Chapter 12: The Grand Ball

Darkness surrounded me first before a soft glow of green light appeared before me.

"You look absolutely ethereal tonight, but you always have been and every day for that matter."

I then heard a man's voice say.

As if I was in a movie, suddenly my green surroundings shrunk into one ball of white light and everything came bursting out into view.

The music of the orchestra was the first thing that caught me, then I saw a massive hall with huge pillars standing mightily on each corner. The floor was a finely polished marble, the ceilings were so high with exquisite chandeliers hanging, and there were silk decorative curtains on every balcony door.

I was in awe.

I looked to my left and saw Cain offering his hand. He was smiling quite dashingly on me. I accepted it and I smiled back.

Weird.

I don't remember being this close to him.

We both descended to the grand marble staircase, my hand around his right arm. I could feel all of the guests feasting their eyes on me as the herald loudly announced.

"Welcome, General Cain of the House of Von Cavill and with the princess of Regaleria Kingdom, Princess Lianne."

I felt my palm sweat in nervousness. Never had I experienced this kind of crude inspection before. The guests were looking at me like I was a white rose on a bouquet full of red roses.

We headed towards his table, but actually, more like a man-table as it was full of buffed up, bearded men. I began to feel nervous not only because I was around these men but also because of the atmosphere of the room itself. It felt so different. Like I was in a different timeline, but in a familiar area in the Since Mansion.

Wait. What did the herald just say awhile ago? Did he just call me princess?

"Relax, Princess Lianne." Cain whispered softly close to my ear just as we sat on our seats. This time, the title was quite clear, startling me.

I felt his hand clench my own under the table and beamed a sincere smile on my way. "I'm here. You don't have to worry."

His smile suddenly wore down when I saw a middle-aged man wearing a tuxedo suit, hastily walking towards our table. The man bowed down in front of us and then whispered something on Cain's ear which immediately showed instant displeasure on his face.

"What's the matter Cain?" I asked curiously, but before he could reply, the man wearing the tuxedo suit offered his hand to me and said, "Your Highness, Princess Lianne... you are requested by King Garlow at his table."

'King Garlow?' I asked to myself. Who is he?

Cain offered to escort me to the King's table and as we walked there, I felt my pulse escalating drastically. I didn't feel comfortable at all.

A surge of hatred, of anger, of sadness suddenly filled me when I came to stand in front of the King's table.

I know this man from somewhere! I just couldn't quite remember where, but I instantly feel apprehensive towards him.

Cain politely bowed in front of the King, but I didn't.

"As always have been, you never fail to amuse me Princess Lianne," the man wearing an overly adorned crown said. His voice was dark and rough, very commanding. He was sitting on a gilded throne, exuding great authority and power. It didn't affect me one bit though, but my heart did leap when my eyes caught a certain face...a very familiar face.

Ruen's gaze was upon me, a pair of brown-green eyes boring deeply into my soul. They were beautiful, but cold, almost with no emotion, but I saw one. I wasn't quite sure though what it was. His intense stare kept me in a trance. I felt like we were the only ones in the grand hall. Me and him.

Without warning, a jolt of lightning appeared and then the scene I was in was stripped away and replaced with another. When I was able to discern where I was then, I realized this place wasn't the grand hall anymore.

"I have been waiting for you for quite sometime now, my Princess."

A man in front of me said in the most lecherous of voice I heard in my entire life. He was sitting comfortably in a single sofa chair near a dressing mirror.

Upon seeing where I was, my head immediately screamed, 'I know this place!' This room looked exactly as my room in the Since Mansion.

"You're trespassing! Why are you here?" I asked in anger.

He began to babble information that was all nonsense to me, advancing his way towards me like a predator ready to take its prey. He mentioned something about marriage -- our marriage -- and that it was already decided, that King Garlow wanted me to marry this old man.

They must be crazy.

Surely, he was joking, but with the way he was leeching on me, I couldn't help but believe and worry.

"Who said I will become your wife?! Garlow doesn't have any right to decide for me nor anyone for that matter! I am not his puppet!" I told him with glaring eyes.

He grinned wickedly at my remark and appeared as if he was unaffected with it.

"Ahh but Princess, unfortunately, when you're in Garlow's kingdom, you have no right to decide for yourself."

My stomach lurched upon hearing it. I clenched my teeth and shook my head, angry and in denial of his words.

