Made an edit in the previous chapter, do try to read again 😊
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It was yet again another morning, Orchid awakened to the morning sun seeping through the curtains. Ava stepped in just in time to help her with a bath and she went out, sitting idle in the garden
"Don't I have some duties to perform as the prince's wife?" Orchid asked in boredom as she once again gazed at the sunflower mini-field
"I don't know, princess"
"This is getting tiring" back at Atlank, she had her step mother and sisters to create trouble for her, thus that usually brightened up her day. But here...even Ciaran had left the palace and the crown prince was also nowhere in sight
Ever since that incident caused by the demons days ago, the crown prince suddenly disappeared
"Your Highness..." Ava's greeting snapped Orchid out of her trance and she turned to see Ciaran standing right next to her
She suddenly sat up from the bench when Ciaran sat on it. Ciaran raised a brow at her sudden action
"Please excuse me, Your Highness...Princess" Ava said with a bow trying to avoid the look passed on to her by Orchid and she left
"I thought you were bored, here I am now to keep you company and hopefully occupy your thoughts, and you want to leave. Why is that?"
"Were you standing there the whole time?" she questioned, her eyes avoiding his
"I was" he simply answered and stood up as well, to face her completely
Orchid cleared her throat at his unwavering stare, he was making her uncomfortable
"Why do you look flushed?"
"I do not" she retorted "Don't I have any duties to work on, well...as your wife?"
"Well, you ought to warm my bed and keep me occupied when I'm needy"
Her eyes went wide in embarrassment at his words, her cheeks brightened and her eyes twinkled. His laughter then resounded in the garden which had the maids working on the field turn to gaze at them
"You-"
"Well, I was only teasing but if you wish to...it's not considered a problem. The King should have been expecting a child by now. Why don't we work on it?"
"Hahaha...what a joke" she rolled her eyes in addition to her words
"You can take it as a joke if you wish" Orchid wanted to think of it as one and she turned around to look at him only to see the smile on his lips "Since my wife is so bored. Why don't I tour you on the interior of Regalon"
"You'd do that?"
"If only you desire, my dear" Orchid nodded, not minding his cheesy response
Ciaran led her over to the stead and was greeted by the stable boy
"Wait here while I get the horse. I wouldn't want you to dirty yourself" Ciaran said and walked into the stable
Minutes later, he stepped out with a neatly brown horse, its hair were white and flowing freely at its side
Ciaran stretched his hand forward to which she took without resistance. And with a swift whip, he helped her up the horse
A gasp left her parted lips when she felt his warmth from behind her. He was going to ride with her?
"Never been on a horse before?"
"I have. Just not with other's company" she muttered
"There's a first time for everything. Hold tight" with a snap of the reins, the horse slowly moved forward
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"Good morning, General!" Ramin and Gregg both greeted, sounding quite refreshed. But they paused when they saw the gloomy look on the General's face
"General, the rest of the crew has returned to base as instructed. But..."
"It's the lieutenant. She wishes to see you" Ramin cut in
"She was asked to return with the others" Alan stated
"She's quite persistent...you know that" Ramin said with a shrug and they all walked towards the field
"General!" saluted a fair lady. Her blond hair was tied to a bun and locked with an armor pin. She was also cladded in one of their armor suit
"Lieutenant Leila..."
"Forgive me, General. I, do not in any way...wish to defy your orders. But I am your lieutenant...I handle your affairs. I ought to be wherever you are" Leila said, her lashes fluttered when her eyes met with Alan's
She was persistent, as Ramin had said
Alan nodded slightly and she bowed in return
"What are our plans, General? Have you gotten to see the princess?" questioned Ramin
"The princess...no longer reside in this palace. She's far away now"
"Far away?" the warriors passed each other confused gazes
"I guess she was tired of waiting, she's at Regalon...with her husband"
"Husband? The princess is married?" they both gaped in shock
"So what are you going to do now, General? Now that the princess is married, I don't think you can have a chance in this"
"We leave for Regalon by noon" Alan said and started walking
"General, you're going to see the princess? Regalon is so far away from where we are now"
"Then we better start moving, if we want to make it by dawn" Alan's tone was firm, leaving no room for further conversations and he walked away
"I pity the General though-"
"You should pity us, Gregg. We just recovered from a journey and we're embarking on another"
"I mean to say, the princess was all he talked about when he got his mind off the mission. And now, finding out that she belongs to another, can be heartbreaking"
"Someone's going to be heartbroken soon when she finds out who the General's going to meet" Ramin raised a brow at where Leila stood
"They do have an history..."
"Every man has desires, Gregg. She was just available and willing at that time. But now, she's not willing to let go. We both know the General's one true love, the third princess"
"Let's get ready, if we want to make it there by daybreak"
"Right. I'll go get the horses"
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Being outside the palace and taking in the fresh evening breeze, made Orchid feel relieved
The horse was moving at a normal pace thus she had time to take in the features of each passing buildings
The people would bow as their horse went through, recognizing the prince at a glance
After few hours of the tour, the horse halted at a green field
Ciaran stepped down and helped her down as well. Taking her hand in his, they walked further into the field
"Wow..." Orchid exclaimed in awe. The evening sun casted long shadows on the ground
The mellow rays of the setting sun gave a warm orange tinge to the sky
It was serene and captivating
"It's beautiful..." she smiled as she turned to look at Ciaran who smiled in return. Her gaze returning back to the beautiful scenery
Ciaran's lips stretched when he saw the smile on her lips. This was the first time he was seeing her smile so warmly and beautifully
"How do you know of this place?"
"I came across it few months ago" he answered
"Thank you for bringing me here. The scene is so... peaceful-"
"And romantic" her lashes lightly flapped at his words. And the she realized that they were holding hands, she proceeded to taking her hand from his but he grasped it tightly "Don't ruin the scene, Orchid. It's nice as it is"
Her cheeks warmed up as she tried to return her attention back to the sunset
She couldn't help the feeling settling in her heart, she felt relaxed? Free? She couldn't find the right word to explain
But she had never felt this way before, she felt safe in his presence
This was not supposed to happen, their marriage was a trade...she argued in her mind
But when she felt his arm around her, the negative words in her head totally dispersed
'Maybe I should just enjoy the view for now' she thought. Her head slowly resting upon his chest