3
Concubines were forbidden to leave the mansion unless it was Marquis' orders; the selected ones had to travel on windowless caravans so they couldn't see the outside or be seen for free. Even being the favourite and traveling with Valentino, he wasn't allowed to peek through the curtains of the marquis' carriage.
Therefore, and despite his own bitterness and how tense the environment in the carriage felt, Angel was beyond amazed when they finally abandoned the Marquis' territory and reached new places out of the woods. Flowering indigo plantations under a clear blue sky, beautiful and colourful houses with families working and children playing with various animals –the smell wasn't certainly the best thing but who cares- and when entering the Capital, streets and alleys full of color, sound and unending activity from the people, carriages and other newer vehicles, music coming out from some of the buildings and bands playing here and there; but when the people recognized the carriage and started to get close, making it difficult to move, he instinctively moved from the window and crouched in the corner between the door and the seat.
This didn't go unnoticed by Alastor, who closed the curtains.
-Better? -he asked, Angel nodded in silence.
-I'll see if we can move -said Husk, getting out from the other side of the carriage, and with his absence, the tension between the Red Prince and his new concubine came back, if anything, stronger. Both were so uncomfortable with each other that none of them knew how to break the ice; it didn't help that Angel was still wearing nothing but the same red chiffon robe -though Alastor and Husk were gentlemanly enough to not to stare and Stolas preferred to reach them at the Palace. Angel, on the other side, found it so weird and confusing not to be ogled for once.
Alastor cleared his throat.
-So tell me... is Angel your real name?
What a way to start, thought Angel sarcastically.
-As far as I know, Your Highness -he replied. –It's the name the marquis gave me when he found me.
-Right...
-You don't have to smile.
The sentence caught Alastor off guard. Angel was finally looking him right in the eye, blank expression.
-Excuse me?
-I noticed-said the blonde one-you feel as awkward as I do. You don't have to smile if you don't want. It looks weird, like, why would you smile to someone you don't even like? Not even I do that and it's my...
Suddenly, Angel remembered who he was talking to, felt the colour abandoning his face as he lowered his look to his still barefoot feet and swallowed hard, knowing he just probably messed up. But only then Alastor felt a genuine interest on the conversation.
-Because–he replied, leaning closer and grinning a little more on propose –it is my job too. To smile even to people I don't like, my dear. Politics are not so different from uhm... well...
-Being a hooker?
From the outside, a couple of knocks were heard following sounds of the people clearing the way, and the carriage started moving again. Apparently, Husk would be making the rest of the trip on the driver's seat.
-...yes-said Alastor, unable to find a better synonym. –Besides, in many ways a smile works both as shield and weapon. You can conquer and defeat with only that, and even cheer yourself with nothing more. Let's just say... you're never fully dressed without a smile.
That was enough to make the blonde one smirk a little.
-But still...-Angel said, looking away and slightly peeking through the curtain-you don't need to pretend with me. I hate liars.
YOU ARE READING
The Concubine
RomanceA few days before his birthday, Prince Alastor recieves the Marquis' favourite concubine as a gift. Busy as he is with his royal duties, an inherited curse and a war decades old, the last thing he needs is an unwanted harlot that doesn't want to be...
