It seemed that Lianne’s words deeply affected the prince as he had not said another word to her as the evening got older.
They both only sat on their seats silently and just observing the party throughout the night.
When it was an hour past midnight, the guests one by one said their goodbyes and left the mansion along with Lord Cain and the other generals.
King Garlow had also left too leaving Ruen and the princess alone in the royal table.
The Duke was nowhere in sight and was thought to exit the mansion earlier.
Considering that fact, Lianne began to doubt the prince’s words. She therefore concluded that it was really one of Ruen’s games of keeping her for his pleasure. There had been no advances during the ball from the Duke and that she had not received any summons from him to dance either.
“Let me escort you to your room,” the prince suggested when he noticed her shifting in her seat, trying to stand up. He touched her bare shoulder and squeezed the skin there; his only way so she wouldn’t ignore him.
And it worked.
Lianne gave him a scalding look and answered, “No, that won’t be necessary,” and quickly stood up, jerking her shoulder away from his reach.
Ruen managed to stop her again by firmly gripping her elbow, not wanting to be denied by his request, but Lianne’s patience reached its height in the process.
“Isn’t this already enough?! You have already won! Why can’t you leave me alone!” She glared at him and clenched her teeth.
“I don’t understand what you mean, Lianne,” he answered, genuinely clueless, his brows rising in confusion.
“Huh!” Lianne cocked her head up and snorted. “You convinced me to stay all throughout the ball. I even contained myself on this table the whole time all because of your stupid reason! Why can’t you just stop this nonsense? The ball is over. The Duke is gone and let’s face it, you are just making up a story!”
Her voice was harsh, like acid pouring on his skin, but he showed no concern about it.
She yanked her arm away and successfully she did. How could he have played her out again, and how could she deliberately fell on his trap yet again?!
Ruen didn’t respond. He somehow knew she’d doubt him, but despite this, he was satisfied to see her safe and that nothing uneventful happened during the ball with her and the Duke. He wanted to speak his mind out, but before he could say anything, a certain female voice came out in their midst.
“Your Highness! There you are!” Lady Kathrine, as quick as a mouse and as excited as a parrot, ascended the slim stairs to the royal table.
It wasn’t known if she had noticed the two royal’s argument, but she definitely had done well in interrupting them if she knew.
She gave out a haughty grin when she saw the princess hurriedly walk out of the table, and out of their presence. Now, she could have the prince all to herself.
Lianne could still hear Ruen’s voice calling her name as she took flight, gently wiping a rogue tear falling from her eye.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she walked out of the grand hall’s main door never looking back to where Ruen and Lady Kathrine stood bemused.
She didn’t care a thing if there were other guests on her way nor the servants looking at her with interrogating eyes. All she cared to do now was to be in her room and to strip the gown Ruen had given off of her body.
“Princess Lianne!”
But then she heard an older voice of a woman as she descended the stairs to the servant hall.
There, at the foot of the east grand stairs, was Lady Faye standing composed with her hands clasping together resting on her abdomen. She looked as if pleased and assured by something unknown to the princess.
The Head Servant smiled as they met halfway in the foyer.
Though Lianne was able to calm herself down, Lady Faye, however, saw the distress in her eyes but opted not to ask about it.
“You are going to your room?” Lady Faye inquired.
“Uh, yes, Lady Faye, I am,” the princess replied softly. “Why? Is there something you need of me?”
The old woman smiled and began to place her palm on Lianne’s shoulder and said, “Come with me to your new room.”
Lianne’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”
“You don’t belong in the servant’s quarters anymore my dear. You are to stay on the second floor of the mansion, in one of the east wing’s chambers,” the Head Servant explained.
“But, I don’t understand,” Lianne expressed, highly concerned by the sudden change.
Lady Faye continued to give her a sweet smile, looking hopeful on the progress of the events. “Just follow me.”
The princess followed the old woman as she climbed up the stairs to the second floor.
Once there, they entered one of the first halls of the east wing where Lianne’s new room was located.
