Chapter 53: Allure of the water
Music Recommendation: The Real Work Begins- Kris Bowers
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It wasn’t that Anastasia wouldn’t attempt to escape, but the taunting tone of Dante’s words made her feel cautious. It reminded her of helpless prey that would never escape the clutches of a predator once caught. She stared into his black eyes that held no trace of the glowing red she had noticed earlier.
"Stop dawdling in the corridors and get back to your room. Now," Dante ordered, whilst his eyes subtly narrowed.
Anastasia nodded, and she offered him a bow in response.
Turning around, she began to walk on the cold marble. And as she moved, her eyes fell on the open windows that offered a view of the towns beyond the kingdom walls. Her heart felt heavy thinking about how close she and her sister had been to their freedom. When her eyes continued to gaze through the last window in the corridor, they fell on a shadow that followed not too far behind her.
Anastasia’s eyes fell on Dante, and she asked in a low voice, "Isn’t your room on the other side of the palace, Prince Dante?"
"I am thirsty and thought of getting a glass of water," Dante responded, but Anastasia could tell he was lying. The man was only making sure she didn’t try to flee at the next possible opportunity!
Remembering something, she waited until Dante came near where she had stopped. She asked,
"May I ask something?" Seeing his head cocked to the side, she asked, "How did you know the location that served as inspiration for the drawings? Have you visited the place?"
"When I was young, I came across a book with illustrations of the place along with others. The artist had travelled across the sea and tried to capture the details of the places he passed through," Dante answered nonchalantly, adding, "The book isn’t in the library, just in case you are planning to look for it."