Chapter 79: Chapter 79
"Princess, shouldn’t you have the decency not to watch
while I put on my shirt?" Killian asked.
Alia continued to stare at him while he got dressed as she requested. "Yes but I am trying to figure out where you pulled that shirt from. You have no bag on you and I certainly did not see you carrying it. Was it magic or sothing?"
"Can you please stop calling it magic? Not even the witches call it that. Were you not taught to fold up your clothes nicely or did you never have to lift a finger?"
"I never had to lift a finger," Alia honestly replied. She had no sha in stating that everything was done for her. That was life in the castle for you. "Don’t you have soone who tends to you?"
"A doctor if my wounds are severe and I want them to heal faster but that’s it. I am a grown man. Does your maid help you bathe?" Killian asked.
"No. She only helps brush my hair or else it would get tangled up if I do it myself. There are still things that I can do on my own. Folding clothes just isn’t one of them. Should I start learning before I go to the north?" Alia asked as she did not want to co off as a spoiled princess.
"Why should you? Do you think I take you to the north and have you fold clothes? Soone will tend to you in the north. I simply do not need such a person around. Will the young woman you were walking with earlier be accompanying you to the north? I need a list of people you wish to take with you to the north so that I can inspect them beforehand," Killian pulled down his shirt as he spoke.
"It will only be
and Cyrus. Gina will stay and watch over my grandmother for ."
"If it is her safety you are concerned you can rest assured nothing will happen. None of the people you take along with you will be hard. I will make sure of it," Killian promised. Anyone would have to be a fool to lay a hand on people he labeled off-limits.
"It’s not just that. I am leaving my grandmother behind and although I know she has influence in the castle, I don’t trust Fraser and the sly foxes that will be around him. I don’t want Gina to have to pack up her life and co with
and I don’t want to leave my grandmother without anyone I trust. It’s a win-win situation for . On the other hand, I’m putting my faith in you that nothing will happen to Cyrus," she looked at the quiet man beside her.
She did not believe Killian had given up what he intended to do when he left the north and decided to marry her just to take her to the north to be mistreated. Alia trusted that as long as she remained by his side, she would be safe. So far, he seed like he was always honest with her and gave her no reason to doubt he would not protect her.
"I’ve told the n to not call him a traitor anymore. Everyone back ho will think I assigned him as your guard. It’s up to the two of you to keep up with that lie and not tell anyone you bought him. What do I get in return for this good deed?"
"You can be told you are a nice person. We’re here," Alia looked out at the town center where many people were starting to gather around the carriages. "Hold my hand when we get out, Killian."
"Hmm. Our relationship has grown in such a short ti span. We went from you stepping away from
to you wanting to hold hands," Killian recalled what she had done earlier in the castle when the maids were looking at her strangely.
"Do not make
change my mind. Cyrus, look around and make sure there is no one trying to harm Killian. If you spot anyone, intervene quickly. I will take responsibility for it," Alia gave an order.
The Blackwell guards won’t care enough to stop soone from charging Killian and the person would be severely injured if one of Killian’s n has to stop them. Cyrus was neutral enough to stop anyone from getting hurt.
"Okay," Cyrus opened the door and left first. He would listen to her request but he was more interested in looking out for anyone trying to harm Alia. With how close she was to Killian, there were bound to be a couple of fools to call her a traitor and try to attack her. Killian was capable of protecting himself plus there were northerners here to aid him.
Killian saw right through Cyrus and knew the man was not going to protect him. Good, it was Alia who needed to be protected. "Shall we?" He placed his hand on the door handle ready to open it when Alia was prepared to leave.
"No point in dragging it out," she took a deep breath. "Open the door."
Alia exited the carriage first and received cries of happiness to see that she was not hurt. However, those cries quickly changed when Killian stepped out behind her. Though many have never seen the king of the north a day in their lives, sothing about Killian’s appearance let you know right away who he was.
There was silence as Killian stood beside Alia and gasped when she held his hand.
Aside from her mother’s death, Alia viewed this as one of the hardest things she had to endure. Telling the people she would have to marry the man who was their enemy a day ago. She only needed the people to hear her out before they cast their judgnt. Hopefully, many of them would see this as what was best for the kingdom. She would hate for the people who once comforted her after her mother died to turn their backs on her.
"Silence is better than a riot," she forced herself to see the positivity in their reaction. Either their brains were trying to process her holding Killian’s hand or they thought they were all simultaneously dreaming.
"Or it’s the calm before the storm and they are about to riot."
"Must you be so negative when I am trying to be positive, you demon," Alia forced a smile to pretend they were nothing wrong with the crowd.
"Because it is entertaining. These people seem to have a delayed reaction or maybe they are too scared to speak. It’s a sha I am not allowed to scare them. Should I change my mind about humans not knowing what I am and scare them?" Killian would find it to be the most entertaining thing he saw in a while from a crowd of humans like this.
Alia squeezed his hands to stop him from doing such a thing. She felt like a mother telling her son what he could and could not do. "Absolutely not. You need to be on your best behavior today or so help , I will change my mind about not killing you."
"Great. You trying to kill
would add to the entertainnt," Killian added to get a rise out of Alia and it worked. She tried squeezing the life out of his hand but it hardly affected him. anwhile, her palm was starting to turn red. "You should stop squeezing my hand before you injure yourself."
"Worry about
injuring you. We have to go over there for everyone to hear us," Alia pointed at a stage and practically dragged Killian toward it before he could say sothing annoying again.
"Why is the princess holding his hand?"
"Has she fallen for the enemy?"
"Didn’t he kill many of our n?"
"What is she thinking?"
Alia drowned out the whispers she heard as she walked by with Killian. She didn’t release his hands after hearing the countless questions. She quietly walked onto the stage where a court minister stood and Fraser followed behind them. She was certain her cousin was taking joy in how much the people were looking at her strangely and questioning her being with Killian.
If only she could pause ti and smack the smile off of Fraser’s face. She made a ntal note to ask Killian if that was sothing he could do.
"Good afternoon people of our wonderful Blackwell kingdom. I’m sure you have many questions about why the castle has been silent lately and why there are northerners in our presence," the court minister took charge in speaking up.
"What was his na again? What is he in charge of?" Alia muttered as she barely recognized the man’s face and his na.
She rarely paid attention to her father’s dogs as they all looked the sa and she had no need in learning their nas. If she were to beco queen of this kingdom, she would have gotten rid of them.
"Princess," Killian nudged her arm to snap her out of her thoughts. "He’s calling for you."
"What? Oh," Alia realized the court minister was looking at her and so was the crowd. "What did he say? I blanked out for a mont," she whispered to Killian.
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