Those next few weeks were peaceful for us. Law filled my bed every night after that and he left an hour before the servants got up, just in time to sneak back to his room. I was the one who prompted him to move around in secret when I had a feeling that many of the servants knew already but didn't care. This was the longest affair it appeared he had ever had with anyone beyond Lacey. She didn't appear to count however and I was curious as to why. I ended up asking Millie, the head cook about it later on and she seemed surprised that I didn't know.
"Millie? Why does everyone think that Prince Lawrence is bedding Lacey?" I questioned and she gave me a strange look.
"Because he is. I've heard her screams from inside my own rooms down here and we're separated by a large brick floor! Really, sometimes I wish they would keep it down," she shook her head at the shameful behavior. I stared at her for a longer moment and frowned.
"Did anyone see her enter his rooms?" I pressed and she gave me a strange look.
"Honey, all the servants have seen her go in his rooms these past few weeks, right before sunrise so that she can have some fun before getting up for the day. I know you like him but you might want to think about that stable hand who's been eyeing you over there for the past month. He's nice and I've heard he's got a couple of mares of his own. Not to mention the full breed dogs that he keeps in his pens for herding his sheep. He's rich you know," she whispered to me with a secretive smile and I managed to return the gesture weakly. She then proceeded to stuff a tray with breakfast things so that I could go see my prince as I usually did in the morning. I made my way up to his domain with a heavy heart but pushed it away before it became a problem. I didn't need to have any true suspicions. If Lawrence was cheating on me he'd be dead by now. His tattoos would've consumed him and I would be left with my job of protecting my prince as I had always done. Duty always came before pleasure.
That was my mantra of the day as I dropped off Aiden's food and made my way to the practice courts where Tynan was waiting for me.
"So what are we doing today?" he asked handing me some blunt wooden swords and I held them in my hands for a long moment before I looked up at him.
"Can you keep up with my speed?" I inquired emotionlessly and he slowly shook his head.
"Not when you really want to do something. I can only keep up when you want me too," he responded honestly and I straightened my shoulders.
"Then I suggest that you don't follow me," I commented and made my way to the center of the practice field and took a wide stance. I opened my eyes to see tilt my head back to see the sky above me and I took a deep breath. A tear drop ran down my face to fall to the ground and then the anger appeared. Was I really that insecure of my place in his life? It was a question that I didn't want to answer but that sick feeling came back into my throat and I threw one of the wooden swords into the ground a few feet away from me. I took the leftover sword in my hands and I examined it with a loving touch. I placed a gossamer kiss on its blade and pointed it to the sky.
"Peace," I prayed to whoever was listening to me and took a sharp breath. "Let it begin."
I didn't know what dance I did in that practice field that day but I felt much better with the release of pure emotion and oddly enough I stopped with both my swords in my hands instead of one. My shoulders drooped at the sudden weight and I glanced back up at the sky to check the time. It was a little past midday and I shook my head at the passage of time. I threw the two swords at a couple of spectators and they fumbled to catch them. Tynan was staring at me with a mixture of awe and incredulity.
"What was that?" He scrambled after me in his older form and I turned back to him as I stretched out a cramped muscle.
"That was emotion," I replied returning inside and he caught up to me.
"Emotion? Then what happens when you get angry?" he gapped at me and I stopped to turn to him. My eyes met his with a mild smile and I shrugged.
"Do you really want to know?" I questioned and he thought about it for a moment.
"You were like air. You floated and spun and at a couple of moments you disappeared into thin air! Then you came back again at another point. It was...amazing!" he breathed and I clapped him on the shoulder.
"I'm a Selenium. That's who I am," I informed him and I walked back up Aiden's chambers when Lawrence came out of a corner. Startled, he grabbed my hand and glared at Tynan with a warning look and led me to his rooms.
"Your highness? What's wro..." I started and he shoved me roughly against the inside of his bedroom door. My head would've bounced off the wood had his hand not caught it roughly and pulled it towards him.
"Law stop," I said trying to push him away and he caught my wrists in his hands and pinned me against the door.
"You...why do you infuriate me so much? I love you more than life itself and you go out there and dance for all of them to see. I would've danced with you. All you had to do was ask," he growled and I swallowed soundly.
"I danced because I was angry at you for seeing Lacey at the same time you leave my room. I have a right to express my emotions," I retorted and his eyes narrowed.
"You think I do that because I have sex with her? Didn't I tell you the consequences before? I'd get killed by my own tattoos if I even so much as kissed her on the mouth. She comes in to try to get me to sleep with her but I said no every time," He let go of me and turned away from me. His hand paved its way through his hair messing it up and I watched as he sat on the edge of his bed wearily.
"Would you? Would you have sex with her if you hadn't marked me?" I asked hating the insecurity that managed to find its way out of my throat and he stared at me with wide eyes.
"I honestly don't know," he said quietly and I wrapped my arms around my stomach. My markings gathered around the spot and encased my torso in a giant black web. I brought my mind back to the dance I had just danced. It calmed me down but Lawrence's lips kissed my forehead and eyes before I opened my eyes to look at him. He put his hand on my cheek and I scowled at him before he kissed my nose.
"You should go back to your work. Your father still thinks that you're moving the peace process along," I said as he put his lips to my jaw.
"And your prince still thinks that you're practicing with Tynan in a nice hiding spot. How would we explain this?" he murmured and I fought against the feeling of being swept away. I had to think.
"I don't know," I muttered and he pulled my tunic down to reveal the mark.
"You might want to figure that out," a woman's voice said from behind him.
Author's note: Thanks for the support! Don't forget to comment!
