Catherine boredly looked at Guinivere and Clementine, demonstrating how a lady should be in every gathering that involves the bachelors and the men in the high society. Everything from entering until to exiting was taught to her but all she could conclude from the so-called lesson was to be a statue in front of everyone. She looked passed the two heads to see Ria with her hands closed in mid-air, telling her to hang in there. She smiled and looked back at the two.

The event last night suddenly flashed before her without any warning, remembering how Lucas just passed by after their eyes locked for a moment. Not knowing what to do, Catherine absent-mindedly walked back to her chambers, forgetting she needed a drink and since last night she has never seen Lucas in the palace, even in breakfast and lunch.

The picture of Lucas dragging a crimson-stained man lingered to her mind for a few good minutes, making Catherine re-think all the events that have happened to her with Lucas in the last few weeks, including all the rumors that she heard since the day she first came to the kingdom.

Lucas has been nothing but kind to her and well, sure, a bit arrogant and rude sometimes, but he was a decent human being. Maybe the man he was dragging did something that to him or maybe offended him? With that thought, Catherine scanned her memories of a time when he was ever rude to Lucas. To her dismay, she remembered the first time they met, on how she was to focus on insulting the king that she did not felt him walked behind him.

Catherine who was lost in her own thoughts was brought back by Thalia who nudged her arm a little when Guinivere called her thrice. Catherine raised her two eyebrows as she looked at Guinivere who sighed.

"I was just telling, Your Highness that we should get going. I heard that you will be visiting your kingdom tomorrow," Guinivere said with a bit of annoyance in her voice.

"Ah, yes."

Clementine moved her face to Caitlin's and kissed both her cheeks as they waved goodbye. The duo, then, curtsied before Catherine before making their way to the door.

"We should get going as well. I hope for your safe travels," Thalia uttered as Caitlin moved to her side knowing that they need to show their respect towards a royal before leaving. When the two figures disappeared from Catherine's sight, she called Maria and Elle to prepare some tea in the garden, as it was too early for dinner and the sun has not yet set.

"I can't believe we will be going back home tomorrow," Catherine blurted to Ria and Josephine who was following her closely in the garden. She made her way to the spot where she always sits to drink tea and just absorbed everything around her.

"Malcolm, has the carriage been prepared for the departure tomorrow?" Catherine asked Malcolm who was standing behind her. Malcolm opened her mouth to answer Catherine when a familiar voice spoke.

"I see that you have gotten close and undoubtedly comfortable with each other in my absence," Lucas in his white long sleeve that was folded up to his elbows with a messy hair commented. Catherine shifted in her seat with an uncomfortable feeling when she saw Lucas again after last night.

"Well, of course. He is my personal guard. It would certainly be weird if we were uncomfortable with each other," Catherine instantly regretted her words when the picture of last night appeared when she blinked. She looked away and sipped her tea, missing the small grin on Lucas's face.

Lucas pulled the chair opposite Catherine and sat comfortably as Elle, placed the teacup and saucer, slowly filling it with warm chamomile tea. The couple sat in silence for a minute that seemed an eternity for Catherine before she spoke.

"You missed breakfast and lunch," Catherine bit her lower lip for sounding accusing when the words came out from her mouth, completely different from what she practiced in her mind.

"Oh, yes. I apologize. I got too caught up in work," Lucas answered and sipped his tea.

Another awkward silence fell before them. Catherine scratched the side of her cheeks and looked at the flowers with her mind running elsewhere. Unable to stomach the awkwardness between the two, Catherine stood up, making Lucas study her movements.

"I should go and get ready for dinner," Catherine mumbled, knowing another one of her lame excuses. She started walking back when Lucas spoke.

"Catherine."

Catherine looked back with a surprised look on her face when Lucas called her for the first time.

"Your name is very mouthful. Allow me to call you..." Lucas trailed off, thinking of a good nickname to call Catherine with his hand crossed in his chest, looking intently at Catherine. "Athy."

"W-what? Where did you get that?" Catherine laughed at the silly little nickname that Lucas gave her. No one has ever called her 'Athy' before and it was surprisingly a very charming nickname for Lucas to give her. Lucas grinned at the laughing Catherine.

"Assuming that you already called Malcolm without any honorifics, as my betrothed, I personally think that you should be comfortable with me too. In all probability that we would be spending the rest of your life together," Lucas appealed as he slowly walked towards Catherine.

"I guess that's only fair, Lucas," Catherine stressed Lucas' name as she let out a small chuckled, forgetting all the things she has seen last night. Lucas' grin grew wider when he heard his name rolled out of Catherine's mouth that seemed to stir some warm feeling inside him.

