"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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LARISSA FABLE
"The Prince of Acreria?"
"Maybe it is him, he doesn't look like he belongs here."
The murmurs begin to swell around us, growing louder as they speculate about Casimir's true identity. It doesn't take long before their attention falls back onto me.
"Her family really are witches."
"To think that she has taken after her sister."
"She has bewitched the Prince to be under her control."
I can feel myself being engulfed and suffocated by their hatred.
My hands must have instinctively clutched the hem of Casimir's shirt, and I tighten my grip, as if trying to bury myself in its fabric to escape the weight of their judgement and condescension.
Noticing my distress, Casimir pulls me closer, pressing my face further into the crook of his neck.
"That's enough," Casimir snaps, raising his voice abruptly which silences the whispers.
Only now do I realise that my hands have been trembling uncontrollably, something that I had not been aware of until this moment.
"What is with the commotion?" A familiar voice travels from behind, and I recognise it instantly.
To others, his voice might have sounded calm and authoritative, but I could sense the worry beneath his composed facade.
"What is he doing here now?" Dominic whispers under his breath, almost inaudible.
Within seconds, the sound of footsteps erupt around us, echoing with increasing intensity before gradually fading as though the crowd has dispersed.
I loosen my grip around Casimir and take a hasty step back.
"Are you alright Larissa?" Chad hurries over and places his hands on my shoulder to take a closer look at me.
Before I am even able to respond, Casimir steps in and swiftly pushes Chad's hands off my shoulders, earning himself a glare from Chad.
"Rissa, we've been worried sick about you," Reece exclaims. Appearing to have been held back by Silas, she manages to break free from his grasp and runs over to me.
