"Lift your head," she ordered.
Nikolai bit his lip, hesitant and worried he was in trouble. But he did as the princess asked. When their eyes met, Nikolai could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His ears grew warm as he gazed straight into her shimmering golden pupils.
She was even prettier up close.
After leaving his post in the ballroom, he backtracked on the route she was mostly likely to take. He spilled wine on the ground and traced it back to where Athena had been. He was quick to notice that she was drenched in wine.
The princess had done nothing to hurt anybody! But this wasn't uncommon in the palace. Rivalry and sabotage were a norm.
On the other hand, Athena was surprised by the captain's good looks. Some members of the palace guards were the lesser sons of nobles. However, she was quite certain he was not. Nikolai was a little rough on the edges with a muscular build and slightly tanned skin. ]
"What were you doing there, hiding behind the pillar?" she asked as she cleared her throat, trying to push past her bubbling emotions, "Did you come to laugh at me?"
"Laugh at you? Why would I ever do that, Princess?" he asked innocently.
Filled with a little more courage, Nikolai asked, "Please pardon my straightforward question, your Highness, but are you alright?"
"I…" she didn't know how to answer him. She was caught completely off guard by his questions.
No one had asked about her wellbeing except for him. Not even Lord Darrion cared about her feelings and he was to be her future husband!
Yet this captain before her wondered if she was alright?
"Of course I'm not," she finally found her voice, "Can't you see I'm drenched? My dress is ruined, I…"
She was frustrated with her situation. She was frustrated with herself. What was she going to do?
Nikolai was surprised by the princess' reply. She was unlike any other royals he had met before. It didn't feel like he was speaking to a stranger or someone of a higher social status.
It felt like he was talking to a friend.
"Let me help you," Nikolai blurted. He forgone all formality and only realized that the moment the words left his lips.
He saw the moment of surprise in Athena's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't mean-"
"No, it's alright, please don't apologize. There's nothing to apologize for," she quickly responded, not wanting to lose that feeling.
She had only been back in the palace for a few days but she still could not get used to the formalities everyone used around her. She appreciated the moment.
"But how can you possibly help me?" She lamented with a sigh.
Seeing that the princess was not offended, Nikolai was a little more at ease. He relaxed his stance as he took another step closer to the princess and reached out his hand.
"I can start by escorting you back to your quarters. I know a route that's less traveled. Less chances of people seeing you," he explained.
"That would be perfect."
True to the captain's words, Athena made it back to her room without being spotted by anyone. Nikolai opened the door for her. He peered into the room after she stepped in, surprised by how simple it was.
He had seen the quarters of the other royals before. All of them were extravagant and filled with antiques and expensive decor. He reasoned that it was because her actual quarters were not ready yet.
"Aren't you coming in?" Athena asked when she turned back around to face him.
She had her hands in her hair, taking off the ornaments that were ruined.
"Palace guards aren't allowed to enter, unless…"
"Unless you've been instructed, which you are, are you not? Besides, it would be quicker if I had someone to help me take these hair ornaments out," Athena said without a second thought.
Nikolai gulped. He could not defy the order of the princess!
After closing the door behind him, he walked over to the dressing table, where Athena was seated. He didn't know what to do so he stood over her, hovering.
Athena looked back at him in slight confusion. She grabbed his hand without thinking and pointed to one of the hair ornaments she had trouble removing.
Nikolai was surprised by her touch. He kept his emotions under wraps as best as he could, doing whatever the princess asked of him.
Eventually, they were able to remove all of them and Athena proceeded to smoothen her hair. Nikolai disappeared for a bit and returned with a basin of water and a piece of clean cloth.
"Thank you, now all we need is a new set of clothing," she sighed as she looked at her own reflection in the mirror.
A knock on the door startled both of them.
"Princess Athena, are you here?"
"Yes, I am," she replied.
"I'm Anna, I have brought the dresses," the voice from the other side said.
Nikolai was on high alert. He could not be caught alone with the princess! Both of them would be in danger. But the princess seemed to have forgotten that fact, as she called for the maid to enter.
So he immediately hid himself, careful not to leave any traces of his presence in the room.
Anna entered shortly after, glancing left and right.
It was at this moment that it dawned on Athena the reason behind Nikolai's initial fear of entering her room. She bit her lip as she glanced to the side where Nikolai had been standing, only to find that it was empty.
"What are you looking for?" She asked the maid with her arms crossed.
"Do you not have anyone to assist you, your Highness? Perhaps I-"
"No need. Just leave the dresses and you may go," Athena replied snappily before turning back to look at the mirror to fix her hair.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, wondering if the maid Anna might have noticed anything was amiss. She could see from the reflection that the maid was still trying to look around her room.
So, Athena slammed her hand down on the dressing table, "Was I not clear?"
"My apologies, your Highness. I will leave you be," Anna said with a slight quiver of fear in her voice as she quickly rushed out of the room.
Athena turned to face the door. She watched the shadows disappear and only heaved a sigh of relief when she was certain the maid had gone far.
"That was a close one," she muttered beneath her breath.
Nikolai stepped out from his hiding spot, relieved that he wasn't spotted either.
"You've got a good head on your shoulders, Captain Nikolai," she turned to praise him before walking over to the dresses.
"You're too kind, princess," he replied without skipping a beat.
Looking at the dresses, Athena's blood began to boil again. None of them fit and the colors were all tacky at best. To add insult to injury, most of them were well-worn.
Nikolai observed silently.
A smirk formed on Athena's face.
She walked to her dressing table and returned to the pile of dresses with a pair of sharp scissors. He knew her intent immediately. He chuckled, amused by what she was about to do.
His reaction gave her a bit of pause.
"Aren't you going to attempt to stop me?" She asked him with scissors in hand.
Nikolai lowered his head in a slight bow as he replied, "It's not my place to tell you what you should or should not do, your Highness."
"Tell me, Nikolai, what would you do if you were me?" She was curious to know.
He loved the sound of his name on her tongue!
"Pardon my boldness, your Highness, but I would use pieces of the dresses to make a new better outfit. And possibly rub it in her face."
Athena laughed.
"I love the way you think, Nikolai, I love the way you think."