Seducing my King Master

CHAPTER FIVE

With her guards having kept their distance, Aria found the privacy she had with Nerissa encouraging. She once again contemplated whether she wanted to tell her about her irrational attractions and all, and after a moment of conflicting contemplation she decided to tell her.

“You’re awfully quiet, My lady”. Nerissa said just as she was about to speak. “Do you still feel unwell?”.

She cleared her throat quietly before shaking her head.

“Are the guards still keeping their distance?”. She asked her.

Nerissa’s brow arched questioningly, but she glanced behind them to check nonetheless.

“Yes, is there a problem?”.

Aria blew out a breath; one that had been weighing heavily on her chest.

Heavens, how was she to begin?

“My lady, you seem rather uneasy, perhaps we should return….”. Nerissa began said, but she shook her head once more.

“I’m alright, Nerissa”. She told her. “I’ve just been thinking a lot lately”.

“Thinking? Whatever about?”. Nerissa asked. Her temple creased worriedly, and she clutched the handle of the basket in her hand anxiously.

“His Majesty”. Aria replied quietly.

“His Majesty?”.

She nodded.

“I know it sounds silly, I mean, why would I be thinking of His Majesty?”. She said.

She glanced up at Nerissa to find her watching her closely; she obviously had her enrapt in what she was saying.

“It doesn’t sound silly, my lady, do carry on”. She said to her, and the gentleness with which she spoke alleviated her uneasiness.

She dragged in a fortifying breath before nodding once more.

“I do not quite understand why the thought of him is always on my mind”. She continued. “I’ve tried to stop thinking about him, believe me Nerissa, I have tried, but I cannot help it. It’s almost as though I am….infatuated with him”.

Nerissa chuckled lightly.

“Don’t laugh, Nerissa, else I might just crumble and cry”. She grumbled quietly.

“I’m sorry, My lady, I’m not laughing at you”. She said heartily. “Why would I? His majesty is someone every woman would be infatuated with”.

Aria glanced up at her once more, and she found the worried look in her eyes had vanished; she seemed….glad.

Did that mean that she had been putting in too much thought to an irrelevant matter? But the matter didn’t seem irrelevant, it felt like a dilemma, and it was her predicament.

“But I’m not ‘every woman’, Nerissa, I’m his disciple”. She said. Didn’t she understand that it would be unheard of for her to be attracted to her master? “And besides, I’m hardly a woman”.

The last part was said quietly. She knew everyone considered her a child till now, especially him.

Nerissa shook her head.

“Why, you’ll be eighteen soon, My lady. Of course you’re a woman. And it’s alright to be attracted to a man”. She told her. “And so what if you are his disciple? The more reason why you would be infatuated with him, you get to be around him all the time”.

Aria felt her cheeks heat up as color flooded them. Nerissa made the entirety of the matter seem normal and easy.

“But he…doesn’t see me as a woman”. She said quietly. “He treats me as he would a child”.

Just thinking about it had her heart clenching.

She dragged in yet another breath to calm herself. They were nearing the garden now, and she could perceive the fresh, earthy and sweet smell of herbs, flowers and fruits in the air; it was soothing.

“His majesty can be a little over-protective, but it doesn’t mean he sees you as a child”. Nerissa told her. “Who would see you as a child? You’re a beautiful young lady, possibly the most beautiful in the kingdom”.

She was certain Nerissa was exaggerating to make her feel better. There was no way she could be the most beautiful lady in Althea; she didn’t have vibrant golden tresses like most beautiful ladies did, and neither did she have intriguing auburn locks like Nerissa, or the feistier ginger color which men found interesting. She had black hair; locks which were as dark as night itself. Whilst other ladies had creamy and peachy skin with pink lips, she had pale skin with lips which were the color of a dying red rose.

She let out a breath before inclining her head to face her once more.

“Why are you encouraging me? You should be telling me to straighten up”. Said to her, “After all, we both know that His majesty will never consider me a lady he could be attracted to”.

