From the moment I woke up my head hurt and I couldn't move my body like I wanted to. I was in a different place that felt strangely comfy and warm. The only thing that I could move was my head and I started to look at the surrounding for a familiar sight. The curtains were closed, and the room was pitch black with only three candles burning in the distance. I was confused to see when my eyes got used to the dark, that I was bought in a room and to my surprise was not mine, but when prince Alastair put a candle on my side and started touching my hand and putting a new bandage on my wound was the most shocking part. I wanted to scream "What the hell are you doing?" and continue asking cluelessly "Where am I? Why it is so dark in here? Why are you doing the doctor's work?", but the expression that he gave me when our eyes met was that confusing that I couldn't and the words stuck on my throat. I remembered clearly as it was in front of me, the look that the rapha had when he talked to his sister, a gentle smile while he was fixing and braiding her hair. That was the exact same expression when I looked at him treating my wound. Something which would have made me cry if I didn't recall the same brother that hated his sister and went insane.
I left it be and turned my head to the other side to avoid looking at him, "Where am I? What time is it?". He said that he bought me in his room right after I fainted near the fountain and I stayed unconscious for at least ten hours like it was normal.
'Ten hours? I have been asleep for this long? Oh my god, his grace would be so furious when I get back home. Mireya is probably worried, Spencer is going to lecture me for the whole day and my classes are going to be delayed. Wait...I didn't pay too much attention, but now that I think about it. My lips were wet when I woke, and if I slept for ten hours wouldn't that have made my th-throat...dry?'
"Why didn't you inform the duke about what happened? That would have been more reasonable than bringing me to a place where women are not allowed, except for the wife of course!", I burst out with anger because I fainted in the palace and because of the possibility of him making me drink water when I was unconscious. 'Urgh... I hate my mind! Why do I have to think about the possibilities?'
The idea was to show the duke how worthy I was, even though it was questionable before because I fainted, now it was all ruined and he was going to treat me like a child not as a business partner. Not only did I mess up badly, but now I had to explain "this" to the duke, who surely was waiting for me the whole time I was kept in here. On the other hand, my worries didn't bother him who strangely was enjoying this, "No one is going to make a fuss about you being here since I don't have a wife. And I don't think that informing the duke, who just recently became with a daughter, would have made any change. In this part of the palace, no one is going to talk about what happened, so you can rest assured that the duke is not going to find out about this little incident!". And he also was aware that his grace would not care if something might have happened to me and I could not disagree with it since I already knew, but being unable to deny was even more annoying.
'If he wasn't the prince, that angelic face of his was going to meet my fist. How dared he enjoy and act playful when I was warred and irritated by his words. It was like he wanted to make me angry on purpose'
Which clearly worked, since I got up quickly to show him that I felt better and ready to leave that place, but fell hopelessly with my face on the bed because he was grabbing my hand and my body was numb. And I had to let him lift and lay me down again in the same position as I was before, with my head on the pillow and covered with a blanket up to my neck, with only my left hand out treating me like a sick person.
"You shouldn't move like that, your body is still weak and I am not done yet, so be patient!"
"It is fine your highness, I just felt dizzy for a split second!"
'Well, now this is embarrassing! I am not used to having people around me when I wake up, and of course, not a stranger holding my hand like it is normal. Does he not know that this is a bit…creepy, even if it is out of goodwill? I thought about it before, but he is a little too friendly with me. Maybe is on his character since he has a soft side when it comes to his brother and never showed it in the story, but I only talked with him today. Even if we knew each other before, this is too much. Does he want something from me or is he just too pure? I wonder!'
"Your highness, I know you took care of me and this can come out rude, but may I leave?"
"No, you have to recover first! The doctor came to visit you a while ago and he said that the reason you fainted was because of low blood pressure and advised that you should take a good rest and proper medication before you start to walk again."
'You don't understand! How do I put this…hmm…was I really allowed to sleep here…inside the palace…in this room…IN THIS BED? I can not do this. He sounded so firm just now and I am scared of his affirmation if I ask. I know I was unconscious, but this is... this is too much even for me. If someone told "that princess/your fiance" that sleeping in his royal highness's bed was this easy, she would not have suggested war in the first place. Maybe I should try to create a rumor and let her know? No, that would back fire real quick. What do I do?'
"Can you move your arms and legs for a moment?"
"Huh, pardon?!
'Oh, yeah right! He said that I had low blood pressure, right?! Does he want to see if there are still signs of numbness in my body?'
"Well, I can try but can his highness stop staring for just a moment?" 'He will open a hole in my head if this continues'.
"If I don't see, I won't be sure if you should use the medicine or not. If you feel better there is no point in using it, but if you said your body is fine when it is not then you will continue to feel weak."
'Still, in this position is kind of awkward to move my legs and arms! It would look like a baby throwing a tantrum in front of his mother. Can't you understand I am uncomfortable with you constantly looking at me? Not like I am complaining about your face, but you are a stranger for god's sake...sigh, just move them slowly so I don't look like a child!'
Feeling suddenly cornered because I couldn't oppose and threaten him with something, I started to move slowly and see if it had any change. A part of being difficult to control my lower body, I couldn't fully move my legs, and I felt pain when I tried to lift or fold them. My arms and my upper body were something completely different. I moved them as I wanted and it didn't cause any pain or discomfort. It was confusing and suspicious, so I got up, half layed on the bed to see if I had a blurred vision.
