ANASTASIA

IV

Dine with golden plates, yet thy hands are still enamored in filth.

--unknown

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“Your highness, this is the fourth letter this day.”

Following the king, that is pacing back and forth inside his enormous office, Helios swallowed all the curses he is about to mouth to the king who chose to ignore his pleas. Queen mother Elysia might storm in any second if his highness were to pretend none of her letters reached him! Panicking, he held the papers in his hands as he desperately tried to win over the attention of the king who’s currently as stubborn as a child.

Vesper, on the other hand, is in deep thought that none of Helios’ concerns bothered him one bit. Knowing Gavin, he already noticed everything I’ve seen—if anything, his observational skills are higher than mine, so he must’ve seen through what I must’ve missed. Currently waiting for the clock to strike at 7 to see his guest, he couldn’t sit still.

“Helios.” Calling his name, he stopped walking by the window and looked down the evening view—as his eyes stared at the forest trees covered in beautiful white, he crossed his arms and stared into oblivion. “Have I made any wrong guesses before?”

What’s with the sudden question? “None so far, sir.” Standing behind him, Helios responded.

“If I say something extraordinary, will you believe me?” asking that, he looked at his right hand through the reflection on the window. There, he can see him looking down, his brows furrowed in confusion, and mouthing inaudible words.

Soon, he finally lifted his gaze and stood properly, the papers hidden behind his back. “I will ask for permission to know what made you say it, sir.” Despite all the doubts, he kept his pride as the right hand—a man who vows to make his life an extension of the king’s.

Facing him, Vesper spoke. “The woman I brought in, 001.” Upon the mention of her, Helios stared at the king with eyes anticipating what’s about to be said next. “If she’s polished, she can either be an asset or a threat. I don’t have an exact reason why she feels ominous, but I do know she should be here with me—in Mariana.”

Ting! Ting!

As the clock chimed for the 7pm dinner, he left Helios in distraught, teleporting straight to the dining area where Gavin and Anastasia just entered through the main door. Now dressed with a white laboratory uniform underneath her fur coat, she felt like a skinned animal that is about to be served to her main predator.

The spacious dining area that is normally used for political and grand occasions is currently filled with dishes of nearly everything. The chandeliers lit up the luxurious room, and every structure that Anastasia can lay her eyes on are screaming perfection—and as someone who grew up with nothing, such a place makes her nauseous.

With her head hung low and hands respectfully in front, she followed behind Gavin who walked proudly with his clothes befitting of a crown prince of a werewolf kingdom—gold. When he stopped a few steps away from the dining table, she also stopped and waited for the next order.

Two months, huh? While in the middle of her swarming anxiety, the seeds of pain from having her days numbered is causing or her attention to be divided into two. As she fiddled with her fingers, she stared on how the thick fabric covers her properly. This gentle treatment…for two months of research. Huh.

“Do you need me to carry you?” snaped out of her thoughts, a gasp escaped her lips as her eyes widened when she heard a voice and felt a presence dangerously close behind her back. “I didn’t know you’re actually a princess, 001.” The more he spoke, the more she felt shivers running down her spine.

Taking a big step away from the king, she peeked in front of her and noticed that Gavin is already sitting two seats away from the center seat.

Seeing her from behind, the way her ebony hair flowing freely atop of the neckline’s fur, the way her body sized up due to the coat’s thickness, and the way she stood there like a statue, made him unusually amused. “You are in the presence of the country’s king, yet you chose to keep your pride and stay with your back facing me.”

Hurriedly facing him, she bowed as low as her back can bend before clasping her shaky hands together. “I-I greet the highest man of Mariana, King Vesper Alistair. I am deeply honored…to be in your presence.” She said, copying the way a character pays respects through the novels she read rom the books thrown in the bin.

Her voice really is…Without responding, he closed the gap between them and swept her feet off the ground, causing her reflexes to led her into holding on his neck for support. “Y-your highness-”

“I asked you a question earlier, yet you did not respond.” Looking down at her, his red appear like the finest rubies, dyed with the prettiest shade of crimson red. “You know what they say,” with a smirk, he effortlessly doubled her fear and anger to the shameless king.

“Silence means ‘yes’.” With that seemingly illogical remark, he marched back to the table with his smug expression flaunted in front of Gavin.

Inside the large dining hall, maids were on standby outside and in the kitchen, waiting for a ring of the bell in case of needing their assistance—leaving only three people: a man who was invited to dinner for the first time with a woman he first met, a woman who arrived at Mariana for the first time because of a man who found her, and the root of everything: the king.

