31 Beneath the Surface (1/2)

Leal rose from his chair. Behind him, he heard the rustling of the Queen's skirts as she did the same, though she had no need to. He could almost feel the hard look she threw on the side of his head before she called, ”Enter.”

The door was pushed open and, in quick strides, Hilde went in. She spared a flick of the eyes to the extra person she must not have expected to also find in the room – there were no Royal Guards outside, he knew, and at any other time, that would have signaled to everyone that the Queen wished for solitude.

She had taken three more strides before Leal's identity registered, making her stop in her tracks and train her full attention on him. Not holding anything back, she barked, ”Out!”

”Hilde!” her elder sister barked in return. Never mind that Queen Heloise had just spent the better part of their conversation wishing Leal dead, oh no – for the Princess to disrespect their guest in such a way, the upstanding monarch would of course not tolerate it.

But the Queen could not have known, the unexpected presence of Hilde alone delighted the said guest. What did it matter that the expression on her face, which was made especially vibrant by exertion and strong emotions, was overflowing with naked hatred for him? Even if she'd come with a killing intent, Leal was somehow certain he'd still welcome it.

Before Hilde could get her court manners back into place and the Queen, attempt to smoothen the situation, the Prince caught the sisters off-guard by chuckling.

”With the Queen's leave,” he said, glancing at the elder of the women. He didn't even attempt to wipe the humor from his mouth. Even though he knew how easy it was to misinterpret his reaction, what could he do? Just then, he could not keep his true emotions in check either. ”If that is your wish, Princess,” Leal continued, addressing the younger woman this time as he bowed from the waist without taking his eyes off her face. He therefore saw the full transition of her expression from contempt to indifference. It made his own expression lose its sharpness, his voice to become more measured. ”I would not dream to disobey.”

”And if I asked you to stay?” Queen Heloise interjected coolly.

The young man stifled a sigh. How could he forget – he was still in the dragon's den, and it was one of her treasures that had just walked in.

He turned his significantly-less enthusiastic smile to the Queen. ”Then I would think it is lucky I am still awake.”

It was Hilde's turn to cut in. ”Such a practiced flatterer,” she said. From how appreciative she sounded, Leal would have believed she was being sincere if the past sixty or so seconds had not happened. ”A true Prince, I dare say.”

”Ah…” said her sister. ”I had wondered – so you already knew.” She tilted her head slightly in the direction of the entrance. ”But you might have closed the door first.”

The younger people turned to find Nadia peeking into the room. The attendant's eyes widened, then she hastily disappeared from sight. They heard her pattering feet echoing farther down the empty corridor. Before long, it fully subsided.

'Between a rock and a hard place,' Leal mused in resignation, turning to the Queen. 'And after I free myself, there will be hyenas and vultures waiting outside.'

”Queen Heloise, I must ask you to excuse me,” he said with all formality.

The older woman nodded. ”I shall soon arrange for… further accommodations, for your countrymen and for yourself. I assume you will not be quick to return home after today?”

Understanding the cloaked message in the Queen's words, Leal felt some of the heaviness in his chest dissipate. He took pains not to show that his hope had rekindled, and he certainly gave no indication that its subject stood just a few paces away.

”We will be glad to stay for as long as you'll have us, Queen.” He gave her a parting bow before finally turning once again to the young woman who was still rooted behind him. It shocked him to find that though she remained to look indifferent, her pallor had once again become pale, almost deathly so.

'She keeps pushing herself!' he thought, quite incensed, but he stopped it from showing out of necessity. 'In a bed is where she should be – what madness—'

Leal interrupted himself. He was in danger of becoming so worked up, he might just grab Hilde and transport her to the nearest bed he could find.

Because of everything he was holding in, although he sought for calmness, he could well imagine how his eyes were blazing after he straightened from a second parting bow for the Princess. To his confusion and chagrin, seeing his expression caused her to pale even more.

Almost of its own volition, his foot took one step forward, as if his body knew before his mind did that he needed to leave that room. At the same time, Hilde stepped clear of the way he must take to reach the door, using that as an excuse to hide her face. Even as he continued to watch her from the corner of his eye, he could no longer see what expression she wore. Therefore, up until he got to the door and pulled it close after him, he could glean no answers as to why she reacted the way she did.

But if he had to guess…

As quickly as his hope had kindled earlier, it died. Since the incident at the village inn, Leal had known how Hilde thought of and felt about him. She'd made no secret of it, and back then, he had seen no reason to change her perceptions.

He had only sought to be honest; still, that was extremely foolish of him. One can never know where stray moments and chance encounters might lead. He should have given each that arrive equal importance.