'What is this…didn't he say I had low blood pressure? Why I can move my upper body, but not my legs? I agreed with it since he said I would feel dizzy and numb, but I don't see things blurry after the moment I tried to get up and this is clearly not numbness. I feel my body just fine, but why I can't move then?'
I panicked, looking at prince Alastair for an answer but he didn't see anything wrong with the way my body reacted. "Your…your highness…what else did the doctor say? Why I can't control my legs properly?" what I really wanted to say was "Did you just lie to me?" Because I was sure that this was not part of the reason I fainted. I knew this body more than anyone…I knew the feeling I get every time I see a vision of the past, and this wasn't it. Even if I fainted and saw those strange dreams, I don't feel any pain when I wake up, just a little headache nothing more.
"Why do I feel so hopeless all of the sudden? Like something is taken from me. Emptiness...no I would be fine...it just needs time right?'
"The doctor didn't say anything other than taking time to rest. You must have been too tired and overworked your body. I don't know how the duke is treating you, but this shows beyond doubt that he does not care enough for his own daughter."
"Shut up!!! ...What do you know? Wha-what makes you think that you are right?"
My scream rang throughout the room ... I was scared. Angry and frustrated with the person in front of me, who I could only see as a provocateur. He was constantly provoking and teasing me with the fact that the duke didn't give a crap about me, and was hiding his purpose in the doctor's words.
'Like the doctors know any better. The last one gave me painkillers because I was tired and couldn't sleep, but at least this one just told him I should take some "rest". Isn't this a little too convenient for someone who always has to ask for the power of a rapha? I might be wrong in this one, but I can't just leave aside the fact that it has happened before. Not only once, but twice I have been tempted with sweet words and locked by someone's desire for power. But his highness has everything he wants and his way to the throne is open. So if I have to guess, he might do the same as the others but in a different way. By not letting anyone else have this power, no one is going to defy his order later on when he becomes emperor, like the marquise planned to do.'
The more I thought about it, the more it makes sense. The reason why he bought me here and not somewhere else where other people could see or notice my presence, the reason why he wanted to convince me that his grace would not care about my disappearance, and for me to take some rest was only an excuse for him to buy a little more time to think what he would do next. He stayed calm even though I shouted and addressed him informally just a minute ago and I only could look at him skeptically on guard, unable to move my lower half but it was better than nothing at all. He didn't answer my question and decided to stay silent making me even more suspicious. Everything was becoming more clear, and his image was getting dirtier in my eyes.
When he got up from his seat next to me, without saying a word, that was like a jumpscare that woke me up to reality. 'Wait, how can I fight him bare-handed if he decides to do something? I don't feel Raphael's presence either since he didn't talk to me when I first woke up like he used to. So what strategy do I use? Punch him? Break his wrist if he decides to grab my hand again? That would put me in trouble but he deserves it for what he did.' Luckily he didn't attempt to do anything to me and went to open the big curtains on the other side of the bed. When the moon's light came inside it made it look even more like a prison room. My eye twitched at the sight of that, 'Is this a sick joke?' the room didn't look like it belonged to the next emperor and not even a poor noble in comparison. It had what might be called "necessary stuff" but the sparkle, the gold and luxury were nowhere to be found. 'Is this really his room?'. I shook off the fact that I shouted at him and he also left me with an unclear response, but I couldn't leave without making this clear 'Just why is this the same as the one I was trapped long ago?' and I asked him again more calmly this time.
"Your highness, is this really your room?"
He nodded in agreement "We currently are on my side of the palace, a place which is bestowed to me. If I say it like that, it would look like I can ask for nothing more, but for me this is just a burden, a facade just to go with the tradition." He made his way to his seat and I could tell that his words now were shown more sincere emotions than when he talked before. That made me feel bad. If I couldn't stand to stay another minute in that jail, he had to live his whole life like this.
'How old was he again? If I remember correctly he was engaged at the age of sixteen, and he came back from the war after his coming of age ceremony. So this time period is between the age of sixteen and nineteen. No way he's seventeen!? Should I be worried that the war is going to start a year from now? No way, his grace is going to believe my word if that happens and his highness is going to become the crown prince for defending his kingdom, so is a win-win for both of us. But it still concerning to say that this must be Beactice's doing. Sending him to war and putting him in this room. So how does this work…Beatrice is the queen and Alastair's mother is the empress…so how can she possess this kind of authority over her? Maybe his mother doesn't love him?! This makes it even worse! I give him the right if he wants to not let anyone have the power of rapha for their benefit, he deserves the throne. But I am not going to let myself be locked just for that, I have my own purpose.'
"Your highness you know what is a rapha right? You are a scholar, so I expect you to be aware that I am one of those."
That took him by surprise, he looked confused and I didn't blame him since I bought it so suddenly. So I started to explain and see his reaction, which would make it easier for me to decide if I was right or not. "You know like the creatures in a fairytale, like mermaids for example. They are charming and sing for the sailors with their beautiful voice. They lure them into a trap and eat them. I can't say that I particularly lure my prey with beauty or voice, but I can not deny the fact that I am noticeable and also a monster that some have started to get interested in."
Every time I talked to Spencer with irony, I blamed my language and the way I decide to express things. But this time I thought if the joke went a little too far since prince Alastair seemed irritated. 'The opposite reaction of what I was expecting from a person who knows what a rapha is. Maybe I wanted him to agree with my comparison or express like someone who wanted that creature for his benefit...but I can't lie, that makes me somehow relieved.'