"I profoundly apologize for Pamela's behavior today. She is not always like that."
He said for the umpteenth time when they got to the door.
Belladonna was feeling much better now and she offered him a smile.
"Maybe she is not used to meeting new people."
He hummed lightly, and once again because of the mask, she couldn't determined what that meant.
Was she the first Bride he was introducing to Pamela or was she the number...
How many Brides had he even had in the past?
She pushed the question quickly out of her mind, remembering their promise of taking one step at a time.
Instead, she thanked him for the day.
After what happened with the dragon, the King had taken her somewhere else they had talked about in the book, and that was the palace garden.
It was the same garden where the Choosing Ceremony had taken place, just that this time around, it was just them and it was all for a different purpose.
That was where they had lunch and spent their time just talking about random things, mostly his comments from the book.
Before Belladonna stepped into the room and bade him goodbye, she observed how he lingered by the door and she wondered if he, by chance, missed his chambers.
"I can move, if you want your chambers back."
He shook his head.
"They are the most protected ones in the castle, it is best you stay in it. Safe."
"I just feel like I'm the one keeping you away."
"If I return into my chambers, I have no plans of sleeping on the floor, neither do I have plans of letting you sleep anywhere else."
She looked up at him.
"Are you suggesting that we would have to share a bed, your Majesty?"
He tucked a strand of her curls behind her ear once again. "Precisely."
She gulped, looking everywhere else but him.
When he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper. Although he didn't move an inch closer, she could still hear him.
"You are not ready for that yet. I know."
He was standing two or more steps away from her but it suddenly felt like he was too close and everywhere felt too hot.
He chuckled lightly and her heart leaped.
"Will you look at that, it is really late." She said quickly, as if she was just realizing. "Goodnight, your Majesty."
She didn't wait for a reply before she quickly slipped through the door and locked it.
She heard him chuckle softly as he walked away.
What had just happened?
Was this the same Dragon King that had come for the choosing ritual close to three months ago?
He was so different now, considering what had just happened a while ago.
Or maybe she was just thinking too much into it. She often did that, sometimes.
Like how she had misinterpreted her family's action for years. Although she couldn't see how this situation was similar to that, it was still the first thought that struck her mind.
She lit a candle, only for Raquel to be right next to her.
She almost jumped right out of her skin in fright.
"You scared me!"
She placed her hand on her raising chest, putting the candle on its stand.
"I'm so s-sorry, my L-lady but..." Suddenly she stopped her stammering and she held her face between her shaky palms.
"You are falling for him. Don't be stupid! That is what he does. They all fell for him!"
Belladonna stared back in fear.
"What? What are you--" she paused to catch her breath, then added quickly in a low voice, "what are you talking about?"
She started breathing heavily, her eyes wide and filled with fear. "You should find out what it is."
"Find out what what is?
Raquel took her hands away from Belladonna's face, clawing them around her throat instead as she gasped for breath. She fell to the floor and Belladonna quickly knelt next to her, already ready to call out for help when Raquel suddenly stood up, no longer struggling anymore. Yet her chest was still raising and falling like as if she was out of breath.
"Are you alright?" Belladonna stood up too, now absolutely worried for Raquel. "Shall I get you--?"
"Your purpose!" She snapped, and that was the first time Belladonna had ever head her sound so firm and commanding.
"Focus on--on that. H-he---" her voice slipped into its shaky usual self again.
Before she could speak any further, someone was frantically banging against the door.
Belladonna opened the doors and Colin stepped in, greeting her calmly.
Raquel let in a sharp intake of breath and she started hitting her cheeks.
Colin pressed his lips together, and this might just be the first time that Belladonna had sensed anger from him.
Wonderful! Today was a first time for many things.
He went to Raquel, grabbed her hand and started pulling her along with him. She fell into quick steps behind him, her gaze fixed to the ground.
"She was telling me something."
Colin stopped immediately, then turned back to her, his face once again calm and collected as usual.
"My Lady, whatever it was she was saying to you is of no use. Raquel is sick."
"What sickness?"
"She has been emotionally traumatized. It makes her say unusual things. We must go, the Physician is waiting and she needs to get her medication."
Just like that, they left.
Well, it seemed like what she had been worried about was already being taken care of. How was it that she had even forgotten to speak to Colin about it before?
Oh, the book!
That reminded her to continue reading it yet again. This time around though, she had been really careful and had read at the dressing table instead.
Once again, knowing the King better through his comments and finding him more interesting here within the books.
After that, she blew out the candle and went to sleep.
Not long after she settled into bed did she see herself in somewhere else.
Was she dreaming?
She could hear the low rippling of water, breeze blowing her curly hair softly and the way her feet dug into the cold sand below.
That was when she discovered that this was a beach, it was at night and it was empty.
Was this a dream?
It felt like it.
This place felt safe too, for some off reasons.
She went to the water, splashing the warm water on her face, tasting the saltiness.
It almost felt real and absolutely peaceful.
"I also find the sea liberating," someone said behind her and she froze. She wanted to turn but the deep voice cautioned right on time.
"Don't look, you are not ready to see my face yet."
She slowly stood up, but without turning back.
"Who are you?"
"I like the splash of the water, the whispers of the wave and the peace of the night. To me, they are like gold. Or maybe it is because I know the world is asleep and I can have it all undisturbed to myself for that short time."
"That the world is asleep?"
She had never thought about it that way before.
"We can make this place ours, you know." The voice was closer now, deep, rich, manly. It took everything in her not to turn around. "We can make anywhere ours if you'd let me."
The wind blew again, a little stronger this time. Goosebumps laced her skin and it was then she realized that she was only in her light nightgown.
This was a dream. She was certain of it, yet it felt like it was more.
"Who are you?"
"You tell me."
"I don't know who you are."
"Of course you do, I'm whosoever you want me to be. You desired to see me so badly and that is the only reason I am here."
"But I don't desire to see anyone so badly."
"You do. Think deeply about it."
Her eyebrows furrowed and she pinched her toes against each other in the sand.
"I don't."
Then like as if she was breaking herself forcefully from a spell, she turned around.