Darkon's expression almost froze. He felt his face mirror her shocking question, his eyebrows lifting almost cautiously as he heard and tried to process how to answer the unexpected question.
Gabriella's eyes widened as she realized the gravity of her question. It was obvious it triggered some emotions. "I'm sorry for asking. I didn't mean to..."
"It's alright, my Princess." He cut in. "Anyone would have asked the same question." He paused and saw her eager eyes piercing into his inner core as he pondered on what to say. The orchestra playing in the background cut his attention. He decided to use it to create a distraction at the moment.
Gabriella waited for him to speak. She stared at him again, he looked deep in thought. But all of a sudden, she felt the tickle of his hand down the trails of her waist. He grabbed her firmly, her feet barely touching the floor as he drew her closer, making her breath cut as his gaze fell on her face.
"Let me be your first dance." He almost whispered.
Gabriella felt the anxiety again, as she suddenly felt the burning of her cheeks. His face now, was so close drawing her into his blue eyes which sparkled like the ocean. His gaze, his eyes, made her unconsciously blink twice and his scent enveloped her nostrils. Her breath hung in anger as she drew in his endearing scent.
On the spot, her hand was already extending towards him, and she felt his gentle grasp in her palm until he totally encamped her into a dance. "Yes, let's have this dance." She nodded as he quickly drew her to the dance floor.
It was at this point she remembered the gazes that would be on her. When she took a glance where she thought the queen was, she had left and Vanessa was the one now staring in her direction. Just then a man moved towards Vanessa, probably asking for a dance. She agreed to dance with him even before he could finish asking for it. And the next thing she saw, Vanessa was pulling him towards where she and Darkon were.
Seeing Vanessa come towards them, Gabriella made Darkon focus on her as she drew him closer wrapping her hands around his neck like a jealous woman as he also held onto her waist. It was as if she was anxious about Vanessa making a move at the man she was comfortable with.
Darkon paused in his step, surprised to see the sudden reaction of Gabriella as she grabbed his neck, drawing him closer. Her intense gaze made him nervous as he sought a way to distract her from taking a closer look at his face. He couldn't help but feel that she would notice he wasn't Dario.
Quickly, he spun her around, creating a quick distraction and when she landed in his arms again, he said, "I changed my name at the time of my mother's death."
"Oh, I didn't know your mother passed away," Gabriella answered now distracted as she looked over his shoulders, Vanessa dancing close by. She was determined to take her crown from her. Now what was she also up to?
"It's okay. Father never talked about it with any other person except the King. I'm only letting you know because I still hold our friendship in my heart." Darkon said.
Gabriella felt her cheeks flush. A strange smile spread across her face awkwardly, glad he valued their friendship. "Accept my condolences." Her expression became concerned. Though she had not experienced how it felt to lose a loved one, seeing those families with her own eyes grieve for their lost ones after wars, she couldn't help but feel their grievance in her heart even when she could do nothing about it. When politics and power had to come first before life.
Darkon nodded, relieved he managed to come up with something convincing, and amazed at how good he was at his pretence. He said, "Don't worry, she's resting now," He glanced at her before turning and looking ahead. He can't let this trigger his own emotions. Not now. He needed to focus on spicing his words.
He must act like it was Dario answering her question. "My mother was the one who gave me that name Dario. Forgive me but, I thought changing my name would help me forget about her. I know it must be heartless of me to find a way to forget my very own mother but..." He looked deep in thought.
"But that was the only way I could try to focus on my life. Remembering her each day made my heart ache so bad that I felt my life slowly rip off my body like I was losing myself each day that went by. I couldn't be myself even just for a day. I had to make up my mind to let go. I didn't want to think about her anymore. I needed to focus on my life. As the saying goes. Bury the dead and let the living live." He acted aggrieved but never knew how his words affected Gabriella at the moment. Her fist began to clench, slowly trembling, forcing herself to control her emotions.
"Someone could call me weak, but...seeing your family taken away from you in the cold hands of death holds a feeling that can never be washed away. I saw her die in front of my eyes." He deliberately lied about Dario's name. May his soul rest in peace and may the gods forgive him for fostering his lie with his name. However, this was not in any way contrary to his life. The pain-filled life he lived.
Dario, the son of the Marquess, had died at his tender age before he came to know Marquess Brutus. Though he didn't know the cause of the boy's death and his father rarely talked about it, all Darkon could now remember was the Marquess making him swear years back that he must let no one know he was not his real son.
How lucky and strange it could be, he had closely taken the looks of the boy Dario, making it easier for no one to recognize that he was not the man's son.
He had made him take the place of his lost son Dario after the death of his wife and after he had saved him from an attack that almost took his life. It was after this attack that the Marquess had accepted him into his life like his own son.
Dario had also lost his mother in a manner the Marquess hid from everyone. Isn't the boy lucky he didn't have to live and face the pain of life? To live and feel this agony he felt now? To feel the pain that locked around him every day. Darkon thought.
His hands clasped behind his back suddenly clenched as he tried to suppress his emotions. Her expression made his heart sore. She was good at arousing his emotions.
Gabriella waited for him to speak again. This must have triggered so many things she didn't know it would. But she wondered what had caused his mother's death. Did his father let the king know about it?
"I'm sorry about her death," She blinked as she stared at him with concern. "It's not your fault. You shouldn't feel guilty about changing your name and it's not wrong at all to let go of the past. That is the only way one can survive the future."
Once again Darkon looked in her direction. He scoffed in his mind. Seeing her look concerned made that anger begin to burn in him. What was she doing now? Pretending to be good when she and her Father had shown no mercy at the lives they took?
"Whatever had caused her death I'm so sorry about it." She said again. As she swung gently with the rhythm of the orchestra, her heartbeat suddenly began to increase. Somehow, the sound of his voice caused shock through her veins, like she felt his bitterness.
Beads of sweat formed on her brow, and she could feel the trembling in her hands as she tried to steady her nerves.
This time Darkon's blue eyes locked with her calm olive eyes and at what seemed like her genuine expression. He wondered why she acted that way as if she felt guilty about it. With her gentle expression, somehow, she didn't look like her father. Just somehow. He didn't know her well yet to correct his judgement.
Today would just be the beginning of knowing Gabriella Gibon. That little girl he usually saw when her father came to their palace. That girl they always compared him with. That girl her Father ruined his Kingdom, leaving no soul alive as the Queen Mother bragged. That woman he needed to capture her heart to be able to ruin the Kingdom of Horndragon.
"May her soul rest in peace." He whispered just close to her ears as he swayed her making her back collide with his chest before pushing her forward and watching her swirl and then return to his arms again.
Hearing his words again, it was slowly becoming hard for her to control her emotions. Her vision seemed to blur, slowly turning the dancing guests into shadows dancing menacingly along the walls as if the hall itself were alive and warning her of some unseen danger.
The shadows suddenly turned to a little boy crying over the loss of his parents who were being burnt alive. And next, the little boy was stretching his hand towards her for help to escape the fire. It was then she suddenly saw the blood dripping down her sword as she watched the people she had killed and the fire that was set by her father. Without knowing what she was doing anymore, the sword fell off her hands, tears filling her eyes as she reached for the boy's hand but then...
No! She must not think. Yet, it felt like she was trapped in the nightmare again.
The thought of death, of blood, made her momentarily freeze, her breath catching in her throat and shivers thrilling down her spine. She turned to speak, at least to get the feeling off. However, as bad luck could call at her, she suddenly tripped on her uneven steps, her body stumbling forward.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Darkon caught her just in time, his strong arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her against his chest.