Lianne, feeling nervous, peeked through the French door to see clearly.
In her mind, she had expected it was the King, who followed her after leaving his chamber, but upon looking closely on the profile of the man who was watching the outside scenery, to her surprise, it was Lord Cain.
The General spun around as if he sensed the princess’ presence, and in that instant, he saw her hide behind the glass door, looking obviously puzzled by his unexpected visit.
“I can see you, you know.” He grinned and cocked his head to the side.
“Lord Cain?” Lianne muttered in a weak voice and then stepped out of the door.
Cain beamed a smile on her way and dutifully bowed, greeting at the same time, “Good morning Princess.”
His welcoming expression quickly turned into one of confusion when he realized that the princess was still wearin
Lianne was silent throughout her lunch date with the Duchess. She only said a few comments when asked by both the women with her, but overall, she kept a reserved smile.Lady Faye and the Duchess sensed that the princess was troubled over something. Though they asked what was the matter, they didn’t push through with the conversation when Lianne only managed to say that everything was fine.The princess, however, told them of the gathering being held at the Soulisse Mansion the next day. The Duchess refused the invitation thinking that a three-day gathering would be unfit for her age.Lady Faye was surprised to find out that the princess has accepted the general’s invitation. She immediately concluded that another argument with the King over the invitation was the main reason for her gloomy disposition.If it was Cain, Lady Faye knew that the King would vehemently refuse, but it was a mat
The path they took was a long and arduous one. They passed some uphills and downhills until they reached the center of the forest about fifteen minutes later. Lianne was stupefied by the sight of nature along the way.The landscapes of the mountains that were towering up to the heavens, the enormous trees that covered the forest floor, and the peacefulness of the forest itself were all wonders for her to behold.They stopped near a riverbank, descend on the ground, and secured the horses by tying the reins up around a sturdy tree. Present now was only her, Lord Cain, and two other generals.It seemed that the other groups weren’t able to catch up with their fast pace.It was good progress, however. In a hunting competition, the man that kills the most number of animals shall be named the winner. What better way to win than to separate with the group and scatter throughout the forest floor.
Evening came and everyone was busy preparing for the formal dinner party of the day.The princess was wearing a cream-colored chiffon floor-length gown with flower and fern bead works on the bodice. Its neckline was a wide V-shape that accentuated her shoulders and neck.When last night’s dinner her ensemble was devoid of a necklace, now she was wearing a matching diamond chain necklace and earrings that shaped like teardrops and laurel leaves.She received the gift rather reluctantly that late afternoon from the general. Though she was hesitant on wearing such a fine piece, all she could do was to abide in respect to the hospitality that he had extended.The majordomo handed it to her noting that Cain wasn’t able to personally give it as he had an important appointment to attend to.What obligations she was expected after accepting the gift, she didn’t know and
Lianne walked as fast as she could along the hallway with Erza.Her eyes were cast downward, her thoughts filled to the brim as she recollected her memories about the two men in her life.The first one was her childhood with Cain; from the first time they met to the present situation they were into.She cared for him and she felt at fault by the choices that he had to make in order to keep their relationship intact, but in the end, the shock of finding out the truth made it difficult for her to forgive him.The second memory however dove too deep in her mind, and the reality of it made her head spin.‘Ruen...is not Garlow’s real son?!’ her mind shouted.This time, she felt even more a fool. If it was the truth, then there was a possibility that everyone in the Regaleria mansion kept it from her. Lady Faye too, whom she considered to be her c
Standing beside the milling area, Erza watched as the wagon drove away out of the mansion’s grounds. The princess was riding in it with Lenora as her companion and the young woman’s grandfather, Sir Alchon, as the driver.Erza’s knees started to tremble upon reflecting between the many emotions that created havoc inside her.Loyal to the promise that she made with the princess, she couldn’t in her conscience betray her. However, she believed strongly that Princess Lianne would only be safe inside the Regaleria Mansion. She believed that she would only be happy in the King’s arms.With this in mind, she rushed towards the kitchen door and strode directly inside the mansion’s foyer with her intent to find Lord Jared as soon as possible.In the ballroom, Ruen was sitting on a cushioned seat in a table that wasn’t visible to any guests.He ha
‘Ah, what perfect trap it is.’The princess expressed in her head. She pressed herself as much as she could against the edge of the seat, as much as she could away from the King.She stayed silent but tensed, her arm crossed, her chin still raised. She made quite an effort to divert her attention to the darkened scenery outside, still stubbornly acting as if she didn’t have a companion inside the carriage, but the King’s steady gaze made her feel more conscious and uneasy.Ruen was already fuming inside, but he wanted to control his temper. Anyhow, deep inside, he was pleased that she was finally with him, safe, protected, and within his reach.They had covered over twenty minutes of travel, but not even one word was released by her. Lianne indeed was trying to evade any conversation with him and she was not even giving him at least a single glance, but Ruen cared less of it.
