[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: BANDIT~ TAEIL]
Nix walked down to the courtroom, his shoes making sharp sounds on the well-polished marble floor. Each pillar he passed, the guards bowed in unison. As soon as he entered the courtroom, his eyes caught sight of a commoner who was talking in hushed tones to Queen Almaria.
It was rare for commoners to enter the palace, let alone the courtroom. Seeing that Almaria listened closely to every detail, it meant that the man brought information that was sensitive to the queen.
Nix’s expression did not change until he reached the throne, and he bowed slightly. His blue eyes briefly glanced at Man-uel, who was looking at him suspiciously. Nix positioned himself behind the queen’s throne.
As soon as Queen Almaria noticed Nix, she waved for the man to stop talking. The commoner bowed deeply, and before he turned to go, Almaria threw a few pieces of nickels into a pouch for him. The man continued to bow in happiness as he left the courtroom.
The room was filled with silence for a brief moment, before Almaria finally broke the silence. "Stories are going around in the kingdom, especially about people who move at night, claiming they see the ghost of Princess Kitanna at the palace gate." She turned immediately to look at Nix, hoping to see a reaction from him. However, the young man had a lazy look in his eyes, as if this information did not concern him.
"The villagers are starting to say she was murdered by someone in the palace, and that is why her spirit will not rest. Such frivolous rumors can make a kingdom unstable," she continued, again looking at Nix for a reaction, but he remained unfazed.
"Queen D... I mean, Queen Almaria," Man-uel corrected himself. Almaria had made it clear that she was not to be addressed as queen dowager but as the queen, despite Larel being the present queen.
"Not just in the village. Within the palace, I hear whispers in the shadows too. The palace servants talk about how they see the princess in the garden every morning. I think the rumor started within the palace. We should find out who started it," he said, looking at the royal guard, who still held a bored look.
"I want every palace servant who speaks of such rumors to be punished severely! Pass this message across," Almaria ordered to no one in particular. When she noticed nobody was moving, she turned to look at Man-uel.
"M-me? I should go?" Man-uel asked, surprised. He was no errand boy, and he was not expecting the queen to send him when there were guards around.
"I should go then?" Almaria asked, raising an eyebrow. "Man-uel, should I stand so you can sit here while I go deliver the message?" She said bluntly with a stern look.
Man-uel laughed nervously, realizing his mistake.
"No, my queen, pardon me. I will be on my way right away," he said, bowing, before leaving the courtroom. He turned his head to look at Nix as he left, and Nix gave him a subtle smirk. Man-uel gritted his teeth in anger before exiting the courtroom in disappointment.
"Nix, what do you think about this rumor?" Almaria asked calmly, turning to look at the guard.
Nix hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. "If the order is to hunt down the ghost, I will do that," he said, his deep voice resonating in the courtroom.
Almaria smiled at the statement. This was exactly why she kept him beside her. She nodded in approval. As they were talking, Khelan, walked into the courtroom.
"Mother, have you heard the rumors going around about Kitanna?" The young king asked right from the entrance, his voice echoing in the room.
Almaria sighed in disappointment. Sometimes, she wished Khelan could be swapped for someone like Nix, but then again, even as a guard, her son might still be foolish. "Khelan, come sit," she called her son, hoping he would stop talking.
"Mother, I am so scared. I see her in my dreams more often. I think she is angry because we did not investigate her death properly!" Khelan continued to talk as he walked towards the throne, his hands trembling in fear.
Almaria closed her eyes for a moment, then waved at the maids and guards to leave the courtroom. Nix was the last to leave the room. He walked straight back to his quarters.
He pushed his door closed and moved inside his bedroom. He took the matchbox and lit the candle, which illuminated the dark room. Then an evil grin spread on his lips.
"If it is not a ghost who disturbs the king’s sleep at night?" He turned to look at the lady dressed in black sitting on his bed.
"If it is not the most trusted royal guard who does not smile?" Kitanna grinned.
"You are here in the daytime. It is too dangerous. Someone might see," Nix said. He removed his upper clothing and walked towards the bath.
"I had to make sure Axilla settled in just fine before my grand entry," the princess replied, turning away when he removed his shirt. She moved towards the table in the room and started scanning the scrolls.
She was waiting to hear Nix reply to her, but when she didn’t, she turned to check what he was doing. The sight in front of her almost made her scream.
"W-what are you..." Kitanna was not allowed to complete her sentence as Nix used his large hands to cover her mouth, stopping her from speaking further. She felt her heartbeat rise.
"Shh... someone is coming," Nix whispered. His velvet voice vibrated on the girl’s skin.
Kitanna stood still, she was not worried about the new person that was coming in; she was worried about herself.
Nix was shirtless and standing so close to her, with his body pinning hers. She was still trying to get her thoughts straight when she found herself being dragged onto the bed, with Nix on top of her. She raised her hands to push him, but he was faster. He caught both of her hands and pinned them above her head, using his other free hand to cover her mouth.
Kitanna felt blood rush to her cheeks, and the next words she heard sent her world spinning in 3D.
"Now, moan, princess..." Those words brushed against her ear.