Come Love A Stranger

Nineteen

Lugar couldn’t believe what was happening, he looked straight at Ilayas and saw that he was frowning and he looked at the smiling Alador who his gaze were on his bride to be. His heart was thudding loud in his chest, the people in the hall might not know who these two are but he as the king sure as well does, as well as other kings of other kingdoms. And if there is one thing he wants more than anything is not to have the two of them together in his home. He gulped and licked his lips, as he opened his mouth to answer to Alador, he saw Ilayas approaching. Oh Thor, please save our souls, he prayed silently in his heart.
“Your highness,” Ilayas bowed right next to Alador, “I would like to remind you that you promised me a dance with your bride,” he smiled.
Mariah was surprised, earlier he had addressed him by his name, why was he using a courtesy right now? She looked from him to Alador who hasn’t taken his eyes from her. If it was in her power, she would have placed her hand on his immediately but she mustn’t forget how he had abandoned her for the past weeks. She sensed Shelia hiding behind her legs and she looked down at her but the white fox was looking at Ilayas and shivering and that made her wonder why. She didn’t forget that she reacted the same way when Ilayas had joined them in the room earlier.
“Oh, indeed, Ilayas, I did promise you a dance with her and I am a man of my words,” Lugar smiled nervously.
“Oh but there are many more dance after, you can grant him your promise later for I asked her first,” Alador said with a smile, now looking at him again.
The rest of the people in the room were surprised at what was happening, who were these men and why are they fighting on who to dance with the King’s bride to be and most importantly, why wasn’t the king turning them down like he would have done any of them? These were the questions on everybody’s mind and Lugar didn’t need to be told for him to know what they were thinking. He looked at the two men before him and cursed internally, do they need to embarrass me in front of my guests? Why on earth do they both even want to dance with her? She is my bride, and should only dance with me, she is mine, not theirs, mine. Wait, why is it suddenly cold?  He thought, looking around to see that everyone was shivering softly and he looked at the two men to discover that Alador’s smiling face had turned cold and his eyes were burning softly like flames.
“Alador, is there a reason to freeze everybody here?” Ilayas asked so low that no one could hear but Alador heard him very clearly. “Look at her, she is freezing as well.”
Alador’s gaze turned to Mariah to see her rubbing her hands on her arms and looking around, probably searching like everybody else where the cold wind was coming from. He sighed and closed his eyes and slowly, the room temperature returned to normal. “I shall let you have this dance with her, I would not want us exposing ourselves here since you seem to lack controlling yourself whenever she is involved, but know this, Alador, you shall answer to me after this,” Ilayas promised and then smiled at Lugar, “oh, the cold wind has suddenly made me so cold that I cannot even move my limbs. I shall leave this dance perhaps another day, your highness,” he bowed and returned to his seat.
At least one of them is reasonable, but it still don’t explain why they want to dance with my Mariah, “aw,” he yelped, looking behind him to know who dares to spank him but he saw no one and turned to see Alador still looking at him, “oh,” he cleared his throat, “then you shall have this dance, Alador,” he smiled, but who hit me just now? He wondered, still appalled by the mystery.
Alador looked at Mariah then with a smile, “the king has given his consent, may I have this dance, my lady?” he bowed once more with his hand stretched out to her.
Mariah wanted to keep up with her anger but she knew she would regret missing this chance of being with him so she stood up, climbed down the stairs and placed her hand in his. His fingers were ice cold and she shuddered at the contact but soon, they turned warmed enough that she didn’t want to let go. He pulled her to the dance floor and people made way for them and soon, they were the only ones on the dance floor.
Alador pulled her into his arms, he placed his hand on her waist and placed one of hers on his shoulder then he linked their other hands and slowly and gently, they glided around the floor. People were mesmerized by the beauty they exhibited, and it wasn’t hard to notice they both complement each other, but in beauty and synchronization. They were like they were painted form a fairytale and the same thought passed around the whole room, making everyone awed at watching them, including the king and prince, all except Ilayas whose face was burning in anger.
“You look beautiful,” Alador whispered, “and my eyes are so blessed to see you like this.” Mariah didn’t talk to him rather she turned her face away from him. Alador wanted to chuckle at that but he knew she was angry and he knew he needs to pacify her. He wasn’t supposed to be here, dancing with her, he was supposed to be far away from her but after trying for two weeks, he realized that he would die if he doesn’t as much as take a glimpse of her. After going to her home and not seeing her and picking from the thoughts of the people around that she was at the palace, he came over to see her for himself but after seeing how beautiful she looked and the urge to have her in his arms increasing by hundred, he had teleported into the next house and taken clothes from whoever it belonged to wardrobe, he had come over, with the hope of disappearing after he had danced with her.
Right now, seeing how angry she was at him, he was at lost on what to do, what is the purpose of calming her down now, making her forgive him and leaving her again? It was of no use and he knew that. “I really do not know how to start explaining myself to you.”
“Then start by explaining why you have been avoiding me,” she looked at him, “you left me, Alador.”
He closed his eyes, nourishing the way his name rolled off her tongue, for how long has he missed that? For how long have he longed to hear her call him that? To have her in his arms like they used to be? But every time he longs for that, he would remember how fate always turn out, especially for her and he would shut his eyes in pain to erase the image and now wasn’t different. “I had to,” he whispered, “to protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting, I am fine,” she retorted.
“There is so much in this world that you do not know, Mariah.”
“Aye, one is the fact that you are not like me,” she replied and he looked at her immediately, his eyes filled with surprise, “yes, Alador, I am not a child, I have seen the things you do and I know now that you are not human.”