At night, Jasmine tossed around in bed, unable to fall asleep, her mind kept thinking about the Fae Nikolai had caught and her mother. Her mother had white wings and she didn't look in any way dangerous like that Fae. Is that what her mother would have turned into?
Their screams kept resounding in her ear, and her heart kept drumming as she started to shiver, even though it was not cold. Jasmine quickly sat up, wiping the sweat from her face. She was used to this feeling, and it was something she didn't like to experience. It was the reason she pushed the events of that day to the back of her mind while staying away from things that would remind her.
Getting up from her bed, she gingerly made her way out of her room, picking up the lantern beside her door. Without having a particular destination in mind, she just strolled around the Palace, feeling herself calm down with the solitude and the soft breeze. She walked away from the main hall to one of the corridors when Peter appeared in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, confused by seeing the prince's maid in this place and at this time of the night.
"Nothing, I was just walking around," Jasmine replied, and the man looked at her. She noticed he had gotten rid of his glasses, and she could see his brown eyes.
"You shouldn't wander around the Palace at night, it's not good," Peter warned.
"Why?" Asked Jasmine.
"There are ghosts," Peter replied, and Jasmine stared at him before turning on her heels to leave the man.
"No, follow this path-" Peter called to the girl while taking a step forward. The girl also turned, and they bumped into each other.
Jasmine huffed for breath, her eyes round as she stared at the ground she had almost hit her head on if Peter hadn't caught her. Just then, they heard footsteps from the nearest corridor, and they looked up to see the First Prince making his presence known in front of them.
Nikolai paused in his steps, his gaze falling on Peter's hands holding Jasmine's waist to stop her from falling. Their eyes widened upon seeing him, and they scrambled to get into a better position. Nikolai pushed his hands into his pockets.
"You didn't tell me you are interested in my maid, Peter," He said nonchalantly, and Jasmine took three steps away from Peter quickly.
"I.. ah- no.. She tripped and I caught her from falling," Peter stuttered a reply, bowing his head deeply.
"How amazing," He said sarcastically, his voice void of any amusement. "Doesn't that make you her hero? In every story, the female lead always ends up with the hero, very few times a villain, isn't it?" Nikolai asked, directing the question to Peter, but it was Jasmine who answered.
"No Prince Nikolai, there's nothing like that between us. I was only returning to my room when I bumped into him," Jasmine explained, and he shifted his gaze to her. Unlike Peter, her face wasn't reddened, and his pupils dilated as he looked back at Peter.
"You can leave-" Jasmine quickly started to run back at his order.
Staring at the male servant for more than two seconds, he asked, "Have you checked on the Fae?" Peter sighed softly; he had imagined that the Prince would pester him about his maid, but the Prince seemed to merely taunt people for the sake of it, without having any genuine interest in their affairs.
"Yes, Prince Nikolai, she keeps speaking to herself while trying to free herself from the shackles, though she's already growing weak," Peter finally replied. Nikolai nodded and started to walk away.
"There are bodies at the back of the Palace, take care of them," Nikolai added before disappearing into the next passage. Unfazed, Peter nodded and promptly began the task.
The royal family was invited to a soiree one late afternoon, and they all traveled in two carriages with their maids trailing behind in a cart. The mansion they were visiting was pulsing with loud music, and various carriages were parked within its compound.
When the royal carriages came to a stop, Nikolai opened the door and stepped out. Without waiting for the coachman, he glanced at the cart that had just parked, watching as the maids disembarked. He noticed Jasmine stepping down too before entering the mansion.
"Thank you for honoring our invitation, your Highness," the host, Mr. Wells, welcomed the royal family, bowing in respect. The other guests also offered their greetings. They were shown to their seats, but Nikolai chose not to occupy the seat next to the King.
Instead, he headed to a secluded part of the hall where two men were already seated and pulled the third chair closer to himself with his foot before sitting down. The screeching sound of the chair on the ground caught their attention, and one of them smiled.
"Good to see you too, Nick," he said. He had silver hair like the Prince, but his locks were shorter and parted in the front. This was Quill, his right-hand man.
As a servant passed by with a tray of drinks, Nikolai stopped him to select a glass of wine. "You don't think I'm unaware of what you've been up to, Sylvester?" He questioned the silver-haired man, whose smile broadened, his blue eyes sparkling. "It's been too quiet in Aetheria. I had to leave to find some excitement," Sylvester replied.
"I wonder how you survive with so much peace," Sylvester scoffed.
"We all know Nikolai creates his own fun. He could easily disrupt a peaceful environment for that," Quill replied, making up the third person in the company. "A compliment from you," Nikolai said with a slight smile, sipping his wine again. His gaze swept across the room lazily, hearing the host of the party address the crowd.
Leaning back in his seat, not bothering to join the men's discussion, his gaze fell on his maid standing against a wall alongside the other maids, her head dipped low.
"Isn't that your maid?" Quill asked, having just noticed her.
"You got a maid?" Sylvester asked in surprise, a chuckle escaping his lips.
"She's a pretty one," he added, staring at the girl who had captured his friends' attention.
"Like a Fae," he finished. This last sentence caught Nikolai's attention, causing his ears to perk up.
A Fae?
**
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