Chapter 124

AVA was looking around in the opera house before her family was taking their seats. She sat next to her mother on the left side and there was an empty space on her right. She did not assume that it would be a full house tonight but it was, judging by the crowd that was murmuring in the dark right now.
“Excuse me, pardon me,” the voice was drawing her to look on her right as the opera house was dimming its lights for the performance to start. Ava can make the silhouette of the person that was coming her way before the figure was sitting next to her.
“What a thrilling night,” the figure said with a masculine voice that made Ava felt fluttered in the dim lighting. She smiled despite that she doesn’t know the man who was sitting next to her.
“It was quite indeed,” she was surprised that she even intended to speak to this man in the dark.
“Are you here for the grand opening?” the male asked before Ava turned to look at him. It was not the perfect timing to look at someone in the face as she could only make out the shape of his face and that silver orbs.
Silver like mercury eyes.
Ava sucked in a breath but the man was turning to look at the opera now that the singer, Skylar Kramton, the most sought out opera singer was starting her part and the other would follow eventually. She was wonderful as Ava was looking at her figure before she was grimacing, reminding herself that she would never be compared to the woman on the stage.
Ava was sighing before she was leaning back against the chair as she was looking around while vaguely listening to the singer and the songs that she sang at the top of her lungs.
“Are you bored already?” the man asked before Ava turned to look at the man. He was still looking ahead to the singer—who kidding if people would not stare at that piece of art—while Ava was looking at his side profile.
He has a good profile, angular and sharp in all the edges that matter, Ava mused before she was shaking her head slowly. Why was she trying to gain some points on looking at the profile of a man that she did not know? This was insane!
“I can see that you are interested in my face, my lady, for you have been staring for quite some time now,” the man said before Ava felt her face heated. Oh, God! Why does she have to embarrass herself like this? And in the dark as well!
She cleared her throat before she was turning to look at the opera singer who was now turning the spotlight to the chorus of the play. Skylar Kramton vanished from the stage possibly trying to get changed under the pressure of time backstage.
“I am not staring at you, my lord,” Ava said as she was addressing the man that she did not know with the respect of a gentry. She did not know if the man was a gentry or not—it would not hurt to boost their already big enough ego but she did it anyway.
“Whatever you say to get yourself of not staring at me, my lady, for I know the fact that you are,” he said lowly before Ava turned away as she was trying to focus on the singers and then perhaps the show, instead of the lord that was making some rude comments on her.
Perhaps she deserved it but she did not need it from the lord that she did not know, less can see in the dark.
This night has been going so much better, she thought sarcastically as the singers were singing and Skylar Kramton was on the stage again.

MARSH was having a really good time as he was sitting next to a woman that was not afraid to stare at him in the dim light. He should be wary for he might be recognized but it was nothing about the stare that made Marsh felt like he needs to be aware of his surroundings.
And that caused him a lot of inconvenience for the next hour.
He was being called by a manager that he was due to meet with someone on the private booth. He turned to look at the lady that was sitting next to him before he sighed inwardly and made his way to the private booth, wanting to know who was calling him.
And who dared to disturb his peaceful night with a lady that was not afraid to look at him in the dark.
The manager was leading him to the private booth before he opened the curtains. Marsh thanked him before he was greeting the two faces that he might not be seeing here in his region. But unfortunately, the young queen and her prince consort were sitting right in front of him, smiling from ear to ear.
“Well, this is a surprise. How come I did not foretell that you are here?” Marsh asked before the young queen was waving her hand dismissively at Marsh.
“Oh please, I know that you are busy getting acquainted with the ledgers and the tenants as well. And you were to find a Lady that will be your bride as well—“
“Why are you here exactly?” Marsh said as he did not want to know about the bride that he was supposed to be finding and asking for her hands in marriage. I don’t have time for that right now, he mused before his dark mind spoke.
Are you sure about that? What about that woman, a Lady, on the beach the other time? Marsh stilled at that thought.
“Well, it will be such delight if we’re here to celebrate your wedding if you’re planning to have one later on. We don’t want to miss it,” Arabella said before Marsh was pinching his nose bridge.
“Why do I get the feeling that you are plotting for something?” Marsh asked himself before the young queen was locking her blue eyes with his grey orbs. She smirked.
“It would seem that you are hiding something from us, Felix. I wonder what—or perhaps who—that you wanted to hide from us,” Arabella said before Marsh grimaced at her.
“I don’t have anything or anyone that I was trying to hide from you, Your Highness. I barely know my tenants let alone a Lady in their mist,” he said as Arabella was arching her eyebrow.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Why would I be lying something like that to you? If I am getting married in the nearest time, you will the first person to know such development,” Marsh said before he saw the gleam in the queen’s face.
“Not in the nearest time of course,” he added before Arabella was smirking knowingly at him.
“Of course, and as much as I wanted to tease about it, I was here for the grand opening and I wanted to get away with my husband for a while. The capital has been stuffy of late so why not come to the north where you reside? I think it was a good idea, the best perhaps, but seeing you now…” the queen trailed off before Marsh was smiling at her, knowing that he has hurt her.
“My apologies, Your Majesties. I am delighted to have you here perhaps a dinner tomorrow would be a great way to welcome you properly to my region?” Marsh said as Arabella was smiling at him.
“That would be a great idea and I have someone that I wanted you to meet,” she said as Marsh smiled at her
And that is the dread that I was waiting for. I knew that she was plotting something, Marsh mused before she was smiling at him but he cannot do the same to her.

AVA was tossing and turning as she was aching in the muscles that she did not she had before. She has been sitting through the opera for 4 hours last night with not as much moving from time to time.
Now she has regretted it.
She turned to look at the window as the sunshine was coming into the window of her chambers. It was about to set on the horizon as Ava was sleeping throughout the day just like the normal cycle of the island. The night was considered as day and the day was considered as night.
She tossed the cover from her body before she made her way to the dressing room. She washed her face as she was looking at herself in the mirror. She always puffy in the morning but today was the worst day for her.
She has a date with a handsome man.
Ava smiled before she was stripping off her nightgown as she saw the bath has been drawn. It was steaming with hot water before Ava was sinking into it. It was lukewarm and she moaned as the aching muscles were hitting it.
She leaned against the edge of the tub before she was splashing some water to her person. She was smiling before she was looking at the dimmed sun. Today is the day, I will see him again, Ava mused but there was a nudging at the back of her head to know who was the lord that was sitting next to her last night, in the dim light of opera house, whispering something nonsense to each other.