Catherine reached out her hand to Lucas's face, cupping it with her thin fingers, and with her thumb, she carefully erased a bit of ink in his cheeks. Lucas looked keenly at Catherine's amethyst orbs that were focused on his face as he tucked in little stands of her silver behind her ears. Catherine's laughed echoed in Lucas's ear as she saw what they were doing with each other. When she stopped laughing, she took a step backward and smiled at Lucas.

"Well, I guess I will see at dinner, Lucas."

Lucas was left dumbfounded in the trail in the garden with Catherine's retreating back. Konnor coughed a few times before Lucas looked at him. He started walking back to his office with Konnor closely following him.

After being holed up in his office, reading all the reports that were brought to Lucas and the papers from the governor in the north, Konnor wondered why Lucas suddenly wanted to go to the garden when he was so adamant to finish everything today, even skipping his breakfast and lunch, and to his surprise, Catherine was already in the garden having her tea. 

"Is that why you wanted to go to the garden?" Konnor teased Lucas who was twisting the knob of the door to his office. Lucas only glared at him in response.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Okay, okay!" Konnor raised his hands in the air as a sign of defeat. "I won't tease you." 

They entered the office and Lucas settled down in his chair, remembering Catherine's touch in his face. He unknowingly touched the cheek where Catherine's fingers left a cozy feeling. Lucas never thought that one could leave such a feeling just by the touch of a fingertip. He wondered why he didn't flinch and felt disgusted when Catherine held his face, instead he felt comforted.  He grinned from remembering and shook his head.

"Is that a smile I see?" Malcolm commented that washed off the grin from Lucas's face and looked at him coldly.

"When did you get here?" 

"I was calling Your Majesty for quite some time now and you did not respond," Malcolm explained and Lucas glanced at Konnor for confirmation and he just nodded his head as he looked at him with knowing eyes. 

"Why are you here?" Lucas asked, changing the subject and returning his cold, deadly stare. Malcolm gulped because he knew what he was going to say next.

"And by the way, since when we're so close with Athy?" Malcolm gulped, for the second time around. He was regretting visiting Lucas and internally smacked his own head for even thinking to visit such a jealous king. Why did he even bother going to his office after what he just witnessed? Malcolm thought that Lucas's recklessness must've rubbed on him for making such an outrageous decision. 

He laughed nervously and back away a few steps and looked at Konnor for help but Konnor just looked away, not wanting to get involved in the mess that he created. Malcolm looked at the bog brown clock aligned with the bookshelves in the left part of Lucas's office and he felt like he owed the clock his life.

"Would you look at the time? I must escort Her Highness to the dining hall."

"Stop."

Malcolm abruptly froze at his position and stood like a noble knight with his back turned to the king of the kingdom. He felt Lucas's stare boring a hole in his back that made hi sweat just a little in his forehead. Malcolm heard the squeaky sound of a chair rubbing against the floorboard and the weight of the steps of Lucas coming from his behind. 

"I will escort her." 

Malcolm let out the breath he did not he was holding when Lucas passed by and exited the door. With his the back of his hand, he wiped the sweat that broke out and clasped his chest before pounding it for a few times to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"This is not the heart racing that I wanted," Malcolm commented before sighing and practically running after Konnor who was almost at Catherine's chamber.

"Glad to see you're still alive," Konnor teased with a smirk on his face.

"Ha-ha," Malcolm retorted, eager to remove the smug look on Konnor's face. When they arrived in Catherine's chamber, Lucas was about to knock on the door when Catherine opened the white and gold door, making Lucas's knuckles collide with Catherine's forehead. 

Ria and Josephine gasped but held their mouth with their hands while Catherine rubbed her now pinkish forehead. Lucas stood in the door not knowing what to do when Catherine giggled.

"What a funny expression," Catherine commented when she saw the look of Lucas's face mix with surprise, sadness, and a little bit of fear. Catherine's uncomfortable feeling with Lucas instantly vanished into thin air after she saw Lucas's expression. Certainly, the man she saw did something unforgivable that put himself in that situation. After spending time with the people in the palace, she reached the conclusion, that Lucas may have killed his parents but he was not evil, he must've had a good reason behind it. She shook her head, still giggling, and linked her arms with Lucas, urging him to start walking. 

"Are you okay?" Lucas finally asked when they started walking, looking intently at Catherine's forehead. "I'm fine."

