Alrossia and Lyan gawked over a soldier near the garden. This certain palace guard caught the attention of the two ladies as they had seen him bathing in the river the day before.
He was glorious.
"Look! Look!" Lyan pulled Alrossia's hair. Alrossia immediately looked at the palace guard. "He's making his rounds on the left-wing! We should go greet him!"
Alrossia and Lyan squealed like fangirls as they tiptoed their way towards the left-wing.
"Alright Roshie, today our suffering is going to end."
"Finally we will be able to ask his name."
"And maybe even where he lives."
Lyan and Alrossia jumped up and down like children, crushing over a common palace guard.
They stayed behind the corner. Their plan was to push each other and have Lyan bump into him.
When they heard footsteps, they immediately commenced their plans.
"Alright let's go."
Alrossia ran around carelessly around the corner. Lyan pretends to chase her around. Suddenly, Alrossia gently pushes her into the walking figure. Lyan then pretends to fall down and raise her head at the palace guard.
Or not.
Standing before her was the cold and bossy, Captain Kreed Kavor. He glares at Lyan and she immediately rolled her eyes.
"I see you are having fun, Lyan."
"Whatever, Kreed. Just get lost. You're ruining our plans."
"Whatever your plans are, I'm sure they will fail." he looks at Alrossia. "Suit yourself. Lord Chisthalmagne would like to see you."
"But I have not yet bathed, Captain—"
"Then what are both lazying around for? Get. Prepared."
Lyan rolled her eyes and stood her. She dusted off her long skirt and dragged Alrossia away. "Ugh, that bossy weirdo. I cannot stand him!"
"The Captain really hates us, huh?"
"He sure does. Let's get you cleaned up."
Lyan gently held Alrossia's wrist and brought her to the servant's bathrooms. She then started bathing her friend.
"Lyan, I can do it."
"I know those cuffs are troubling you." she said, while splashing her with a pail of lukewarm water.
"He put them on me after I went out. Darn, I was even so close!"
"You know him. He would send off every guard out there to look for you if you suddenly disappeared without a trace."
Alrossia played with the bubbles she made with the soap. "He treats me like an object."
"He treats everybody like objects." she corrected her. "But at least, we were given salaries."
"Good for you." Alrossia whined. "I wish my salary was freedom."
"It's too early in the morning, why would he want to see you this early?"
"I don't know." she sinks herself into the water.
"Lord Chisthalmagne is really unpredictable." Lyan grabbed a new pail of water and added it to her tub. "Can you imagine? He returned two weeks before his due arrival after the war. Did it end that early?"
"Maybe it did." Alrossia answered. "He seemed to be very skillful. He threatened me once that he would silence a whole village with his own two hands."
"Jesus." Lyan said out of expression. "How cruel."
"I wonder what his heart is made out of?"
"Stone?"
"Diamond." she mumbles under her breath. "He is beautiful and impossible to break."
"Truly." Lyan agrees. "Lord Chisthalmagne is every woman's inner desire. Gosh, just a look from her make me shiver!" Lyan then looked at Alrossia. "How do you survive his gaze?"
"I can't." she smiled. "I look away."
"Makes sense. So not even you would dare look at him straight in the eye, huh."
"I did a few times, and every time I did, I felt like I was gonna die."
"Truly." she gave Alrossia a shoulder pat. "Don't worry. Lord Chisthalmagne would probably get married in the future. The sooner he does, and the sooner he discards us, the better it is. I can't wait to just bail out of here. This palace is dead."
Alrossia pondered a thought.
"Hmmm... Will Lord Chisthalmagne even ever manage to find a bride?"
"He probably is betrothed to someone noble by now. He is 25. He is at the right age. I just don't hope that he ends up becoming unfaithful like the late King."
Alrossia pinched her. "You're too loud. Captain Kavor could be outside."
"Alright, I'll shush."
"Tell me more."
Lyan chuckled and whispered. "There is a rumor that King Siberion had many paramours. And when Lord Leonardi was born he resembled every woman the King had slept with. It was like a nightmare for him to have a child that encompasses his adultery."
Alrossia listened more. "And then?"
"Well it was also rumored that Queen Leona had another child."
Alrossia stood up from the tub and dried her body with a towel. "What do you mean?"
"Basically what I'm saying is that their family is nuts.
" But they are just rumors, right?"
"Who knows? Even the resemble rumor turned out to be real."
"This will really get you killed, Lyan. You should be careful."
"I know. I know."
When Alrossia was finished, Lyan combed her hair gently while facing a cracked mirror.
"You're really pretty Alrossia, did nobody ask for your hand when you were outside?"
Alrossia sighed in disappointment. "No one."
"What's your type?"
Alrossia chuckled. "Someone caring."
"I thought you liked cold guys?"
"I know where you are going at, Lyan!"
Lyan chuckled harder. "Okay, okay, you got me!"
"I did say that, but now I'm liking them less and less."
Lyan tightened her cuffs. "Cold people are cool. They're kinda hot."
She laughed daintily. "But what's to love of a heartless man?"