The whole time they managed the hallway, Lianne couldn’t take her mind off the big question: Why was she relocated to a new room?
“I took the liberty of transferring all your belongings to the chamber while the ball was still in progress. I hope you wouldn’t mind,” Lady Faye stated and then pointed to a certain delicately carved brass door a few meters away from them. “There. That is your chamber.”
Lianne looked at the brass door, feeling nervous and unsure.
“But, there must be some mistake. I don’t think I am supposed to settle in this new chamber, Lady Faye,” she voiced out her concern but she was also in awe when the main door of her chamber was opened.
“Oh my God.”
“Here you are,” the Head Servant said, smiling from ear to ear. “I am given specific orders to situate you in your chamber, Princess. But, all the while, a room such as this should have been yours in the first place.”
The princess stepped inside and it was when she saw the elegance and class of the place that she appreciated it more.
The room was truly grand. The walls were white and it was painted with pink buds and flowers. The ceiling was perfectly decorated with gold pieces of wiring and a gilded iron chandelier at its center. Below it was a white sofa set with red and gold cushions with ruffles on its sides. There was a glass table directly below the chandelier and parallel to the table, three meters across, was a marble-stoned fireplace with a gilded iron railing on its front. The coal was already producing fire having been prepared ahead of time by Lady Faye and the other servants.
Opposite to the main door, across the length of the receiving room, was a french door that when opened revealed one of the mansion’s marbled terrace. She saw the curtains mostly of white silk, embroidered with metallic threads of blue and red. She also didn’t miss seeing the porcelain vases with fresh pink roses in each corner of the room.
Though enamored by its beauty, the sight of the place didn’t surprise the princess. She had already determined that all of the rooms in the mansion were a wonder to behold, something to augment the King’s reputation on.
However, there was a foreboding feeling inside her that made her feel scared. Such a beauty surely had a price.
Lady Faye noticed the look on her face and began to speak to enlighten her of the change. “I am honestly happy of your transfer here, my dear. This room is truly fit for a princess like you. I hope that you would not feel ill of this room, although you already know who situated you here.”
“I cannot hide it to you, Lady Faye,” Lianne replied while she walked past the sofa chair into the fireplace of the room. “I am certainly worried about this change. I don’t know if I can accept this development. It would seem as though I will be indebted to that man if I were to accept this room. There certainly must be an exchange for this.”
There was worry in her eyes as she stared at the dancing flames on the hearth.
“Would you throw your hatred away for the King just for this time?” Lady Faye regarded in worry. “Think about your welfare too my dear. I did once told you that by joining parties in this kingdom that your circumstances might change for the better. Isn’t this already a good development?”
“It will only be a matter of time. The truth will soon come out. I’m sure he has plans for me and those wouldn’t be good. I’m sure of it,” Lianne stated, a cold chill raced along her spine just thinking about the future.
She turned back to face the center area of the receiving room. She surveyed the place again. There certainly was a different atmosphere surrounding the room than the one she had used in the servant’s quarters.
It was then that she noticed another door to the right of the room, adjacent to the figurine shelf bolted against the wall.
She thought it was the door to her new bedroom.
Lady Faye gazed at her, observing how she absentmindedly stared at the bedroom door.
Smiling, the Head Servant slowly lifted her hand and gestured the princess to open the door.
“Why don’t you open it?”
Lianne was hesitant at first, but she did so anyway. If this would be her new room, she should at least see to it that her bedroom was something that can be her solace.
She twisted the gilded knob opening the room to reveal the area darkly-lit.
The light from the moon outside had softly gleamed the edges of the tinted French door. It was half-open though and the breeze outside managed to enter the bed chamber causing the white voile embroidered curtain to lightly float.
The Head Servant, having located the switch of the crystal chandelier of the bedroom, switched it on for the princess to have a better view of the room.
However, just as the light of the chandelier flickered; without delay, Lianne caught her breath upon seeing the one man she didn’t expect would be waiting inside her bed chamber.