and swap spit?” Anna teased.
He and I separated. Sirius rolled his eyes. “What?” He replied. “Jealous?”
Just as he had finished talking, one of the bodyguards tapped him on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. It was too low for me to hear.
Siirus nodded then smiled at us. “My ride is almost here. I have to go attend a parliament meeting with my father. If you’re done here, wanna ride with me back to the palace?”
I looked at Anna for her opinion. She shrugged. I turned back to Sirius with a smile. “I think we’ll stay here for a little longer. Take care of my fiancee while you’re there, okay?”
“Of course, Babe.” He winked. Right on time, a car pulled up. He gave me one last kiss before him and some of the guards entered the car. I waved as the car drove off. Anna and I spent more time checking out the booths with the guards left behind keeping us safe. Despite their calm expressions, they were all well trained knights with their own unique mastered skills. So it was fair to say that we felt very safe.
Anna and I got to bond more, which I was happy about. She revealed to me that she had an interest in the ocean and that she wanted to travel to the other kingdoms on a ship sometime in the future.
I knew all of them, but it was great relearning things about her. There was a spark in her eyes that never seemed to die. It made me feel like I was a teenager again.
While we were checking out paintings, Anna suddenly froze. She tapped my shoulder to get my attention.
“Um, I’m going to talk to someone. I’ll be right back, kay?”
“Oh. Sure.”
She walked away with guards trailing after her. I watched her go until I saw her talking to a pretty girl with blonde hair. She must be one of her friends.
“They brought that cultist’s body into the ambulance that day.”
My ears picked up on two voices having a conversation. After looking to my left, I noticed that two workers were maintaining a booth next to the one I was at.
“They think it might have been suicide,” the other woman stated. “What are people doing in that crazy cult?”
“Excuse me,” I interrupted the two women. “Did you say that someone from the cult downtown died?”
They nodded at the same time. “Yes, Miss! A couple days ago another one took their life by slitting their throat. That makes it the sixth one this month.”
“What’s wrong with today’s youth?” The older woman shook her head.
The information they had given me was useful, but confusing. This cult didn’t believe in taking their own lives. They saw it as a betrayal to the entities they worshiped. Yet six did by slitting their own throats?
That didn’t make sense to me, but I knew someone who liked playing with blades.
Sirius.
_______
**Chester**
**The next day**
Christopher shook my hand with a broad smile. “King Chester, what an honor! I didn’t expect to be hearing from you so soon.”
I gave him a smile of my own. “Well after everything I’ve learnt about you, I couldn’t stay away.”