“Why? Why didn’t you tell me the truth?” was the first thing that popped out of Lianne’s head.It had always been the question she wanted answered the moment she found out his secret.Her tears continued to stream down her face. Both of her hands balled up tightly as she banged the portal, trying to vent her frustration on the inanimate object instead of the man who was standing behind the door.Though her voice was muffled, Ruen could clearly hear the words she spat on the other side due to the intricately carved holes of the mahogany door.“Please calm down, Lianne,” he requested, genuine concern roped his voice.The latter unfortunately couldn’t calm down. Flashes of the past and the present clashed; each one like a piece of a difficult puzzle ready to be completed. Her sufferings, the smiles and tears, the hatred, the longing, and her
“You look pissed.”The hooded man expressed as he stood in the partially opened door of the stable. Half of his body was hidden under the shadows, half was seen under the moonlight. Cain was hastily walking towards the door of the stable that he didn’t notice the man already waiting for him.“You. Why are you here?” Cain asked dryly. His brows arched and his face cringed at the sight of the unwanted visitor.“I thought as much that you would come here sooner or later considering Princess Lianne’s recent leave,” was the man’s cold reply, as cold as the night air around them. A sardonic smile surfaced from his visage knowing full well Cain was in a hurry.The general lightly budged the portal to open and stepped foot inside. “I don’t have the time to talk to you right now priest, so if you could do so, please be fast.” 
POV: LianneOne week admission in the hospital was considered a short stay for a man who sustained a gunshot wound in the left upper chest. The cardiologist doctor of Since Hospital said that it was a miracle for Ruen to have a near-miss...only just a couple of millimeters away from his heart. It was a miracle truly. One that I was thankful for.I was leaning against the railing in the open balcony of Ruen’s rest house. The evening was cold, but I took it upon myself to gaze at the beautiful sea of stars in the blanket of darkness. I really missed this place, and I am happy to be back here again.I was wearing a peach-pink evening gown with crystal beads on the strap shoulder, neck, and waistline formed into a bouquet of flowers. He bought the gown for me from a well-known designer. The fabric used was a soft chiffon and it had a one-meter trail, enough for me to manage in the Since Mans
POV: RuenThis was exactly the best time to kill this man. My fingers had been itching to do it since I was on the plane.He produced a lopsided grin and pulled Lianne even closer to his side.“A gun too huh? No sword?” he jibed. “Put it down now.”I clenched my teeth, my body trembling not of fear but with the need to pummel this man’s face to death.“I will not until you let her go.”“Oh, so you’re making bargains now?” he replied with his nose cringing. “As if you have the upperhand. Do you really think I would give up on this game of fate? It has already been decided. I will win this and you...will DIE!”As expected of a dirty cheater like him, Cain fired a shot.My quick reflexes kicked in an
POV: LianneIf anything. If anything at all. I wanted for that wish to be granted.That was the last thing I remembered before I snapped back into reality. Cain was still staring at me and my guess was, he doesn’t even know that I just came from a trance.I didn’t feel the pain in my left lower torso anymore. Only the pain in my heart. It lingered onto me like a bee ready to pollinate a rose. I am no rose though, but I had thorns. And right now, my thorns were all directed to Cain.Sudden anger flooded through me. Now that I remembered that vital information about my death, I didn’t have any reservations about my feelings towards Cain anymore. Screw that brotherly love for him. He needed to feel my wrath.I shifted my eyes to look at the monitor screen of the dungeon. Ruen looked fatigued. I’m sure if I were in
