"You have to stop doing that."
"Stop doing what?"
"Saying things that make me want to kiss you when I can't."
Becoming the prince's personal bodyguard should be a dream come true, shouldn't it? Good pay, palace life, but the real gem that ever...
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CASIMIR HUGHES
"What have you done?"
"I think Caz is feeling out of it, your majesty. As you know best, your son has his episodes at times. Perhaps, it would be best for us to speak again in the morning," Dominic attempts to joke, cutting in hastily just as my father is about to respond. He then tugs on my arm discretely, persuading me to excuse myself.
But he never does that.
Dominic has never interrupted my father. He has always respected my father as his own.
"What's going on? What are you not telling me?" I ask, stepping away from Dominic, as my eyes shift between him and my father.
"I really don't think–" Dominic tries to make an excuse again, only to be interjected by my father this time.
"What have I done? Let me tell you what you've done instead, Casimir. Throughout your life, I've constantly overlooked your immaturity and recklessness because I always trusted that when the time comes, you would know what's best to do for Acrerians. But today, as the future King of Acreria, you really disappoint me," my father says solemnly, his voice beginning with the force of thunder but gradually fading into a subdued tone as disappointment settles over his words.
His words cut like a knife to my heart, resembling repeated stabbings, each one deepening the ache in my chest. As much as everyone else may talk about how I am the 'Doom of Acreria', I never expected to hear such words from my father, my own flesh and blood.
"You should've noticed from day one when I asked her to shoot an apple off my head backwards. Her aim, precision and skilfulness exceeds that of ordinary guards. No one is born with that. You have to be trained by someone extraordinary and that someone is her father, Antonio Valse. He is also the wanted traitor across Exalos," my father reveals in disdain, leaving me speechless.
"He knew, your majesty. It's why he thought it was better to banish her, than for Acrerians to find out about her," Dominic attempts to defend me, his voice filled with worry.
"You knew yet you banished her? We were lucky that she even showed up at our palace, Casimir. After Antonio's rebellion, there were no traces left of him or his family until Larissa showed up to be your bodyguard. I knew it had to have been her the moment I found out about her passing that ridiculous test I set. No one in Arcton ever trains for such bizarre accuracy except for the Valse," my father continues and panic grows in his voice, as though realisation has finally dawned on him that Larissa is never to step foot into Acreria ever again.
That also meant that we would never get hold of her again if she went back into hiding.
"You knew all these and yet you still decided to make her my bodyguard. My personal bodyguard. Have you ever considered my safety?" I ask, bewildered and nearly disbelieving, as if I were trying to disprove his truth.
