Chapter 4 - Their Agreement

“Your Majesty,” a muscular man said, partially kneeling in front of the King to show his respect and utter submission.

“Midas,” King Garlow replied, sitting in his own regal seat at the throne hall which was located on the third floor, center of the mansion.

He wore a richly embroidered Persian gold cloth with a brilliant vermilion red fur surrounding his shoulder. His head was adorned with an extravagantly-decorated crown of precious stones and diamonds and around his neck, he wore a thick gold-plated necklace with an emerald pendant as its centerpiece. This emerald pendant was in fact the very heirloom of the Vhillana royal family. It was evident that he adored such a pendant for reasons unknown to any subject of his nor even his own son.

The throne hall was probably the crème de la crème of all the rooms in the Regaleria mansion; the Regaleria grand hall was only second.

It had an enormous space that can be occupied by an audience of up to five thousand all seated. The room had a perfectly polished marbled floor of blue color and forty marble pillars standing left and right parallel to each other.

There was also at the center aisle a wide bloody red carpet stretching from the main door to the King’s own throne. There were a total of twenty-five black iron chandeliers giving light to the hall and huge French crystal chandeliers, two of which were placed at the center just above the stretch of the red-carpeted floor, and one high above the head of the King’s throne.

The ceiling was about twenty feet high and painted with the masterpiece of the kingdom’s most sought after artist, Professor Jean de Larecroux; the crest of the kingdom in the middle and a free artistic paint of the professor’s own choosing of heavenly angels, landscapes of the Regaleria kingdom and the most intriguing single painting at the top of the main door’s ceiling, the emerald pendant shining brightly.

Truly, the King prides himself on this. Certainly, an extravagant show of the many riches he had amassed over the years attacking other kingdoms.

“Your Highness, the attack of the City of Olga is a victory,” Midas spoke as he raised his unshaven face to the King.

“Hmmm,” the King’s throat rumbled. “Everything is beginning to take form. Such a small kingdom, but a very confident leader, just like Aulrick.” There was a taste of disgust roped in his voice when he uttered the name. “The City of Olga is an important ingredient for my ultimate plan. Soon. Very soon, everything will come to fruition.”

“The first Duke of Olga and the late King Aulrick of Vhillana is said to be friends, Your Majesty. They once conspired an attack against you,” Midas reported diligently.

“They are fools to think so otherwise, and now look at what have become of Aulrick, only ashes and nothing more. Such frail the human body is.” King Garlow took his chalice from a tray and finished it in one gulp. His eyes were tainted with regret and disappointment, not to the late king of Vhillana but to himself for being a human. “Go and make preparations for the City of Olga. You know what to do.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” General Midas stood swiftly, still clad in his silver iron armor with a look of pleasure on his face.

***

Cain was in the private study when the head butler, Sir Karl, of the Soulisse Mansion informed him of his father’s arrival. He immediately went out to greet his father only to find the old general preparing to leave yet again.

“Going so soon father?” Cain inquired, facing his father who was about to ride his brown stallion equipped with the same amount of armory as its owner.

“You wouldn’t be bored staying here, I know. You don’t need my company,” his father expressed as he faced his son with a furtive look in his eyes. “But be mindful of your actions, Cain. King Garlow is yet to deal with her.”

Cain’s brows arched in annoyance. “I do not know what you are talking about father.”

“Hmm, my son, the prince is in Veirsalles. Surely, you know what that means do you?”

The young lord raised his head up as his father sat amply at the back of his horse. He gave his father a clever look as if noting an understanding of what his father had just said.

“Do not forget though, His Majesty seems to be fond of the princess. Her virtue is the one thing he wants to remain untouched,” Midas firmly reminded him intimidating his son in response.

“You know I want her father, and Garlow is the only one standing between that thought and her,” Cain replied while crossing his arms.

“Hmmm, and what about the prince?” he inquired, brows arched with curiosity.

“He isn’t even a threat. She hates him, everybody knows that.” Cain clenched his fist tightly thinking of the man she had been living in the same roof for years. Somehow...somehow a thought never left his mind that there was a possible chance the prince could have taken advantage of her vulnerability.

“Indeed,” Midas answered, “but learn my son, the word hate holds a large context no man can understand.”

Cain gave him a quizzical look. He then offered his father’s helmet, and the general took it.

“You are jeering father,” he stiffly spoke.

Unable to rack his son’s belief, the general only eyed him with bitterness. He grumbled under his breath and avoided meeting his gaze.

In his wide courtyard, Regaleria’s finest troops were waiting for his command. He inhaled deeply and spoke, “I smell blood in the air,” and with that, he signaled his large horse to start. It was not long when his entourage was out of sight in the Soulisse Mansion.

***

Months passed since the prince left, Lianne worried nothing of his presence, and oddly enough, even the King didn’t show himself nor summoned her, much to her joy. It was when she heard from Lady Faye that there was going to be a party that night in honor of another victory of the King, the City of Olga was now his to rule.

The news didn’t excite her though, instead, it changed her jovial mood into a foul one.

“Hmf!” She signed deeply. “Another kingdom.” She shook her head in dismay. “When would he be contented!”

With her anger evident, she inadvertently scrubbed the mane of a horse so hard it caused the animal to move away from her.

“No, no, no stay! Stay!” She frantically tried to calm the horse down.

“You seem to be angry about something, Princess,” a deep male voice spoke coming from the entrance of the stable.

“Huh?” Lianne quickly turned to where the voice was. “Lord Cain, you startled me.”

