It was like a surprise when she saw that the King had invited her to breakfast. Raquel was running around as usual, to prepare her for breakfast. Colin was his usual calm and collected self but today, strangely, Lady Kestra hadn't been here yet.
Could this be because of what had happened last time?
Anyways, she was ushered to the dinning hall where the King as already waiting for her.
Now, she was used to seeing him in his mask that it had started to make no difference anymore.
To her, that mask was his face.
He stood up from his seat by the large dinning table, then walked up to her, complimenting her as usual.
"You always make the dress look beautiful."
"As do you, for your mask."
He chuckled and it instantly reminded her of the dream that she had.
She had indeed missed him.
The dream was reflection of her feelings after all.
Strange.
She had asked to see his face in her dream too and that was one of the things she really wanted.
Could the dream be all her imagination of things she really desired, that it wasn't actually real but a mere coping mechanism to the sudden change she had to go through in a foreign place.
"I told them to prepare different types of chicken meal and not to make it too spicy."
But spicy was good, she liked spicy.
He pulled the chair back for her. As she took her seat, he tuck a strand of her curls behind her ear.
"I am hoping to make up for my absence. I have been very busy."
"I know, your Majesty. I'm always hearing your dragon's loud flapping wings over the castle every now and then, day and night. You are never around anymore and anytime you are, you are always busy."
He hummed lightly, walking over to his own seat at the other side of the table.
"Could it be that you have missed me, my Bride?"
She had.
She didn't even try to argue with herself about it, she had already reached that conclusion.
She had missed him so much, she had dreamt about him but she couldn't say that, so instead, she placed a goblet of water against her lips, sipping slowly to keep her mouth busy.
"I have missed you, profoundly. In fact, my heart was filled with emptiness with each passing day I spent without seeing your face."
H-heart? Did he just say heart?
"Check the chicken. I hope you like it."
He said then they started eating but just a moment after that, Lady Kestra knocked and stepped in.
She offered Belladonna a blinding smile. It was so wide that her lips ached on her behalf.
"You must have missed me this morning, Darling. Things happened, had to run off at the middle of the night."
Belladonna mouth formed a silent 'oh' before she spoke, "I thought you were mad at me."
The King's hand still on his fork at that and Lady Kestra looked at her like that was craziest thing she had ever heard.
"Why would I be?"
"Because of what I said."
"You pretty little thing. Never."
Why was she always doing that? Referring to her as a 'pretty little thing'.
Then she continued walking towards the King. When she got to him, she bent lowly in respect then discreetly whispered something to him.
In a flash, the King was on his feet.
"I have to leave."
"Is there any problem, Your Majesty?"
"There won't be if I leave right now." He was right in front of her in a flash, taking her hand, making her feel his hard leather glove against her skin, then his warm lips against the back of her hand.
Lips?!
Her thought screeched to an immediate halt, her eyes as wide as two saucers. It was an understatement to say that she was stunned. She was that and beyond.
"It is the dragon. She is misbehaving again. I must leave to keep her in line." he said, turning away like as if his gesture was normal between them, his steps quick as he approached the door, Lady Kestra matching his pace. How could she even do that in those ankle snapping heels?!
"I will make up for this some other time."
The King was the first to be out through the door.
Lady Kestra disappeared shortly after but not before turning her way, with that large smile on her face once again.
"I'm sure we have some friendly chat to catch up to. Later."
Belladonna sighed.
Door closed.
Loneliness present.
She finished her food quickly, then hurried up to her room.
That was the last time she saw the King that day. All the activities he promised her went down the drain.
It was either keeping the dragon in line had taken his whole day or he got busy with something else.
She felt bored out of her brains. She was tired of lingering around the palace with the maids too and Raquel was hardly ever around since she started seeing her physician.
Belladonna flipped opened her book of theories once again before she closed it back, giving up because she just couldn't think of any other reason the King had chosen a bride, asides from the fact that he wanted a Queen for himself and maybe all of his actions was just to make her fall in love with him.
He had looked like it.
Her mind went back to how he had kissed her hand and she shook her vigorously.
He was trying to take step at a time, not more than one so as not to scare her off.
She had sensed nothing suspicious too.
Or could it be that she wasn't looking hard enough.
Aaargh!
This was frustrating.
She wished she could escape it all, like she had escaped it yesterday night.
When it was night, she closed her eyes, eager to fall asleep.
She couldn't wait to dream about him again. Somehow dreaming about him felt more interesting than being with him in real life.
It was almost like she preferred who he was in her dream to his true self.
But wasn't that the thing with imagination?
They were always far more interesting, far better.
"Where does the Lady want us to go tonight?" A farmilar voice seeped into her ears and her lips stretched into a smile.
She was back at that beach again and he was behind her, asking, willing to serve.
"What wonder do you think is deserving to be seen?"
"Do you trust me?" He asked, his lips only by a hair's breath away from her ear, his voice making her skin tingle.
It was strange yet comforting.
"No," she breathed and he chuckled.
That low rapsy chuckling that always made her stomach tie into many knots.
"You will learn to."
Then his hand squeezed her shoulders gently, his lips grazing her ears lightly as he leaned lower. A strange tingling feeling crossed through her body and she sucked in a deep breath.
She couldn't say what exactly it was that he made her feel, and she still couldn't decide if she truly liked it or not.
But for now, it was alright, and right now was all that mattered.
"Close your eyes."
This was just a dream, none of it was real, it was all in her head, her desires taking shape in her dream world.
She was safe.
He couldn't harm her.
She was safe.
So, she closed her eyes.