Blind The World

CHAPTER TWO

Lady Caroline hoped Alicia could catch the eye of any of these noblemen because they were both eligible bachelors and any of them would be a perfect suitor for her. As the chatter continued, Alicia walked into the dining room where she found her aunt laughing and talking with an unfamiliar man.

"I thought she said there were two," Alicia muttered under her breath, wondering if the man her aunt was laughing with was the prince or the marquess.

"Your Majesty!" she said, following her instinct as she curtsied, drawing the attention of the table.

Maxwell's gaze shifted towards Alicia, and in that moment, his eyes widened, his jaw dropping in utter disbelief. He found himself captivated by her sheer elegance, a sight unlike anything he had ever witnessed before. The silvery black strands of her hair perfectly complemented the radiant glow of her caramel skin.

Even though her eyes were a deep shade of brown, they seemed to possess an inner light that sparkled from across the room. Towering in her statuesque beauty, she possessed the most impeccable figure Maxwell had ever laid eyes upon, the epitome of perfection in its every curve.

"Your Grace, this is my niece, Lady Alicia," Lady Caroline said, hoping Alicia would get the hint she was giving her.

"Your Grace!" Alicia said, correcting herself immediately.

Taking seconds to regain composure from the awe of the beauty standing in front of him, Maxwell paused, trying to get the words out.

"My lady!" he stuttered, getting to his feet quickly to kiss her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady!" Maxwell said, unable to hide his excitement, as he moved a chair for her to sit.

This wasn't new to Alicia; she had watched men lust over her beauty before. Instead, it just seemed funny how the Marquis of Veerdawalls was clearly drooling.

"Lady Caroline just told us about your mother's demise. Sorry for your loss," he said, and Alicia responded with gratitude.

Minutes of silence passed before Maxwell spoke up, breaking the silence.

"I never knew the Duke of Saintfields had such a beautiful daughter," he said, watching Alicia eat.

"Really? He does!" Alicia said with a smirk on her face, sarcastically.

She never considered herself the Duke's daughter. Despite not knowing the full story, she loathed her father for her parents' divorce, wondering why he never even once tried to come to visit them, knowing fully well that the trip from Saintfields to Veeradawall was just a day's journey.

Maxwell was taken aback, "I thought…" he stuttered, trying to understand before Lady Caroline quickly explained,

"She is just joking," she said, forcing out laughter. "Our Alicia loves to joke," she added, giving Alicia a stern look.

"Oh!" Maxwell exclaimed, joining in the laughter. He didn't really understand the joke, but he laughed out of respect.

"She has been in Veerdawall for years now, practically grew up here. Hence, she joked about being more from Veeradawall than Saintfields," Lady Caroline further explained, trying to justify Alicia's supposed joke.

"I see, but why so? You would expect the daughter of the powerful and honorable Duke William of Saintfields to be by his side, taking notes for when she takes over," Maxwell said, looking at Alicia, whose discomfort grew as they both spoke about her.

"Well, would you look at the time!" Alicia said, glancing at the large pendulum clock at the end of the room. "It's getting late. If you would excuse me, I think I would call it a night," she said, standing at her feet.

"But you haven't even finished your meal," Lady Caroline commented, noting that Alicia's food looked barely touched.

"I suddenly lost my appetite," Alicia said, avoiding eye contact with both Lady Caroline and Maxwell.

"Your Grace, it was an honor," she said with a curtsy, trying to maintain her composure despite feeling uneasy.

"The honor is all mine, my lady," Maxwell replied with a warm smile as Alicia left the room.

After Alicia left the room, Maxwell decided to call it a night, leaving Lady Caroline alone in the dining room. As the house grew silent and everyone retired to bed, a couple of hours later, Liam awoke and attempted to rouse his friend, eager to embark on their shared adventures.

"Wake up! We need to go!" Liam said, trying to wake his friend up from his slumber.

"Go where?" Max said, shifting his sleeping position to face a different direction.

"We have a long way ahead of us. We need to visit all the other counties before the month ends. Wake up!" Liam demanded, but Maxwell didn't even flinch.

"Wake up, damn it! I want us to leave before sunrise!" Liam shouted, trying to rouse his friend.

"Sunrise? Sunrise, why!" Maxwell said, rubbing his eyes and struggling to sit up, still looking sleepy.

"We have a long journey ahead of us," Liam reiterated.

"But don't you think it is too early? I’m sure that even our host is not awake by now. Or do you have plans not to bid her farewell and thank her for your hospitality?" Maxwell questioned his friend's decision.

