Olivia wanted to take her time going back to her seat. She took her time flipping the glass over. And she poured the water very slowly. She had just finished pouring the water, and began to grab the glass when a hand reached from behind her and grabbed the glass. She turned to see the King standing very close to her drinking the water she just poured.
She was stuck between him and the table. She could not step back to get him out of her personal bubble. He drank slowly, and he drank it all. He kept her there blocking any escape she might want to make with his body.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye while he drank. He could see that she was nervous, but trying to hide that she was. He had walked in while she was fiddling with the glass. Then he saw her deliberately pour the water very slowly. He guessed she was avoiding sitting down. He walked right up behind her as she poured, and when she was done, he took the cup.
She did not know that this was royal tradition. This was a special water that was blessed by Volim, the god of Love.
He poured more water into the cup. "I stole your water," he said in a low voice. "Drink." He gently put the cup to her lips.
She was so nervous that she grabbed the cup and drank. She drank about half when King Adarian leaned in close to her ear. "Finish it," he demanded.
Olivia blushed from his close proximity and nodded. She finished the glass thinking if she did he would back off a bit. He took the cup from her, placed it on the table, and stepped back. Now though she didn't know it, in the eyes of Volim, they were married. This nuptial cup could only be used once. He had not used it with Rosamund, and he had not used it with Graciella. Normally he would wait until they had been married officially for 5 years before he would have used the nuptial waters, but he knew deep down this would be his last marriage.
He even felt as though the god of Love was looking in his book smiling, seeing Adarian's name finally show up.
Even if Olivia did turn out to be a villainess, he would keep her as his wife. He would devote himself to her. He felt like he already knew her from her diary anyway. He did not think she could be a villainess. But he did want her to become stronger. She should become an evil woman to both Graciella and Oscar.
He grabbed her hand and led her to the sofa. "Please sit," He wanted to treat her gently from now on. Her death in his past life was on him. He believed the initial evidence and moved quickly.
He was certain that if she had come back in time like he had, then she knew it was his fault she died in his last life. He didn't know if she blamed him for it. But she did seem very nervous around him. What he didn't know was that Olivia was not used to positive attention from just about anyone, let alone the opposite sex. The more he tried to ease her nerves, the nicer he was to her.
As he led her to the large sofa, Olivia noticed the driver was no longer in the room. This caused her to be even more nervous, because 'WTF! Why is he acting like this?' was all she could think. 'What is he plotting? Why wasn't I taken to the convent? Was this why the driver was switched? I really need to calm down!' She could feel her chest was heavy, and she was trying to make her breathing come out even because she was being watched. She was having some serious anxiety right now. She didn't want it to seem like she had something to be nervous over, but the sheer terror she was thinking up was showing anyway.
"Do I scare you?" King Adarian asked as he sat right next to her. He found himself wanting to tease her.
'Yes! WTH! Of course you scare me. All you gotta do is say off with her head like the red queen, and I'm done for.' She shook her head no. She was too scared to say the truth. What if the truth offended him? There was enough space for there to be another two people on the other side of him. 'Does he have a distance problem?'
He smiled at her like a cat that caught a mouse. His grin did something to make her stomach flip flop. "If I don't scare you then sit on my lap like when we first met."
Olivia's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, "That's improper!"
"Why is it improper?" he leaned closer to her and she leaned back to get farther away from him, not noticing it was a trap. He leaned closer, "well?" She couldn't go any further, she had already gone as far back as she could.
"I... It just is!" Why did this man never talk sense? He must have something planned right? She knew from the novel that he had only taken her to his room before to spite Oscar. What was the reason now? She was sure the rumors that she was not engaged to Oscar had already gone around. It had already been two days since the engagement was annulled. He would know about it right? "I'm meant to be somewhere. I really shouldn't be here. Also It's improper for me to be unchaperoned in your room." She had studied the carpet when she said it.
"You aren't unchaperoned," He said, maintaining this closeness to her. He was enjoying her reactions. How had he not noticed them before. This girl was really cute.
"What?" she turned to him abruptly, almost touching his face with hers. She couldn't back away.
"You're too close!" She put her arms up and her hands touched his chest to push him.
"Am I?" He asked, not moving away.
"Yes, you are," Finally she managed to push him. Once she did she stood up. She knew standing while the king was sitting was something she could be punished for, but she didn't care at this moment. What was with this man? He was what 24? He knew better than to act this way by now, didn't he? Was this what a man "coming on to you" felt like? It wasn't any use for him to try anyway. She physically couldn't do it. Her doctors had told her she might die from working her body in that way! Wait, that was the body of Olivia Carter. She was now Olivia Praxis. Getting used to this was going to take some time.
Olivia resorted to using her best customer service voice, "this is highly inappropriate your majesty. There are already bad rumors going around and I-"
"Rumors?" He interrupted. "What rumors?"
Olivia felt heat rise to her face again. "Th- the rumors that...that I...that-"
"That you seduced me?" He finished. Olivia nodded and looked away.
"Oh." Adarian watched her waiting for her reaction as he said, "I fixed those."
She scrunched up her face and tilted her head confused, "Fixed them?"
"I fixed the rumors." He stood and began to walk toward her. " You were drunk and I wanted to sabotage my cousin's wedding. So I made it look like you seduced me, but I was going to approach you either way."
"-You" Olivia had no words for this shameless man. 'This was not in the Diary or the novel! What's going on?'
Something had changed since she chose to go to the Convent instead of marrying Oscar.
Perhaps the Diary has changed too now. She hadn't had a chance to look at it again since she was rushed out of the house. It was still in the legs of her pantaloons. She felt like it was getting heavier as she thought about it. She suddenly felt like she couldn't move. If she moved would it fall out? She couldn't have it fall out here! She stayed still as he approached her.
Adarian had expected her to move back like she had been doing. But now she seemed to be standing her ground. What a strange girl. She could make him curious with such tiny actions. What would she do next?
He was standing right in front of her now, and she still hadn't moved away from him.
"What do you mean we aren't unchaperoned?" Violetta remembered this, because he seemed to be trying to distract her when he said it. He had gotten way too close. There was no way he didn't have some sort of motive.
"You're here in this room with your Fiancé," He explained like it was obvious. "Of course you aren't unchaperoned."
Olivia looked around the room. There was no one there. "What do you mean?" she asked him, not understanding at all.
"Do you see anyone else in the room?" He smirked. This girl was silly.
She looked at him like there was something wrong with his brain. "I'm not engaged to anyone. It was annulled."
His smirk turned to a smile. "You're engaged to me."
"Prove it!" The words were out of her mouth before she could hold them back. This man was really being too much lying about such an easily proven thing.
"Aright," he said. He walked closer to her, she didn't know what he was going to do, but then he walked past her and went to a secret compartment behind a painting.
'Wait don't show me something like your secret safe! I can't know about this!' She turned and closed her eyes, trying to pretend she didn't see it.
"Look at this," he said from behind her. She had to turn to look. The secret compartment was still opened. But this wasn't what caught her attention. In his hands was an engagement agreement. She took it from him and looked at it. Her name. His Name. The agreement was sealed by an Officiator. It was real.