Minutes just after the feast had ended, vases, mirror and accessories were thrown off on the walls. Broken and shattered into pieces.
Anne bowed to her master, begging in fear. "My lady! Please calm yourself. Or else, his majesty might hear you."
"His majesty?! Even I break everything in this world, he will never notice me! All he cared about is that slutty bitch he found!" Again, Hailey threw the last piece of porcelain vase to the floor; the sound of it breaking echoed in the hall.
"My lady! That's your favorite vase…" Anne muttered but she knew it was to late.
Hailey stared at her broken favorite vase and went towards it. picking it up, with Anne looking at her worriedly but can do nothing, the sharp edge of the broken piece pierced through her skin. She flinched and watched the red liquid flowing from the wound.
"My lady! Please stop hurting yourself…" Anne pleaded as she rushed to stop the bleeding with her handkerchief.
Hailey was silent for a moment.
"It was her fault. That woman seduced Derian. Or else how could he call her by her name when he kept calling me lady again and again all through these years? or else, why would he let her use the name of his beloved mother… or else…he wouldn't have ignored me… or else…"
She fell on her knees as tears spilled from her eyes too. "I won't let her do what she wanted. All my life, I had worked so hard just to earn his majesty's love. I will not lose to a lowly girl."
***
Derian placed Ria to the bed like as if she was a valuable vase that can break any moment if he wasn't careful. Kneeling at the side of the bed, her eyes widened when he saw him doing it.
"Ian! You shouldn't be doing this! please get up…" she pulled his arms up but Derian only grabbed hers and shook his head. His hands slide down from her shoulders to her hands and stared at it.
"I'm sorry I put you in danger. I promise I'll give you an explanation soon," he said in a small voice that Ria found it hard to believe she's talking to a king. He was just too humble and gentle to be one.
Pulling one of her hands from his, she patted his head that made the king looked at her with surprise. She smiled and playfully messed his hair. "What explanation? The fabric was just ripped because I wasn't careful. It was an accident, your majesty. you don't need to feel sorry."
Though he wasn't convinced it was an accident, Derian still smiled. He loved the feeling of her touch. It was just naughty. Yet, motherly. Like when he was boy and his mother was petting him.
"Then, I'll listen to you, my lady. And as I said, you don't need to call me 'his majesty' when we're alone. I love listening to you calling me by my name."
Ria just smiled and help him get up. This time, he didn't resist and sat on the side of the bed like her.
"By the way, here."
She confusedly looked at his hand offering a red pouch. "What's that?"
"Why don't you check it?" he laughed and excitedly, Ria took it from him. he watched him opened the pouch with an obvious curiosity in her face.
"Pearls? You're gifting it to me?" she asked with wide eyes but Derian shook his head.
"As much as I want to gift you with something valuable, I think I couldn't get anything else more valuable than this. when I found you, these pearls are entangled in your hair." With a wondering look, Derian picked up one of the pearls and examine it. "Actually, I was curious too. these are rare pearls that no one may be able to have. It is found in the deepest part of the sea. Yet, why was it in you?"
Like him, Ria was full of questions messing in her head. Was it possibly related to where she came from? But if these pearls are from the deepest part of the sea, did she arise from there? but was that even possible?
Noticing her thinking hard, Derian laughed and pinched her nose. "Don't think too hard, Ria. Maybe it isn't what we're thinking. It's already too late. You should go to bed."
Nodding, Ria smiled and placed the pouch under her pillow. Derian even assisted her going to bed and covered her with the blanket.
"I will stay on the cabin next to you. if you ever need something, don't hesitate to call me. alright?"
Again, she just nodded with a smile.
Thinking he'll be away from her again though they're only rooms apart, Derian couldn't help but feel lonely. He didn't want to leave her and even lose a sight of her. was he really smitten hard by this woman? But watching Ria, he couldn't stop wondering too.
She's kind and easy-going toward him. She was also doing things that in his kingdom a woman will only do to her husband. Like holding his hands. Like calling him by his name. Like freely smiling at him and playing with his hair. But what if, she's just like this? it will be no surprise if she came from somewhere else…
'Whatever. If she's just doing this because she knew I saved her life and she see me as her friend, I won't give up until I make her fall in love with me. it's decided. I will take her to my palace.'
Preparing to leave, Derian took one last glance at her. "Goodnight, Ria."
"Goodnight too, Ian."
The door closed and so does her eyes. Now that she's alone, Ria couldn't help but feel lonely and scared. Actually, she never knew these people around her. somewhere deep in her heart, something was telling her that she shouldn't trust anyone. But then again…
"I wasn't alone. And I can trust someone. Ian is so good to me. he saved me. I knew he's someone I can trust my life with…"
Peacefully, the beautiful lady fell in a deep slump.
***
"How far are we?"
"Crown Prince Raziel. If the weather won't be wild again, we'll surely meet them at dawn."
"Then that's a pity. I didn't witness the spectacular scene in their feast. Tch!" with a grin, the prince went back to his cabin and banged the door.
Hurriedly, the other guards and some servants gathered towards the prince's personal guard. Their eyes beaming with curiosity.
"Tell us, Master Kevin. Why is his highness meeting King Derian? Isn't it better to just wait for him in the port?"
"Shh! Are you stupid, Liu!? His highness just heard that the king caught a big fish. And not just a big fish. A very tasty one! Do you think he'll let the king devour it alone? Shouldn't he at least taste it for a bit?"
"Fish? Tasty? Why would his highness steal from other when he can just catch something else? Maybe, he'll even catch bigger and a tastier fish? - Aww! Master Kevin! How could you-"
Finally, Kevin; the crown prince's personal guard who rarely talks but was too talkative when he's with the prince spoke. "You're really stupid…" he muttered and left the group.
The other guards laughed at the pitiful Liu and his reddened forehead that was just flicked hardly. "Though you're stupid, you're awesome, Liu! You manage to make Kevin speak to you. you even tasted his powerful middle finger flick. Hahaha!"
With that, they left the young newly recruit guard who's still clueless about what just happened.
"You were clearly talking about fish and his highness… Tsk!" he muttered and catch up with them.