“How dare you look into my eyes,” Nneka roared, as Evans entered the scene.
Aurora faced downward as she heard the footsteps of Evans approaching, and uttered slowly, “I’m sorry my queen,”
Without asking anyone, Evans found the atmosphere suspicious, but he discharged the thought and led Aurora out of the dungeon.
After a few minutes of walking, Evans halted after he was sure, there was no one trailing after them. He looked around to confirm if there was no third party, he sighed deeply, turned, and faced Aurora who was lost absentmindedly.
“The king wants the strange girl with the mask,” Evans said silently, not wanting a third ear to hear it.
He expected her to reply or show any form of expression, but when none happened, he looked into her eyes wanting to know why she didn’t respond, her mind was far away, but her body was present, and her spirit had traveled far away.
Gently he touched her. Aurora jumped and said in a loud voice.
”What?” Forgetting she wasn’t alone.
“What are you thinking so deeply?” Evans asked irritatedly.
“Nothing,” she replied hurriedly.
“Okay, I hope I won’t have to repeat myself,” Aurora interrupted him.
“You won’t”
“The king wants the strange girl, he wants the girl with the mask to come and meet him, where they hung around the last time,” He intentionally said, in a coding tone, everything he was doing with the strange girl was a deadly mission, the king mustn’t find out if he did, is a death suicidal.
He has played with fire, the first days he allowed Aurora to pretend as someone else, but now he has to continue lying just to keep his head intact.
He can’t back out, and neither, Aurora can’t either.
Aurora nodded her head, she just couldn’t find the right word to say already, but after a few seconds, her throat got opened and words brushed out of her lips.
“Why again?”
“Did you expect me to ask that question from the king, the reason he wants you, moreover please note your name in the king’s presence…, Shastina,” Evans elongated the name repeatedly.
“Okay,” Aurora replied slightly.
Evans turned his back and was about to take his first step, but a reminder struck his mind, and he turned again.
“The king wants you to wear a long dress, ’cause of the cold,” He said and walked away.
Different thoughts ran through Aurora’s mind before she summoned courage and took her footsteps to the maid’s quarter to dress up.
It was late, and the maids would be sleeping by now.
But she was a bit relieved because of the fact, she tiptoed into the room-trying to crawl her way to where her luggage was rooms given to the maids were few, so they divided them between them.
Ten maids shared a room, but Aurora and Shastina fall into the same room.
After searching through her clothes, her hand landed on clothes, and she brought out her mask, and the fragrance Morena gave her, she walked into the bathroom and changed the maid clothes on her body.
Afterward, she came out looking good, her beauty still radiates, even under the mask.
She tiptoed out of the room, and about to close the door behind her, Shastina held the door, and both shared a gaze.
“Where are you going looking like this?” She asked her, though she knows about her secret, Aurora was blind to it.
“Is not your concern or business, we have nothing in common, please keep in mind who I’m” She spoke in a commanding tone.
She is her Princess, back in Gigal, she was the princess everyone adored and respected, back there she wouldn’t dare look into her face, if not for fate.
“I’m sorry Pr ii iii n c e s,” she stretched the word in disgust, she gave her a disdainful glance, then she released the door and walked away.
Shastina was furious because Aurora still seen herself as a princess, she didn’t know why, but she wanted her to begin to see herself on the same level as her.
The royal’s blood might be running through her veins, but still, she is an assassin just like her.
She killed to protect her community, while she killed to protect her family, we aren’t different.
Hurting her here is the best revenge on her father, but she just can’t, she sees her as a victim like her, and hurting queen Nneka will be the best revenge. Shastina thought.
**********
Getting to the side where they hung around the last time, Aurora looked forward as she halted, she saw the king who crossed her both hands on her back, watching the light flies on the trees- as they were making giggle sounds.
Aurora has always loved watching night flies since she was small, she always slithered out of the palace at night to watch, whenever her heart was heavy due to the constant abuse from her sister and her stepmother, back then in the Gigal community in her teens days.
Seeing the king watching it, remind her how long she had watched it last, moreover, it makes it more alluring to behold, seeing the king watching.
She intensified and walked towards the king, when it remained two-foot steps to reach the king, she…
“Ahem,” she cleared her throat to notify the king of her presence.
Malik looked back, and let out a smile, the smile was so real, that made Aurora blushed and was delighted. Seeing the old self of the king, she has been longing to see him again.
She remained on the spot, staring at the king’s eyes under her mask. She didn’t need to remove the mask before the king will know she was staring at his face.
The king closed the two-step distance between them, and he held her hand. The touch of the king sent chills down Aurora’s, electricity ran through her body, and she bites her lips, without the king’s notice.
“Is your king that handsome tonight?” Came out of the king’s mouth jokingly.