Lady In Red

4

My legs struggled to keep me up, but I gave my curtsey immediately. My stomach turned in twists as the proximity was far too close for me to handle. He did something to my body that I could not understand. The fear I felt was incredible.

"Rise."

I stayed as I was, even after the command was given. I felt if I stood up, I would fall back again with the blood rushing to my head, me fainting was inevitable.

"Are you deaf?" He asked and I lifted my head shaking it and slowly stood up.

My hands coming together and my fingers, trembling, fidgeting together.

"Y-your Majesty-" My words faded into a whisper and I wondered how they addressed their King. Their customs might be very different from ours.

He stared down at me, sort of observing my clumsy self wondering why I was even given as a treaty. There was nothing good in me. As they all said, I was only a good enough face. When I saw his finger inch closer to me I wanted to step back, I almost gasped as he grabbed a strand of my hair as it lay right over my softly heaving chest. He pulled my strand and stared at it.

Was it him? or his kind that made us humans feel so afraid and highly sensitive to their touch? I felt my legs clench together and heat rushed from below my gut to my body. My neck could be burning as well. I could imagine how embarrassing my flushed red face was. I was wondering with a hundred questions what he was doing. My thin white skin would turn red at the slightest heat. It was embarrassing.

"I see you are afraid of me like most."

My nervous tongue let loose like in most situations.

"Most? Your Majesty, I think all do."

I slapped myself at such an indecorous comment. How could I say that? Was it the wine? No, It was just my nerves. No, NO It WAS the wine.

"Not all-" He muttered and I saw him walk towards the painting, looking up at it, he was right beside me, our hands almost touching.

"Some only fear seeing the ones who never did die."

I gulp slowly looking at him and lowering my gaze.

"Do y-you kill a lot of- people?" I asked.

He lowered his gaze and turned to me, his gaze made me suffocate all over again. His eyes looked as if they were filled with rage forever. I could not look him in his eyes for more than a second. As I dropped my gaze he spoke.

"I don't kill Ruby, my assassins do."

There it was, dizziness overcoming my body. I felt so hot I could faint.

"You do not look well" He stated, his hand pressed against my lower back and I stopped myself from gasping out loud.

I felt a burning tingling feeling right there. I couldnt hold myself up anymore as my knees gave in and I stumbled back and bent my knees to fall down but he pulled me up by tightening his hand around me.

A soft gasp escapes my lips as my hand rests upon his large biceps. I was so small in comparison to him, our heights weren't far different but our frames surely were. It didn't take him much effort to stop my falling body and hold me up with one hand pressed to my back. My eyes met his as he glanced down once before coming up to my eyes again.

"Forgive me," I said softly but when I tried to get out of his hold he did not let me.

I jump slightly as his both hands wrap around my lower back.

What was he doing? Here? In the gallery? Was he trying to touch me before our marriage?

My questions were soon thrown out the window as he took both ends of my bodice and tightened them. I kept my frozen stated and shocked eyes on his chest and he tied the laces together and stepped back.

"I would not like my wife roaming the halls of another castle with her laces undone. Get back to the table after your maid has tended to your needs, Ruby."

His voice....I want to hear it again.

I could comprehend all the things I was feeling. As he left the room, my maid and Fred looked at him. I blinked and walked out to the hall.

"Are you alright Miss? You look flushed." Glenda, one of the maids serving the Queen asked.

I nodded.

Glenda fixed me up before I made my way back to the ballroom. I sat down and took a sip of the wine before having a few bites of the food on my plate. Before I knew it the dances had begun. I stared at the floor below and watched in awe as the beautiful ball gowns all ladies glittered on the dance floor.

As I take a sip of wine I suddenly cough and set the glass down putting the lapcloth over my mouth. I see his hand grab a glass of water from the other side and set it before me. I grab it and drown the glass quickly.

I realized I had three glasses of wine-something I never drink. Wait....I had two before. How could I possibly hold myself up anymore?

So was the wine a reason I was feeling so lightheaded and sleepy?

King Xerxes suddenly stood up making us all stand up as an act of respect. The King and Queen stood up slowly and he looked down at me. I look at his hand and him again before grabbing it. I had no idea what he was doing or where we were going as he dragged me down the floor and into the ballroom. People stopped their dance as I was escorted to the middle of the floor.

My worst nightmare or my dream. It was one of those. At my now broken marriage, I imagined myself dancing under the golden chandelier with Price Edward. But I wondered how I feel about thinking of him now. As I placed my hand over the King's shoulder but it falls to his bicep and the other was in his, I suddenly felt as if people were judging me. I looked around softly as we took the floor with a slow dance and my heartbeat quickened its pace. Between the crowd stood Edward, watching me dance.

But my attention was suddenly diverted to the King as his hand wrapped around my waist tight.

"I hear you were betrothed to another."

My eyes snapped at him and my tongue caught up. I feared if I avoided his question or lied, I would be in far more danger than if the truth was told.

So I nodded slowly, "Yes, It was broken after the treaty."

"Did you love that man?"

"No, your Majesty." maybe lies weren't as bad sometimes.

"I do not like liars. Usually, they just get tortured but you stay my exception, Ruby."

I had the most fearful chills in my body as I saw his eyes, did they change? Yes. They did look even more terrifying than before somehow. yes. And I could see with no questions that King Xerxes was not a human I could hold a good conversation with. It was better my voice stayed silent with him around and for the rest of my life as I live, I will half to hold myself back from all pleasure of freedom as I marry him.

As I was escorted to the dining table, I noticed how people never looked him in the eyes. I realized I did so. My mind was filled with questions about my actions. Which one of my actions might have offended him? Or might be offending to their kind in general?

As we walked up the stairs for a sudden talk as the King ordered Fred to pass on his message I struggled to walk up the stairs with my dress. I stepped over my own petticoat and stumbled back on the stairs to avoid falling on my face. I wasn't as worried because Fred was right behind me but my eyes opened wide as King Xerxes turned round in a flash of light as grabbed me by my waist. If that didn't get a gasp out of my mouth, his pulling me roughly into his hard chest made me do so.

He spoke nothing but stopped Fred with his eyes as Fred tried to help me stand straight. He looked behind us to the maid who ran past Fred and held my hand before King Xerxes felt us walk further up the stairs.

"Are you alright Miss? Forgive me-"

"No, it's fine." I cut her off and looked at Fred who was now in front of me blocking the guard's view of me and letting the maid adjust my dress.

"Forgive me," I whispered walking onto the balcony and bowing to the King and Queen before walking further and standing beside my father as both the Kings sat on the couch behind the table.

"Leave us." Said The Queen.

"You to Sir Williams." The king muttered taking a swing of the brown liquid in his glass.

My father looked at me once before bowing and leaving us.

I felt King Xerxes stare at me and my heart suddenly started beating heavily. There was such an awkward silence for a long time as the music in the ballroom echoed in the background.

"I shall be blunt." The king finally spoke as he glanced at the Queen once.

King Xerxes sat there, his hand on the head of the couch and the other holding the glass of alcohol, his stare looked as if he was debating but with anger.

"My niece, Ruby is incapable of becoming a Queen. A queen to your kind."

That hurt but it was true. I look at King Xerxes but his expression remains neutral. I looked down in embarrassment as the King spoke of the truth.