"I told Lady Caroline about our departure time," Liam replied, feeling confident in his choice.

"What about Lady Alicia?" Maxwell inquired, expressing his desire to see her again and hoping to rectify any misimpression he may have left.

"Lady who?" Liam asked, seemingly unfamiliar with the name.

"Lady Alicia of Saintfields," Maxwell clarified.

"Oh, I see. This is more about seeing Lady Alicia than actually thanking our host for her hospitality!" Liam teased with a smile.

"She is our host too", Maxwell said.

"I can't explain it, but she is the most beautiful woman I have ever set my eyes on!" Maxwell said, Liam burst into laughter.

"Yeah, I think I heard you say exactly the same thing about Lady Catherine of Metros and Lady Liliana of Cylindia," Liam playfully reminded his friend of his past admiration for various ladies.

"I am serious, this is different!" Maxwell insisted though it fell on deaf ears as Liam continued to jest.

"Don't worry. Just get ready. I am sure you will find the most beautiful lady you have ever seen in one of the remaining 6 counties we are still yet to visit," Liam laughed at his own joke before leaving the room.

After a while, Maxwell stepped out of his room and heard the voices of Liam and Lady Caroline. He trailed the voices and found them.

"I packed some snacks for your journey, in case you get hungry along the way, and water for you and your horses, as well as an extra horse, to carry the loads," Lady Caroline explained as they watched one of her guards tying some luggage to a horse.

"Thank you so much; you are so kind!" Prince Liam said with gratitude to Lady Caroline, who just smiled warmly.

"We must be on our way now! Thank you for the hospitality!" Liam expressed his appreciation, turning to look at Maxwell, who appeared distracted and seemed to be looking past Lady Caroline. "Did you forget something?" Liam smirked, playfully teasing Maxwell about his distracted state.

"No! I was just wondering if I could bid Lady Alicia farewell," Maxwell explained, hoping for a chance to see her again and leave on a positive note.

"I'm afraid my niece isn't up yet," Lady Caroline explained to Maxwell, who looked immediately disappointed.

"My best regards to her!" Maxwell replied with a hint of disappointment as they both got on their horses and set out into the horizon.

Liam looked at the Florida orange sky as the glorious sun began to rise, stopping to take in the breathtaking sight. He whispered to his friend, "Such beauty!" A beautiful moment of silence ensued, allowing them to appreciate the beauty of nature and the sweet morning breeze.

"I see! This is why we left before sunrise?" Maxwell asked, observing a smile appearing on Liam's face, to which he nodded in confirmation.

"Not fair, Liam. I wish you saw her. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Her glowing skin looked like honey, and her eyes were so enchanting, you could get lost in them. She walked with so much grace and poise," Maxwell gushed, attempting to describe Alicia's beauty, but feeling like his words couldn't do her justice. "Well, if you think sunrise is beautiful, it's because you have never seen Lady Alicia of Saintfields, the only daughter of Duke William of Saintfields," Maxwell continued, dropping her name.

The name triggered a memory for Liam, taking him back to his childhood. "Alicia, Saintfields... perfectly toned skin," he muttered to himself, realizing he had heard that name before.

"I know her!" Liam exclaimed, his face lighting up with a broad smile. "After 15 years! How could I have forgotten her name?" he wondered, genuinely delighted by the recollection. "I called her chubby as a child; she was the cutest," Liam chuckled, reminiscing about the fun moments they had shared together. Maxwell looked surprised, having never seen his friend smile so much at the thought of a girl.

"Okay," Maxwell interjected, bringing Liam back to the present. "How come I never knew her?"

"It was a long time ago, and I'm quite sure I told you about it. She was the first girl to reject me!" Liam said with a grin. "I was ten, and she was six, the boldest six-year-old I knew," he blushed at the memory. "I even told my father that I wanted us to get married," he laughed at the childishness of his past feelings. "I wish we had stayed to see her. It's been so long. Is she still chubby?" Liam inquired with a bashful smile, wondering how much Alicia might have changed over the years.

Maxwell listened quietly, understanding that his friend had a childhood crush that seemed to have left a lasting impression. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd have to compete with Liam for her attention now.

"But that was just a childhood crush, right?" Maxwell sought to clarify. "The feelings are all gone?" he added, wanting to ensure that Liam's emotions were purely nostalgic.

"Yeah, I don't even know what she looks like now. What if she has changed?" Liam pondered aloud.

"We'll definitely have to visit Lady Caroline on our way back!" Liam declared with determination. "I hope she'll still be there!" he added eagerly, already looking forward to the possibility of reuniting with his childhood friend, Alicia.