-HIM-

"She was the one in that guest room," One of my men instantly informed me. She doesn't look at me for the second time, but my eyes exclusively remain on her. It's not like she didn't recognise me. I could tell she was aware of my presence there, yet she treated me like thin air.

As I watched her from a distance, I couldn't help but notice how she looked at the other man. I watch them both. It seemed like they knew each other.

Theresa spoke something to her before she headed towards me, blocking her view for a few seconds but for a split moment, I saw her glance at me for the last time before she boarded a different carriage along with the rest of Theresa's ladies in waiting.

I kept to myself after boarding the carriage. I sensed no enthusiasm from Theresa's side to talk with me either. Though, she kept glancing at me once in a while, as if to make sure that I was there.

I stared out the window, thinking about her— what was she doing there? Why was she lurking last night? What did she hear last night? Why was she acting as if she didn't know me?

And the most important question of all— Who was she?

"I thought you brought only two ladies in waiting," I couldn't help but ask Theresa after a while. I clearly remembered that she wasn't with the group travelling with us.

"Yes, I brought only two ladies in waiting yesterday," Theresa answered, "But my third lady in waiting was out with a friend that evening, and she got stuck in the rain just like us," She explained.

I instantly recognised whom she could refer to as the 'friend' in this context. This made me wonder about her relationship with that man even more.

"What's her name?" I asked, staring out of the window. There was a short silence before she breathed, "Theora,"

"How long has she been working for you?" I asked, finally glancing at her. She looked slightly off guard at my question. She looked at me with surprise while she did that thing with her fingers, which looked like she was scraping meat off of bones.

"Why? Is something the matter with her?" She asked grimly.

"No, I was just..." I answered calmly, "curious,"

She didn't seem to look pleased with my answer. Her eyes lingered on me with a hint of scepticism simmering in them.

"She is my newest lady in waiting," She answered.

I wanted to probe more about this new lady in waiting, but the sharpness in her eyes warned me that another question about Theora might make her read too much between the lines. I couldn't afford to do that, especially because she was Theoron's sister, and he was the last person who should ever find out about my true mate.

"I find her peculiar," I commented coldly before looking away again, keeping all my curiosity to myself for the moment.

"Sometimes I feel that too..." She sighed, more to herself, before the two of us fell silent for the rest of the journey to the palace. When we reached the capital, and the palace was starting to appear out of the horizon, I started thinking more and more about how I was going to face Theoron. I had nearly lost control last night when I discovered the game he was trying to play with me.

I wasn't sure if I could keep myself in check if I saw him again. Though, I didn't have to worry much about this because he didn't come to meet me right away when we returned to the palace. I needed some time and place to think about how I would proceed further.

Just like thin air, she disappeared when we reached the palace. However, I didn't have to worry about her disappearance this time. Wherever she was, she was somewhere in the palace— I was sure about this.

I wouldn't have to worry about her in the short term because I could have my men observing her. Until then, I needed to face Theoron— which I eventually did in the evening to discuss the affairs of the state.

This evening, he had planned a dinner with Kazar, Nanda and me to discuss the threat from Zuncans. However, the tension in the air was undeniably thick due to Theoron and I being in the same setting.

"I regret you couldn't make time to see my shipyard," Theoron told me though there was no hint of regret in his voice. It was cold and void of any emotions. He continued in his chilliest grim voice, "I heard from my sister that you fell sick last night. I guess you enjoyed yourself too much,"

"You could say that," I returned, matching the darkness.

"Why don't we tell Alex about the options we have come up with?" Khazar spoke up to ease the tension that was gradually building up.

"Yes, Alex should know about this since he has an important role in this," Nanda joined to lessen the tension. However, it didn't help much.

Theoron gave me a cold look before beginning, "We have decided to set up some posts in the North and strike some negotiations with the small principalities to see if they would join us—,"

"—that would be the most foolish thing to do," I commented even before he could finish speaking. The prevailing tension in the room thickened until it reached a suffocating threshold.

"Why do you think so?" Khazar asked carefully.

"There are at least a dozen such small principalities out there. It would take us years to have all of them agree to join us. They will never listen to us, and neither do we have the time to make them listen," I stated firmly.

"Then what do we do?" Nanda asked, "Give them an ultimatum or intimidate them?" He suggested.

"We take them over," I declared.

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