I met you in the dark,
You lit me up,
You made me feel as though I was enough.
—James Arthur
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While Eva was busy roaming in the garden, Leon had departed to a room that was quite near to the King's room where the lady was staying. He knocked and entered when he heard a sharp, "Come in."
Stepping into the King's study, he found the King sitting in one of the chairs with a glass of wine in his hands. After he had commanded the maid to deliver food to her room, he had been in a foul mood and Leon could almost see smoke rising from his head.
"What is it?" he asked in the same dull voice he was used to hearing.
"Your Majesty, the Lady is not in her room." he broke the news abruptly wanting to see the King's reaction. He was trusted the most by the King but he decided not to tell Eva's name to him yet. It would be better if the lady told him first.
"What do you mean she is not in her room," he asked, placing the glass on the table and getting up immediately.
Leon followed the King into his room and Theo's eyes held fury when he noticed that Eva was not in his room anymore. Had she run away? No, it was impossible, he would've known if she stepped out of the castle grounds. She was still here somewhere.
His sight caught the tray of food that she hadn't even touched. Was she planning to starve herself? Didn't she know that she would grow weak if she didn't eat? He grew more irritated with each passing second and Leon took a step back, regretting his decision slowly.
"If I may speak, My King?"
Theo turned his head sideways, his eye glaring at him. "Didn't I ask you to keep an eye on her? Weren't the maids informed to watch over her?" his voice dripping with menace and rage.
His trusted Advisor trembled slightly. "Your Majesty, she is taking a stroll in the garden. I tried to stop her but she wanted some fresh air-"
He didn't have the chance to complete his words when the King walked past him quickly departing for the castle grounds.
Theodore felt the control of his demon slipping through his fingers. He had tried figuring out why he was getting so attached to this girl but his mind drew to a blank.
For the first time, his cunning mind had failed to draw a sensible theory and he was even more enraged when he felt her disobeying his orders more and more. He was not used to doing the things that he was doing for this girl who he had only met a day ago.
All he knew was that he wasn't going to let her go that easily.
His eyes scanned the wide grounds of the castle and he found her sitting on the glass water fountain. When night approached, the water fountain would light up making the water appear a splendid shade of sapphire.
All his anger drained down the drain when he saw her silver hair flowing due to the wind and her face glowing brightly with the moonlight. She was surely an angel sent in the shape of a temptress to seduce him, there was no other possibility.
Eva was captivated when she saw such beautiful water fountains. The one time she had gone to the palace of Vermont, she had been charmed but its beauty was nothing compared to this castle's magnificence.
Her eyes were quick to spot him and wasted no time in getting lost in them once again. This time, when he approached her she didn't stand up or move back. Feeling indebted was one of the worst feelings in the world and she finally got the chance to apologize to him.
"Your Majesty." she bowed while still sitting on the cold marble.
"If I ask you to call me by my first name, will you do it?" he didn't like it when she greeted him so formally. He liked her nervous under his gaze but here she was looking as if she had made her mind on something making him feel wary.
Eva didn't what to say to his request. Instead, she replied, "I was thinking, that I do not want to burden you anymore with my presence. I will be leaving tomorrow so I want to thank you for the kindness that you showed me. I apologize for disturbing you again and again with my mistakes."
"Who said that I'm letting you go?"
Eva's brow furrowed as she looked up at him with confusion in her brown eyes. "I beg your pardon? I have to leave, I need to go back to my family," she spoke, feeling agitated. Was he not going to let her go because of her rude behavior to him?
"I helped you and you're just going to leave with a thank you?" asked Theo, containing his anger when he heard her talking about leaving. She wasn't going to take a single step out of the grounds unless with him by her side.
As for her family, who sent their daughter to climb a tree at midnight?
Eva felt anxious at his words. What was she supposed to say? "I don't have any money, Your Majesty." she tried to make him agree, not meeting his eyes.
"I don't want money. I want you."
"What do you mean?" she asked getting up. She had to crane up her neck to look at him because he was so tall. Anxiousness bubbled up in her throat and she tried to gulp it down.
"I mean what I said. I don't want to let you leave," said Theo, enjoying her troubled expression. He wanted to know more about her and he knew if she went away, he would lose it.
"My family will be worried sick for me at home. And I-I need to pay back money to some people with whom I am indebted," she confessed in an embarrassed tone. He would surely throw her out after seeing how poor her condition was.
He surprised her once again with his words, "I'll send one of my men to your family, to help them by informing them of your situation. I'm sure they would happily agree. As for the matter of money, I can take care of that too, you don't have to feel indebted to me."
"I cannot let you do that Sir. I don't want to stay here," argued Eva, growing furious seeing his amusement. He was enjoying seeing her misery and she felt the sudden urge to slap him in the face.