--Eleanora POV--
I didn't say anything for the next few minutes as Beatrice brushed through my hair, it was silent except for my quiet humming as I fiddled around with the fabric of my new dress. It felt nice to wear something different after so long, although it didn't feel very long to me.
"You have a beautiful voice," Her words halted my humming and I blushed.
"Thank you. Selene used to always hum too, when she wasn't in a foul mood and I guess I picked it up from her," I really missed her along with everyone else but I guess I have to get used to the fact that I was alone.
No matter how many days or years pass by though, I don't think I'll ever get over it.
"I'm just asking this out of curiosity... but does the sword in which you reside, perhaps have a name?" She asked. There's a question that I never thought I would hear.
"Why would I give a name to my prison?" I said, looking up to glare at my reflection before turning my head back down to look at my lap.
"Ah, I apologise," She went back to tying my hair until it was done. Half of it was tied up and the other half was left open and cascading down my back in blonde waves, I've never had this kind of hairstyle before, it was always a bun, ponytail, or simply left open. It's a nice change.
"Thank you," I stood up from my seat and smiled in appreciation at her and she nodded her head, a small smile on her own face.
Beatrice led me to the office where Vince was apparently waiting for me and I knocked on the door, putting my hand on the handle after I heard a stern "Enter," from Vince.
Before I stepped into the room though, I paused and turned my head back to smile at the head maid who sent me a questioning look.
"Achilles," I said.
"Pardon?"
"You asked me what the swords name was. It's Achilles," I answered her question.
"What does that mean?"
"Pain,"
Her eyes slightly widened in surprise since it wasn't a name with a meaning that she was probably expecting. I would never admit this aloud but I worked hard to find a name that would suit the sword and Achilles was perfect.
"It suits us. Pain is the first thing that bound me to the sword... I hate that sword with a passion unheard of. If it were a real living person then I'm certain I would have killed it a thousand times over... But I can't do that,"
Beatrice patted my shoulder and I liked to believe that it wasn't pitying.
"Pain is all that is left with me and eventually, it will become me," With that, I turned and walked into the room, closing the door behind me.
"Is everything okay?" I asked when I saw Vince leaning back on the chair behind his desk and simply staring at me intently.
"Achilles. It suits it," Damn it. I should've told her before I opened the door to the office or maybe even while she was still doing my hair, far away from here.
Oh well. It's nothing to be secretive about.
"I want to apologise," I changed the subject, going forward to stand opposite him and he nodded at me to explain.
"I shouldn't have judged your kingship, it wasn't my place to do so and for that, I apologise," I genuinely said, tilting my head down in shame.
I heard shuffling and looked up to see him get off his chair, walk around the oak desk until he was directly stood beside me.
"What will you do?" He smirked. Beatrice was right, he does smirk a lot.
"I don't understand," I raised a brow.
"You said you're sorry. How will you apologise to me?" Yes, times have certainly changed a lot.
"What would you like me to do?" I asked.
"Will you do anything?" His smirk widened and an unsettled feeling rested on my chest.
"It would depend on what ′anything' is?" I pushed.
"Then..." He took a step closer to me and I tilted my head further back to keep our gazes locked, his hands sat behind his back and the smirk on his face didn't look like it was going anywhere.
I had a bad feeling about this.
"Kiss me,"
I hiccuped, almost stumbling and falling back onto my bottom if it weren't for Vince and his quick reflexes. His hand shot out from behind him to wrap around my waist and pull me up.
"K-Kiss?" I stuttered with a red face, shocked and not having expected that.
"Yes," He smirked, leaning down towards my face and I quickly turned it away and he rested his chin on my shoulder, chuckling into my ear and causing goosebumps to erupt on my skin.
"You don't want to?" He teased.
"It's not that..." I pushed lightly against his shoulders but he was unwilling to let the air pass through us and I gave in with a huff, simply fisting his shirt into my palms.
"If you want," I eventually said and he went rigid for a second before moving back and looking down at me, confusion clear on his face and I didn't understand why since he's the one that suggested this in the first place.
"But I'm going to warn you that I've never kissed anyone before. I've only ever kissed people on the cheeks before and it was mostly just my father," I said now so he wouldn't regret it later and he seemed really shocked at this.
I'm not surprised. I've been alive for 409 years and have yet to kiss anyone, pitiful.
Suddenly, he burst into laugher and I was left staring at him oddly.
Beatrice was right, he's really weird.
I was itching to ask him if he was okay but I knew the answer was going to be no so I decided to just keep my mouth shut instead of wasting my breath.
"You really are weird," He smiled at me, standing up to his full height and ruffling my hair. Excuse me? I'm the weird one?
This is offensive.
"I was just joking about the kiss. I'm not that kind of man," I raised an unbelieving brown in question and he coughed.
"Let me rephrase that... I'm not that kind of man towards you," I glared at him, offended for some reason but continued not to say anything.
"Anyways... I forgive you,"
Right, I almost forget. This whole nonsense started with me apologizing to him.
"Now... Let's get to work," The smile was gone and the smirk was back on his face.
"Work?" I echoed and he nodded.
"To find my scumbag of a grandfather,"
...