POV: Lianne
Darkness surrounded me first before a soft glow of green light appeared before me.
“You look absolutely ethereal tonight, but you always have been and every day for that matter.”
I then heard a man’s voice say.
As if I was in a movie, suddenly my green surroundings shrunk into one ball of white light and everything came bursting out into view.
The music of the orchestra was the first thing that caught me, then I saw a massive hall with huge pillars standing mightily on each corner. The marble floor was finely polished, the ceilings were so high with exquisite chandeliers hanging, and there were silk decorative curtains on every balcony door.
I was in awe.
I looked to my left and saw Cain offering his hand. He was smiling quite dashingly on me. I accepted it and I smiled back.
Weird.
I don’t remember being this close to him.
We both descended to the grand marble staircase, my hand around his right arm. I could feel all of the guests feasting their eyes on me as the herald loudly announced.
“Welcome, General Cain of the House of Von Cavill and with the princess of Regaleria Kingdom, Princess Lianne.”
I felt my palm sweat in nervousness. Never had I experienced this kind of crude inspection before. The guests were looking at me like I was a white rose on a bouquet full of red roses.
We headed towards his table, but actually, more like a man-table as it was full of buffed up, bearded men. I began to feel nervous not only because I was around these men but also because of the atmosphere of the room itself. It felt so different. Like I was in a different timeline, but in a familiar area in the Since Mansion.
Wait. What did the herald just say a while ago? Did he just call me princess?
“Relax, Princess Lianne,” Cain whispered softly close to my ear just as we sat on our seats. This time, the title was quite clear, startling me.
I felt his hand clench my own under the table and beamed a sincere smile on my way. “I’m here. You don’t have to worry.”
His smile suddenly wore down when I saw a middle-aged man wearing a tuxedo suit, hastily walking towards our table. The man bowed down in front of us and then whispered something on Cain’s ear which immediately showed instant displeasure on his face.
“What’s the matter, Cain?” I asked curiously, but before he could reply, the man wearing the tuxedo suit offered his hand to me and said, “Your Highness, Princess Lianne… you are requested by King Garlow at his table.”
‘King Garlow?’ I asked to myself. Who is he?
Cain offered to escort me to the King’s table and as we walked there, I felt my pulse escalating drastically. I didn’t feel comfortable at all.
A surge of hatred, of anger, of sadness suddenly filled me when I came to stand in front of the King’s table.
I know this man from somewhere! I just couldn’t quite remember where, but I instantly feel apprehensive towards him.
Cain politely bowed in front of the King, but I didn’t.
“As always have been, you never fail to amuse me, Princess Lianne, ” the man wearing an overly adorned crown said. His voice was dark and rough, very commanding. He was sitting on a gilded throne, exuding great authority and power. It didn’t affect me one bit though, but my heart did leap when my eyes caught a certain face… a very familiar face.
Ruen’s gaze was upon me, a pair of brown-green eyes boring deeply into my soul. They were beautiful, but cold, almost with no emotion, but I saw one. I wasn’t quite sure though what it was. His intense stare kept me in a trance. I felt like we were the only ones in the grand hall. Me and him.
Without warning, a jolt of lightning appeared and then the scene I was in was stripped away and replaced with another. When I was able to discern where I was then, I realized this place wasn’t the grand hall anymore.
“I have been waiting for you for quite some time now, my Princess.”
A man in front of me said in the most lecherous of voice I heard in my entire life. He was sitting comfortably in a single sofa chair near a dressing mirror.
Upon seeing where I was, my head immediately screamed, ‘I know this place!’ This room looked exactly like my room in the Since Mansion.
“You’re trespassing! Why are you here?” I asked in anger.
He began to babble information that was all nonsense to me, advancing his way towards me like a predator ready to take its prey. He mentioned something about marriage — our marriage — and that it was already decided, that King Garlow wanted me to marry this old man.
They must be crazy.
Surely, he was joking, but with the way he was leeching on me, I couldn’t help but believe and worry.
“Who said I will become your wife?! Garlow doesn’t have any right to decide for me nor anyone for that matter! I am not his puppet!” I told him with glaring eyes.
He grinned wickedly at my remark and appeared as if he was unaffected with it.
“Ahh but Princess, unfortunately, when you’re in Garlow’s kingdom, you have no right to decide for yourself.”
My stomach lurched upon hearing it. I clenched my teeth and shook my head, angry and in denial of his words.
The scene jumped and the next thing I knew, the old man’s grossly unshaven face was already near my cheek. I tried to free myself but he intentionally jailed me in between his cane and the door frame of the bedroom.
“Let me go!” I commanded, but he just continued on advancing his face to me.
“Trust me, my future young wife. I will leave you only if you’ll grant me a good night’s kiss,” he said.
For an old man, he was surprisingly strong. I tried hard to push him back, but he just wouldn’t budge.
“Duke Conrad!”
Another male voice suddenly reverberated throughout the room. It held power and strength, and a familiarity that I couldn’t pass.
The old man hastily scrambled away from me, catching his feet to bow towards the receiving room.
“Didn’t you hear the princess’ plea? I am quite sure to think that she is unhappy with her present condition, ” my savior sternly stated.
Ruen.