He grinned, amused by her claim. He began to walk towards where Lianne stood and then without warning, he tenderly brushed her tangled hair, kissing them at the same time making Lianne feeling conscious.

“You are easy to be startled, Princess. I guess that is your weakness. Won’t you mind if I wash your beautiful hair for you like what you are diligently doing to that horse?”

Lianne’s brows arched. “Hmmm, such a smooth talker you are, did you inherit that from your father? But no, not a chance, my Lord.” She briefly smiled, fluttering Cain’s heart with contentment.

Continuing her previous work, she began to dutifully splash the horse with a bucket half-filled with water.

“Yes, your smile is much better than your frown, Lianne,” Cain affirmed as he watched the princess trying to keep herself busy. He noticed how casually she wore her dress amidst being a princess and this brought about a manly reaction from him, exactly below his belt.

She wore a peasant lacy dress; the length just above the knee, with her shoulders exposed and her bosom open to view, heaving seductively for him to relish the sight.

“I haven’t seen you for a while,” Lianne questioned, again scrubbing the mane of the horse.

“Did you miss me?” Cain replied quickly in a teasing manner.

Lianne in response gave him a shrewd look of displeasure.

“Don’t worry, I’m not in training right now,” he added while managing to lean on a wooded column a few steps away from her. He was wearing black trousers paired with a loose blue chambray button-down shirt that accentuated his lean muscled body.

Lianne always remembered the maids’ apparent fascination with him. He was such a man of high calibre, any woman would easily swoon over him. She thought it was silly to hear that they’d give their virginity to him anytime without a second thought, but felt that they weren’t exaggerating for Cain really was worthy of the attention.

“Oh, of course, your father is in Olga as of this moment right?” She stared at him briefly and then proceeded to wash again the horse with fresh water.

“Just the command of the King, my Princess,” Cain reasoned, knowing Lianne’s hostile views on the King and his plundering ways.

“Surely,” she replied, giving him a blank expression. “Hmmm, so you have a lot of spare time I see. Then, you are here to help me with this right?”

Cain paused, touching his chin as if thinking. “Well, I can be persuaded.”

“Of what?” The princess gave him a puzzled look. “You’re not blackmailing me are you?”

“A kiss on the lips would suffice, Princess,” he answered point-blank. His gaze sticking on her.

Lianne’s eyes fluttered. Just by the mere mention of that word, it made her remember ‘him’.

Damn.

Of all the things, why him?

Then her cheeks suddenly warmed. “You’re bluffing again, my Lord,” she replied, slightly surprised by his boldness.

She began to walk outside of the stables and started to wash her hands from the water well connected to a river flowing outside the Regaleria mansion. It was a cool, crystal clear water, fresh enough to lighten her mood of the day.

Cain was behind her, following her and waiting for her answer. He knew silence would just be enough to spend a day with her and he treasured it. It enchants him just seeing her do the chores she perfectly does. Never had he been captivated so much, and to think that she is a princess and not a servant, amused him even more.

She stood up lightly patting her hands from her peasant dress and began to speak, “Then I am glad to inform you, my Lord, that I am done with today’s chores. You need not extend your help anymore.”

She smiled slyly at him, but he responded with yet again another teasing look, “You never fail to dodge my advances, Lianne.”

“I’m not trained of such, Lord Cain.” Lianne moved her gaze up the sky realizing how it was such a beautiful afternoon.

“Then, what can I be of service to you on this wonderful day?” Cain then bowed his head low, posing like a gentleman as if inviting a lady for a dance.

She paused for a second and then started to answer in a mocking way, “Go and make yourself busy for the party this night, my Lord.”

This left Cain feeling rejected.

“Oh, no. You could do better than that?!” he answered, hurriedly following her as she walked towards the entrance of the stables.

Anything but that. Leaving her this very afternoon was the last thing on his mind.

“Anything?” She stopped on her tracks and then faced Cain who was surprised by her abruptness.

“Yes, anything,” Cain answered, so sure of himself.

“Then, train me to ride a horse,” Lianne demanded straight to the point.

“Ride a horse?” Cain cleared his throat.

“Yes, and don’t even ask, you already know why.”

Lianne’s request made Cain think really hard. He crossed his arms to his chest and stared at Lianne who was seriously looking at him waiting for his answer.

Heaven! Such a lovely face. So innocent. So pure. The sun was playfully kissing her blue eyes and her mouth was beyond kissable.

He did weigh up the consequences of it. It might not do harm to her nor it would anger the King if he’d teach her riding, right?

“If I’d say yes, then you would allow me to kiss you?” Cain offered without hesitation.

“In the cheeks, yes of course,” Lianne replied furtively, clamping down her long, partially curled hair as a gush of wind passed them.

“No. No. There must be a misunderstanding my Princess.” The young lord closed the space between them and whispered carefully at Lianne’s ear, holding both her shoulders so she would not step back. It gave Lianne goosebumps just with the proximity of their faces alone. “What I mean was, a kiss with your luscious lips.”

Lianne’s cheeks turned a shy red upon hearing it. She noticed Lord Cain had been teasing her more than the usual. She’d always feel that brotherly feeling around him, but now, something was different. Something more unusually intimate.

She thought about it well and hard and finally, she nodded back at him.

If it would mean for her to feel a bit of freedom inside the mansion’s walls, then she would take her chances.

Until he comes to collect his payment, she won’t need to concern herself about it and focus on her training.