Lucas Dow's POV
I was gripping my hands when I saw that the bastard prince was kissing Ari. Even though the princess said that she was Adonia, deep down I know she was Arianna Contos as I can tell from her eyes that she was pleased to see me that evening.
I was walking behind the prince now as we were leaving Ari's chamber situated right beside the prince's chamber. If he thinks that he will have a late-night visit, he was seriously mistaken.
I was taking a deep breath before the prince was regarding me as he turned to look at me before he went inside his chamber.
"Now, Adonis, I release you from your duty. You are free to go home," the bastard said as I was nodding at him. I might have gone away but I think the prince will need to hear my gratitude.
If I have any for him, that is.
"Thank you, my prince. Have a good rest," I said as I was bowing at him before he nodded and went inside his chamber. I was looking at the huge door that closed now as I was looking at the door that was 10 meters away from the prince's chamber.
Maybe I will go for a late-night visit for the princess after all.
I smiled before I was leaving the castle ground as the way that I came with the kind woman. I don't even know what her name but I will ask her after this. When I thought about that woman, suddenly I was being pulled into a courtyard as there were a fountain and a garden that was flowing in the courtyard.
"What are you doing?" The kind woman asked me as I was looking at her. I don't even know her name but I have been in debt to her for as long as I was in this past right now.
"What's your name?" I asked her as the kind woman was taken back for awhile. She blinked at me as I was looking at her.
"Why should I tell you?" She asked before I was smirking at her.
"So that I can call you your name, not some random girl," I said before she was blushing. I was smiling at her before she sighed.
"It's Andrea,"
"What a nice name,"
"No, it's a cursed name. I don't even know why my mother named me that name," she hissed at me as I was arching my eyebrow at her. Why would she say that? It was suited to her.
"Whatever. Anyway, where are you? I was looking for you before I was stumbling with the prince and I was promoted to be his guard. How insane can that be?" I said before Andrea was rolling her eyes at me.
"I was around. I have…stuff that I need to do around the castle. I am not here to babysit you," Andrea said as I was looking at her. She was pissed but I think I don't ever see her be so upset before.
"What is it?" I asked her as she turned sharply at me. She arched her eyebrows at me.
"What do you mean?" She asked as I was shaking my head.
"I know you. You're not usually this angry. So what changed?" I asked before she scoffed at me. She was crossing her arms at me before she was regarding at me.
"Nothing, I was worried that you might be killed by the men that were in the palace. Believe me when I said they are savage,"
"That's a harsh thing to say. I am wounded," I said as I was putting my hand on my chest. Andrea rolled her eyes at my dramatics.
"Whatever. Let's go. I think we have enough time of the day spending it in the castle. I don't want to be here at night as well," she said as I was arching my eyebrow.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't have a shift at night. I was a day maid so my work ended when the night was dark," she said before I was following her out of the courtyard. I don't know where I was but I have to ask if my hunch was real.
It has to be.
"Say, have you met the princess before?" I asked Andrea as she was turning to look at me.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, does she wear something bizarre, like the clothing that I used to wear before this?" I asked as I was showing my toga. Andrea nodded at me.
"Yeah, she was wearing black clothing that split her legs into two and the tunic was gold. Even though it was not a tunic, if my eyes were right," Andrea said as I was nodding at her.
"I see," I replied after she explained.
"Why do you ask?" Andrea asked me as I was smiling at her. I cannot say that Princess Adonia was not a princess but a fraud.
"Nothing, I was just confirming something on my mind. Thank you for the information, you can go on without me," I said as I was waving at her. She was calling after me but I was running away from her right now.
And I don't think I can wait any longer to confront the Woman in Gold in person and her real identity like my hunch said:
Arianna Contos IS the Woman in Gold.
Arianna Contos' POV
After Julian and Lucas went out of the chamber, I was searching for something that I can wear besides the stola and the wig and the tunic. I think I wanted pants but I don't think that it would be invented just yet.
I was searching high and low of the dressing room for something that was resembling the pants in the modern world. But of course, I was not having it. I don't think I can do my elusive work if I was wearing a stola.
A deep purple shade at that.
I sighed as I was sitting on the floor of the dressing room before I felt something was coming inside the room. Being a thief made me a sensitive person to their surroundings. And right now, I know there was another person in my chamber.
"Who is it? I know you're there,'' I said as I was looking around for some weapon to defend myself. Why did I let the maids took my clothing when I know there must be something useful for me to use in there?
Then, I decided that I will use the glass that acted as a mirror as my defense system.
"Show yourself," I said before something moved in the shadows. I was looking around before footsteps were coming at me.
"Hello, Ari," Lucas said as I was looking at his face, his expression was unreadable and I know that he was not happy to see me right now.
"Who is this Ari?" I lied as I wanted to get out of here before anything can happen and since I was playing the role of the Prince's fiancée, why not use it to my advantage?
"What are you doing in my chamber? Get out before I scream," I said as I was holding the glass tight to myself. I was looking at Lucas with a stoic face when I know that I wanted to hug him and kiss the shit out of him.
To forget this horrible predicament of us.
Lucas scoffed at me before he was crossing his hands at me. I was looking at him before he was arching his eyebrow at me.
"Really? You're not Arianna Contos, the woman that I have known for days now and might have developed some feelings for her?" Lucas said as my heart was beating.
Was he confessing to me right now?
No, I must be dreaming. I cannot let this man that was looking a lot bit like Lucas deluded me that I was seeing him. And he was here with me, in this unknown land.
"Someone told me that your original clothing was weird. Like black pants and gold shirt. Say, I think pants were not yet invented," he said as his silver eyes were staring at me.
"I wonder how they get here?" He asked me before he was coming closer to me. I was holding the glass in front of me before I was panicking.
"Do not come closer! I'm warning you," I said as I was holding the glass tight. The man was smirking at me as he was coming closer again.
"What will you do about it?" He asked as he was striding toward me. I was in full panic mode now.
"I will scream—" the sentence was cut off when the man that looked like Lucas was throwing the glass aside as it shattered to the floor and he was pulling me to kiss me. I was struggling at first but when the butterflies were flying inside my stomach, I know who he was.
He was indeed Lucas Dow, my sworn enemy.
We were kissing the shit out of each other as I was wounding my hands behind his neck and pulled him closer as Lucas was tracing his tongue on my lower lips. I moaned before he was plunging his tongue inside me, tasting me. I tasted him as well.
Peppermint, just like I remembered.
After a few times, we broke the kiss as Lucas was putting his forehead to mine. He was breathing heavily before his silver eyes were looking at me.
"Now, you have a lot of explanation to do, Ari," he said in his husky voice that made my knees turned to jelly. And I think I wanted to hear it all night long.