Chapter 7

PRINCE GAVIER'S HEAVENLY BROW CRINKLED AT THE SIGHT OF THE PROVOCATIVE QUEEN WHOSE DARK SMOKY EYES CHALLENGED HIS FERVENT QUERIES.

"Why is she here?" I mumbled under my breath as I leaned on my unbroken foot. I was grateful of the tall tables that covered half of my body.

"No idea," he answered back, his attention now towards me, observing and questioning my discomfort.

The press conference commenced before he could say anything else and the reporters began to take turns in asking the crown prince inquisitively.

"Pós eísai, Prince Gavier? Eísai pligoménos?" One reporter asked in Greek.

"Den chreiázetai na anisycheíte, eímai entáxei," the crown prince answered gallantly, his tone much deeper in his mother tongue.

A series of questions bombarded him, while I stood still, feeling uncomfortable that I'm being ignored. For about 15 minutes, they asked the crown prince questions that I did not understand and I was beginning to question my part in this press conference. Did they make me come here just to talk about me in a language I do not know? Why did I even come here? To stand and look like a pretty fool?

The tables were taken away and a longer mic holder replaced it. My whole body was now exposed to the mass, vulnerable to criticisms. I glanced at the queen who smirked at my discomfort. The pain from my ankle was killing me but the humiliation of just standing still was worse.

Feeling played and utterly dejected, I began to laugh perilously. They weren't going to make me speak as if I'm stupid. As if I'd let them do this to me.

I was reminded of a story my dad told me that gave a big impact in my life. It was a character from the boy who cried wolf.

Once, there was a boy who would shout around the village everyday that there were monsters lurking in the forest waiting to eat them all up. Nobody would believe him because he was known a liar. One day, a girl found him running from the forest and a grotesque creature crouching after him. The boy told the villagers but they turned a blind eye on the situation even ridiculing his so called antics. The girl was perplexed, not wanting to be outcasted like him because what's worse than being called a liar? She thought anxiously so she kept her mouth shut while the villagers mocked the poor boy. When night fell, the monsters gobbled them all up.

"What a sad story," I complained as I cried, "I hate it."

"Do you understand the moral of the story, Clarissa?" My father asked as he wiped my tears.

"No," I sniffled.

"If you don't speak up the truth then monsters of your conscience will eat you up. If the girl in the story had spoken up, she could have saved everyone in the village. So if you're not willing to stake your life for something you believe in then you won't be able to save anyone, not even yourself."

Thanks dad.

My inner banshee cried out then took over.

I continued to laugh boisterously, finally earning their attention. "What am I doing here?" I asked demandingly. "If you're just going to talk about me in a language I don't speak or understand then I'm going," I said dismissively, glaring at the reporters.

Might as well leave before I faint.

"Please don't," the main reporter called out, "We apologize for being rude. We thought you knew of the language. We were told to conduct it in our mother tongue."

Murmurs from the reporters agreed. "Please tell us what really happened between you and his royal highness, prince Gavier."

Speak your truth. Or die from being eaten by the monster of your conscience.

You'll regret this. The banshee warned.

I won't.

"I don't want to lie to protect myself. I could see how much this country loves their prince and who am I to give a false statement just to ease your unrest?" I said cordially, "The prince and I were fighting because I felt insulted of what he said even though what he said was the undeniable truth. You were right in speculating that I wanted to inflict pain by slapping his precious face."

The room was in uproar, many more questions arose for both me and the prince. Prince Gavier shook his head and raised a fist in the air, shutting them all up.

"Eíchame mia diamáchi enós erastí. I didn't want to announce it this way. Eímaste kai oi dýo erotevménoi," he said shocking the mass. "Please be kind to her because aftí eínai o arravoniastikós mou, your future queen."

(Translation: We were having a lover's quarrel. I didn't want to announce it this way. We are both in love. Please be kind to her because she is my fiance, your future queen.)

"Prince Gavier, what did you say?" My breathing was heavy as sweat were perspiring all over my body.

He held my head in response and placed his perfect lips on mine.

My head began to swirl, the pain ebbed on my ankle was too much. The prince's mouth on mine didn't help at all either. My heart was in a panic mode, alarming me that I didn't have much time left. Colors of the rainbow began appearing in my mind but just a few more seconds were all I could think of. My feet began to wobble as he moved his lips, licking my upper lip for entrance. I complied, sighing and anxious of drowning in this complex situation. Just a few more seconds and this nightmare would all be over. But my knees had already bulked giving up, my head swirled like a tornado and the loud ringing in my ears were all I could hear.

"Gavier," I gasped out loud when we let go for air. It was a whisper but he heard me because just as darkness filled every part of me, I felt his sturdy arms catching me, wrapping around me so gently I thought I was saved by an angel.