Royally Bounded

Chapter 10

Clara

"Don't worry about Arnaldo," Ivor assured me as we danced slowly. "This will be the last dance of the night before everyone leaves."

I smiled, nodding and taking in a clear description of him. Being around Ivor made me less anxious and terrified, especially since he always had a warm smile on his face. His soft and lively voice filled with great mannerism when he spoke. As the youngest child of the Winston siblings, he shared a similar personality with Josephine, but his charming looks was adapted from King Joseph.

The brown coloured his irises, and his cotton chestnut hair combed upwards, some strands loosely falling to his forehead. His height still towered over me despite being shorter than Hayden. A dark grey three piece suit fitted over his body, and a pink tie circled around his neck.

"You're so different from Hayden," I mumbled out the truth. "He's not that approaching when it comes to personality."

Ivor laughed and shook his head. "I can promise you that you would rather prefer him over me. My parents definitely do."

"That's not true. I think you're sweet and kind. His cold personality never seemed like an advantage, at least not for me."

"That's because you don't know him yet," Ivor corrected me politely. "When Hayden was a child and a teenager, he experienced a lot, and he had to find a way to deal with his emotional problems. He's actually very intelligent and protective of us, which is why he's the deserved heir to the throne. He only chooses to make things complicated for my parents because he wants me to have a chance as a successor."

I pursed my lips, listening to Ivor explain the truth. Ivor had no reason to lie to me because he didn't had any advantages if he spoke well about Hayden, but from what I observed, Hayden had a stronger barrier against me than others. His cold personality did bother me, and not to mention that he often treated me with a harsh attitude.

Had I mistaken him though?

Ivor assured with me a smile, and he patted my back like a close relative. "You'll learn more about him as time passes. This entire marriage was sudden to everyone especially you, but please give him a chance before coming to any conclusion. Hayden is lured into you for a reason, and he's not this impulsive when it comes to a woman. You're the first."

I nodded with a small smile, finishing the dance with Ivor before heading away to find Hayden. We had to dismiss our guests soon, and he was nowhere to be found. I had searched through the entire backyard then entered the palace. I asked the maids and servants for his whereabouts, but they shook their head in reply.

A part of me hated how I had to be attached with someone that I didn't love, but it did him injustice if I based my first impression on his entire personality. Ivor awakened me, and he encouraged me to step back and paint Hayden a proper image, the picture that was truly meant to be for him.

My heels clicked against the brown waxed floors as I searched around for his shadow. Walls were mostly painted in light grey with gold rectangular frames as details. Red fabric carpeted the grand staircase that led to the second floor. Expensive crystal chandeliers hanged above my head, and the bright lights guided me down the vast areas.

"Searching for Hayden?" A thin voice chirped, and I spun around to find a woman in a dark green satin dress that ended just above her thighs. A giant slit cut through the side, enough to reveal her thighs.

"Who are you?" I asked, keeping the mannerism in my tone. She approached me with a dirty look, rolling her eyes as she scanned my figure.

"Oh God," she scoffed with disgust. "How could Hayden ever choose you? Your father is only a man who does gold business with other wealthy people. He managed to build a reputation off from them, but that doesn't mean your family is part our class."