“It breaks my heart that you would lack confidence in yourself to this extent”. Nerissa said. “You’re Princess of Althea.”

“And he’s King”.

“Yes, a king without a Queen”.

A humorless chuckle left Aria before she could stop it.

“You think I can be Queen? His Queen?”. She asked her.

She had never thought about being Queen. Why would she even think of that?

“Of course, My lady, why not?”. Nerissa replied.

Heavens, Nerissa was going to lead her to getting her young and fragile heart crushed. She rubbed her temple wearily; the discussion was exhausting.

“I do not wish to talk about this anymore”. She sighed. “Why don’t you tell me about your husband?”.

That would be a welcome distraction from her thoughts.

Nerissa smiled and shook her head, but she conformed nonetheless.

“There’s not much to tell about a humble soldier, My lady”. She said. “At least nothing that you do not already know”.

She knew that Nerissa’s husband, Varian, was kind and charming; Nerissa always made reference to him when she spoke of kind and charming men, but she never got tired of listening to her talk about him, so she shook her head.

“Tell me something I do not know, please”. She said.

Nerissa sighed.

“As you please, My lady”.

~~

“My lady, your cloak”. Nerissa said quietly.

She could hardly stand the sight of Aria’s chiffon pale blue cloak trailing behind her as she walked the soils of the garden; it had rained the previous day and the ground was a little damp, so the mud sullied the edges of her cloak as she continued to venture farther into the garden.

“What about it?”. Aria asked her.

Somehow, Nerissa’s stories about Varian had once again distracted her, now she had returned to being the unbothered Princess who didn’t care much about getting mud on her cloak.

“Why, it’s getting sullied”. Nerissa replied.

“Should I take it off then?”. She asked her. “Put it back on when we’re leaving?”.

She had to wear the flimsy cloak when she went outside because Nerissa claimed it was sunny, and she didn’t want the sun blemishing her skin, plus, it made her look more dignified and graceful; she was Princess after all.

Nerissa thought it through for a moment before she nodded.

“Well, it’s shady in here, and it’s just us anyway”. She said. “Let me help you take it off”.

They stopped walking and Nerissa efficiently eased the cloak off her. She studied the edges to see just how much mud had gotten on it before she said:

“I think we should head to the fountain, so I can wash this off”.

Aria’s brow arched slightly as she in turn studied the edges of the cloak; it wasn’t that bad. Nerissa was just being her usual overprotective self.

“Is that necessary?”. She asked her.

“Indeed, My lady, we wouldn’t want anyone seeing you with a muddy cloak”. She replied. “I’ll hand it on the hedges, so it dries out before we leave”.

Aria nodded resignedly. It wasn’t like she could argue with her anyway, she had her mind made up, and besides, the berries there were undoubtedly ripe.

“Let’s go then”. She said.

They headed to the fountain, all the while Aria stopped to pluck some berries and inspect some flowers.

“The flowers are blooming beautifully, Nerissa”. She gushed. “We should take some back with us when we’re leaving”.

“But new flowers were brought in today, my lady”. Nerissa reminded her softly. “Maybe next time”.

They could hear the sound of water splashing now, an indication that the fountain was just around the corner; the very fountain they would have gotten to much sooner if Aria hadn't been stopping throughout their journey.

Aria straightened up once more, she smoothened her hands down her dress before nodding.

“Tomorrow then. Don’t bring in new flowers, so we can come for these”. She said.

“Yes, my lady”. Nerissa replied. “Shall we?”.

The sooner they got to the fountain, the sooner she could wash off the mud and drape the cloak on the hedges to dry out.

“Of course”.

Aria hardly noticed she was a tad exasperated.

“Thank goodness”. Nerissa said quietly as they began walking once more.

“Do you think the apples are ripe yet?”. She asked her.

“Indeed, but they’re high up, so we can’t possibly reach them”. Nerissa replied. “I’ll have some apples brought to you when we return”.

Aria was about to say something but found herself lost for words immediately. They had gotten to the fountain now and the fact that Alder was standing by it had her heart falling to the pit of her stomach.