"Well, come on then," Catherine blurted and they made their way to the dining hall, with the rest of the group following close by. When they arrived at the dining hall, Catherine immediately took the seat but Lucas stood by her side.

He snapped his fingers and made a servant to fetched some ice for Catherine's now slightly swollen forehead. 

"Does it hurt?" Lucas asked, concern visible in his voice as he lightly touched Catherine's forehead, afraid that he would cause another accident.

"I'm fine," Catherine assured and playfully rolled her eyes at Lucas who did not see because he was busy examining Catherine's forehead. 

"Are you worried about me?" Catherine's voice pitched as she found it amusing by how Lucas was acting. The servant brought the ice, just in time that Lucas felt relieved that he did not need to answer her question. He reached for the ice and lightly dabbed it on Catherine's swollen forehead with careful hands.

"I guess this is the time for us to leave," Konnor commented as he smiled at what Lucas was doing.

"I-I guess," Ria replied, not taking her eyes off to Catherine and Lucas. If given a choice, Ria would want to keep on watching the two to see on how it would unfold but Josephine tugged her in the arm, guiding them to exit the hall.

"I'm really fine," Catherine said for the nth time when Lucas kept glancing at her forehead when the food was served to their table. She lightly chuckled before popping the meat in her mouth.

----------------------------------------

Morning came and Catherine was having mixed emotions on her departure as she sat on the edge of her bed. She was ecstatic that she would be able to see her family after long months of being away from them but she was also a bit sad for leaving Lucas in the palace, especially when they are just getting along well. She pushed past the thought, thinking that they would have a lot of time together after she visits her family.

She stood up and flatten the white top in her dress with non-existent wrinkles and exited her chambers. She headed to the grand staircase and carefully trace her fingers in the white and gold railings of the stairs as she descended. With a few stapes remaining, she stopped as she saw two blonde heads talking to the people in the palace as they put the rest of their luggage in the carriage.

She automatically smiled when she saw the black-haired beauty, standing still in the entrance. As if Lucas felt her stare, he turned around and locked his golden eyes to Catherine's lilac orbs. Catherine finished the remaining steps and crossed the great hall towards the entrance of the palace. 

"I guess I will see you in two weeks' time," Catherine placed on of her foot backward as she pulled the hem of her white dress and bent her knees, making a full curtsy before the king. When she stood up, she gave him a warm smile.

"I will," Lucas said and reached for her hand before placing a faint whisper of a kiss in her pale white hand. Catherine ascended to the carriage and Malcolm closed the carriage door. He faced the king and bowed, assuring him that he will do anything to protect the princess and let her have a peaceful ride. 

Lucas watched as the carriage turned into a dot before facing Konnor on his side. "Come on, we still got some work to do."

Konnor followed Lucas when he headed straight to the dungeon in the basement where the man they took was confined. Lucas heard the clanking of chains of the iron gate when a knight opened the door for them. Lucas first entered he was greeted by the man in the chair ties securely that he would not even think about escaping.

He approached the man covered in his own blood and lifted up his chin to meet with his cold golden eyes.

"Now, I need you to tell me who you are working with."

The man trembled in fear when he heard Lucas spoke. He has not tasted a drop of water since Lucas and Konnor captured him in the north which was already four days ago. With dried cracked lips, he answered with the same statement, "I-I don't know."

Lucas sighed and reached for the sharp small knife in the table just behind the man. He played with it and trailed it on the face of the man. "Let's not make this hard for us, alright?"

"I really don't know! I was just the middle man, obeying the man above." The man answered desperately. He wanted to crawl out of this hellhole as soon as possible but he knew that there was no way that this tyrant king would let him out breathing. "Continue."

Lucas sat on the chair opposite the man which Konnor placed so that he could talk to the man with ease.

"I was just the head of the group getting the people and delivering them to the place the man with the hood would direct us and leave the money in that place." The man answered truthfully. 

"Man with the hood. And who is this man?" Lucas asked coldly making Konnor shiver in fear. He knew that this was needed to be done to achieve the peaceful kingdom Lucas longed for.

"T-that I-I don't know. BUT let me leave this place and I will loo-" 

The man was not even able to finish his sentence when Lucas cut his throat using the small knife he played with. Hot crimson liquid splashed in his white clean face when the man coughed blood before letting out his last breath. Konnor looked away, terrified to see another dead body in the cellar. Lucas spat on the side before reaching to grab one on the clean towels in the table. He harshly cleaned the blood on his face and threw it on the side when he was done.

"Clean this up. It seems that I need to go back to the North."