The week passed by quickly, and in those days, Ely was allowed to roam around the palace, but with the presence of maidservants and female palace guards. During her tour, it occurred to her that currently, she seemed to be living in a different world.
She was given her own bedroom, which was just the opposite room from the King's chamber. The life in the palace was simpler than she thought, besides, the only person from the royal family who was living there was King Maro, and there was nobody to bug her. It was quite peaceful, as he did not force her to learn palace etiquettes unlike the female leads in the royal romance dramas she had been watching back in her world.
Ely had been spending her breakfast with the King every morning before he proceeded to assembly meetings with the Ministers or the Clan Leaders. She heard from the maids that they were looking for the lost magical royal artifacts and the hidden temple, and it kept King Maro busy. Without anything to do, she spent her time peeking at the royal troupe in a large hall to watch them as they practiced singing, dancing, and using the lute. She never announced her presence though, as she did not want to disturb them. After being satisfied by watching two or three song and dance performances, she would leave immediately.
Whenever the sun would rise to the very top, the maids would serve her a cart of seafood delicacies and salads. She would leave out the shrimp dishes because her husband Adam was not around to take out the shrimp meat, and remembering him only made her lonely. After observing that it was the only type of dish she was leaving out, the culinarian stopped serving her shrimp. He reported it to the physician, as well as the King, because he had ordered that everything about Ely must be disclosed to him. Ely never said the reason though; everyone assumed that she was either allergic to it or she just disliked it.
For dinner time, the King was not always available due to the pile of documents that he needed to read and sign. But whenever he would spend dinner with her, he would ask her what she did that day. Ely would tell him everything she did, and she was careful not to mention that she was missing her home to prevent him from being upset.
The King was kind to her, but not to other people. He was patient to her, but not to his subjects. Sometimes she felt that he was spoiling her too much, and she was afraid that she would forget that she was just a foreigner, an outsider who came to their world against her own volition. She could see the reactions of the servants and guards whenever she calls him "Maro", and whenever he would call her "Ely". Even though she tried not to mind it, she couldn't help but explain that they were just friends. But of course, they did not believe her. One day, she was a prisoner, and then she quickly became the King's friend after the day of her interrogation? How would that be possible? Of course, how would Ely tell them that the King might have fallen for her at first sight because of her elegance and beauty? It would sound like she was too arrogant, so she dropped the idea of explaining it to them.
Rumors about her spread all throughout the nation, reaching even the deepest parts of the forests. But just like the nature of rumors, it was not all true. Some thought that the King had already proposed to her, some thought that she was a goddess who descended from the skies, and some thought that she seduced him with a magic spell from a royal artifact. There were many versions of the news about her, but none of them were right!
…
Finally, the night of the second prince's birthday feast came. The couturier, who was assigned to be in charge of Ely's dress for the event, opened the door of the bedroom, "Your Highness, Queen Elizabeth is ready."
As if struck by lightning, King Maro froze as he saw Ely. Her beauty captivated him so much. She was wearing an elegant, flowing, sea-blue dress, with glitters like the glistening sea. Her platinum blonde hair was braided and it rested on her shoulder to her chest, giving her a younger look.
At the same time, Ely was also charmed by King Maro's look. His long, silky black hair rested on his back. He looked so masculine with the velvet robe he wore. It had intricate sewed patterns of gold, and a lion's head design was also stitched at the back, as a sign of the royal family's power and domination.
"Shall we go?" the King asked, and kissed the back of her hand.
"Okay! Let's go!" Ely happily said as she was excited because it would be the first time she would attend a party. Luckily, her feet, which were wounded a week ago, were now fully healed.
The two rode the carriage which was driven by two bulky, black horses. They sat across each other, and the King smiled as he saw her excited expression as she looked at the carriage's window, viewing the glistening sea.
"Hey, Maro… Does your brother look like you?"
The King shook his head, "No. He takes after our father. And I look a lot like our mother."
"Oh, I see!" she replied joyfully. She then remembered that she had not eaten any afternoon snacks to prepare her stomach for a sumptuous dinner, "It's a birthday feast, right? I wonder what kind of food-"
"Probably seafood, wine, and something imported," King Maro did not let her finish her statement and quickly answered. He explained to her, "He has a lot of foreign acquaintances."
"Then it will be a grand celebration!"
"By the way, when we arrive in the palace, do not roam around. Stay close to me at all times."