255 Chapter 255 : Knight in shiny hair

“You seem rather anxious today..” Zhelimir sat down on a log next to his cousin and studied her. “I thought you would be excited about your big day, it is right around the corner isn’t it?”

Eira sighed, “yes it is..”

“Then why do you look dispirited, aren’t you excited to see your masquerade ball come to light?” Zhelimir poked his cousin playfully with the hilt of his sword. “And not to mention all the extravagant presents you will receive from nobles from everywhere. If I were you, I would move it up for that very reason.”

Eira turned to her cousin and gave him small forced smile, ” I am excited Zhel, it’s just...” she stopped herself and wondered if telling Zhelimir what was eating her up was the right thing to do. He tended to be very overprotective sometimes, like an annoying and nosy older brother.

“Come on out with it,” Zhelimir coaxed his cousin, “are you worried that your shoes don’t match that rather revealing dress of yours, you know your father will have a fit when he sees it.”

“It is not revealing!” Eira squealed defensively, “it’s lacy, there’s a difference, argh! You men wouldn’t understand.”

“Then what is it that you’re worried about? Is it Jacob?”

“No of course not, Jacob doesn’t have the slightest idea what I will be wearing at the ball, and even if he does, he will not be much of a problem.” The princess responded, “I have you there to cock block him the entire evening.”

historical

“Yes of course,” Zhelimir chuckled nervously. Eira would definitely kill him if she found out that Jacob actually knew exactly what she would be wearing, and it was all because as usual, the blonde could not say no to an opportunity to get closer to Janis. And on top of that, he wouldn’t be much of a cockblocker since he had practically signed a deal with Gavaria’s little devil

.....

“I don’t know if I should be telling you this,” the red haired princess mumbled. “But do you remember the lycan from the woods?”

“Ah yes, the one you say you despise and yet he keeps coming up in our conversations..”Zhelimir teased, “is that the one? Or are there any other lycan in your life I don’t know about?”

The princess elbowed her cousin angrily and pouted, “I know what you’re trying to imply and I need you to stop implying it right this minute!”

The blonde chuckled and blocked another blow thrown his way by his cousin, “alright I’m sorry Eira, please be gentle, you’re a lot stronger than you look you know, you could break my ribs in half.”

“Maybe a few broken ribs will teach you to take things a little more seriously!”

“What was it you wanted to say about the lycan? Did you go meet him again?”

“I did not,” the princess responded with a sigh, “but I did spot him at the store the other day when we were doing our shopping. He too was purchasing a mask.”

“Do you think he will be attending the ball as well then?”

“I should think so,” Eira responded, “otherwise why would he be purchasing a masquerade mask?”

“You don’t suppose he was stalking you now was he?” Zhelimir asked the princess, his voice projecting a little more concern than before.

“I don’t think he was. He was already in the shop when we walked in, and he didn’t even bat an eye in my direction.” She looked up at her cousin, “I think he was genuinely purchasing a mask for the ball.”

“I thought he doesn’t mingle with the people of this kingdom,” Zhelimir pointed out after remembering the few details Eira had told him about the lycan. “Why would he want to attend one of the biggest parties in all the kingdom all of a sudden if he hates people.”

“He doesn’t hate people!” Eira yelled defensively, “I think he has just been through a lot. He isn’t a bad person, well at least he didn’t seem so to me. People can be far from kind sometimes and lead others to isolation.”

The princess looked up at her cousin and knitted her eyebrows when she caught sight of the smirk on his face.

“Why are you smiling like you just had a stroke? Is any of what I said amusing to you?”

Zhelimir scoffed before nodding, “as a matter of fact it is,” he spoke as his smirk turned into a grin, “call me crazy, but I think you’re starting to like this lycan.”

Eira’s cheeks burned red almost immediately. She turned away from her now chuckling cousin and pouted. “You’re crazy!”

“Is that why you’re so nervous? Because your handsome knight in shiny hair will be coming to the ball?”

The princess turned her head slightly and nodded. “Maybe, but it’s not because I’m starting to like him!”

The way the princess uttered the last part of her sentence, it was as if she was trying to convince herself rather that respond to her cousin.

“Then what is the problem?”

“I haven’t been completely honest with him,” Eira mumbled in response. “If anything, he thinks I’m an elf from a powerful family. He has no idea I’m the crowned princess.” She looked up at her cousin with somber eyes, “I’m afraid of how he’ll react if he finds out. What if he never speaks to me again?”

Zhelimir was now almost sure that his cousin had some sort of feelings for this mysterious lycan. Because just a few days ago she said she never wanted to see his annoying face ever again. Yet now she worried he would not want to speak to her if he found out she left out a bit of information about her identity.

“Well what you told him is partly true,” Zhelimir spoke as he comfortingly rubbed Eira’s shoulder, “you are part elf, and you do indeed hail from a powerful family. All you’ll have to do is explain to him that you couldn’t just tell a man you hardly knew your entire life story, and if he really is coming to this ball for the sole purpose of seeing you, I can guarantee that he will not be as startled as you think he will.”

Eira nodded and smiled before leaning onto her cousin. Zhelimir put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder gently. “Now all we have to worry about is to ensure your father doesn’t scare him off. He comes off as the kind of man who would lock any of your possible suitors up and interrogate the hell out of them.”

Eira chuckled, “I guess it runs in the family.”

Zhelimir pinched Eira’s arm making her laugh. “And what the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?!”

“Nothing! Nothing ow! Stop it!”

When the blonde retracted his fingers, Eira leaned back onto him. “Thank you Zhel, for everything.”

“No need to thank me Eira, I will always be by your side, just like you’ve always been by mine.”

*

“Darling are you absolutely sure of this?”

“Yes I am,” Gareth responded to his beautiful wife who was laying naked on his chest. “Eira is growing up. We can’t keep trivial things like this from her any longer, she will figure it out eventually wether we like it or not.”

Melissa cocked her head up slightly to look at her husband. “You’re probably right, it might be better for her to hear it from us than anyone else. I suppose I’m just worried that she will see us in different light. What happened between us and the lycan royals isn’t exactly a tea time topic.”

The eleven king wrapped his arms tighter around his wife and kissed the top of her head. “Everyone makes mistakes my love,” he comforted her, “and besides, that bastard Elric tricked you into marrying him, the odds were against you. Any person would have made the choices you did.”

“I don’t think so...”

The man grabbed Melissa’s shoulders and lay her flat on the bed. He then moved on top of her and smiled lovingly. “I was practically deceased at the time Mel, and a dashing silver haired lycan swooped in to heal your bleeding heart. You would have to be made of steel to not be swooned by his debonair ways.”

The woman rolled her blue eyes and chuckled, “are you always going to make a joke of that situation Gary?”

“Until you stop feeling guilty about it,” the man mumbled before nibbling his wife’s lower lip. “I will make a joke of it until I’m old and grey.”

Melissa pulled the man in for a kiss. “You are the worst.”

Gareth kissed her back, “I know..”

“But darling,” Melissa continued, “was it necessary to invite all those people to her birthday ball? The last thing we want is an awkward situation at her party. Eira would be devastated.”

“I will not cause a scene I promise,” Elric responded, “I just want Eira to know that with all that will be said, there is no animosity whatsoever between the parties involved.”

“And Elric?”

“For all we know the man could be dead,” Gareth responded, “but if he happens to be alive, and willing to put all what transpired behind him. I would be more than willing to be civil with him.”