Disguised for Love

Part 8

Concern should drive us into action and not into a depression. No man is free who cannot control himself.-Pythagoras

Crystal Hall

Faye groaned and raised her arm to touch her head. She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw is a pair of concern eyes. She stares at it for a while and then feels a hand that touches her face, "Are you alright now?"

She blinks her eyes, and then it registered in her mind what had happened. She immediately sat down and raised her arm to touch her temple as she feels pain in there.

"Be careful," she heard Draco said as the bed press down while he sat down to gather her in his arms.

With her head on his chest, she asked, "Where am I?"

He brushed her hair with his fingers before answering, "You are in my place,"

She snuggles in his arms, and a yawn came out from her mouth. "Draco,"

"Hmm,"

"Thank you for always being there when I need some help," she looked up at him and then touch his face and continued, "but I think we should stop seeing each other from now on."

"Why did you say that?" he asked while staring in her eyes.

"Well, I am already engaged; it is not right for me to be close to anyone," she answered while removing a strand of her hair that had fallen from its tie and attached to his garment. Before she can lift her hands from his chest, he caught and raised it so he can kiss it. He was going to say something as his mouth is already forming the words, but the soft knocking on the door stopped it.

Draco released her from his hold, and Faye straightened herself. She was also planning to get up from the bed, but Draco stopped her. Instead, he helped her lean on the headboard with two pillows propped on her back. He then covers her body with a mattress, and when he finished, he straightened himself. Before pulling down the curtain of the bed, he ordered, "Stay in here, a physician will check on you," he pulled down the curtain and then walked to the door.

Faye heard the opening of the door and some incoherent sound, and then it's closing. She heard footsteps getting near her, and then a voice outside of the curtain said, "Miss, can you please let your hand out so I can check your pulse?' She also did as he asked.

After talking to the Pantheocelesian physician, Crown Prince Atticus went to the sitting area of Crystal Hall and saw his younger brother pacing and in deep thought. When he got nearer him, Celcius stopped his walking, heard his footsteps he stopped from walking, waits for him to come closer and asked, "Is she alright?"

"Yes, she is, but the physician is with her to check on her health." He walked passed Prince Celcius to sit down on a couch.

"So, what are your plans now about her?" His younger brother asked him while walking to a chair next to where he sat on a couch.

He looks at his brother for a brief moment as if weighing what he is going to say and then explained, "She doesn't know I am the Crown Prince, what she knows is that I am Draco, the guard."

"What?" in a loud voice, Prince Celsius uttered and then laughed, "I can't believe that she mistook you for a guard, are you sure her eyes are in good condition?"

"It's her first time to be here. She still has the innocence of a baby in which I hope will not be corrupted by life here. She doesn't even realize until now how her looks can bewitch others how much more my identity. Maybe in her eyes, as long as

"Surely your harem of admirers will be anxious if they found out about her exquisite looks. I can almost see most of them want her to disappear; you need to guard her well."

"She should learn how to handle those women and learn how to trust." He said as his brother stand up and walked towards him, touched his temples, and said, "You don't have a fever, and you also look alright," he teased, and when he saw his glaring face, he immediately returns to his chair laughing.

"I'm not in the mood for a joke," he said in a solemn tone and then added, "for the meantime in her presence don't mention who I am. When I am sure of what she wanted, then I will tell you all."

"You pique my interest, there seems to be a story in all this," then when he saw him with a scowl, "alright, I will not ask about anything."

Prince Celcius looked around the Crystal hall and then commented, "You had put some things in here already, but not even one maidservant?"

They heard the door opening and closing, and so they stopped their conversation and waited for the Imperial physician.

"Your Royal highness's, "he greeted them and turned to face him and reports his findings, "the young miss fainted because she is tired and had difficulty in sleeping lately. She only needs to rest and drink some herbs. I already gave her the list of the herbs she will need and the direction on how to prepare it."

"Alright, as I said, don't mention what had happened here. You can leave now."

They waited for him to go out before Prince Celsius stand up and open his mouth to say something when they heard a feminine voice calling, "Atticus, where are you?"

The Crown Prince immediately stood up and answered back, "I am coming, don't go out."

Prince Celcius looked at him with his mouth slightly open, head shaking and a "Wow!" escaped from his mouth, before asking, "are you sure you are my brother?" In which he only sigh for an answer.

"I have to go now, I will leave you two lovers whom I thought I need to introduce, but I was late," Prince Celcius told him while walking to the door with a laugh and wave without looking back and go out.

Prince Atticus shakes his head too while looking at the back of his younger brother, then he also turned and went to the bedroom. Upon entering the door, he saw Faye sitting down on the couch at the foot of the bed, her loss ebony black hair added to the paleness of her face and made her look so delicate like an eggshell. The urge to hold and shelter her from everything that can break her made him close the door and walk faster than usual to be near her. He sits down beside her and then reaches out and puts her in his lap.

Faye snuggles comfortably in his arms, savoring each moment of being close to him, she is determined to stay away, and only today she will forget anything but just being with him. Then she remembers that she needs to ask him about this room as it's more lady-like. She suddenly sat down properly on his lap to face him, "Draco, this room looks feminine and big," she told him while looking around at the same time slowly removed herself from his lap.

Draco looks at her as she gets up and stands in front of him. He too stands up and then answered, "Yes it is, I am preparing it to the one I am going to marry," he looks around and adds, 'though as of now there is nothing much just the essentials as I want her to decorate it the way she wanted."

She walked away from him and then turned to look at him and asked, "Do you have someone already in your mind?"

He walked towards her and said, "Yes, I have," looking in her eyes.

Faye becomes edgy with his stares that she steps backward, and he follows with every backward step she made until her back legs touch the side of the bed. She almost lost her balance.

He holds her waist to steady her, and she unconsciously put her hands on his chest. She raised her head to look at his smiling face. Their eyes collide, and it made her conscious. Immediately she diverted her gaze to stare on the other side. It was then the room echoed the sound of his laughter. "Are you scared to look at me?"

She turned eyes to him and answered, "I am not, why will I be?" after she uttered her denial, she lowered her head so her vision can only include his breastbone.

She felt him kissed the top of her head before raising her chin. Still and then raised her chin, with her mouth slightly opened, he lowered his head and kissed her. This time it was a brief one which left her dazed, and then she heard him whispered, "go to bed and rest."

"I better go to my room."

He looked at her first, and then he nods before carrying her.

In a flash, they are in her room, and he lay her down in the bed, "don't leave your bed and roam around here today, I will be back again.

Touching his arm, she said, "There's no need for you to come back. I will not go anywhere."