“Greetings to Princess Lillian. I’m doing well,” Alora humbly replied, keeping her head low.
“Why do you sound low? Did Mother scold you for using my brother as your shield?” Lillian directed a harsh comment at her.
Alora’s lips quivered and she was unable to answer her immediately. “Princess Lillian is wrong,” she said after a while. “Queen Mother was happy to see her son smiling with me.” She was controlling her tears from falling. Also, her heart would clench every second, but she wasn’t supposed to bring such feelings to her face.
“Lily, I told you not to trouble my wife. You again started to throw harsh comments at her,” Magnus’s voice reached their ears and they both turned attentive. “Lower your eyes because it’s time for Alora to remove her blindfold,” he instructed Lillian.
“Brother cannot do that here. It’s the palace, not his residence,” Lillian protested.
Magnus chuckled to hear her. “You think I’ll follow that,” he stated and sat next to Alora. Lillian quickly got on her feet and ran out of the room, telling him she would tell their mother.
“As if I’m afraid of my mother,” Magnus mumbled and brought his hands to the back of Alora’s head.
“I want to go out,” Alora promptly said and he stopped. “I can tour the palace some other time, Your Highness. Let’s go outside. I never get to see what the capital looks like,” she requested him.
“Alright,” Magnus dropped his hands to her shoulders. He held her hand and then took her out. However, they didn’t go in a carriage. Instead, Magnus decided to take her out on a horse.
“Why are we going on a horse?” Alora asked when Magnus suddenly pulled off the blindfold from her eyes and stared into her orbs.
“Because that would be more romantic,” Magnus responded, “and more enjoyable.”
The moment their eyes locked, Alora forgot the pain she was undergoing. She realized she only had some limited time with him to enjoy. The Queen’s words had deeply affected her as she considered herself selfish for thinking for her own happiness.
“Shall we go then?” Magnus asked.
Alora nodded at him and he helped her in mounting the horse. She was scared because it was her first time sitting on it and her heart raced in apprehension.
“Relax,” Magnus said as he sat behind her, holding the reins firmly in his hands. He hit the horse with his shoe and it started running.
“Oh, the horse is going to run. What if we fall?” Alora asked while being scared.
“We won’t fall,” Magnus said as he had his one hand rested firmly on her belly. “I’m good at riding the horses, so you can trust me, Wife,” he whispered in her ear.
‘Trust?’ Alora fell into contemplation. If she would leave his life, would he feel better? Would he be able to enjoy his life? She recalled how he had asked her to put her faith in him.
‘Magnus will hate me for not trusting him,’ she thought.
“Why can’t I see anyone around? Is the market usually empty?” Alora asked as she tilted her head slightly.
“I ordered everyone to empty the market for a while,” Magnus stated. “I would not take any responsibility if someone looks at you and gets burned.” By now, the horse had stopped.
“But, His Highness cannot stop people from doing the business. They need to earn and many people do what to buy goods,” Alora asserted.
“Why should I care about that?” Magnus chuckled and hopped down the horse. He lifted his head to peer at her. “All I care is about you. For you, I can even change the flow of the water,” he pronounced while smiling.
Alora’s eyes brimmed with tears and she quickly averted her gaze from him. “Prince Magnus should not flatter me with such words,” she murmured.
“Ahh!” A low scream escaped her mouth as Magnus suddenly pulled her down, his hands securely holding her waist.
“I think we should walk from here,” Magnus said. “We have an entire day to explore the places in the capital,” he stated.
“I would be happy if the market was filled with people,” Alora said. “His Highness should not have ordered for closing the market. People make a living by selling goods daily. I don’t wish anyone to sleep empty stomach,” she explained.
“The market is closed for only one hour,” Magnus revealed to her. “Also, there lies a water canal which takes you to the largest lake of our Kingdom with boats, in the center of the market. If people were present around you, only you would not be able to enjoy your time with me,” he proclaimed.
‘He thinks so much about me,’ Alora thought while staring at him.
“Of course, I do. Except me, there’s no one who will think this much for you,” Magnus said and tied the horse to the pole present outside a shop.
“Let’s go.” He grabbed Alora’s hand and walked along with her with gradual steps. “I never had a dream in a long time. But I’ve found one after meeting you,” Magnus confided with her.
“What is it?” She was curious to know.
“To make you free of the blindfold,” Magnus stated with a smile.
She suddenly halted in her step, causing him to stop as well. “What happened?” he worriedly asked.
“I fear if I am able to return the same amount of love to Prince Magnus as he much he provides to me,” Alora asserted, raising her doubt.
“I think you will provide me more than that,” Magnus said and resumed the walk. “We should walk faster because we only have two hours to be in the lake.
Alora fell into step beside Magnus, a soft smile gracing her lips as they meandered through the bustling market. The cacophony of vibrant sounds surrounding them ignited her imagination, filling her with an internal sense of contentment that she could share these cherished moments with Magnus.
Upon arriving at the dockyard, their eyes fell upon a beautifully adorned boat, its presence stirring memories within Alora.
She recalled the conversations of her siblings, Venus and Elliot, of boat rides with their friends. Now, standing before the vessel, she realized the fulfillment of that one childhood dream, grateful to finally experience the joy of a waterborne adventure with Magnus at her side.
Alora’s affectionate gaze met Magnus’s as he settled into the boat, his inviting hand extended towards her.
With a gentle touch, she placed her hand in his, allowing him to guide her gracefully onto the boat. As the boat swayed with the gentle rhythm of the water, Alora instinctively clung to Magnus’s arm, savoring the thrill of the moment.
“I knew this was something you’ve always wanted to do, so I wanted to make it special for you,” Magnus revealed, his voice warm with affection.
Assisting her to settle on one side of the boat, he positioned himself opposite her, firmly grasping the oars to navigate their journey across the water.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.