My feet automatically stepped in to investigate the room further.It was mainly dark. The only light fixture I could see in the ceiling was unlit. It was a decent-looking room with an acceptable size. I first thought it was a recording room, but it was actually a monitoring room, with all the weird-looking gadgets, sound and equalizer systems, and a handful of tiny buttons laid in a slanting table a couple of feet away from where I stood, dumbstruck.The room was a spectacle to behold, especially with the 12-inch flat monitor screens stacked way up into the ceiling. I deduced they were video surveillance monitors.One... two... three... four... wow... there were actually sixteen monitors all in all. Each one showing different areas of the mansion. One showing the pool area. Another showing the front portico. The others showing the dining and the kitchen areas, the outside garden, hallways, and more hallways including the
There was an uncontrollable, overwhelming urge to rip Cain’s flesh when Mr. Rafael’s spies confirmed that Lianne was taken to the Soulisse Mansion. Ruen was sitting on a couch beside a rectangular viewing window of the private plane, holding the phone tightly until a small break of the touch screen’s side appeared — a poor substitute to accept his arising anger.The plane had been en route to Since for nearly twenty minutes since lift-off from the Fortville City Airport. Another twenty of it later, it would reach its destination.“Yes, I need them to be ready in an hour. I’ll be there soon, ” Ruen commanded in a firm tone. He was talking to the leader of the special protection team of Mr. Rafael, Holt Montgomery, who was at the receiver’s end. He was thirty-six years old, eight years older than Ruen, but the man had great respect for him.It had been years since Ruen had se
POV: LianneI woke up wheezing, fighting to replenish the air in my lungs. I felt my chest heavy like it was being stepped on by an elephant weighing a hundred times heavier than me.‘Take a deep breath, ’ I commanded myself.I sat upright and scanned the room once again only to find that, yes, I was still in a bedroom inside Cain’s mansion.‘What was the mansion’s name again? Ah yes, Soulisse Mansion.’It wasn’t surprising that like Regaleria, this mansion had stood the test of time. It was good to know that a part of my past still lived in the present day however negative or positive the memories I had with them.The food the butler had prepared was still readily available on the table, but he was nowhere in sight. Maybe he left when he saw me or thought he saw me sleepin
Soulisse Mansion (Past)POV: Lianne"But the beauty of this place cannot compare to you, Lianne," I heard Lord Cain say to my surprise. He was wearing the Regaleria’s general uniform while I, just a simple peasant dress.I found us standing inside a garden pergola surrounded by heavy shrubbery of different flowers here and there: hydrangeas, pink and white mountain laurels, yellow forsythias, and bushes of long-stemmed roses all blooming beautifully.It was indeed a magnificent sight, especially when traces of snow could still be seen on the soil and on some leaves. There was the sunset too, as what I could assume, that made the garden look even more breathtaking. It was hands down a perfect place for romance.Cain closed the space between us and regarded me with warm eyes.‘Too c
POV: LianneCain was kissing me lavishly from head to toe. Touching my body like he was soaping me thoroughly. I couldn’t open my eyes but I knew that it was him when he sluggishly uttered my name.“Lianne... be mine.”Yes. I did shake my head to disagree, but he only proceeded to explore more, kissing my body, licking every curve that I had. I felt him knead my breasts that were devoid of a brassiere and I felt his tongue swirling inside my mouth when he forcibly opened it.I gasped at the sensation.I wasn’t supposed to feel good about it, but how could I be insensitive to his touch when he was sending waves of pleasure all over me?Like Ruen, Cain’s touch was burning me, coaxing me to submit, making me weak. With our first encounter in the king’s room days ago, I should be pan
POV: Lianne“Li? What’s the matter? You look sullen, ” Jen asked me directly as soon as I returned. They were all staring at me, confusion clear on their faces, and I had a feeling they knew something wasn’t right.I needed to lie to them again. If there was such a thing as a white lie, then this was definitely it. Before that platinum-haired man drags me out of this airport leaving my friends stunned and afraid of my welfare, I had to do this now.“I uh...I’m so sorry guys. I really need to stay here. There’s some emergency I need to go to, ” I said with heaviness in my heart. Jen stood up and took both of my hands, looking at me with understanding.“Go ahead Li. Don’t hesitate to leave us. I knew already this would come. We were actually waiting for you to say it.”&ls