Conquering The Throne...And His Heart

Chapter V

After dinner, I went out onto the balcony of the castle and stared up at the stars. Guillermo still had not been heard from, but I knew he would only rant about his anger if I went to comfort him.

The stars seemed so much brighter here in Agea. Each one gleamed with a unique glow and stood apart from the rest. They painted a pretty picture in the sky that only they could decipher.

I felt like such an outsider here. Everyone understood all of the problems here except me. I was still just getting to know them. Although I had only been here a day, I already felt out of place.

"The stars are beautiful out tonight, are they not?" a voice behind me said, sending chills down my spine. I turned around to find Dario standing behind me, leaning forward on the railing.

I just stared at him in disbelief. He was much more attractive up close. His eyes gleamed more, his jawline was so smooth and tempting.

"Dario Fuetero, I do not believe we have met?" he said, holding out his hand for mine. I hesitantly placed my hand over his and watched closely as he bought it up to his lips and softly kissed my knuckles.

"Not formally" I said as my hand fell back to my side. He looked at me in confusion.

"Did I ride past you earlier today?" he asked me.

"No, I was at dinner. Guillermo is my fiancé" I said looking back up at the swirl of stars above our heads regretfully. I patiently waited for the outburst of anger from him for having spoke to his enemies future wife.

Instead, I heard him chuckle.

"So you are the famous Cornelia my cousin will be marrying soon?" he asked me. I nodded at him hesitantly. What was he trying to prove? Was he taunting me?

"I think you will make a marvelous queen" he said softly, slowly moving towards me. I swallowed hard and nodded.

"Thank you" I said. "Now if you will excuse me, I must go tend to my fiancé" I said and quickly turned away. I needed to leave before anyone saw us together. Before the island named me as an adulteress and rejected me as a queen.
Before I lost control and did something that would make me an adulteress.

Dario grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him before I had the chance of escaping.

"It was a pleasure to meet you" he said softly, his face inches from mine. My heart was racing as fast as possible. I was sure I was going to faint at the mere warmth of his sweet breath hitting my face.

"The pleasure is mine" I barely gasped out. He grinned and let go of my arm, allowing me to escape. I did not. I stared into his eyes for a few seconds before finally turning away.

It was as if he had been pleased to see me stumbling over my words because of his charm. I shook my head and hurried towards the bedroom I shared with Guillermo. I hesitantly knocked on the door and opened it when there was no objection. Guillermo turned to look at me as I entered the room.

"Ah darling. listen to this! My coronation speech will be the best in the history books!" he said excitedly. I smiled, relieved that he was no longer upset. I walked across the room and sat on our soft bed.

I was not really listening like he thought I was. I was deep in thought about what Dario had just done to me.

He had sent chills up my spine in a way Guillermo had never done with a simple kiss to my knuckles. His eyes had penetrated deep into my soul..I felt a strange connection to him. He had made me light headed with a quick glance. How had he affected me so much in so little time? Guillermo grunted, sending my attention immediately back to him. I noticed he had thrown down the notebook he had been reciting his speech from and was angrily pacing around the room.

I got to my feet and swallowed hard, wishing I had been paying attention to him.
"How dare Dario arrive to dinner late and then refuse my invitation to join us?" he asked angrily.

"Guillermo, I am sure he meant nothing of it" I said in a soothing tone. He turned to look at me angrily.

"Defending the other man? What a lovely future wife God has blessed me with" Guillermo spat out in disgust. I lowered my eyes, not daring to anger him again. "A bastard is what he is. Born of a prostitute" he muttered picking up the notebook. "My uncle was not satisfied with Isabella and her young age, her virgin mind. Oh no, he had to go find himself a prostitute who could not even deliver a child without seeing her own death first! In my opinion the child should have died with her" Guillermo muttered.

My eyes widened. Dario was not Isabella's son?! Why did she show him such love of a mother? No one treated Dario as any less..were they aware of what Guillermo knew?

The king had been unfaithful to his wife..perhaps she was too young? Maybe she was unsuccessful with having children at first? Or she did not wish to have children at an early age, so she avoided intercourse?

And Dario's mother.. she had died while delivering him? Maybe that was when Isabella took Dario in as her own? Surly he was older than Fatima, so Isabella had had no children at the moment.

"That bastard envies me! He wishes he was never born a bastard! He would have been heir had it not been for his out of marriage birth! Angry he must be that I was the oldest male in the family after he, and that my father had been faithfully married to my mother. He did not choose to reach under women's skirts whenever he felt like doing so" Guillermo continued mumbling to himself. I stared at Guillermo in disbelief. He was not the true heir to the throne?! Dario was stripped of his chance at the throne! This must have been the reason they were at odds with one another!

Now I understood everything, or atleast I thought I did.