Calanthir Kingdom

Ona was in her usual spot under the tree with a beam of sun

kissing the left side of her bare shoulder to arm leaving her dark

chocolate brown skin glowing and shining while sitting on the round wooden chair

without supporters covered by the blue long dress she put on.

Using her right arm engulfed by the apple

tree shadow to paint the red apple inside the glassy cup filled with

water afront the painting board before her eyes with the wind slightly blowing

her long black 4c wavy hair lengthening to her lower back in the right

direction.

The breeze was endearing.

However, her black eyes shifted abruptly when the

long thick bronze gates of the palace creaked to

open welcoming the black car driving inside with the male guards and

female servants running to welcome whoever was inside the car.

Her eyes darted away to put down the brush in her hand so

she could descend the well-designed cliff to see well the man, but the

sound of the heel clacked against the dusty brownstone on the ground made her

head turn swiftly with her lips separating in slow motion.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She stood still. Her

eyes caught the handsome man with the white skin shimmering under the sun in

his thin fabricated cream white shirt, exposing his chest while

tucked neatly inside the dark brown well-tailored slack with the black and

shiny formal shoes making the bold cluck with each step he was

taking. 

The eyes of Ona never blinked. The man was ridiculously

handsome and felt like she was under his spell.

Gosh! She received a side smile when the man slowly looked

up to meet her gaze. Ona couldn't handle the heat but run away,

but she knew that it was going to be inappropriate for her not to

welcome the guest too. She was the princess in her royal – The

Calanthir Kingdom.

She walked with her chest rising and falling from blowing

air from her mouth maybe trying to calm herself down. To get rid of

whatever spell she was cast under.

How can an unknown man make her feel that way? She had never

experienced that feeling in her 23 years of existence.

Her wood sandals made no noise when she entered the palace.

She took a halt, took a deep breath in – held it for a

minute then out slowly. 

She found her parents and the servants side by side with

bowed heads but her eyes were not yet seeing

the man's profile, up until her shoe got dragged against the

shiny white stone on the floor evidencing that she was not walking

in wary.

The man peeped and her eyes were there to catch

his handsome face again. She saw him acting in an abrupt motion to help her not

to fall.

"Be careful," he said. With his left hand

on her waist. So cold but giving her flutters. "Are

you okay?"

"Thank you, and yes…. My… my dress got tucked

under the shoe," true, her dress was long enough to get dragged on

the floor too.

"I see, I'm sorry, I am Kalus Windsorrow

from Valtira Kingdom," his voice was not helping much

to Ona's stomach. It had sent piles of flutters with a smile that was

escaping his lips.

Ona widened her eyes realizing that they were

actually waiting for the guest for days and there he was in front of

her taking her breath with every action he was making.

But she finally managed to open her lips by

saying, "Nice to meet you Mr. Windsorrow,

and I'm Princess Ona Astrum of this Kingdom." Her gulp was

not audible enough for Kalus to hear.

She saw him stretching his hand to reach hers. She revealed

her hand to him. He held it. Mmmh, tingles happened between their skins,

she felt it then watched him placing a small kiss on her knuckles.

****** 

The Calanthir Kingdom had lost their trusted Accountant a

month ago. Ronan was a great accountant, and the king loved him as his best

friend. King Thome Astrum gave him an honourable funeral and it took him weeks

to try to find another Accountant but he knew that the Kingdom needed one, so

he made sure to send the word out.

That's when he received a letter from Valtira Kingdom

assuring him about having the best Accountant with 10 years of

experience, Kalus Windsorrow. And yes, Kalus never lied about his experience,

he had worked from Kingdom to Kingdom over the past 10 years.

When he received the news about the Calanthir Kingdom in need of a

new Accountant, he made sure to apply for the position and he came

along with his trusted assistant Gideon, they've been working

together for the past 10 years and very well.

When he arrived in the Calanthir Kingdom, he was welcomed

with love by the guards, servants, Queen, and King then the princess

he had been staring at for a moment that King Astrum had to distract them by

clearing his throat.

He respectfully apologized for his behavior. 

I mean who would blame him, princess Ona was

immensely gorgeous. Her beauty was made for any man to fall in love

with her instantly.

Kalus moved his legs away from her sight to sit on

the dark green royal couches highlighted with gold.

Queen Astrum had already made sure the guest's bedrooms were

prepared weeks ago but she instructed her servants to quickly

prepare them again with the male guards already taking the suitcases to the

bedrooms.

"I apologize for arriving late, I had to make

sure to be leaving the Kingdom in a good state first," Kalus said.

"We are glad

that you're here and you will help us with the

crisis," King Astrum said with an assuring tone. "So tell

me, is there someone as good as you in your kingdom who will be in

charge?" 

Kalus made a genuine laugh and

said, "Yes, I had three apprentices that I made sure to strictly

teach them everything and when I left, they did a very remarkable

job."

"We need more men like you who don't want to

be wit alone," King Astrum said. "

Whenever Kalus would steal glances at

Ona who was sitting next to her mother, the Queen, her heart

would skip a bit with flutters inside her stomach. His light brown eyes exuded

the romantic man.

Ona stood up after she whispered to her mother that she

wanted to check if the servants did a good job of preparing

the bedrooms for the guests, her mother allowed her. Ona gestured for Nia,

her trusted – her best friend servant to follow her. 

Nila, was 10 years older than Ona, with a

husband already living in the royal cottage which they shared with

few servants. She and Ona became best friends instantly

from Ona's early age and she did a remarkable job for

raising her.

King and Queen were the best parents that

Ona wouldn't trade for the world. She was the only child to

them with their Kingdom far from other kingdoms, and as

well the other Kingdoms were far from each other.

She walked to the other side of the palace with Nia.

"Out with it," Ona said,

she wasn't that oblivious with the facial expression Nia had been

making beside her.

Nia shook her head with a flash of smile all over her

endearing rose beige skin tone and curly red hair all over her

face making her look younger.

"He's handsome right?" 

Ona gave her a side eye with pursed lips before agreeing

with nods and, "Yes." 

"I mean, I have never seen you hiding blushes

for a man and not staring deeply into his eyes when talking to

you." Nia was right.

Ona never found any man in her kingdom attractive, not

because they were not striking high profile or not handsome, all of the men in

the kingdom were very handsome but not to Ona, and all of them had

respected that. She was a princess after all.

They strode inside the first room of Gideon, the assistant

of Kalus. Gideon was also striking wealth, but in a low position, not

the same as Kalus. He was handsome too as he made the female

servants unsettled and giggling in a faint tone.

He had noticed that. His height and body type were the same

as Kalus's, tall and masculine but with a different hair hue. Gideon had

light brown hair cut while Kalus was a blonde, slicked back and wavy to his

neck.

Ona and Nia had admired how the room was sparkling before

going to the next room.

"So, do you think if he asks you to have a day with

him would you allow him?" Nia asked in a wary tone.

"If he does yes, the butterflies in my

stomach had not been giving me a break," her voice was toned down

even though there was no one around them to hear, she couldn't risk

it.

"I saw the way he looks at you and the way

he spotted you outside, it felt like his soul and yours called

each other, or maybe hearts."

"Do you think he's interested in me that

much?" before Ona could get an answer from Nia!

The deep voice transmitted faintly in her

ears saying, "Princess Ona." With a hand placement on

her lower break.

Gosh! Her heart skipped. Knees seized with numbness. 

Her turn was swift and her chest hit the hard

chest with her upper chest.