Arthur stood at the end of the large room, and the candlelight cast long shadows of the large desk at the other end of the room in front of the glass panes. Anne sat in front of the window, looking up from what looked like multiple papers with profiles of various people. She placed her papers on the floor before paying attention to the man who had just walked into her office.
He stood just in front of the door and couldn’t help but feel immense pressure and nervousness. He couldn’t understand why his heart beat aggressively against his ribcage, his face felt hot, and his body couldn’t move any closer to her without feeling like it would explode. If he hadn’t been aware of his body and his health status ever since his rescue a week ago, he would be suspicious that he had been drugged, but that was impossible, and it was even more impossible that he had been cursed. This was the second time he had met her, and this was the second time he felt flustered by her presence. “Arthur? Why are you standing over there? Come closer.”
His eyes looked up at her. She sat on the armchair, leaning leisurely on the table. She wore a dress this time around, a silk dress that flowed freely around her. She had layers of gold jewellery dropping down her neck, and her hair was tied back; this was the first time he had realised she was royalty. He gulped and walked forward, standing in front of her. She had a carefree smile on her face, but something inside him felt like she was scrutinising him, judging his every move and reaction, watching him make a fool of himself in front of her.
“You wanted to speak to me?”
Anne watched him with a blooming smile. He probably did not understand why he felt so uncomfortable under her gaze, but she knew exactly what was happening to him.
‘The elven race is extraordinary; gifted in magic and intellect, it is a shame true elves have died out, but if you’ve ever met a mixed elf of royal descent, you will soon realise elves have a very innate need…’
Her eyes gleamed as she looked down at the chair behind him.
“sit down”
‘An innate need for servitude.’
Arthur’s face froze as he pushed the chair away from the desk and sat down, facing her. Being a head taller, he didn’t face her; instead, her chin rested on her knuckles as her smile became more insidious. “I am the one to whom you owe your life. How will you repay me?” Her voice taunted him as she found herself wanting to kneel under her gaze, but he held his pride. “I will give you my life, but I cannot give you my body,” he said, trying to exhibit his dignity despite his body betraying him. She had nearly said anything, and yet he felt so much pressure from her that his mind struggled to keep a straight line of thought. She stood up and leaned over her desk, cupping his head in her arms and making him look up at her as she brought out what looked like a black collar with a tag. “Your life is all I want, my loyal dog, Archie.”
click.
His eyes widened as he realised he couldn’t move. Enchanted by her every move, he was trapped; his fate was tied to her once the collar clicked into place.
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The bells rang three times as a small crowd gathered at the gates of the palace; servants stood on both sides looking at the procession that was about to leave the imperial palace; and soldiers sat on strong horses with straight backs, with the King’s dark horse situated next to Anne’s carriage. Aiden wore a formal set of silver armour with gold embellishments; his blonde hair flowed freely to his shoulders, sparkling in the sunlight. Anne’s window had been veiled, so she could only see his straight posture vaguely from her carriage; she couldn’t help but admire how dashing he looked with his helmet tucked under his arm as he said his farewell to Kind Alexander, who stood with Lady Vivian behind him. The children were nowhere to be seen. Anne didn’t expect them to send her off, but it did feel odd not having her siblings there. ‘It’s not like we’ve known each other for a long time.’ she thought to herself as she withdrew her gaze from the scene. Aiden’s loud proclamation set the carriage in motion as they trickled past the gates, down the road, and through the imperial city. Despite the occasion being the send-off for a royal princess, the roads remained quiet; there were citizens who came occasionally to see their procession; there had never been such a pathetic send-off in Celestia's history. Anne buried this feeling in her heart. After all, from this day forward, she would have nothing to do with the Celestia royal family; if she ever saw them again, they would be on opposite sides.
“Are you comfortable?” Aiden’s voice came from outside the carriage. “Don’t worry about me; the horse is probably more uncomfortable.” She said it sweetly. “We’ll be able to stop around the 9th hour for a break, so bear with it, alright?”
She made a sound of agreement, and then he moved up to the front of the procession. She closed her eyes and slipped into a well-needed slumber. She would be sitting in this carriage for almost a month until they reached their location.
