Would you dance with me my lord?

***

‘There will be Terre festival starting from next week. And it will also include the welcoming for the princess.’

By the time Ashite was done eating and going back to her room, the king said to her. He said that the royal servants would be in charge of her dressing and makeup, and that there is nothing special that she needs to prepare for. Oisterre festival and Terre festival. She would meet a lot of nobles. Although she was not afraid of it, ball wasn’t something she was happy to expect. To her, social interactions were something that makes her uncomfortable and anxious- even though here was not Skara.

However, there was the king’s pact she needs to keep. Everytime she feels anxious or uncomfortable, she reminded herself of that like a spell. In fact, she was used to telling herself that everything will be okay.

But- who was that lady, Ashite wondered again. During the meal, the king seemed just as fine as the first time she saw him. It was as if nothing happened in the early morning. It would have been quite obvious that she was looking at the king’s face to check his mood. She may be younger than the king, but she was quite good at noticing things. And she was looking at the king with sharp eyes to see if anything is going on, but she could not tell.

She couldn’t see such thing as, the king treating her poorly as that lady. The king’s promise could not be easily broken. But she also saw what happened to the lady… it was confusing. Ashite sighed quietly.

***

Count Banassi’s misjudgment was that the current king would be similar to the previous king. They were both strong Nante and well known in the war, but it seems like Del Monte the third was not as interested in women as his father. Also, the words of the people that the current king is violent, was only from his coronation and how he did in the war. He barely started politics in the country, so no one could actually tell if he is ignorant and violent or not.

Regardless of this, Count Banassi tried to hurry. Or it could be because of this reason. The king who returned in 2 years did not have any woman next to him, unlike he expected the king to be with numerous women during the war.

Then the young princess from Skara came as the capture. They could be together in no time. Just like the previous king called in beautiful ladies in his bedroom every single day, the count tried to do the same.

That was the wife of the baron Yerv. He was planning to send in his cousin to the king’s bedroom. He could control her as she is his cousin, and he could also let the king know that he and she share the same blood. Then he could get closer to the power that he wants.

Amerina- with the skin clear as pears, long hair as dark as the midnight sky, and the eyes bright as the gold- she was one of the most beautiful ladies in this country. Her beauty was known not only to the men, but also to the women of the town. And there has been lots of guys looking for her after she lost her husband.

The couple was living in a small land in Claremont, and the reason why a lovely pair of man and women was split by death, was simple.

Just only few months ago, count Banassi finally convinced baron Yerv to participate in the war at the far north side, to the land full of blood.

Although the war seemed to go well for Monterobis, Skara’s knights were strong as well. Baron with not much of power in his hand could barely be protected nor meet the king, then died quickly.

The wife who was told the news refused to eat for a while. However, there was no time for her to drown in sadness. According to the law of this country, the wife cannot inherit the husband’s position, she had to ask one of the baron’s friend to take care of the land. And then she tried her best to find a way to fid her family. The kid was so young. She could not just stay in the land and do nothing.

She barely kept her sanity, but she started to head to the capital. Thankfully, because of the little land the family had in Claremont, there was a little house she could stay with her kid, where the baron used to stay. Then she started to work as a librarian in the royal library. But even with all this, the woman with no father or husband could not have their voice out loud in Monterobis. That is how it was- the lower the class and the weaker the power, the smaller they get.

So Amerina had to.

“You won’t be able to raise him well anyway.”

“No, please, let me have him.”

“No.”

“Please… have your mercy… please let him be with me. The kid… ah… he will have to follow Yerv…”

“He is still young. I will raise him.”

“Ah… please, he’s me and my husband’s kid, and my blood. If I don’t have him…”

“Do you really need the kid?”

“Yes, please, please… without him… I can’t live without him. Please…”

She begged to the count, tears falling on her cheeks. The more she begged, she was getting exhausted, and she could not control herself.

She wanted to see the kid. The kid barely knew that his father died. She missed the kid trying his best to smile to her crying, just to make her feel better. If what she felt when her husband died was the sadness and loneliness, losing her kid felt as if someone teared her apart. She could not stop crying.

But the count was not even acting like he was considering it.

This has happened only a short while before the king came back.

The count said that Amerina could not raise her kid on her own, then took the kid to his castle. Only knowing this after she was done with her work at library, she ran to the count’s castle barefoot. She could not even blame the servants for letting them go. If the count forced to do so, there was no way that servants of the baron could stop him.

However, by the time she arrived at the count’s castle, she couldn’t even see his shadow. The gatekeeper won’t even let her in. The unwelcomed guest was not allowed into the castle.

