Dark Lord's Obsession

Chapter 3: Mysterious Lord

Louisa’s POV

The king was making me uncomfortable. Among all these, a lady came from his behind and stood by his side, clasping his arm. I looked at her face. She was in her mid-twenties. Her skin was pale and delicate. Her attire was polished. Overall, she was a beauty. But her sudden action startled the king as well. His eyes shifted at her once. A smile formed on his lips again. The dazzling golden crown on her head was telling her identity, the queen of Frozen Sea.

“Good evening, my queen”, I bowed respectfully.  

 “Rise”, she muttered.

I did as she asked, murmuring, “thank you, her highness.”

I was still hanging my head low, showing her respect. She stepped closer as she held my chin, making me look towards her. Her eyes were scanning every inch of my face. That gaze was making me uncomfortable.

“I can see you are quite capable. You have enchanted my husband on your very first visit, ” The Queen spoke with a detested smile, letting go of my chin.

“No, my queen. I dare not,” I responded politely.

“Are you questioning my judgement?” I heard her voice again, moulded with faint anger.

I couldn't blame her. The king had five concubines, and he was never satisfied. I heard how he was planning to take a few more nobles in his harem. The worst part was those ladies were more than happy to be a part of his harem. As his wife, the queen had every right to be vexed with them.

I wasn’t like them. I never wanted to be a part of any harem. My father married my mother out of love, and I had seen how much they adored each other. I wanted the same for myself. I wanted his love and respect.

“You have misunderstood me, my lady,” I whispered. But my uncle’s loud voice subsidised mine.

“She is oblivious to the customs, my queen. Please forgive her,” his voice was more polite than usual. I took the hint.

“Please forgive me, my queen,” I muttered as well, bowing my head.

“That is unnecessary, Louisa.” The king spoke. Then his gaze shifted towards the queen, as he continued, “Jeslyn, are you threatened by this charming beauty?” A hint of sarcasm was mixed with his tone.

“Of course not, my king.” Queen Jeslyn’s voice became sad. I could tell her life was not very easy at the royal castle. The king’s comment was no less than an insult for her.

“Please, pardon me,” she excused herself. I sighed inwardly. I could still feel the burning gaze of the King. I sensed his eyes moving on my torso, lingering on my curves for a little too long. My uncle rescued me from the situation.

“My king, please honour me with a drink. We have some business to discuss.” He requested.

“Of course,” the king smiled. Uncle left me alone in the middle of the hall and went aside with the king. My eyes roamed around the hall once, quickly. All the eyes were stuck to me. I was not comfortable with such situations. Slowly, I made my way to a corner.

“Happy birthday, my Lady!”

“Happy birthday, Lady Louisa!”

“May this year bring fortune in your life, my Lady.”

I was showered with greetings on my way. Every time I murmured a small ‘thank you. I tried my best to keep the smile on my lips. Suddenly I saw my cousin Kiara standing near the king, offering him a drink. From his gesture, I could say, the king refused it. Ignoring her existence, he kept talking with my uncle. Kiara excused herself quickly, clearly embarrassed. Then her eyes fell on me. I promptly moved my gaze, unwilling to face her. Her intention was otherwise. Soon enough, she stood near me.

“Good evening, Cousin Kiara,” I tried to be polite.

“Drop the act, you shameless b*tch!” She asserted in a low voice. I was speechless with her words. Not that it was new to me. I never expected her to behave this way in the ball.

“You are trying to seduce the king, despite the queen warned you. How can you be so shameless?” She blamed me.

“I did not, Kiara,” I defended myself.

“You did not? We all have seen how the king was watching you like a hungry beast.” She chuckled.

“That was not my fault. I did nothing.” I repeated.

“You are like your mother. She seduced my uncle to marry into our family, and you are doing the same to be the concubine of the King.” She accused me again, leaving me speechless. My parents loved each other so much. How could she portray my mother, the late duchess, like that?

“That’s a lie,” I protested. She stepped closer.

“We all can see, including the queen.” With her words, she emptied her wine glass on my dress. I was taken by surprise for a moment. I stepped backwards. My beautiful gown was spoilt.

“How clumsy of you, cousin! Don’t be worried. I have kept a spare cloth. I knew it would come in handy.” She declared loudly, gaining other’s attention.

She was embarrassing me. I could see through her intention. Many eyes were already on me.

