The Last Monarch

Chapter 3

Pebbles crunched beneath my feet as I made my way to the main gate. The sky had darkened upon my arrival at the Ainsworth Estate. As usual, two guards manned the gate with sharp-edged spears by their side. As I neared them slowly, I took down the hood, revealing my identity to the guards. They bowed at my presence, before turning to open the gate for me. I nodded slightly, gesturing them back to their posts. I continued down the broad path leading towards the estate. Rows of elegant trees and tended bushes greeted me as I passed them. Under the glow of an evening sky, the leaves turned a darker hue of blue-green. Stretching into a distance, the estate loomed right in the middle of the wide land. The walls of the estate were painted in white and palest blue, not a single crack to be seen. Ronan was a general and a prestige member of the court, his residence might as well look the part of a noble. I turned the corner after passing the fountain in the middle of the manicured garden. Halting before the main door, I did not hesitate to push them open. Inside, all the furniture and designs were decorated in white and blue, even though Ronan’s insignia was in the colour of black and blue. A chandelier was hung on the ceilings of the entry chamber, its light reflected against the crystal ornaments. The brightness it gave illuminated the chamber, revealing every nook and cranny of the place, revealing a man in his early thirties sitting in the seat by a tea table. Our butler William was beside him, tending to him when needed. Ronan has his leg crossed on his seat, his free hand holding a cup of tea. Under the glinting light, his fiery locks made him more intimidating than usual.

His grey orbs fell upon me, filled with concerns and anger. I took off my coat, handing it to the maid who was already standing by my side. Without hesitation, I walked towards the staircase, purposely wanting to ignore Ronan and what was about to come out of his mouth.

“Stop right there, Anna.” His voice broke, stern and heavy.

I heeded, pausing my steps on the wooden planks. I did not turn to face him, my eyes were still locked on the view before me. In a distance, I could hear his low sigh. He shifted in his seat, turning his head lightly.

“William told me about the incident in town today…” I cut him off before he could finish. Slamming my hands at the bars, I yelled, hoping the words sound clear in his ear.

“It wasn’t my fault! The guards were harassing a harmless young lady!” I defended myself, only to earn a loud bang from Ronan.

“And it doesn’t concern you, does it? Whatever happens to the lady is none of your business! You’ve deliberately disobey me by sneaking off from training!” I could feel my face flushed, probably because of the anger that was boiling inside me. Noticing the heat that had already spread between us, William quickly interrupted.

“Master Ronan, you shouldn’t be so harsh on young mistress Anna. I’m sure she’ll be more careful next time she’s in town. Am I right, young mistress?” William explained with a smile. From above, I could see Ronan twitching in his seat. Heeding William’s words, I nodded in reply, before hurrying to my room, not giving Ronan another chance to fire back. I slammed the door shut as soon as I entered. Behind the cold walls of my room, I could hear William whispering lightly to Ronan.

“It’ll be okay, Master Ronan. She’s still a child, it’s natural for her to rebel. Besides, she did return safely, didn’t she?” said William. I grinned. William sure comes in handy during times like these. But it seemed like the conversation was not about to end.

With a sigh, Ronan said, “If only she was truly safe.”

My grin disappeared at his words. His words brought back memories that should had been long hidden. It has been so long since I started being Anna, I had nearly forgotten who I truly was. Pacing towards the makeup table by my bed, my grips landed on its edges. Lifting my head, I stared deeply into the mirror, hoping to get the glimpse of the shadow I once was. To my disappointment, only a girl in golden hair stared back at me with desperate gaze. With a light touch, my fingers came in contact with the cold surface of the mirror. They stroked softly, caressing the girl slowly and gently. The brunette princess was long gone in everyone’s memories, only her gold green eyes remains inside the mirror. In the dim-lit room, I thought to myself. Am I a fraud, or am I merely just a coward? A cowardly princess who was too afraid to fight for her crown. A pathetic girl who handed over her own sister to a monster. I winced at the memories of the cold dark night, the eyes of the tyrant that killed my father were still vivid in my mind. Even though it was only vision that I saw, the murderous instinct he had against me felt real. The view before me blurred slowly, a tingling feeling started to surround my eyes. Drop by drop, they fall. Tears did not come easy after the escape, they would always stop just after a few drops, even though the pain still lingers deep inside.

There was a light knock against the bedroom door. I quickly wiped away the tears, sniffling to make myself presentable.

“Who is it?” I called. Pacing slowly towards the door, I rubbed my face repeatedly to erase any signs of me crying. I could not bear to be seen as a weak noble in front of the servants.

“It’s me, Ronan.” His voice sounded low behind the bedroom walls. I opened the door slightly, only to reveal half of my face. Beneath the crystal chandelier, Ronan seemed to be glowing underneath its light. As I revealed my face to him, I could see the concerns that plagued his pristine eyes.

“Can I come in?” he implied. I only nodded, opening the door wider for him to come in. As soon as he stepped in, I turned my back against him and walked to my bed. I leaned against the bedpost, with my eyes staring at the blue-gold ceiling. Ronan closed the door behind him lightly, but he did not move from his position beside the door. He stood there watching me in the dark. Before the awkward silence between us stretched any longer, I spoke.

“I promise to be more careful next time.” I said weakly, failing to hide the stutter behind my voice. I was sure Ronan noticed that I had cry, otherwise he would not have the guilty look on his face.

“No, Your Highness. I was merely worried about your safety. Please forgive me for being too harsh on you.” He replied, his head bowed low.

Your Highness. He only ever called me that when he is alone with me. He would normally act his role as my fake uncle, but in reality, he still sees me as a princess, as someone who is superior to him.

“I couldn’t stand there and do nothing, Ronan. That’s not who I am. I had failed to provide the people with a better kingdom as a princess. I thought I could at least be of help as a commoner.” I explained.

“Is that why you cried, Your Highness? I really am sorry for what I said…” He immediately apologized, flustered by the fact that he had upset me. He knelt on the marble floor without hesitation, with his head lowered and his hand over his heart. Shocked by his action, I quickly stood up and scurried to his side, trying to grab him up.

“No, I didn’t cry because of what you said to me just now. Just stand up, Ronan.” I ordered him and immediately he obeyed. With a sigh, I continued to explain, “I was just missing Lyn, that’s all.”

Hearing my words, he finally calmed down. He lowered his hand from his heart and closed his eyes lightly.

“I miss her every day, Your Highness.” He said with a gentle smile. Facing the gentle beam of moonlight, his orbs flickered with sadness as he reopened them. For years, I had known of his affection for Lyn and I knew it must have killed him to abandon her at the castle. But as a princess, Lyn was only destined to be wed with a prince from another kingdom. Ronan did not stand a chance against the king’s order. Besides, knowing his pledge to the king, he would never disobey his king’s wishes. Therefore, he would only watch over Lyn secretly, without her knowing his love.

“I’m sure she’ll watch over us from heaven, Ronan. Like she always did.” I extend my hand to his shoulder, hoping it would comfort him somehow. He nodded, with the smile still on his face. He lifted his gaze slowly to meet me, the sadness was all but gone, replaced by a strong willed look.

“And I’ll keep my promise to her. I will protect you with my life, Princess Adina.”