“There’s a group up ahead; let me go up and make sure they aren’t harbouring ill intentions.” Aiden’s brows tensed as the general accompanying him sped up to the group that seemed to wait for them on the long road through the forest. Lieutenant Evander grabbed the hilt of his sword as he prepared for the worst. Approaching the group of men in full armour, he was met in the middle with one of the men dressed in black silver; their hair was tied up in a messy bun, and their features were soft and delicate.
“What business do you have here?” He asked, prepared to draw his sword and fight at any moment. “We’re her majesty’s subordinates.” That voice was unmistakably female; he looked at her in shock, his eyes glancing at the large sword attached to her waist in scepticism. He put his hand up, signalling for one of his recruits to come forward. “Sir!”
He spoke to him in low tones so the people in front of him couldn’t hear, and the recruit trotted back to the King, who was waiting for news. Aiden, upon hearing the news, felt a bit confused. Did she hire mercenaries for their safety? He instructed the recruit to ask her about the situation. Anne was unsure of how long she had slept; she had been hesitantly woken up by the sound of an unfamiliar voice calling out to her from outside the carriage. She pulled away the veil and looked out to see a soldier sitting with a flushed face looking straight forward, avoiding eye contact.
“Is everything alright?”
“Your Majesty! There is a group of mercenaries claiming to be under your command! His Majesty requested confirmation!” Anne felt her head clear up as she felt a bit foolish; she had forgotten to tell Aiden to expect company.
The door to the carriage opened, and Anne stepped out as a group of soldiers who had surrounded the carriage turned to look away. On hearing the carriage door open, Aiden looked back with a slight frown as his horse walked back to her. “Why did you come out? It could be dangerous,” he said with a warning tone. “I know I just wanted to make sure everything goes smoothly; they are my people, and they will protect us if all else fails.” She reached out and took his hands in hers. “They will watch over us; the only person that will be by my side is Lilian.”
“Your lady in waiting?” he asked.
“Yes, she is the one in black silver armour; she is my guard.”
Aiden nodded in understanding. “It is better to have a female guard near you.” He turned to look at Jonathan, who had looked back to see what was happening, and gave a nod of approval.
Jonathan Evander looked at the group in front of him and felt that the new Queen was not as simple as she seemed, nor was the little girl in black silver armour.
Lilian guided her horse to Anne under the scrutinising eyes of the soldiers around them; she got off her horse at a safe distance and bowed to Anne, who asked her to stand before going back into her carriage as Lilian took her place right outside her door. Aiden watched as he felt he couldn’t grasp his new wife’s thoughts. “Let’s head off!”
Anne looked out to see Lilian trotting along her carriage, and she couldn’t help but ask, “You saw him, right? What do you think? Should I set you two up?” Lilian’s face remained serious despite Anne’s embarrassing questions. Lieutenant Evander was indeed good-looking, but she felt pissed off when he looked shocked that she was a girl, which put her off pursuing him. “I can’t help but feel irritated by the sight of him.”
Anne’s expression dropped. “What happened? You just met him. Why not just give him a chance?” Her pestering did not stop until they reached the next village.
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The days following were repetitive and draining; the heat made Anne mildly uncomfortable as she remained still for prolonged periods of time. With her discomfort in mind, she suggested a date idea for their next lunch break. “A walk?” Aiden looked at her, perplexed. They had regular walks already, considering most of the journey involved walking. But he couldn’t help but feel that her smile was a little too mischievous. “Yes, just the two of us; I want us to spend time together alone.”
"Ah, alright, then we can go after eating?” Anne’s smile brightened as she nodded cutely. She ate her meal quickly, making sure to leave early so she could change out of her skirt and bodice. Aiden talked to Lieutenant Evander as he waited for her to come out of the carriage.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Her cheerful voice floated to the two men as they turned to see her walking up with a pair of brown leather pants and custom boots laced up to her knees. She wore what seemed like a men's tunic under a leather bodice, with daggers and a few pouches hanging from her waist.
"What are you wearing?" Aiden asked, perplexed by her sudden get-up; she looked like a bandit.
"Do you like it!? I think it looks really cute!" She said with bright eyes that she was begging for a compliment.
".....Yes, it looks cute," Aiden said as his brow twitched. He felt uncomfortable with how pretty she looked. He swiftly turned to face Lieutenant Evander, making sure his eyes were diverted from her.
"Thank you. Should we head off now?" She said in a playful tone.
