Royal Garden, Citadel.
Critic Citadel, Critic-Ishire.
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What is happening here?
Silence. Everyone turned and the voice belonged to the king.
Ahhh, Lilith screeched so suddenly that Lydia had to cover her ears because as Lilith tried to abruptly sit back down at the kings arrival Lydia’s cup of tea spilled onto her wrist.
"She poured hot tea on when I rely tried to socialize" she wailed imdiately as her reply, her gaze locked with Salvadores.
Lydia’s eyes widened in shock. "No I- we should apply sothing to that before the burn intensifies" she started but cut herself off when she noticed Lilith’s wrist was turning red and indeed burnt.
"Lydia" Salvadore addressed calmly and she felt relieved he wasn’t overheating too.
She finally stood up, vacating her seat with her arms open. "Salvadore you have to-"
"You do not speak to the king like that!" a familiar voice cut through Lydia’s defense.
"Liza! You are here" Lydia squealed her eyes widening in the process.
Liza drew in her elder sister look. "I had to co out so I can put so sense into you" she claid, her skin appeared to be extrely flushed yet sohow pale.
Lydia took a step closer to her. "How are you?"
"Better than ever" Liza answered back easily and with a noble smile.
"I am glad, I shall be in my room after the maids deliver sothing for the burn" Lydia said, her eyes searching for any maid who wouldn’t actually move but no one did.
Lilith moved forward in angry steps. "No, your majesty, we cannot let her go," her words sounded final and she knew she had to take another tactic because salvadore wouldn’t want that "This witch burned and I can only forgive her if she let do the sa with her!" she wailed, her face reddening. She must be in pain, Lydia thought.
"An eye for an eye" she pointed out.
"But..." she trailed off not knowing how to address Lilith anymore because princess seed exaggerated for a person with such a personality. She was blatantly lying and then trying to hurt her in the process.
"The tea spilled on you when you attempted to look proper, I was still sitting when it poured on you how could i have done that?"
"Liar! I want justice" Lilith screeched, her wrist forgotten in the quest to make Lydia miserable.
Liza touched Slavadore’s arm and that brought his attention to her, Lilith watched the interaction with a roll of her eyes. "Your majesty, Lydia is my sister I love her but she can be hostile sotis" Liza said out loud.
Lydia paled, this wasn’t looking good for her. "Hosttile? Liza! I am anything but that" she clarified, her eyes pleading with her sister.
Liza rely sighed and took her seat and Lydia watched her sister tried to hold back a grimace but couldn’t. Sothing was wrong with her, Lydia feared. Yet she was taking the king’s side.
"I believe she should be punished for this so she would never attempt to hurt soone she was jealous of" Liza breathed from her seat, the king was still standing and so was everyone else.
Lydia turned towards her sister with widened eyes. "Jealousy? Liza I am not one to-" she took a deep breath and focused on the king. "Salvatore you have to see that-"
"Stop referring to him by his na you wench!" Liza screeched suddenly cutting Lydia off again.
Silence before Salvadore cleared his throat.
"Enough, Liza you can go back to the chambers, I let Lydia call by my na" he inford, the maids eyes t eachother in the famous gossip pattern and Liza didn’t like that.
"But you would not with " Liza said, her voice quivering.
Salvadore refused to et her eyes as he barked. "Go back, Liza!"
"Do not co to tonight!" Liza yelled before rushing out of the garden, two maids quickly went after her. Salvadore clenched his teeths while Lydia’s eyes narrowed at their interaction. They were a lot closer than she thought.
"Lilith you would get treatnt for that before it escalates and Lydia kindly apologize to her" Salvadore addressed them but Lilith wasn’t happy about it.
"I am Theodore’s betrothed and she wants to make ugly so he would reject " Lilith complained, her eyes tearing up.
Lydia beca genuinely confused and sorry so she started. "Lilith-" but said lady cut her off with a screech.
"I am princess Lilith of Willow-Shire!" she announced, expecting Lydia to respect her.
Lydia pressed her lips together as she modded. "Okay" she agreed.
"I am sorry princess Lilith, I should have held my cup"
"You are despicable" Lilith harrumphed before sprinting out of the place.
Lydia began to realize that her being neglected and isolated wasn’t all that bad it was over attention and this strange interest in her that was scary because she couldn’t be free or happy, she was now constantly on a lookout or pretending her way through every conversation.
She never had to pretend with her sisters, only they made her feel insignificant and purposefully tried to make her look weak by burning her dire but she was better than the is now. It had been easier for her to bounce back in to being a normal lady, she felt the experience the Citadel was forcing upon her would scar and change her and that alone scared her.
"Theodore is going to hear this" Salvadore breathed with a tired sigh.
"I am sorry we are causing you such commotion" Lydia apologised suddenly exhausted and intending to go to sleep but she was yet to et the Sandra she ca for.
"You are my most welcod guest, we are family" Salvadore said and she felt the urge to ask hik questions but instead she said. "Thank you"
"I brought sothing for you" she said her eyes wide with a hint of excitent that didn’t go unnoticed by the king.
Salvadore held her gaze, and it was awkward until the air changed, Salvadore’s gaze dropped to her lips when she gave it a nervous lick, her eyes darted for the door hoping Theodore would suddenly show up, Salvadore gave her a raised brow, asking with his brows what it was she needed to give and that brought her back, making her nod.
"Yes, here" she turned sharply to pick the box, her heart pounded uncomfortably when she rembered how her sister looked earlier.
She wanted to ask him why he kept her but she was not confident enough to ask the aamad man, so she didn’t.
She picked one of the box from the bigger one and stood back straight, she caught him looking sowhere between the door and a maid.
"I could barely manage anything at the short notice" she groaned, her arms stretching to hand it over.
"Thank you for trying" making her blush.
He took it from her and he let his palm linger seconds too long.
"I shall leave" she nodded towards the door, her back turned to him.
"Lydia" he whispered.
"Why did you choose him?" he asked, his voice barely above a whispered breath.
She knew what his question ant.
Why did she choose Theodore?
Why did Theodore have to win her over?
Why couldn’t she aspire for a king?
Did she not want to be queen?
Was his monstrous reputation so alluring.
If she was being honest, she didn’t exactly have a choice.
Theodore had been the only one.
Salvadore’s red orbs waited for her reply, eagerly.
She t his eyes, his eyes were so dark in their red you’d think it was brown sotis, and with a warm gaze she claid. "I saw no one else"
Salvadore frowned. "I was right there!" he defended.
She nodded not knowing what else to say. "I know, excuse " she pleaded.
He had been there but she didn’t see him, she couldn’t see him. Theodore alone made her feel.
He sighed before opening his palm the don’t she’d given him now in his right palm,"Your hand" he invited.
He took it and dropped a kiss on her wrist, he pressed it down a little too long than necessary and Lydia had to pull back her wrist. "I am sorry" he said, and she felt the sincerity that blanketed his tone, she knew what he apologised for and she felt disturbed by it.
Was it because he had allowed the maid through to their mansion when he could’ve apprehended her or was there sothing else.
He had let soone who intended to kill her go and it had led to the death of her child, perhaps he wasn’t that evil if he apologised for that only she could swear he looked like he has done sothing graver.
But Salvadore knew what he had done.
He had used her face and na to commit atrocities, placing her in the line of hate.
He had made her a target to people she did nothing to.
He had hurt her.
She nodded, offering him a smile as she numbly accepted his apology.
With a smile he turned leaving her in the garden alone again with her box and novel in her arm.
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