“Please excuse me.” I rushed out of the hall. Why did she do that? What would she gain from all these? Insulting my mother! Then spoiling my dress. I was certain her gown worth more than mine. A deep sigh left my mouth as I made my way out of the hall. I stepped into the garden. I had no intention of going back to the ball. With the king’s burning gaze and my cousin’s commissions, I felt the ball would never end.

My feet wandered in the garden. The soft music could still be heard here. The frozen pond in the garden was dazzling under the moonlight. Everything was peaceful and to my liking. I inhaled the fresh air, holding my head high. Then my eyes met the gorgeous moon. Slowly, I made my way towards the courtyard. I used to have my breakfast here, every morning, with my parents. My fingers touched the icy surface of the snow-white pillar. This area of the castle held all those beautiful memories with my parents.

I closed my eyes, leaning against it. The chilly breeze brushed my cheek. Suddenly my ears caught a faint sound as if someone had drawn out a dagger. I frowned. Before I could turn around, a metallic sound rang in my ears with another splash. I spun to face what was happening. My gaze fell on the tall frame, standing a few feet away. His eyes were glued to the roof of the castle. I followed his gaze, only to find out a man running away.

The majestic figure moved his eyes to the ground. Bending on his knees, he picked up something. A smirk formed on his lips.

“Interesting!” I heard his deep voice.

Standing up from his position, he stared at me. A golden mask was hiding his face, only leaving his lips and eyes visible. His dark hair was perfectly combed. The golden mask was going well with his dark brown attire and that enticing blue eyes. They were sparking like sapphire.

“I see, someone doesn't like your existence.” He spoke, taking a step closer. Then he gently held his palm up in front of my eyes. A silver dagger was resting on dark leather gloves covered hand. Was it what he just collected? I took it from his hand. A half-moon and stars were engraved around beautifully curved N on the quillon, the symbol of Narodnye.

Someone wanted me dead. The dagger brought back the memories of that night. My gaze shifted at the man standing there. He saved me. My eyes met his. A gasp left my mouth. Those eyes! They were familiar. Wasn’t he the one who saved me the other night?

“You saved me… twice”, I mumbled. Looking into his eyes, I continued with a smile, “thank you, my…” I stopped abruptly, not knowing how to address him.

“Looking for a name, my lady?” His lips curved into a smile.

“A title, perhaps,” I replied.

“The unwanted attention from the king, then that little encounter with the Queen, followed by your cousin’s gift.” His eyes moved towards my gown. He was clearly pointing at the wine. “And now this” He took the dagger from my hand. Then he leaned over my face. His height was towering over mine. “Quite an interesting day, isn’t it?” He muttered.

He had observed me throughout the ball. My heart skipped a beat. Was he trustworthy? He saved me twice. Who was he? I knew nothing about this man. Suddenly, he stepped back. Extending his arms towards me, he spoke, “dance with me.”

“Pardon me?” I was confused. We were discussing the assassin, and suddenly he was asking me for a dance. Above all, we were in the garden with no music.

“The first dance is a tradition here, if I am not wrong.” He spoke again.

Indeed! The first dance on their eighteenth birthday was something every girl longed for. Their father generally asked them to dance in front of everyone for the first time. If not, an elder from the family or a male companion would take the call. The dance was a custom at the ball. Unfortunately, my father was dead. My uncle was kind enough to host the ball. I was never associated with any male companions.

His chuckle brought me back to my senses. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. His arm curled against my waist. The position was too intimate to my liking. In the first dance, we never touched each other. We were supposed to stand close and move in sync. But it was different. He caught with the faint music we could hear, making me follow his lead. I placed my hand on his shoulder, whereas the other one was holding his. My position was in between comfort and discomfort. This proximity made my heart pounding louder.

“You are clumsy for a lady,” he remarked as I stepped on him accidentally.

“Pardon me; I am not habituated with this intimacy,” I responded. With my words, he pulled me even closer, making me bumped into his chest.

“Though your company is congenial?” He muttered. His breath touched my earlobes, bringing a shiver down my spine.

I place my hand on his muscular frame to pull away. But I didn’t have to. He freed me suddenly. His fingers slipped into his pocket, and soon it revealed a chain. He handed me the chain with a peculiar locket.

“We will meet again, Louisa. Happy birthday!” I heard him before he left the garden.