Zylith.

The man who was on his knees before me didn’t look like he was a residence of Reveldron at all.

He had dark skin, like the shade of honey, only a bit darker. His tousled Jet-black hair and murky black eyes set him completely apart from the crowd. Though his tan made him look softer like a sepia tone on a photograph, his dark eyes seemed very aggressive at a glance. However, he maintained a novel aura around himself and his posture did speak for himself as one could tell he really was one from the knighthood.

I peered at him with squinted eyes, waiting for him to get himself off the floor, but he was like a rigid sculpture and was not about to move from his position without my permission.

I was not a bossy person… well, I mean I was not a bossy person when it came to stuff such as ordering around like I was the ruler of this world. So this guy, Fredurd got me a bit flustered and awkward when he treated me as if my word was the law. I was also a bit unsettled about the fact that he changed his attitude at the drop of a hat. Just a few minutes ago he was looking at me like I was an exotic creature fresh from the circus, and now he was all ‘You’re-my-master-and-so-I-shall-die-for-you’? For some unknown reason, I did not quite like his character.

“You may get up.” I muttered reluctantly.

He got up as commanded and put one of his hands over his heart and half-bowed once more, “Your Highness. Please use this humble knight as you see fit, I shall do your bidding without a question.” I slightly raised a brow and then looked at Reuben with a wary expression.

Reuben, like always, smiled amicably at me and said, “Fret not, Your Highness. Fredurd is trustworthy.” I frowned, my eyes silently sending a ‘Are-you-sure?’ look at him. “Even though he might look a bit dubious at first, but he is one of His Majesty’s most trusted. So you need not be on your guard, my lady.”

“….. Is that so?”

“Yes, His Majesty would never appoint someone unworthy, Sire.” I wanted to sneer and let out a mocking laughter when I heard him, but I held back as I didn’t want to ruin my image in front of Lord Xavier. “That being said, who is this?” Reuben eyed Liana with terse eyes.

“Ah! This, she is one of the little maids Queen mother gifted me. From now on, she shall be my personal maid-in-waiting.” I replied.

“Hmm, I see.” Reuben raised a brow but didn’t say much about it. “Your Highness, I will be departing to Galvolner with Lord Gilbert tonight. His Majesty had ordered me to introduce Fredurd to you and let me pass the news that you shall be starting your royal studies from tomorrow as per the command of Her Majesty, the Queen Dowager.”

My languid eyes almost popped out when I heard his words.

"What royal studies?” The word ‘Study’ was like a vengeful spirit that had haunted the past sixteen years of my life. School had always been the abbreviation of ‘Six-Cruel-Hours-Of-Our-Lives’ for me; and if you look hard enough, you’ll notice how they very conveniently put ‘Dying’ at the end of the word ‘STUDYING’. Hence now, when that same word was thrown at my face so abruptly like that, I could no longer keep my cool.

I felt Reuben’s weasel-like eyes becoming more weaselly as if he had discovered another way of tormenting me. “Your Highness cannot expect to take the reins of the imperial inner palace without proper preparations now, can you?”

His beautiful white teeth were so dazzling I wanted to hammer all of them off. “So, the Queen Dowager has graciously arranged an excellent tutor to guide Her Highness to brilliancy. Your Highness shouldn’t decline the benevolence of the Queen Dowager.”

“….. I see. I…. understand.” I muttered back with difficulty.

“I hope Your Highness will excel in her royal education without any hitches.” Yes, I could see the exultant glee dancing in his eyes. No! I could no longer take this assault. This was literal harassment!

“Lord Reuben, I see that you love to suck the fun out of people’s lives.” My hostile tone was evident in my voice.

“Oh dear, am I being accused of sins I’m not even aware I’ve committed?” I now realized that the most dangerous creature in this world…. was a smiling Reuben with wicked glittering eyes.

‘Lord! Please give me patience. Because, if you give me strength, I’ll need bail money too…. Wait! Do they bail you out here for money?’

My mind was processing many thoughts and I was in an overload mood when Lord Xavier intervened, “I do not think Her Highness meant any harm Lord Reuben. I can understand Her Highness’s anxieties as she is new to the palace and have so much in her plate. Please do not worry Sire, I shall do everything in my power to aid you in your cause. With me around, you need not be troubled about a thing.” His smile was much like a spring flower that had just bloomed. It was like the sun opened its eager light to shine about him, only brightening his perfectly aligned teeth. His smile was a ray of sunshine, and I was sunburned.

