Elys felt a cold hand pull her back and she returned to sit neatly on her side of the carriage. She stared at Aleksander in surprise. Did she just hear him correctly?
She blinked once, twice, thrice.
By the look of his sour face, it seemed like he called her by her name instead of the demeaning title of 'slave'.
The princess pursed her lips. Did her name really have to leave a foul aftertaste to his tongue he had to make such a face after saying it?
"Imbeciles! The invitation should be enough," Henry said. "The royal emblem and King Raxus' magic is embedded into the seal and every letter scribbled on that paper. We demand you to recheck your list."
The attendant spoke confidently, and with a bit of authority in his voice too. Elys found herself quite amazed. Henry wasn't just an attendant you could push over.
He knew where he stood just perfectly – and that is by the fact that his master and his wife was invited to the ball.
The guard seemed indecisive for a second, but then said, "Please wait for a while as we confirm this. For the meantime, the carriage shall be inspected thoroughly. Please don't let the prince and his wife step out."
There was a rumbling in the sky, the setting sun giving way for dark clouds to roll in from the horizon.
Another storm was coming.
Aleksander closed his eyes, his brows slowly knitting together and his fingers tapping vigorously on his forearm as he sat silently.
Elys watched him closely, noting that either he was constipated and need to relieve himself, or he was just extremely bad at masking his nervousness.
After what seemed like almost twenty minutes of silence, Aleksander opened his eyes and was about to call for Henry when suddenly they heard one of the guards announce, "Prince Aleksander Ardorlean and his wife has been granted entry. Please proceed."
The prince raised an incredulous brow, but as the carriage marched forward, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself.
"Right about time," Aleksander muttered almost inaudibly under his voice.
"Are you getting cold feet?" Elys asked him out of the blue.
They were going straight towards the main castle where guests were dropped and formally greeted by servants. The long stretch of cobblestone path was adorned with beautifully eerie lanterns, warm tones illuminating the night.
"No," the prince grunted, instantly regretting how fast he replied.
Aleksander cleared his throat, fixed his mask and then looked away. Elys couldn't help but smile – he truly was too nervous to the point he couldn't even retort as he used to.
"It will be fine," she tried to lift his spirits, "Despite our hatred for each other, I will help you as much as I can as long as you let me live, husband."
"Ha!" the prince scoffed, "you better do as you promised. I expect you to be at your best."
Elys smiled beautifully, "Of course, my prince. Henry taught me so much, it would be a waste not to put them to good use."
The carriage fully stopped. They heard Henry hopped off and the door opened for them. Aleksander inhaled and exhaled, and then swiftly got out of the carriage with much ease.
The music was vaguely seeping from inside the castle, and Elys couldn't felt but become overwhelmed.
She gathered her skirt, her body slightly bent forward as she tried not to step on the hems of her voluminous dress. The etiquette of high society in the West wasn't much different to that from the North, except perhaps that women were more independent back home.
The princess followed her husband's cue, expecting the attendant to accept her outstretched hand pretending to ask for help stepping out of the carriage. It was how most noble women did.
But instead of warm hands, coldness touched Elys and she raised her head to see Aleksander had her hand in his instead.
Caught off-guard – much to her frustration – the princess uncharacteristically tripped on her heels in shock. The odds were greatly against her this time around. No matter how fast her mind thought of a way to save herself, gravity was a much stronger force to win against.
Her skirt fluttered as she fell, the precious crystals that adorned them glittering like the vast galaxies as the castle lights hit them. Elys lost hold of the mask she had in her other hand, the item falling to the ground with a light thud.
If there was something she regretted the most with the dress, it would have been the fact she didn't insist on a design that favored comfort over superfluous fashion.
"Ugh…" she groaned.
The princess raised her head as she rubbed her nose. She had crashed without reservation into the prince, and now he was looking down at her with a smirk on his lips.
"Well, aren't you the one that got cold feet now," Elys heard Aleksander chuckle.
Aleksander wrapped his hands around her tiny waist and lifted her straight on her two feet. Elys felt a tingling sensation rise from the pits of her stomach, like a slow but powerful rumble that she didn't know had existed down there.
"I got you," Aleksander said, wrapping Elys with his arms in a protective manner.
Elys couldn't find her voice.
The princess was literally dumbfounded by everything the prince did. It seemed like the man in front of her was a whole new person, like a switch flipped with the snap of a finger – or in her case, five seconds of blunder in a fancy dress and heels.
Where was the old Aleksander?
"Come on now, my wife," the prince smiled handsomely, his tone was soft, not a single word hinting on sarcasm. "Tonight, we get to celebrate and make merry."
Aleksander's words and actions were so beautifully executed they could certainly woo any woman. But Elys wasn't just a normal woman, and she slowly caught up to what the prince was doing.
This was what he had said before they left the manor.
This was where their act began.
+++
A/N: Hi everyone! I will be applying the book for premium within the day. The goal is to get to Ch40+ depending on which chapter I feel is most appropriate. I hope you continue to support the book! I will still update daily when it locks, and then expect privi chaps too for March wiiee. xoxo