Aidan chuckles, leans back into his seat and stares intensely at her while smiling.
"Aidan?" She says in a questioning tone holding the glass towards him.
Aidan sits still staring at her not moving. She drops the glass on the table calmly and leans back on her seat but one can see through her facade, she's obviously agitated, vexed and embarrassed which is visible through her clenched knuckles and stiff smile.
"Seems like your taste has changed over time my prince." She says in a relaxing and alluring tone and shifts her gaze to me.
"So the rumours are true after all. Marilyn James, you?"
She asks with an smile which I consider deceptive.
"Griselda." I manage to reply with a small smile.
"Nice name. You're surely a pretty one, an attractive feature of yours which I believe our prince took a liking to." She gestures to a servant who swiftly places a glass of wine before her. She sips a little from the glass and gets more comfortable in her seat. Her movements are graceful and ladylike.
"I thought I knew all about the Prince's taste in women till I met you." Her voice is evidently laced with jealousy but she masks it with a calm aura and a charming smile. I still find it weird and annoying that Aidan finds her words amusing with the plastered light smirk on his face.
"Ohhh! Zelda did you know that I've being the Prince's closest mistress for the past three or four years? Till you came into the picture. I noticed that his interest in me dwindled slightly yesterday but nevertheless I can teach you a few things of Aidan's interest in..."
"Miss James?" Aidan says in a low calm voice but one can sense the vivid menacing threats laced behind those words. As if saying, 'I dare you to say more!'
Marilyn leans back in her seat swirling the contents of her glass and smiling at me. I'm hit by realisation at once, Aidan interrupting her with a menacing look confirmed that all she said earlier was true. She has been Aidan's mistress for some years now and Aidan cutting her off probably implies that it's the truth which he prefers I know nothing about.
His reaction if she was lying would not have been same and Marilyn in her right senses wouldn't even think of conjuring such explicit story talk more saying it comfortably in his presence if it wasn't true.
Aidan has a mistress! And he met her yesterday?! What about the kisses we often shared? Although our relationship isn't defined yet and he hasn't voiced out anything pertaining his feelings towards me, we still had that connection towards each other, but I believe I was being delusional all along.
I get it now, Aidan was just toying around with me all the while, and the roles I couldn't fulfill, Marilyn satiated it, his taste in women, like she said.
Suddenly I feel like my throat has been clenched and couldn't breath. I feel suffocated and immediately I get up to use the restroom. I need to be anywhere but here.
Aidan makes a move to grab my hand but I swiftly avoid him without raising any suspicion.
"I need to use the restroom." I manage to say and leave without waiting for his response. Marilyn gives me a sly smile as she swirls her glass with her legs crossed. I maintain a stoic expression and leave without sparing her a second look or thought.
I keep walking to a distance till I realize that I probably can't find the restroom in this huge house. Nevertheless I decide to keep walking as my main intent of leaving the hall room was because I wanted to be alone not to use the restroom.
The halls and stairs are silent with no sign of anyone walking through them. Slight noises from the event hall could still be heard.
Oblivious to where I am, I keep walking till I get to a balcony overlooking a maze. The maze is brightly illuminated all around making it look breathtaking. Walking forward, I hold the silver railings and lean forward as the wind blows in my direction.
I release a breath I never realized I was holding in. I guess it was all my fault, how I could take a liking to someone whose family who ripped me of my life? I'm meant to be plotting my escape not having delusional thoughts of an impossible future with Aidan.
I clench my fists at the thought of Marilyn and Aidan being intimate.
'He had a mistress all the while. He kissed and touched you Zelda! Making you believe you might have a future with him while he had a mistress! He was just toying with your emotions! Ahhhh!' I clutch my face in my palms as I let out loud sobs. I pour my heart out oblivious to my surrounding.
"Zelda?"
Slowly, I lift my head to see who that was, peering into the dark corner of the balcony where the voice came from.
"Zelda?"
Peering closely at the face I gasp as he rushes to hug me.
"Kayden what…?" I manage to say in a coarse voice before he hugs me, more tightly, nestling my face in the crook of his neck.
"Shhhh… It's okay." He says while slowly lifting my face up affectionately.
"What's wrong, Zelda? Did anyone hurt you or say something to hurt you? Wait! Is it Aidan? Did he touch you or force you to do anything against your will, did he?" He bombards me with questions.
I lift my eyes fully to meet his gaze while placing my hands on his holding my face.
"Kayden, I'm alright. No one hurt me or say anything to hurt me."
"What about Aidan? Did he…?"
He manages to ask but I cut him off, "Kayden, Aidan didn't force me to do anything against my will."
He let's out a shuddering breath, draws me closer and embraces me while placing a kiss on my forehead.
"So why were you crying, Zelda. You know it hurts me seeing you in tears. Zelda?" He says kissing my wet cheeks while slowly disentangling himself.
I hold his arms, "Kayden why are you here? And, how did you manage to get in?"
He leans forward till our faces are few inches apart. I can feel his breath on my face.
"I came for you, Zelda." He says in a whisper voice while placing a lingering kiss on the tip of my nose.
"Kayden, you should..." I say while disentangling myself from him before being cut off by a voice which I dread.
"Griselda?"
I stand motionless in Kayden's arms. Slowly I remove Kayden's grip on me to which he tightens.
"I never knew a servant will eventually take an interest in my mistress." Aidan says.
Kayden scoffs and glares at Aidan unintimidated by his imposing aura.
"She was never yours to begin with and will never be." Kayden says.
"Kayden, please don't." I plead aware of the impending danger to befall Kayden if he doesn't escape right this moment.
"Griselda, to my chambers." Aidan says in a low menacing voice while glaring at Kayden who returns his glare in such intensity.
"Aidan."
"Zelda, be good and adhere to my instructions now. To my chambers."
I gulp and before I could say or do anything, Kayden grips my wrist tightly and pushes me behind him while staring head on at Aidan.
"Brave cat huhn?" Aidan says sarcastically while slowly advancing towards Kayden.