“(Ahem! Ahem!!!)” A harsh string of clearing of the throat broke the beautiful spell I was under and brought me back to my senses.

“If there is nothing more to discuss, we shall leave Your Highness be to get some rest.” The ever so flowery smile that hung onto Reuben’s lips somehow looked very twisted and threatening as his strident eyes skimmed over the few people that were in my room, silently cuing them to get lost.

All of them, even the generally ignorant Liana got the message and consequently retired from my room after a deferential bow.

“Remember to make His Majesty proud, Your Highness.” Reuben smiled some more like a cunning cheshire cat before leaving me to fuss about myself.

~•••••••••~

The night was one of those moonless nights, hence it was more of the eerie kind. The kind that made the castle grounds look like an old-fashioned photograph, only more smeared; everything a shade of dreary grey. The usually cultured and organized castle was in an unusual bustle.

Tonight, Reuben and lord Gilbert were leaving the castle for some said-important matters, hence the commotion. The Regalious imperial guards were in a hushed hurry while overseeing the event of the entire departure of His royal Highness, the mummy-king. I heard that this departure was to be kept a secret from the Queen Dowager and her eyeliners, but with all the hubbub these muscle-heads were making, I was unsure how they wanted to go about this secret venture.

Still, it was none of my business as I was not in charge of this assignment, my only task tonight was to ambush a particular prick to get some clarifications.

I tiptoed around the dark corners of the centuries old castle as I followed those royal guards to their master. Because I was unaware of Reuben’s whereabouts, my only option was to become a stalker in the dead of the night.

After a series of turns and twists, I finally pinpointed my prey. Reuben wore a thick mid-night blue robe which almost covered his entire frame. He was discussing something with Gilbert with a mild but serious expression. There weren’t lights in this era, and fire was the only source humans derived light from. So, under the flickering light of the fire, his facial features weren’t much visible, but from what I could see, he almost looked like a totally different person at this moment. He looked like he had shed his flippant skin and became a new serious version of himself.

I watched this little exchange from the shadows and waited for a chance to ambush him. Surprisingly so, I didn’t have to wait long for my aforesaid chance.

Reuben walked towards me…. I mean walked towards the place I was concealing myself in, without a care of the world. I do not know why he was approaching this way as both his carriage and his men were stranded on the opposite side, but I didn’t give much thought to it. I was just happy I got an opportunity to trap him as he casually sauntered towards me.

When he was inches away from me, I took my chance and swiftly grabbed hold of his arm to pull him towards me. But what I didn’t expect was the ice-cold touch of a sharp pointy steel to my delicate skinny neck.

In the blink of an eye, I was roughly pushed back and pinned to the nearest hard wall as a razor-sharp sword was pressed to my neck. I almost choked in shock by the sudden momentum of Reuben’s sword.

“Who are you and what is your motive?” An ice-like chilly voice spoke into my ears, a murderous aura sipping from his build, ready for the kill.

I think I almost stopped breathing in that very moment as beads of sweat bedecked my forehead. “I…I… F-Fake Lizzy, Fake Lizzy here!” I stammered in fear.

A second passed, and then two; then suddenly, Reuben pulled off my hood in a coarse manner and lit my torchlight directly into my fear-stricken face.

When he was assured that it was really me, he retracted his sword and let out a big audible sigh, “What in the Goddess’s name are you doing here, wife?”

I, in turn gave him a weak smile and said, “W-Well, I tried to get in touch with you but was unable to as you were so busy during the day. So I decided to come meet you at night before you left?”

He sighed all over again when he heard me, “How did you get past Fredurd?”

“Oh that? You know nature calls every human being, right? Little Fredurd was summoned by nature as well. He left a less competent subordinate to watch my door, and as such, TA-DAA!” I let out a gloating smile while gesturing to myself, “Honestly, I don’t really blame Fred, who’d even think that a delicate fair lady like myself could make an escape under such heavy watch. It’s just that, they underestimated me a tad bit much.”

He wordlessly narrowed his eyes at me and asked, “What did you do to the other guard?” And consequently, I strayed my eyes away from him in a guilty demeanour.

“Lizzy?” The way he took my name was very much like a reprimanding adult wanting to discipline his naughty child, “What did you do?”

“Ah! Haha… I might have used a itsy-bitsy pinch of slumber dust here and there?” I muttered back in a small sheepish tone, and as such, Reuben widened his eyes in a baffled stun.

“You did WHAT!!!” 

To be Continued........