ONCE Sonia finally stopped crying, Severin led her by the hand to the familiar old arbor.
“It’s still here! Wow, this takes me back!” Sonia exclaimed.
Although entrance to the arbor was usually restricted to royalty, apparently an exception had been made for the ball. Lamps were scattered throughout the garden so people could walk about freely, their soft lights dimly illuminating the benches and surrounding areas.
Sonia and Severin entered the arbor and sat upon a marble bench built into the base of a pillar. When Sonia was little, this was usually where her mother brought her. Her mother would enjoy sitting with Severin’s mother, Queen Cordelia, over a cup of tea amidst the wafting sweet fragrance of the surrounding rose garden here in this very arbor.
“We always came here in the spring and autumn, didn’t we? We’d run out to the grass and start reading, drawing, or playing with the dogs and cats...” Severin reminisced. Each direction he pointed at was lost to the darkness of night, but Sonia recognized each spot as a play area she had enjoyed in the past.
“It was fun back then... My first thought of the day was ‘What games should I play today?’” Sonia said.
Thinking back, Sonia felt her mother and father had truly pampered her when she was a little girl. Although she was still too young back then to start learning the ways of a proper lady, it didn’t change the fact that she had never been harshly admonished or disciplined for behavior unfitting of a nobleman’s daughter.
What if these unearthly terrors were plaguing the Clares then as well? Did my parents let me do whatever I wanted because they were afraid death could take me at any time...? Struck by the queasy sense that the darkness sweeping across the grass was creeping toward her, Sonia squeezed her eyes shut. She must have clenched the skirt of her dress tightly as well, for Severin wrapped his hands around Sonia’s balled fists with a soft clasping sound.
Gasping in surprise, Sonia jerked her head up to look Severin in the eyes, only for him to offer her a gentle smile. Her heart raced madly at the sight that was as sweet as the fragrance of the roses.
“Did you get into a fight with Chris?” he asked.
Sonia dropped her gaze, the mention of his name reminding her of what Chris had said.
“...It wasn’t a fight. It’s just...” Sonia said, trailing off.
“Just what?” Severin asked. Sonia’s gaze fell even lower upon realizing how close Severin’s face was as he peered into her eyes, urging her to continue.
Her face felt hot. Never before had a man looked into her eyes like this, so Sonia was unsure how to respond. Her mind a muddled mess, she repeated everything that Chris had just told her.
Although it wound up an incoherent mess told out of order, Severin listened intently and occasionally nodded his head while muttering, “Uh-huh.” It helped her gradually calm down as she told her story.
When she came to the end, Severin tilted his head to one side while groaning deeply with a, “Hmmm.” After stewing over it a minute, he boldly looked Sonia straight in the eyes and said, “Chris is as straightforward as an arrow, so I think he told you how he honestly feels. Bluntly put, he’s trying to help you, not hurt you.”
“By recommending his fiancée cheat on him?” Sonia retorted.
“I don’t think he was recommending that. It’s just you interpreted some of what he said to mean that,” Severin countered.
“...You’re really standing up for him. Is it because he’s your sword instructor?” Sonia snapped.
Severin shrugged upon seeing Sonia pout sullenly. “Like it or not, you get to know a person when you go as far back as we do. Not that I associate with him anymore.”
“Because he’s with me now?”
“That’s not why,” Severin answered with another shrug and shook his head. “I stopped interacting with him before that. I’d had enough.”
“…Enough what?” Sonia couldn’t help but ask what he had enough of.
“Don’t look so serious. It’s not like I got fed up with Chris or anything,” Severin said. He rested one of his elbows on the edge of the backrest. His long fingers sprawled across his finely chiseled chin. There was a lustrous gleam about him despite his listless appearance, filling Sonia’s chest with pangs of pain.
He had three years on her. How could such a small age difference make him seem so much older? Was this all an illusion created by the deep darkness of night?
“I grew tired of the sword, I guess. After careful consideration, I realized I didn’t care to become a knight. I was learning swordplay and combat from Chris as part of my knight training, you see,” Severin explained.
“But aren’t those among the skills you need to hone as a member of the Royal Family?” Sonia asked.
“I’m already fairly decent at them, believe it or not.”
“Then what are you doing nowadays?”
“I suppose you could say I’m in charge of entertaining our guests,” Severin answered.
Sonia’s eyes narrowed as she recalled what Chris had told her; Severin took care of entertaining the ladies.
“...Are you imagining something uncouth? Like I cater to the ladies, for instance?” Severin asked.
Her eyes must have given her away. Rather than try denying it, Sonia simply nodded. Her blunt honesty threw Severin into a fit of laughter.
“Aha...! You’re just as honest as ever, Sonia. I know there are rumors to that effect, but I don’t entertain just women,” he explained.
“Is that a fact?”
He gazed into Sonia’s pale blue eyes, which searched his suspiciously in turn. His expression and deep blue eyes held such intensity, she couldn’t peel her gaze away.
“I was overcome with joy when I heard you still haven’t married Chris,” he confessed.
For a brief second, Sonia couldn’t breathe. After a long moment of silence, she finally managed to force out, “Why?” but she was afraid her meek, raspy voice didn’t reach Severin.
However, he must have heard her. Admittedly, he may have only heard due to how close his head was. Lowering the hand that had been lazily propping up his chin, he brought his hands to cup Sonia’s.
“I was surprised to find you’ve grown into such an enchanting lady during our time apart. When I first saw you sick in bed, you looked somewhat waxen and fragile... It made me want to protect you.”
“Prince Severin...” she breathed.
His sudden confession made all of the gears in Sonia’s mind come to a stop, turning her mind completely blank.
“With your permission...and if it’s not too late, may I steal you from Chris...?” he asked. Though her mind was blank, she caught every word of his proposal and latched onto them, holding them tight.
As if cotton candy was entangled around her five senses, Sonia was unable to move a muscle. Yet, the pounding of her heart continued to race furiously. It showed no sign of stopping but only pounded faster still.
The cause of her internal plight was right before her eyes. His beautiful countenance gradually drew closer, so that Sonia could see the reflection of her face in his pretty blue eyes. Was his glittering skin but a trick of the mind?
Oh, yeah. It’s probably the lamé glitter powder... Her eyes fixed upon Severin as she thought, He’s so pretty, he doesn’t need that powder.
“So this is where you went. I’ve been looking all over for you, Princess.”
A beard suddenly appeared right at eye level, making Severin nearly jump out of his skin as he lurched back.
“Yikes!”
“Sir Chris...!” Sonia exclaimed. Illuminated by the light of the lamps, she was able to identify him. However, his eyes were not on Sonia, but focused on Severin.
His cutting, threatening glare was apparent even in the dim lighting, and Severin was clearly unnerved by it.