The scene jumped and the next thing I knew, the old man's grossly unshaven face was already near my cheek. I tried to free myself but he intentionally jailed me in between his cane and the doorframe of the bedroom.

"Let me go!" I commanded, but he just continued on advancing his face to me.

"Trust me, my future young wife. I will leave you only if you'll grant me a good night's kiss." he said.

For an old man, he was surprisingly strong. I tried hard to push him back, but he just wouldn't budge.

"Duke Conrad!"

Another male voice suddenly reverberated throughout the room. It held power and strength, and a familiarity that I couldn't pass.

The old man hastily scrambled away from me, catching his feet to bow towards the receiving room.

"Didn't you hear the princess' plea? I am quite sure to think that she is unhappy with her present condition," my savior sternly stated.

Ruen.

"Your Imperial Highness! My apologies," the old man said with great devotion, bending his head some more.

My God. He is in my room! My mind raised. I didn't dare turn around to even assure that it was truly him. I was a hundred percent certain just hearing his voice.

After a few more angry words and a string of commands from Ruen, Duke Conrad exited the room.

"Your Highness, I will take my leave," I heard a woman's voice said after the Duke left, then followed by the sound of a door closing.

I'm unsure why the two of them kept calling Ruen 'Your Highness', but with the way this was all going, it's safe to say he is a prince of this kingdom called Regaleria, meaning he is Garlow's son.

I should feel the same kind of hatred and anger for him, but Ruen only evoked peace inside me, attraction and another emotion I couldn't define yet.

Silence reigned inside the room for some time and for a moment, I almost felt like I am the only one left until Ruen released a deep sigh.

I was still standing beside the door frame, my head lowered and my arms wrapped around my chest. Ruen's presence was powerful. My pulse quickened more than when that old man had his way with me.

"It seems that every man wants a piece of you," he then broke the silence. This side of him I hadn't seen yet. He was partly being sarcastic, partly truthful. The Ruen I had met so far was guarded and elusive, showing off a mysterious vibe that mostly fascinated me rather than scare me away.

"And I believe you want a piece of me too?" I said dripping with sarcasm, but my irritation somehow flew out of the window when I saw him standing at the center of the receiving room wearing nothing but a satin loose trouser and a green suede robe.

My cheeks immediately heat up.

I didn't know that this kind of show could affect me real good. Maybe if I'm a courtesan I would have touched his ripped abdomen without delay. But I am not!

Our eyes met. His was smoldering with desire as if answering my question in a big, resounding yes.

I peeled mine away from him and looked down. I bit my bottom lip and tried to keep my composure intact.

"Lady Faye had informed me of such an event taking place in your chamber tonight, and I guess I have to say, you are vulnerable even in your own room. I hadn't expected that Duke Conrad would dare beyond the night's ball, it seems that he was too enamored on you to wait," I heard him say in a stern voice. "Maybe, if you would scream out loud, I could hear you even in the middle of the night without Lady Faye's help. My chamber is just above yours anyway," he added coolly.

Damn. I feel like I am the only one making a fuss about his appearance. Or was he deliberately doing this so that I would feel intimidated by him?

"And why would I do that?!" I snapped, finally looking at him.

"It is evident that my father has some plans for you, and it seems it is already happening considering you are here."

The nerve of that man!

I stood firmly on the ground, showing that I am serious with my resolve.

"I'm not someone who is easily swayed by such extravagance. Who said that I would heartily accept this change when I know it is with price? Your father has nothing to do with me nor anybody in this God-forsaken kingdom, and he doesn't have any authority for me to be married to that letch of a man!"

"Lianne..." Ruen directed his eyes on the floor and clenched his fists, "when you're in Garlow's kingdom, you have no power to decide for yourself."

I was angry immediately. Hearing the same phrase the second time was just too much.

"And now you tell me that!" I bellowed. I couldn't control myself anymore. Impulsively, I attacked his chest with my hands, giving him blow after blows I didn't even know if I was hurting him or not. He blocked mostly of them, but I still continued out of the anger burning inside me.

"All of you here in this blasted kingdom doesn't have the right to command me nor decide on my part! I'm no slave in this place and I refuse to be one just for the sake of greed! I am not a puppet. You and Garlow will never make a puppet out of me!"

Tears streaked down my cheeks without my intention. I didn't want him to see me this weak, but I guess it wouldn't matter anymore. I expected him to retaliate with a sneer and a rude answer but he didn't. Instead, he pulled me into his arms and embraced me tightly enough that I couldn't let go.

