Chapter 6. If this is a ruse, it is quite a high-level move
***
He never thought he would run into her in a place like this.
The northern king, Kalos, was beyond dumbfounded.
How did she know he would come here?
It must have been some kind of trick. This was the study he used to visit quietly at night, unofficially. It was unofficial, so his presence here was hardly known.
And yet here she was, sitting here, having just arrived yesterday. How could she possibly have gotten this information, he wondered with each bump.
If this is a ruse, it's a pretty good one.
The tricks of the princesses who had come before her were so ridiculous that they didn't even bring a smile to his face, but this princess was laughing at her own expense. She hadn't moved from her common sense. This was the second time she's appeared in an unexpected place.
Yesterday in the barn, today in the study. Could it really be a coincidence?
Still, the two princesses had been playing tricks on him for days after their arrival. That was bad enough, but this one was just like that. She was Catherine's daughter.
Kalos's eyes sharpened as he watched her rise from her seat, not slowly, not quickly, but silently.
She must be working with Queen Catherine, who was a master of the art of conspiracy. She was the one to be most wary of. That's why it was so annoying to see her.
"I just thought it was interesting."
Her response was even funnier. His country language was interesting?
"It must be difficult. A lot of it."
It was not a language that anyone could pick up easily. It was quite demanding and difficult. But interesting? Trust me, it is.
"It's interesting because it's difficult."
It was a ridiculous statement, but her expression was sincere, as if she was telling the truth. If he didn't know that she was the biological daughter of Queen Catherine, he would have believed her to be sincere, but there was nothing false about her expression. What a remarkable woman.
Even the way she stood upright exuded a grace and majesty that one would expect from a queen. That's what she must have been taught. Even the perfect facial expressions. Of the other two princesses, this one was by far the best. From head to toe, she's covered in annoyances.
Kalos's eyebrows raised together.
"That's too much of a coincidence."
Her gaze, which had been downward at his sharp point, slowly lifted. She understood what he was saying. What she suspected.
"I'm sorry, but I was here first yesterday and today."
He knew that. He was just very, very, very annoyed that she was calmly saying what she had to say, over and over again. It was a coincidence, and she was bragging about being here first?
"What if you found out that I sometimes come here in the evenings?"
Kalos's eyes grew colder, as if he suspected everything about her.
"You must have had a busy day."
She didn't react to his sneer, just stood there, silent, and every bit of it bothered him. It just made him wonder that her inside and outside could be so different.
"Then feel free to use it. It was rude of me.”
She bowed politely and started toward the door. It was funny how she didn't say anything back, just walked away. All this time, all this opportunity, and she just leaves?
At least the other two princesses were shallow, but they'd at least try to stall for time when they ran into him, though he turned them down mercilessly.
But this woman... this was just a ploy to keep her eyes on the prize since it was early in the game. It was a ploy that was so common among women that it was disappointing. Still, he thought her head would turn to the evil side.
Yeah. It's normal to be disappointed like this. She's finally acting normal. That was one thing he was happy about.
"Ah."
She stopped walking away and turned slowly back toward him.
Of course she was. She wasn't going to blow this chance.
Kalos smirked, having figured her out.
He secretly wondered what she was going to say to stall for time.
"I don't know who to ask for permission...."
Kalos didn't understand, even as she showed him the object in her hand.
What does that have to do with your trick?
"I'd like to take it to my room, and I don't think I should do it on my own free will, so I'm asking Your Majesty's permission."
Kalos had to think for a moment about what was going on here. So.
You want to take it back to your room and you want me to give you permission? That's it? That's all you're stopping for?
He was even more curious about what she was going to do next.
"Sure."
The corner of her lips lifted slightly, ever so slightly, clearly visible in his eyes. It read as an innocent smile, as if she was genuinely pleased to have his permission.
She curtsied again, then turned and walked out of the study with graceful steps and silence, the door closing behind her.
That was it.
Kalos waited a moment, expecting her to come back in if she'd forgotten something.
But the closed door remained silent for a long time. Kalos's head tilted slowly to one side.
Was this some advanced trick of women he didn’t know?
Her tricks weren't common, which made him all the more wary.
He smirked at the fact that he was still standing in place, and walked over to the chair and flopped down. The spot where she had sat a moment ago was uncharacteristically cold.
Why did it feel so warm?
No matter how graceful and regal she looked, he shouldn't be fooled by her appearance. She was the daughter of a mother who was notorious for that. Even now, everything about her bothered him.
He couldn’t put his finger on it, but no matter how polite she was, there was something about her that scratched his nerves. He always felt uncomfortable after bumping into her.
His mood to read a book in peace and quiet disappeared. His mood was getting dirtier and dirtier. Even the air became stale.
Rising to his feet and heading out the door, Kalos's feet crunched heavily on the cobblestone floor as he began to walk away.
***
Trisha’s legs were shaking now that she was back in the room, realizing how nervous she had been about Kalos' sudden appearance. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
"You've had a busy day.”
Of course, it was the king of illusions, but she didn't care. She didn’t give a damn what Kalos thought of her. As long as she didn't get caught. That was the most important thing, so she didn't offer any rebuttal, and she left the library to quickly end the unexpected meeting with him.
Finally calming down, Trisha looked down at the book in her hand. This was the one thing she was glad for.
It was the only thing that kept her from thinking about Aaron. She flipped through the pages, trying to keep her mind from spiraling downward into worry.
****
"I am opposed to this motion. Your Majesty."
Kalos glared at the minister, who had been the first to speak up when the motion had been presented to each nobleman to give up a private army to bolster his military strength as the territory expanded.
Instead, the one who wielded the most power in the council. Duke Havilt.
Then, here and there, fine nobles like Duke Harvilt shouted their objections.
He knew. Nearly half of those assembled in the noble council were rallying around the Duke, and who they supported.
It was not lost on him that his father's new queen, Isabella, was dead, and they were crowning one of her twins. If Isabella were alive, she would have killed Kalos to put her son on the throne.
As a king who had surpassed his father in the feat of subjugating kingdoms, Kalos wanted to just wipe them all out. It’s an empire, so don't even bother trying to convince him that it's appropriate to call him sire.
They were just sitting there, talking out of both sides of their mouths.
Their behavior was nothing more than pretense to Kalos, who controlled a powerful military force.
"You mistakenly think I'm like the former King."
The low, growling voice of Kalos made everyone cower in fear.
"I'll show you what happens if you don't send me your men by that date."
With those words, Kalos whirled around, as if he were swinging at them with a finely honed sword.
It was as if he had announced that his sword would now be pointed at them, and when he left the room, there was still a thick silence.
***
Kalos's head was burning from the meeting he had just turned upside down, and it was from anger.
What have they done?
To eat this land he’s worked so hard to unify?
Crazy things.
To clear his head, he strode to the window of his office.
His eyes narrowed again as he stared down at the snow-covered courtyard, the sunlight reflecting off the window.
It was her again.
Somehow it felt like everywhere he went, everywhere he turned, she was there. It was a headache. She was especially annoying today because he was already in a bad mood.
He saw that little woman carrying a big sack... She was going to the barn again. This early in the morning.
"Dalton!"
Kalos immediately called out to Dalton, his left-arm man, with a fierce glare.
***
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