He was all too quick to leave. Roxane's instincts told her to keep an eye out for the grey-eyed man and his unknown companion. She didn't like the way he had watched Diana at the banquet, and now, she didn't like the way she caught him secretly meeting with another to argue in hushed tones. It all was very suspicious to her.
Roxane couldn't dwell in the suspicious behavior for long though, because she was soon taken away to work in the kitchen again. After serving lunch, she barely had enough time to eat her meal before the prince's men rushed into the room. They stared at Roxane with barely concealed interest. They continued to stare at her as she walked away, carrying with her all the empty bowls to later clean.
She felt burdened by the stares, something that normally wouldn't have fazed her, yet with all the new changes that have been taking place around her, she was out of sorts. She felt a headache brewing above her brow as she was dragging her feet towards her room for a well-deserved break. Maybe she also needed to touch her treasure to get more energy.
"Can you not speak in a more common manner wizard?" Roxane almost let out a curse word underneath her breath as the very unwelcomed sound of the prince's voice assaulted her ears. The prince spat to one side. His face was twisted into a look of unpleasantness.
"Forgive me your Highness." Roxane perked up at the voice of the other man. She realized why he sounded so familiar to her. Then she remembered the prince's cousin and his mysterious companion from the morning. It was the same person.
She went closer to the two. Nearing, she couldn't help but internally gasp in surprise. It was him!
The man she had bumped into outside the banquet was in the midst of bowing his head at the prince. Although he was apologizing to the prince, he didn't seem at all that apologetic. When he straightened up his violet eyes were unreadable.
Under the bright light from outside, she could more accurately observe him. His dark hair appeared as the color of ashes to her and as her eyes followed his hairline, her eyes were caught on the sight of a silver earring dangling from his lobe. He only had one, but it still struck her as odd. She never before seen such a thing on any of the men that have come into the temple. Perhaps he was from a faraway place?
Either way, she kept observing his facial features, and for some reason her eyes were glued on to the curve of his nose and the angle at which his sharp jawline connected with his bare neck. He wore a simple black shirt with the collar spread open, revealing another shirt underneath. She was ogling the man and she couldn't be bothered to be ashamed for it.
"Roxane!" The prince's jarring voice cut through her daydreams as her golden eyes sharply cut back to the prince. His mustache curled up along with his lips as he smiled.
"Good afternoon your Highness." She curtsied, relieved to see that the prince didn't catch her watching the other man.
"I've been waiting patiently all day for a chance to catch you." The prince gestured for her to come closer to the two men.
"Have you?" Roxane tried to show how tired she was. "I apologize, I've been too busy completing the daily chores of the temple." She had been working since the morning and had only now gotten a chance to take a short break. She didn't want to spend that short break on entertaining the prince.
The prince furrowed his brow, and perhaps mistaking her tired voice for boredom, he remembered the other man beside him.
"Roxane, I believe you haven't met. This man is one of my wizards." He presents the violet-eyed man proudly as if expecting Roxane to be amazed.
Roxane's golden eyes move back to the man who had stood silently to one side, watching the two with the same unreadable expression.
"Not many kingdoms have their own wizard, and yet, Solstine has three." He explains.
Roxane felt a sly smile creep up onto her lips as she stared into the man's eyes before her. She decided to feign this as their first meeting and slightly bowed down her head.
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm the priestess Roxane."
He bowed his head as well. "Priestess Roxane, the pleasure is all mine. As Prince Xavier said, I'm Kian, one of wizards working at the royal palace." Roxane found the way his words did not match his face was slightly annoying.
The prince looked between the two, and frowning, he quickly came in between them.
"Roxane, let's take a walk. I find that this temple's garden is extremely beautiful and surely it would be even more so with you by my side. Come, you can show me all the best views."
He beckons as if convincing a small child, grabbing her wrist when Roxane hesitates. She felt a rush of anger wash over her at his forcefulness and contemplates snapping his arm in two.
Before being dragged away by the prince, she turned and said a short farewell to the wizard.
"Farewell Kian. Until we meet again." She said as she and the prince left the man standing alone. His eyes watched the pair leave, and Roxane felt a rush of excitement. This time, it was he who was left alone.
"These roses," Her attention was brought back to the present as the prince stuck a rose underneath her nose in front of her, "are almost as beautiful as you are." He tried to seduce her with his change in tone.
She couldn't help but to compare his eyes to that of a beady crow.
He was much closer to her now. He had inched closer as time passed as they were in the garden. She smiled as she took the rose from his hand as politely as she could.
"Thank you." She found herself saying with a little less emotion than she had intended. She quickly tried to look for an excuse to leave. When she settled on one, she changed her face to match her words.
"Dear me! I've completely forgotten the duties that I have yet to complete." She looked at the prince apologetically. "I shall excuse myself my prince. I should leave before I get punished by the High Priest for failing to finish my chores." She curtsied and before the prince could utter a single word of complaint, she rushed out of the temple's garden.
She grinned when she threw away the rose to the side without a second thought.