Marked By The Unseelie

Chapter 28 Another Side

Chapter 28

I barely got any sleep last night. At most, I believe I only got at least four hours of sleep before an attendant came into my room. Zhier oddly wants to spend time with me and invites me to take a stroll with him through the gardens.

I am so close to tell him to reschedule until I thought about what would happen if I do. Zhier knows that I am an early bird, so if I try to act tardy, he might suspect that something is up—not to mention that I already skipped breakfast. I understand that it is a farfetched way of thinking, but fairies are pretty smart and very cautious, so it is only natural for me to be cautious as well.

"I was surprised that you decided to invite me all of a sudden. Aren't you suppose to be on watch duty with your sentinels and training with them?" He's been awfully clingy lately, which is becoming a cause of concern. I hope that this won't become a problem for me in the future when I decide to sneak out of the palace with Efeiza.

"I am a prince. I can do what I want and take a break whenever I wish." He speaks as if that alone is enough of an explanation. "Besides, there's a certain annoying princess that I am trying to avoid." He sneers, which is odd when looking at the garden.

Actually, it's not so strange considering that the majority of the flowers in this area have the potential to kill, eat, or sever you in half.

"By Princess, do you mean Princess Fera?" I remember the day that I saw them together in the training grounds. "I thought you two were getting along well the last time I saw you both together."

"We can't lie with our words, but we can lie with our expression. As a noble fairy, it is only natural that I would be able to do such mediocre task." I see a hint of a smirk on his lips like it is something to be proud of.

"Are you pretending to enjoy taking a stroll with me right now?" It was only suppose to be a joke, but Zhier quickly pauses, turning his head towards me furiously.

"Of course not!" He responds loudly. "If I never enjoyed my time with you, then I would not even think about spending as much as I can with you during my free time."

I don't want to be assuming things here, but why does it seem like he is confessing right now? Of course, that can't be the case. He's a proud Seelie Fairy and I am human. There's no way. He must mean it as a friendly companion.

"Geez, no need to be so defensive, Zhier." It's not my intention to laugh, but I have this weird sort of habit to laugh at uncomfortable moments. Plus, seeing how stressed Zhier looks when he is trying to convince me is just jiggling up my laughter. "I was only teasing you. But just to be sure, you're also not doing this to show to the others that I am your betrothed?"

Zhier's expression just starts to turn soft and serious when he realizes that I was deceiving him instead of pouting as I had anticipated.

"I am beyond that already. What kind of individual do you take me for?"

"Didn't you just say that you are a prince?" I deadpan. "And besides, I heard that the Queen is still intent on getting the princess as your official fiance."

"If that's your concern, then you don't have to worry about that anymore. My mother and I have resolved the issue and reached an agreement." He somehow looks a little relieved after saying that. Still, I can tell that there's still something that's weighing heavily on him by the way that he slumps his shoulders.

"What kind of conclusion did you come up with to decline the princess?" I really am not curious about the reason. I am just asking to fill in the silence as we continue our walk. Holding Zhier's hand in a formal manner used to be so awkward for me, but now I have gotten used to it, along with the stares that would occasionally come when the other fairies would see us.