Sam was wondering and at the same time she was walking behind Dino. Her eyes which were staring at his broad shaped back as he walked away, would widen at a sudden thought and then she would glare daggers at him once again for his indifference.
Dino felt her harsh gaze on him and to him it was much more better than her unending questions. Curiosity kills the cat they say but it was surely going to take a while before it kills this big cat of a lady.
He would have not bothered with her as long as she remained quiet but she kept on following him whichever hallway he turned.
He suddenly stopped and she stopped as well. He turned swiftly to stare at her, her brown eyes stared back at him with questioning brows.
"What?", they both chorused together causing Dino to frown and Sam to glare harder.
"Stop following me little lady", he said calmly regaining his composure and she relaxed her shoulders as well.
" Don't you dare call me little and I wasn't following you", She replied courageously as she stared at her surroundings and realized she actually did not know where she was.
Goodness Gracious Samaira... you are such a fool, she scolded herself within her head and looked away from the walls which covered itself with unfamiliar paintings while letting her eyes rest on Dino's observant grey ones.
He was actually trying to tell her that he was right and that she was indeed following him.
" I did not bother you anymore fair lady... I simply let you go even though I had actually caught you doing something unspeakable... watching two people romance each other in the open", he said boldly with a calm voice wearing a soft expression on his face.
Samaira's cheeks suddenly flashed a hint of red at how he had said the words so boldly and with a calm expression as well.
Her Little head replayed the incident all over for her and she couldn't help but feel a skip in her heart. For how long would she go through this?
He had indeed not questioned her about anything and had just simply walked away the moment she declared him able to speak..... but silly her had forgotten about it and followed him thereafter asking why he lied about being unable to speak but he refused to answer ignoring her as though she didn't exist.
Stubborn as she was, she followed after him asking questions one after the other only to be met with constant silence till she could not take it anymore and she shut up. But somehow she had followed him subconsciously.
Remembering how he had ignored her earlier, she glared at him once again.
She looked up at him trying to balance the embarrassed expression on her face whilst wiping her sweaty palms on the sides of her gown.
" It wasn't my fault that those people decided to carry out such activities in the open... a maid and a guard should know better than to do such out in the open and it appears there are no strict rules in the castle,
"Also you cannot pin that on me because I was only curious... I did nothing wrong, after all, it was an open place and they did not do such in their bedroom, anyone could have walked in", she explained with difficulty as it wasn't easy talking about such with a man.
Dino stared at her with a little interest... though she was being very annoying, she was right and he couldn't hold it against her.
She was smart but too curious for his liking.. curious people only knew how to get themselves into trouble and worse they could also get him into trouble as well.
He turned away from her and continued his movements. All the guards in the castle were probably out in the field with his father, his mother and his many stepmothers... definitely his father would be sending people to call him by now.
Samaira sighed and followed after him because she seriously had no idea where she was going. Only hallways and paintings surrounded her and the castle sure did look like a labyrinth.
They both stayed in silence for a while. Him basking in the fact that he finally had time to put things together in his head and she wondering why he played dumb all the while.
" Do you love acting?", She asked straightforwardly after a few moments of thinking but Dino who had been lost in his thoughts barely heard what she said. He only turned to stare at her while she joined him by his side no longer walking behind him.
" I beg your pardon?", he asked softly and Sam sighed but restructured her question anyway.
" Do you love to act once in a while?", she rephrased for him and he replied the first thing that came to his mind.
" Do I look like someone who interests them self in such?", he answered with a question and she stared up at him, his grey eyes staring down at her in a questioning manner.
She so hated the fact that in height they were incomparable and she had to at least look up before being able to meet his eyes, it made her feel sort of inferior and tired.
" Well.... you did play the role of a dumb and it was almost perfect because I even felt pity for you", she said softly as she continued in her footsteps prompting him to do the same, this time walking behind her.
" You're still stuck on that", he said finally able to make it to her side and she nodded her head as an answer to him.
" For sure I am, is it wrong that I wish to know why? Why you and your brother told that lie to my mama and I in the carriage, no one in their right mind just tells a lie and carries on with it", she exclaimed boldly as they made another turn to another long hallway.
