Amara of Xeris

Chapter 34

Shouldn't you be worried about this?", Amara asked Victor.

"Why? Does he not approve of us?", Victor said in a way that it was hard to tell if he was joking or not.

"I would be more worried about the public coming to that conclusion.", Amara snapped, "I am sure it would cause a scandal."

"Not really. My people don't care about who you are with as long as you get the job done.", he shrugged.

"I wish I could say the same.", Amara said, "How do I explain us to my father?"

"Don't, It's better and easier for us that way.", he suggested.

"What do you mean it's better that way?", Amara asked angrily.

"Two foreign monarchs corresponding in secret makes us look very suspicious. You don't know what sort of conclusions people can make from that. Us "being together" is the perfect cover-up. No one will bat an eye at a young teenage couple.", he explained.

"Isn't us 'being together' also very scandalous.", she asked.

"Yes, but our correspondence will be even more suspicious if we are not dating.", he explained.

"So we just pretend to date?"

"Only in front of your father. No one else knows about us, right?"

"I hope so."

"Tomorrow morning, tell your father that we are dating and have been for a few weeks. Make up a story of how we got together if he asks. Is that clear?"

"Yes, it's clear."

"Good luck for tomorrow morning. Oh, and Good night.", he wished her.

"Good night. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Let's talk at the same time as today."

******

Should I say it now or at the end of breakfast? Amara thought to herself. I don't think I will get another chance to talk to him alone today. I'll say it now.

"Dad, I have to tell you something.", Amara took a deep breath, "I was going to tell you about this later. I really was. But now that you have figured that out, there is no point in hiding it."

"Go on, dear.", he answered, "I am glad that you are telling me this."

"I am dating Victor.", she declared, "Please don't tell anyone."

"I have no intention of telling this to a single soul.", he comforted her.

"Aren't you mad about it? That I had been dating him, a foreign king.", she acted.

"No, not at all.", he smiled, "You can't stop your heart from catching feelings."

"It would cause us so much trouble if someone found out."

"That is if someone finds out.", he told her, "I don't plan on letting it happen."

"Weren't you the one who suggested that I break things off?", she asked her father.

"I was but then I thought about it and decided that you deserve a normal relationship, besides, teenagers aren't given that harsh of a judgement."

"Thank you, Dad.", Amara said, "You know, I was actually considering breaking things off."

"I am glad that didn't happen.", he told, "If you don't mind, can you tell me when did you two get together?"

"It was back in Othrera, you know the day he took me to the gardens...", she began.

"You said that wasn't a date"

"It wasn't, not officially. We were just hanging out."

"So what happened?", he asked.

"At the end of it, he asked me out on a real date.", Amara lied, "We went out on a real one the next day. It was in the palatial gardens, just another part of it It would have been suspicious if the two of us just left the Palace together."

"I didn't think he had it in him to ask a girl out.", he commented, "He seems too reserved for that."

"I was surprised too.", Amara said, "So much that it took me quite some time to respond yes."

"Are you guys an official couple or...?", Aluxio asked.

"We are official. He asked me out on the last day of our visit to Othrera.", Amara made up a story, "It was sudden but it made sense now that I think of it, he wanted to confess in person and we have no idea how long it will take for us to meet again."

"I made him wait quite a long time.", she continued, "A week, I think. I couldn't decide whether I wanted it or not."

"That doesn't sound like him at all.", he questioned the story.

Something just didn't feel quite right.