Chapter 5 - Missing Him?

So, three days after their deal, Cain started training her to ride.

The very black colt that Lianne had befriended when she was the age of twelve had been shipped to one of Garlow’s chateau to her dejection. Cain instead gave her a stallion, straight from the Soulisse mansion, handpicked by Cain himself for the princess to ride, and it was a pure white Hanoverian horse; tall and slender, with strong limbs and robust, powerful body - exactly a trainable horse that was perfect for the princess. She immediately named the young creature, Arinna.

For the first four weeks, they trained basics at the stables. Although Lord Cain had to attend an invitation to a party at Chateau de Roxe, a day ride from the Soulisse Mansion to the chateau, and another day back to the mansion, Lianne didn’t stop herself from practicing. He didn’t return until seven days later, after which they resumed their training which progressed to more complex riding skills on the running grounds just within the premises of the mansion. Cain taught her well, and Lianne quickly learned her riding lessons perfectly. Then, business matters asked the young lord’s attention, so they had to defer the training again.

Lady Faye found the company of the young lord worrisome though. She believed that the princess might be taken advantage of Lord Cain’s gentlemanly and handsome looks.

King Garlow seemed to stay silent about the matter even though he was thoroughly vexed on the fact that Cain had not asked his permission on training the princess. He kept himself an observer until the topic about his son wasn’t set aside when General Midas returned to Regaleria to report the progress of the City of Olga.

“I cannot easily dismiss your son’s apparent fascination on the princess of Vhillana Midas,” King Garlow spoke calmly. He was once again sitting highly on his throne holding a silver chalice full of red sparkling wine.

“Your Highness, I am aware of their meetings,” Midas answered while partially kneeling in front of the King.

“You should be. I’d prefer for Cain to escort the princess rather than my son. As you can see, her presence in this mansion is very dangerous for our crown prince. I trust Cain to treat the princess well, however, there is a boundary for that.”

“Of course Your Majesty. I have already reprimanded my son of such a delicate nature,” Midas answered obediently, not wanting to rouse the King’s rage.

“Good. Then, how is the excavation coming?”

“We had some minor difficulties, Your Majesty, but it is working out well. It seems that the City of Olga is very prone to earthquakes.” He clasped his own helmet at his chest then gently stood up.

“That is why never had that small kingdom flourished,” Garlow stated with an empty look on his eyes. He finished the last fill of his chalice and motioned Midas to leave. “Go, you may take your leave.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will come back again for another update on our progress.”

***

A lot of rumors started to escalate in between the maidservants about the relationship of the princess and Lord Cain, but nobody could ever confirm the rumors as the princess continued to deny their claims every single time they would ask.

“Don’t go innocent on me princess. I saw the way Lord Cain looked at you, even when you had not started that silly horse training of yours, he always had that deep stare on you like he was stripping you naked or something!” Malerna, Lady Faye’s maid assistant, proceeded to express her feelings, much to Lianne’s chagrin. The other maids who were also in the vegetable garden giggled and squealed.

Malerna was thirty-nine years old, of black descent, and a single mother of one five-year-old son. She was Lady Faye’s assistant and her right hand. Lianne treated Malerna like an older sister that she had never had. Residing in a town near the Regaleria mansion, she and her son would trek a kilometer away every morning just to go work in the mansion. ‘Mae’ sometimes she was nicknamed, had always been called a matchmaker of the other maidservants.

“Aren’t you reading too many romantic books, Mae? You’re playing matchmaking again,” Lianne replied in a trembling voice. She was gathering cherries in a shrub together with the other maids in the east wing garden when this conversation happened. Lady Faye wanted to make sure that aside from the daily harvests of the farmers of Regaleria, she wanted to have the servants own produce just easy of reach.

Lord Cain was on a business trip at Lorday City for two months, so Lianne kept herself busy on the kitchen chores. Lord Jared had made it clear to her that her horse-riding should be strictly lessened as per King Garlow’s order.

Though obviously enraged by the man’s command, she had no other choice but to concur with it especially that she was now forbidden to tending the stables.

Each day was more and more unbearable to her knowing there were too few places she could go to. She felt like she was now more like a caged bird than ever before and it proved to be difficult on her part.

The library was her only solace when she wanted to be alone, but even the place became insufferable as the event that happened that night with Prince Ruen would hunt her thoughts without end. She was beginning to believe that being detained inside this God-forsaken walls had made her crazy.

“Oh my, I sense trepidation in your voice princess,” Malerna retorted and grinned at her.

The princess shared back a quick smile, then went back to picking cherries. She did however fell silent suddenly as if in deep thought. “Well, to be honest, I actually can sense that Lord Cain is fond of me, but-”

“Darling,” Malerna inserted quickly,“fond is NOT the right word to use you know.”

The maids who managed to hear Malerna’s words gave out another giggle in response. Lianne stared at her with widened eyes waiting for her to continue.

“Mhmm, more like in love with you?” She dropped the topic to the princess as if a question, then squeals from the maidservants followed in chorus affirming Malerna’s suggestion.

“Oh! I’d die just to know Lord Cain is attracted to me! How much more if he’s in love with me?” Another batch of squeals was heard through the air. “Oh! Princess! You are so lucky!” Erza screamed in excitement. “You two would be so good together!”

“No, no! You are wrong. We are just friends, nothing more!” she strongly denied, her face blushing with embarrassment on the topic. The maidservants continued with their heightened conversations when Malerna continued her inquisitions.

“Then, if not Lord Cain, who would you prefer more? I do not think the royal knights in Regaleria would be suitable for you nor would any man in my town.” Malerna fell silent for a moment causing the women to patiently wait for her to continue. “Hmmm, oh! Oh! I see!” Her eyes shone brightly on the thought. She agreed to herself that her idea was definitely the best one she had ever had in her matchmaking years.

“Who is it, Mae?” Loretta asked excitedly.

“Who might the lucky man be, aside from Lord Cain!” Erza added in surprise.

Lianne was anxious about Malerna’s statement. Even though she knew her matchmaking games were silly, she felt excited about it. Just thinking about a man compatible and destined for her somehow made her feel like there were butterflies in her stomach.

“His Highness, Prince Ruen,” Malerna replied in a clipped tone and this immediately shocked the group.

Oddly enough, the garden became silent. It was as if the name of the prince spark another curiosity in them.

Lianne was taken aback. All eyes were set on her then and she instantly felt conscious.

She dropped her basket and began to stand erect, expectant, as if ready to accept their blow upon blow of questions.

But how could Malerna be so frank on such a claim? It’s as if she doesn’t even know how much she disliked the man. As if Malerna doesn’t know how devoid of feelings he is! How ice cold the way he looked at her! How insatiably detestable his whole being is, just like his father!

How could a man such as him be capable of loving someone?

But, something within her was stirred, something like the feeling of emptiness, of deep longing upon the mention of his name.

Ah, yes.

She was so busy that she had almost forgotten, it was already almost a year since he left.

Without hesitation, Lianne hurriedly left the group leaving behind the basket of cherries she had gathered.

Malerna thought that the princess’s reaction was odd, but the maids concluded it was because she disliked the prince so much that she cannot stomach a romantic discussion about him.

That night, Lianne’s dream began with a single voice calling out her name. A deep male voice she had missed for so long. But it surprised her fully because, in her dreams, she had responded to the male voice calling her. She uttered the name she had never expected she would speak. The name she had hated since she heard of it.

“Ruen...”