"Lianne, listen to me," he requested. I heard a hint of tenderness in there but I was too riled up to even care.

"No! The hell I'd listen!"

"I said listen to me!"

""No! Damn this place! Damn Garlow! Damn-"

"You stop now and listen to me!" Ruen's voice this time held authority. I was immediately voiceless. He held me in place with both of my shoulders and locked eyes with me.

"You are powerless when you're at my father's kingdom, that is true," Ruen started, "but I have and I will make a way to stop your marriage to the Duke."

I scoffed in disbelief. "Huh, you dare defy your father's command?"

"Trust me Lianne. That, I promise you,"

For a moment, I somehow felt calmed by his words. I know I couldn't trust him, but for now, this was the only ray of hope I am seeing.

"You very well know that I can't trust you," I voiced out.

His response was a slight pressure on my head and what felt like a huff of warm air from his nostrils.

"You can Lianne and you will."

~ 0 ~

I got up from the ground to see myself dirty and with a good amount of headache. The soil was soft and moist under me. I wonder if this cushioned my fall. Lucky me, but not really.

I must have had another syncope and that meant I needed to go to the hospital to get myself looked at. But I wouldn't. Not now. Not here. Maybe in Fortville when we go back home.

There were little leaves tangled on my hair so I took them out. The moonlight clearly visible in the night sky showed that I must have been out for quite an amount of time.

Seven thirty. I read my watch.

If Jen and the others noticed my sudden absence, then surely they must have been looking for me now, and that meant bad. Again, this was supposed to be a vacation free of problem and stress. I don't want to give them those again.

With a huff, I stood up and started my way back to the camp hoping they were busy enough to even remember me.

As I walked out of the woods following the large bonfire from the distance, I couldn't help but remember the dream I had. Or was it really just a dream? It sure felt real.

"Garlow..." I whispered to myself. I couldn't explain it but the name suddenly flamed hatred in my heart just like in my dream.

"Oh my God, Lianne! Where have you been?" a woman's voice cried out just as I walked out of the bushes. It was Jen and she was already nearing me, leaving her boyfriend standing just a couple of feet away from us, in a corner that was less reached by the bonfire light. If I were to deduce, they must have been smooching before I arrived.

In front of us were a large crowd of people sitting on the chairs, watching, enthralled on a cute dog presentation.

Jen looked worried and confused as I regarded her. Somehow I felt guilty for giving her this unnecessary emotion.

"Oh Jen. I...I was just out exploring the nearby forest to amuse myself," I replied with another lie.

"Forest?" She raised her brows, twisted her lips and her eyes turned into slits, no doubt scrutinizing me if I was telling the truth or not. "Hmmm, well, that's so like you," she stated, easily surrendering. "Anyway, you already missed quite a lot of presentations."

"Oh my bad," I answered, giving her a cheeky smile and turned to look at the show.

"By the way, that necklace sure is lovely. Where did you get that anyway?" Jen asked curiously as she pointed at my neck.

It was unexpected. I didn't even realize I still had the necklace with me and because of this, all I could tell her was, "It's a secret," and directed my attention again on the stage.

"Oh! No no no no, no! You are going to tell me that secret of yours whether you like it or not," Jen whined just as she spanked my behind.

"Alright! Alright," I put my hands up in the air. "I know you won't put it to rest, so I will tell you, but maybe later when we get back to the cabin."

Jen looked pleased and nodded.

I rolled my eyes and let out a long sigh.

"I talked to a handsome guy this afternoon," she suddenly informed.

I looked at her and saw her already giving me a wide grin as if she knew already I'd love to hear this news.

"He was looking for you. I don't know where you are so I wasn't able to answer him."

My heartbeat skipped many times. I knew she wasn't talking about Cain. She basically met him earlier.

Could it be Ruen then?

"If I'm not mistaken, he is the man with you when you were at the hospital. You know... the-man-that-recovered-fast-from-his-gunshot-wound," Jen added in a sing-song voice, teasing me like I didn't know who she was pertaining to.

I held my emotions at bay just thinking of the fact that Ruen was looking for me.

"So, what happened?" I asked, keeping my voice as calm as possible.

"He gave me a message for you. Here." Jen then handed me a small paper and I, unable to contain myself, took it lightning fast.

"Go ahead Li," she encouraged, motioning for me to read it in a private place. "Don't mind me."

"Thank you Jen." I smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Oh! You're so hopeless!" She winked. "Now go! Hurry and get your man!"