For the first time, she hated that she was only the wife of the baron. Amerina waited by the gate until the sun was going down, then she had to go as the wind was getting stronger at night.

For the days, she could not go to sleep. She ached with sadness. She tried to visit count every single day. And every single day she visited; she was denied. Her pillow was stained in her tears.

About a week later, the count sent a message to her that he is willing to see her.

Amerina walked into the castle with her excitement and worries. Then she met the count. He was her cousin, but they barely knew each other. However, she always had some respect to him. Amerina did not even think that it was the count who forced the baron into the war. She thought that there should have been deeper meaning to it. But she could not understand what this situation is, that is happening in front of her.

“Then there is something I need you to do.”

The only thing she could do to get her child- she heard it as she was looking for her kid in the castle.

Not even two days later, she was standing right in front of the king’s bedroom.

Amerina thought that any of this does not make sense. Not only the knights, but the servants seemed to be part of this. It seemed like her cousin did more than just letting the night guard know about this.

The door opened slowly. She was frozen in the spot. Amerina tried to stop herself from shivering as she entered the room.

As the door closes the darkness greeted her in the room. She dragged her feet to take steps into the bed, and there was a man lying on his own bed. The king of this country. She was confused if she needs to do the greetings to the king or not. She looked around the room. The room was shining as if they put all the gold in this country in this room. But none of this was in her sight.

After realizing no one is around, Amerina took her cape off. Her chemise was showing. The clothing was showing all the curves of her body. She was standing like a prey in front of the predator, who was about to be eaten. She went by the king, then laid down straight like a log. Then she took her clothes off of her shoulder and tried to go to sleep.

And by the time she was awake from the sleep she barely had,

“I know you’re awake.”

Shivering her shoulder, America got up. Then she tried to greet the king.

“How dare you come to the king’s bedroom without a permission.”

She raised her head as she freaked out. The voice was so sharp, then it freaked her out again. However, when she tried to look into that red eyes, she could not, then she had to put her head down again. The red eyes like that of a lion as scarier than anything. The weak could not face that.

She quickly brought herself off the bed and begged. She tried not to shiver.

“I apologize, your majesty, but please, don’t hurt the kid.”

“Is this what count Banassi had planned?”

Amerina almost raised her head up again. It was not allowed to look at the king in the eyes unless the king says so.

Her heart was beating fast. She wondered how the king knew about it. But she could not dare say the truth. She did not know how she was supposed to react here.

She was going insane. The fear that she’s going to die soon, and the thoughts of her kid came into her mind like a huge wave. On the other hand, she thought it isn’t too bad to see her dead husband. Her eyes were getting watery. There was only one thing she wanted.

“Please… your majesty. I apologize, but the kid…”

Lu Habre looked at her soullessly. This was not because he was mad at her. He already gave Karbala his punishment, and he will do so to the guard and the servants to make sure that this will not ever happen again. It was important to give a waring to the nobles too.

Count Banassi. Lu Habre thought of him. When he barely came back to the palace, the count requested to see him. Although the count did not have exact words on his mouth, he was clearly asking the king about the ladies. He was aware that this could be important issues for others, too. His age is way passed the time to get married. So even though he was tired with all the works that has been building up including this meeting, he tried his best to answer the count.

“I do not have marriage in mind as of right now.”

It was quite generous answer to the question. However, the count was smiling suspiciously.

“Your majesty, before you have the princess… what do you think of other ladies?”

Lu Habre felt uncomfortable. Without thinking deeply about it, the purpose was clear. He realized that he left the throne for too long. He was trying to control the king with women. The king wondered if he looked that easy. He frowned hoping nothing bad would happen. Without answering the question, the king asked the count to leave. Even when he was leaving, the count did not remove the suspicious face out of his face.

Lu Habre realized that he should make himself stricter. He tried to push the memory of this conversation away, as he had so much work he had to focus on. He should have given the count clearer warning. This lady is probably who the count was talking about. He tried to think how he can warn the count. Then he gave the look to the woman.

Lu Habre felt the need of the disturbance. The woman was still begging him.

“Your majesty, please. Have mercy on me…”

“There is one way to do this.”

“Please… I beg your pardon?”

“I will let Duke Moncheta know about baron Yerv.”

“… ah.”

Amerina was confused as the name of the finance minister was mentioned.

“and you, do not come out of the castle for a while.”

And then there was a mess that everyone heard in the palace.

The king clearly showed his intention to the nobles to never try to control the throne with the women, and that he is choosing his own partner.

As soon as he heard this, count Banassi hit his desk. The papers that’s been building up was shaking a little. Other nobles who were looking for the women stopped doing so. They knew they could not approach this way. So they decided to wait until Terre festival.