Placing her on the seat next to his, which is a chair closer than Gavin who’s on the opposite side and left a vacant seat between him and the king. The silence was overwhelming.

“I believe you are being a little too much, sir.” Breaking it, Gavin, formally spoke as he looked at the man whose eyes are focused on the lady that kept her head hung low. “001 is a mere test subject, King Vesper. By the imperial etiquette, she should sit at the farthest end of the table.”

“But you sat on the seat within the range where only members of the imperial family of Mariana should be, yet I said none.” Still looking at her, Vesper replied with enough sarcasm to spark flames of argument between a vampire and a werewolf—two species like oil and water.

***

Meat. Pasta. Rice. Soup.

Any dish that can appeal one’s eyes are present, yet for Anastasia that is stuck with the heirs of two of the biggest kingdoms in the world, the air is suffocating enough to not make her lift her utensils and fill in her grumbling stomach. They could’ve left me in my room…I have enough space to eat there.

Sighing, she kept her eyes down her untouched food. Two months…they will experiment for two months to see if I deserve to live or not. Isn’t that…unfair? With a heavy heart, she bit her inner cheek and slowly reached the glass of lemon iced tea. Is this really how my life will go on?

As she drank, the sweetness that mixes in with the sourness of the cold drink wakes up her every being, giving her enough push to not run away and fail after having her own knees give up on her due to fear. This fur coat must be expensive. Now playing on her sleeve’s she felt envy and relief that her present self is able to wear such a luxurious outfit.

Ring! Ring!

When King Vesper rang the bell, she lifted up her gaze and stared as one of the side doors flung open, where five maids rushed in with their heads bowed, backs straight, and sped walk without breaking their line until they reached a few steps away from the king’s back.

“The dishes are awful.”

Hearing that, Anastasia looked down at his half finished seafood plate, then into the maids who obviously felt fear due to their change in atmosphere. How could he say that to them? “None of them,” pointing at the dishes on the table, he looked at Anastasia who quickly lowered her gaze. “Fits her taste buds. That’s why, this dinner is terrible.”

Me? Surprised upon hearing it, she peeked to look at Vesper—and upon catching that his eyes are still on hers, she quickly looked down in hopes of not offending him. But…they all smelt amazing, for sure they all taste good. Feeling guilty that the maids heard such words because of her, she was hesitating to raise her hand and speak up for them.

While observing the scenes unfold, Gavin, who is silently eating with Vesper earlier, observed and dared to not break the unexpected flow of events. King Vesper proved his intelligence to be inferior to none. I doubt he causes a scene without a motive behind it.

Feeling skeptical of it, he looked at Vesper whose eyes are boring holes ono the woman who can’t even lift her head up in pride.

“All of you will have no salary for three months. Put the chefs in the dungeon with only water for two weeks, and after that, all of you will be flogged. A hundred times.” Those words were meant for the maids and everyone involved in the kitchen, but with the way he kept his eyes on her, Gavin caught up.

He’s testing her, isn’t he? He may not be engaging often with the king, but during his eight months of stay after signing in a peace treaty between Valhalla and Mariana, with the cost of him being the head researcher for two years, he picked up rumors and habits from the man who was crowned king a month ago.

When Anastasia boldly turned to face Vesper and raised her hand in determination, Gavin’s train of thoughts were interrupted. “Permission to speak, your highness.” Anastasia said, her melodic voice reflects a hint of fear, but the way her eyes glowed in resolve is enough to cover up with her cowardice.

Fighting back a smirk, Vesper nodded in return.

“The meals…all smelt amazing. It makes any stomach full and satisfied, so they did nothing wrong to be punished so cruelly, king Vesper.”

“22 minutes.” Confused with the response she got, she kept her eyes on him to ensure the king can see her firm stand on her statement. “You did not eat, look me in the eye, nor spoke to me, in 22 minutes.” He said, then he picked up his glass of wine and elegantly moved it in his hand.

He did that to get her attention? Arriving with a petty reason, Gavin felt offended with how someone his age, and someone who now ranks higher than him, is acting like a child. He threatened his staffs to make a test subject speak and look him in the eye?

Clearing is throat, Gavin finally intervened. “The meals will get cold the more you idle, your highness.”

Glancing at the crown prince whose intent to disturb is as clear as the sky, Vesper raised his hand and waved it, dismissing the maids with who heaved inaudible sighs of relief. Once the door closed, he spoke. “I did not call you here to only drink, 001.”

Blinking, Anastasia snapped back to reality and bowed apologetically. “I will eat now, your highness.” Not wanting any more trouble, she picked up the closest to her and placed a serving on her plate.