This one was covered with very old paintings and candle stands. Whilst Samaira casually tucked a lose strand of her blonde hair behind her left ear, Dino took in a short breath and let it out almost immediately.
" I never told a lie it was all Niklaus... I only chose to be silent because I do not interfere as far it is nothing serious", replied Dino and Samaira glared softly at the front taking a hurt to what he had said.
" So it wasn't serious is that what you are saying?", she asked him stopping her footsteps so they could talk properly eye ball to eyeball but he continued moving whilst answering her.
" Well... for starters, you did pay so much attention to all he said and you even asked questions... now tell me why I should involve myself when you are already invested in his story", he asked her still moving and sure enough Sam followed him still feeling unsatisfied.
" I never asked questions about you being unable to speak, if anything I only asked questions about his tale of him being in the village when he had claimed you and him were travelers", she exclaimed in a thoughtful manner and Dino sighed causing her to look up at him only to find a knowing look on his face.
" Niklaus lied to me about that tale, he lied!!", she exclaimed with a shocked expression on her face causing Dino to let out a smile on his face.. her expression was simply too priceless.
" And to think that I believed everything he said, Good lord, what an expert liar he is", stated Samaira with a look of deep thoughts in her brown eyes.
Right now, she was scanning her head for everything Niklaus had said to her and all she could see was her laughing and getting all the more interested, not once did she catch his lies and his emotions were on board too, it looked so real, that damned red haired man.
" Did someone just tell me a story and I bought it? That's supposed to be impossible, am a writer myself and....I should... I should", she was thinking deeply and God, she was putting herself down for having been stupid and letting a man lie to her like that.
" Before you go around jumping to conclusions, it would be best if you knew that Nik only told those lies only because of you and your mama", Dino stated slowly, his voice coming out almost inaudible whilst staring at her and that statement suddenly made her turn to look at him wanting him to explain more.
How was telling lies done for somebody's own good? She didn't believe in that such, only the truth sets people free.....
And now that she thought about that, she was actually being a hypocrite for saying that because she was actually telling a lie as a writer, claiming that she was male when in actual truth she was female.
She relaxed her shoulders replaying what he had said earlier. They had finally reached an entrance which led to the field and she could see her papa and the Duke of the South under an umbrella from where she stood.
Guards surrounded that particular environment and maids as well, the queens did look formidable standing together dressed in beautiful gowns.
Dino stopped walking and she the same. He stared at his mother then at the faces of his step mothers, turning away from them, he looked down at Sam who was also staring forward.
" When you and your mama boarded our carriage, the both of you looked tired and upset", he started softly only for her to turn towards him giving him her full attention.
" My brother Nik has always been a lively person so am pretty sure as usual he couldn't leave the both of you upset and he decided to interest you and your mama in a tale that would surely attract both old and young and I must say it did work wonders", he stated, a fond smile appearing on his face.
Niklaus might not be related to him by blood but he was much better than the siblings he had through blood relations and though he would never tell Niklaus to his face, he loved the fact that he had him to call brother.
Sam smiled softly after going through all that he had said. It did actually work wonders, the red haired's lies were justified. She suddenly curtsied in a form of greeting, bending a little while holding her gown.
" Then I must thank him for he did relieve a bit of the stress from my mama.... and me", she said whilst standing up.
Dino had already arranged his face but he did nod in regards to what she said. He watched her stare at the field one more time before turning to him meeting his gaze eyeball to eyeball.
" I believe we haven't introduced ourselves properly because I would love to consider that all he told me was a lie apart from his name and yours, am I to think such?", she asked for his permission as he was Niklaus's friend and she didn't want to end anything on a bad note.
It was rare to meet men who didn't only think about bedding, impressing or marrying a woman and she was intending on keeping such connections.
Little did she know that he was more than a connection.
" Niklaus never lies about his name but he did lie about mine. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am.....", Dino started speaking only to be cut short by the intruding voice who said his name before he could.
" Dino Carmichael", a voice thundered behind them and they both subconsciously turned to look at the prominent figure who stood a little behind them, all muscular and tall with simple amazing features resembling Dino's.
