Lysandra gritted her teeth as she thought about the missing pouch. Her attempt to get it from the thief had failed. Now, both her and Albertina were somehow stranded. It would also be difficult to find someone who would buy one of her mother's jewelry without cheating on them. Beside her, was the strange man with silver hair.
Arin paused on his feet and yawned. He pulled out a pocket watch from the coat he was wearing before looking over his shoulder. "How bothersome," he thought.
Out of nowhere, a carriage pulled in front of them. Arin opened the door and stepped inside while Lysandra watched with a red face. "What do you think you are doing? I thought you were taking me to my sister!" She inquired. If it had been possible, one would be able to see steam rising from Lysandra's head as she glared at the man.
A dark chuckle escaped his lips, "get in princess before I change my mind," he countered. If it weren't for Lord Kael, he wouldn't have moved a muscle for these southern princesses.
Lysandra bared her teeth at the unsympathetic man. Begrudgingly, she stepped into the carriage and took her seat beside him.
"Who is going to shut the door, princess?" He probed. It was fun watching the red-haired girl looking frustrated.
Without further ado, Lysandra quietly closed the carriage door. The more she delays, the more she puts Albertina's life at risk.
Earlier
Just as Lysandra had run off, chasing the "pickpocket" she had said, the man in silver hair appeared before her.
"Hmm," Arin thought. "It seems your beloved sister has gotten into another trouble isn't it?" He scowled at the girl who was staring tiredly at him.
Albertina tried to smile, but it ended up a futile attempt. "Someone stole our coins. I believe no inn and food is free," she snapped at the nosy man. Although he's quite handsome. "I refuse to admit that he's handsome," Tina mumbled to herself.
"If you say so my lady," he grinned evilly and picked up one of the sacks from the snow ground. "We should look for an inn where you and your sister would spend the night," he suggested and began walking. When Arin saw that the girl hadn't moved from her spot, his lips twitched. "Come on princess, you can trust me."
"For someone who called a death scene spectacular, only a fool would trust you," Albertina fidgeted with the sack on the ground.
Arin walked back to the girl and leaned into her. Being so close, he outlined the delicate features of her face and she did take his breath away.
Albertina sunk back into the wooden wall behind her, trying to avoid the proximity between them. "Hmm," he then pulled back to look at her. Then leaned in again.
"What are you doing?" She asked as her face turned hot and red. She gulped as a weird sensation enveloped her stomach. "Get away from me," Albertina said in a dumbfounded expression. When Arin pulled back, she immediately stood up to avoid another drama.
Arin smirked as his eyes dropped to her lips. "Your beauty is unique," he laughed out loud as if he had said something funny.
"Weirdo," Albertina replied and began walking. "Can you help me carry this sack?" She asked as her face twisted in exhaustion. Without another word, Arin took the sack from her and nodded his head towards another inn across the street.
"You'll stay there and regain your senses," he said playfully. "Back to your beauty. Only when I took a closer look at your face did I see that you're beautiful. From a distance, you look like a pumpkin," he uttered, a smile spreading across his lips.
Somehow, Albertina dropped her guard a little. "Then you must have bad eyes. Whether I'm beautiful or not doesn't have to bother you, Mister spectacular," she asserted with no room for arguments. But Arin won't allow someone to tell him that he has bad eyes.
"But I have good eyes," he replied and Albertina could swear that she saw him pout. 'Was he this carefree?' she thought in her heart.
They finally arrived at the inn. Tina pushed the door open and stepped inside. She also held it open for the man to enter before shutting it.
Albertina was instantly shrouded by the warmth in the inn which emanated from the hearth at the corner. She sighed in relief before pulling her hood backwards.
The inn was quiet as empty tables and chairs were neatly arranged. Behind the counter was a young woman and an older one. Then there was another one who immediately descended the stairs, upon noticing the silver haired man.
"Lord Arin, I heard you booked this inn for two days. I wonder why," the young woman sashayed towards them. She was wearing a tight black dress which accentuated her curves perfectly. Her brown lush hair was styled in a loose bun with fringe at the sides. A portable amount of make-up adorned her face and her plump lips were painted red.
Arin turned to look at Albertina and spoke, "as you can see Melissa, I came here with a very esteemed guest. Such a beauty, isn't she?" He said with a knowing look on his face. He then chuckled when the princess' face turned crimson.
Melissa inhaled sharply as she set eyes on the girl. "She's indeed beautiful," she smiled, which didn't reach her eyes.
Albertina turned away from the man's scorching gaze, yet he didn't take his eyes off her. "Will you stop glaring at my head?" She harrumphs like a child. His gaze was enough to bore a hole in her head.
"No," came Arin's reply behind her. Then he turned to the innkeeper who wasn't smiling. "Did something happen Melissa? You look rather odd unlike your former self," he goaded the lady deliberately. Melissa was a woman who tries anything in her power to get what she wants. Each time he visited Mel's inn, her signature smile greeted him. But today, it was not there.
