Whispers Of Desires: A Sense Of Truth {Book 2}

꧁༺ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓧𝓧𝓥𝓘𝓘𝓘: 𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵 𝓘𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 ༻꧂

Kazi slammed the door shut behind her, a whirlwind of thoughts spinning through her mind. Who could be behind these attacks? Was it a neighbouring kingdom, pirates, or something even more sinister? The possibilities were endless, and the lack of information only deepened her frustration.

Just as she began to pace the room, a soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she called out, her voice low and gruff.

The door creaked open, revealing a familiar face. Uriel Princess Athiel's handmaiden, stood at the doorway, her expression concerned. "Sir K," she said, her voice barely a whisper as she got on her knees, "dinner is served. The Princess requested I escort you to the dining hall."

Kazi blinked, momentarily surprised. "The Princess?" Was Athiel still fixated on K? She offered Uriel a small smile. "Thank you," she replied, "I appreciate it."

Uriel stood up and bowed slightly and stepped aside, allowing Kazi to pass. Following the young woman down the hallway, Kazi couldn't help but dread the upcoming dinner. The thought of facing the royal family, especially with all the tension brewing within the castle walls, made her stomach churn.

They reached the grand dining hall, the heavy oak doors swung open and as she entered the dining room, the royal family sat around the table. As Kazi entered, followed by Elara, all conversation stopped and every pair of eyes in the room focused on her. King Eldarion cleared his throat, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

"Welcome, Sir K," he said, motioning for her to take a seat between Prince Akiel and Princess Athiel. "Please, join us."

Kazi took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto her face. "Thank you, Your Majesty," she replied, offering a respectful bow.

Kazi sat down at the table and Princess Athiel eyes twinkled. Kazi watched the royal family as she watched Queen Evangeline lean towards Prince Aradiel and spoke in hushed tones.

Kazi couldn't help but strain her ears, catching snippets of their conversation. "...such a strong and capable young man..." Queen Evangeline said, followed by Princess Aradiel's quiet reply.

Finally, Queen Evangeline turned to Kazi, her gaze fixed on him. "Sir K," she began, " may I inquire about your age?"

Kazi swallowed, suddenly feeling every eye on her. "I recently turned twenty-six, Your Majesty," she replied, hoping her voice did not betray her nervousness.

"Twenty-six," Queen Evangeline repeated, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Such a perfect age for marriage, would not you agree?" She glanced at Prince Aradiel, then back at Kazi, a glint of something unreadable sparkling in her eyes.

Kazi's smile faltered slightly at the Queen's words. She already knew where this conversation was headed, and a wave of dread washed over her. Marriage? To a princess? While the thought was flattering in its own strange way, Kazi had no interest women, let alone princesses. She forced a polite smile, hoping to deflect the Queen's insinuations. "Well, Your Majesty," Kazi began carefully, "twenty-three is quite young for marriage, do not you think? There is plenty of time for Princess Athiel to..."

Before Kazi could finish her sentence, Princess Athiel, who apparently had not taken her eyes off Kazi for a second, chimed in. "Nonsense, Sir K!" she declared, a hint of a blush creeping into her cheeks. "I am perfectly ready for marriage. In fact, I believe I have already found the perfect candidate." Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked directly at Kazi.

Kazi felt a bead of sweat trickle down her temple. Subtlety was not working. She needed a way to gracefully exit this conversation before things got any more awkward – or dangerous.

She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could get a word out, a cough cut through the tense silence.

All eyes turned towards Prince Azrael, who sat slumped in his chair, a scowl etched on his face.

"K," he grumbled, his voice dripping with boredom, "I require your assistance."

Kazi raised an eyebrow, already dreading what he might ask. "With what, Your Highness?" she inquired politely.

"With feeding me, of course," Azrael replied with a smirk, gesturing towards his plate.

The entire table fell silent, a collective gasp escaping Lady Layil's lips. King Eldarion's expression hardened, a flicker of anger replacing the warmth that had been there moments before.

"Azrael," he shouted, his voice heavy with disapproval, "you are not a child. Surely you can manage to feed yourself."

Azrael, however, seemed unfazed by his father's anger. He met the King's gaze with a defiant glint in his eyes. "Perhaps not, Father," he replied, a sneer curling his lip, "but I believe I requested Sir K's assistance. And as my guard, it is his duty to follow my orders."

The air crackled with tension. A vein pulsed on King Eldarion's temple, and even Queen Evangeline's smile faltered. This was a blatant display of disrespect, not just towards Kazi, but towards the King himself.

"Disgusting," King Eldarion finally growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Your treatment of Sir K is unbecoming of a prince. He is your guest, not your servant."

Azrael scoffed. "Maybe," he shot back, "but maybe I shouldn't have chosen such a...useless guard then." The last word dripped with venom, and Kazi felt a surge of anger rise within her. She clenched her fists, willing herself not to react.

Before the situation could escalate any further, Concubine Coriel, Azrael's mother, intervened. "Azrael!" she cried, "Enough! Show your father some respect and sit down in silence!"

Azrael rolled his eyes. He gave Kazi a look that was both angry and calculating, as if weighing her reaction. Then, without another word, he pushed himself out of his chair and stormed out of the dining room, slamming the door behind him. The silence that followed was deafening.

The remaining members of the royal family exchanged uncomfortable glances. Queen Evangeline offered Kazi a small, apologetic smile. "Please, Sir K," she said, her voice gentle, "do not let Azrael's behaviour reflect poorly on our family."

Kazi managed a weak smile in return. "Of course, Your Majesty," she replied, her voice tight. The entire ordeal had left a sour taste in her mouth. The quicker she found the traitor, the quicker she could leave this kingdom...