Dino re-arranged his stature even though there was not much to arrange. He stared at his father, the King, with a calm aura emanating from him and gone was the simple soft look he had on his face whilst talking to Sam.
Sam stared at the man who stood in the midst of two guards. He had a golden crown on his head, a head full of brown hair paired with simple grey eyes and he happened to be staring at her and Desmond or Dino whichever one, like an upset tiger.
" You failed me yesterday when you bailed on your sister's ball and you plan on doing the same today, on such festivity?", the King, Edward by name, asked as he approached his son who was much more impossible to deal with than any matter he had ever faced while running the Kingdom.
Sam just watched from the sidelines as the said Dino crossed his hand behind his back like a nobleman while she began putting two and two together.
" Father believe me I was coming to you", Dino started only to be cut short once again.
" And this time, a silly cockroach held you back and isn't that your excuse for today?", King Edward asked finally stopping in front of Dino with the two guards behind him but his eyes were now focused on Sam.
Sam stared back at Dino and then at the King with annoyed eyes. Was he terming her the cockroach?
King Edward turned away from her and stared at his son but before he could say anything or even Dino, Sam spoke up though her voice came out somewhat out of place.
" I am no cockroach, you simply misunderstood everything", she said causing the King to stare back at her while Dino inwardly frowned.
He could have handled everything but she just had to speak. King Edward frowned more at the blonde girl in his sight, beautiful and neat but that was all he saw and did she dare challenge him? She was even openly glaring back at him.
"Samaira", someone called out causing Sam and the others to slowly turn to the direction of the voice. The Duke of the South and her Papa were approaching them from the field.
" Your Majesty, pardon me, Prince Dino...", Duke Alfred said bowing a little before staring at his daughter who resembled him as they both had the same skin and hair color.
" This is my third daughter, Samaira Roberts and I can assure you she didn't mean what she said though she can be quite outspoken", Alfred said trying to distract the King from not holding it against her.
Sometimes this daughter of his could put herself in trouble and not even realize it, this was the King for goodness sake.
" Your daughter?", King Edward asked staring at Samaira in a different light more with admiration as though he were now taking her into better observance. She did look a little like the Duke.
Duke Alfred stared at Samaira with a knowing gaze for her to introduce herself. Duke Harold and Dino watched from the sidelines, Dino himself was not even shocked, he had taken in her appearance and had fixed the puzzles a long time ago.
Only the Duke's from the ball party last night stayed back so if she was still in the castle then obviously she was from one of any families but he never predicted her to be the Duke of the North's third daughter.
" I am Samaira Roberts", Sam introduced bluntly whilst staring back at the King. She didn't feel inferior instead she felt somewhat annoyed by his unending stare.
" You did not state whose daughter you were? Just like your father had introduced", the King stated after having waited two more seconds to see if she would continue her introduction but she didn't.
" All you need to know is that I am Samaira Roberts, that was my father's introduction and mine is mine, without my father, I am Samaira and with my father I am Samaira Roberts and I really do not think claiming that I am the daughter of a Duke changes anything for I still believe that I am no cockroach and you had it all wrong", Sam stated calmly still staring boldly at the King.
The King looked her up and down, admiring her small beautiful figure and instead of getting angry like the others had predicted he would, a smile emerged on his face.
" You are no cockroach indeed.., so now that we have settled this matter... let us all go have tea and watch my wives compete", King Edward stated finally turning away from Sam and the Dukes smiled in agreement. Duke Alfred thanked his daughter's luck within.
" Come Samaira... you are free to join us and do not refuse for it is my way of apologizing to you for calling you a cockroach", Edward said inviting Samaira himself and he watched her stare at him as though contemplating things.
She finally nodded and he beamed, he could only understand that he was happy because of her, she reminded him of someone he once cared for and just by staring at her he could see that person all over again.
Sam followed her father, the Duke of the South and the King towards the umbrella but Dino stayed back.
He stared at his father's back with a little suspicion written on his face. Why was his father suddenly behaving this way? Cheerful and carefree, it was something that seemed strange and he didn't like strange things, it only meant another problem for him to deal with.
He finally moved along with them hoping to gather more evidence that would prove his suspicions right or prove them wrong.