Melissa chuckled and waved off his words. She tried not to stare at the girl behind Lord Arin yet, she couldn't. "It's nothing Lord Arin. I'm just surprised that you brought a girl here. Perhaps you don't want the king to find out about your deeds," she replied politely yet Arin could feel the envy in her voice.
Albertina then turned to look at the appealing woman and tilted her head. 'Something was odd between the silver haired man and Melissa,' she thought. Not only that, she could feel the young woman's hostility towards her.
"Your guess was wrong dear Melissa. Albertina is a ripe fruit that is yet to be devoured. I feel I'm the one who will eat her," he beamed dreamily. "Isn't that right, Albertina?" He quizzed.
"Huh? Uhm mm, right. Definitely," Albertina replied without knowing what she had just signed up for. She didn't understand what he had said. She knew he just wanted to unnerve the innkeeper.
Regardless of what she thought, Arin seems to have indirectly tricked her without Albertina knowing.
Melissa was left speechless at the girl's words. Angrily, she stormed away from there. Arin then turned to face her as he grinned. "Don't forget your words' princess," he reminded her before heading upstairs.
Albertina exhaled and trailed behind him. "Arin, that's your name isn't it?"
"Yes," he replied and brought out a key from his pocket. He tucked it into the keyhole and twisted it. The door pulled open and stepped inside before Albertina.
Arin removed his gloves and went towards the burning fireplace. He went on his heels and placed his hands near it. "Go and wash up. Food would be brought in shortly," be said to the girl who immediately nodded and dashed for the bathroom. "Not that bad," he murmured.
Before stepping out of the room, Arin made his way towards the bathroom and peeked. The princess was soaking in the bathtub, her face delicate and gentle as she felt her body relax with her eyes closed.
Without another word, he closed the door and stepped out of the room. It was time to look for the eldest sister.
Lysandra stared out of the window confused. At first when the carriage started moving, she had thought maybe he had taken Albertina somewhere around. Now that she realized, she left Albertina no less than thirty minutes before the man showed up.
"Where are you taking me?" She probed. A killing intent entered her eyes as she braced herself for what is to come. 'Or was he taking her back to Asta?'
Arin shook his head and leaned on the carriage seat. "Don't be too hard on yourself princess. We are almost there," he dismissed her and shut his eyes.
Lysandra frowned and tried to relax, but she couldn't. Her hair was a mess. Tangled and dirty. She hadn't taken a proper bath in days. Then the carriage came to a stop.
"We are here," Arin voiced and yawned so loudly. He was getting bored now that he was with this princess. The coachman opened the carriage door but Lysandra refused to step out.
"Off you go princess. I'll be waiting for you right here, now shush," he uttered dismissively.
Lysandra stared at the snow-covered ground before stepping out. The snow crunched beneath her feet as she took a good view of where she was.
Unlike the city which was buzzing with life, here it was calm and soothing. The pathway was broader than the one she had seen in the city. Two storey buildings and mansions stood out with snow-covered roofs. Few colorful carriages moved around with fewer people on the street. Some houses were bigger than some. Being locked up in the castle since childhood, Lysandra barely knows how to differentiate the types of house structures.
Then she took a detailed look at the portable mansion the carriage had stopped at. Before her was a maze which reached her waist, green and healthy. It surrounded the mansion which stood feet away from her. A cobblestone path led towards the foyer and the glow from the oil lamps hung around the mansion was a sight to behold. It boasted a one floor architecture, depicting grandeur and sophistication. The mansion was painted white with dark windows. It was breathtaking from the outside and Lysandra wondered how it would look on the inside.
Although she had grown up in a more luxurious castle, here was a different world for her. She stepped inside and breathed. The mansion was screaming wealth and opulence. From the white ceramic floor to the glass table and black couches, it took her breath away. A fireplace was burning brightly, enveloping the spacious drawing room in warmth. Serene artworks hung from the wall and refined furnishings. It was decorated with elegance and sophistication.
"I wondered how Arin convinced you to come here, Lysandra," he mused.
Lysandra quickly turned to see the shadow of a figure lurking on the dark staircase. Silver eyes met hers before he came into the light. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the man.
Kael Darkhaven stood five feet away from Lysandra with a smug smile etched on his lips. His posture screamed dominance and power. Lysandra, on her part, felt the strong energy rolling off him. Never in her life has she met someone who gave her the chills like he does.
"He's quite good when persuading," she replied, goosebumps filling her skin as he approached her. "What do you want from me?" She pried. "And where is my sister?"
Kael towered over the princess as his eyes bored into her. She was fearless to begin with and didn't cower even when she wanted to.
His finger caressed the spot he had marked the previous night. "This is our second meeting, you should loosen up some nerves, Lysandra," he stated and walked past her.
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