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As the figures walked toward the throne, they took off their hoods. He recognized Arthur as he appeared from under the Nexis blue fabrics, but he was more curious about the person appearing from the shimmering pearl white cape lined with translucent fur.
Silvery blue hair fell out from under her cape, catching the moonlight and making it her own halo. They framed the brightest, but most serious eyes.
Travus was, for a moment, vulnerable and entranced, and he wondered if there was a possibility, she had any Siren blood in her. He’d never been caught so off-guard by a person’s gaze alone. Her brows were only slightly furrowed from displeasure, but her attempt to retain her composure was obvious.
“Your castle is cold,” she immediately said.
Arthur’s eyes widened as he swiveled to her while taking off his cape to throw over her shoulders, turning back to Travus and falling onto a knee for a deep bow. “My apologies, your majesty. Princess Mierna is very–”
“I don’t mind,” he said, surprising himself. In fact, he could feel a deep cackle bubbling in his chest, one of amusement. “I can already tell that our time will be…very entertaining.”
“Don’t expect much from me, your highness,” she replied, finally bowing slightly. “This is nothing more than business.”
He rose from his throne with a smirk and slowly made his way down the steps, holding the princess’s gaze with much enthusiasm. She only glared back harder, unwavering.
I like her already, he thought. Perhaps it was their near equal status that made her so unwilling to surrender, or maybe…she was as fiery as her gaze promised.
“You don’t sound like you’re here willingly, Princess,” he said and held his hand out for hers. She placed her fingers gingerly into his palm, and he lifted them to his lips for a gentle kiss. He watched her carefully, noticing the subtle blush spreading across her cheeks.
I suppose she isn’t entirely invincible to my charms; he thought devilishly and allowed her to retract her hand, buthe noticed something strange. She smelled familiar, quite like the dame who visited before.
“I’m doing this for my people,” she reminded him, “not for myself.”
“Your betrothed must be in a lot of agony.”
“I have none.”
Travus scoffed humorously but grew curious when he saw that she was serious. She stepped back from him and held her hand out to Arthur, who produced a scroll from his satchel.
“Your Majesty, as I have accepted your terms, I hope you’re just as responsive to mine,” she said pointedly and held out the scroll to him made of blood red colored parchment. “You understand the meaning of this, don’t you? We’re bound to these terms by blood.”
“Breaking it will do nothing to me, my lady,” Travus grunted as he took it off her hands to unroll and skim through the black ink. “I’m immortal. Or were you not aware of that?”
“It does not prevent you from feeling pain or getting injured,” she reminded him. “Should you not keep your word, you’ll live with the curse of eternal agony.”
Something about the way she’d worded it stung Travus. As if being afflicted with immortality wasn’t bad enough,he did not need to add to his mental anguish with a physical one.
“You sound like someone I once knew,” he almost growled despite keeping his face devoid of emotion. “All I need to do is see if you’re anything like her.”
“Do you hate her?”
“Very much.”
With Princess Mierna’s curious gaze upon him, he flicked the tip of his thumb against a dagger on his belt and allowed a drop of blood to fall onto the scroll. It glowed a faint golden as the paper absorbed his blood, and he could feel his heart grow heavy with the bond of the contract. Meeting Princess Mierna’s eyes, he noticed her body glow faintly as her face expressed slight discomfort. It was confirmation that she was bound to the scroll’s terms as well.
Strapping the scroll to his belt, he turned to climb back to his throne, wanting to put as much distance as possible between them so he could breathe.
“Your majesty, there are a few things to keep in mind,” Arthur said suddenly. “Please understand that her stay with you can’t be made public knowledge. There’s a decoy of the Princess at home in an effort to preserve her honor.”
Princess Mierna scoffed. “Myhonoris the least of anyone’s concern, Sir Arthur.”
“I agree,” Travus said lazily as he finally sat on his throne. “We must do away with such ridiculous notions. I doubt you would give much thought to the Princess’s honor should she offer to bed you, Sir Arthur.”
The knight’s jaw drops, and Princess Mierna turns away quickly to cup her mouth with a barely restrained snort. For some reason, it pleased Travus to see her shoulders shaking with laughter despite her having so much disdain for him.
Arthur, on the other hand, was absolutely distraught and left speechless, unable to defend himself. “Your majesty, you’re mistaken!”
“Your princess laughs,” he retorted. “I’ve won this discussion. Now, is there anything else? Or will you finally be leaving, Sir Arthur?”
