Garden Of Poison

Emily’s hand automatically touched her hair as if to ensure she still looked presentable, even though only ten minutes had passed since she had left her room. Raylen led her to the parlour before coming to a stop right before the doors and moving aside to allow her to enter first.

When the doors opened and Emily stepped inside, Raylen remained at the entrance. Her eyes immediately fell upon the gentleman named Clark Valentin. The man had light brown hair, and was sporting a moustache that elegantly tapered and curled at the ends. As he caught sight of her, he quickly rose from his seat and made his way towards her. And the closer he drew, the more the man’s stature seemed to shrink, accentuating his short height.

"Good afternoon, King Raylen. Good afternoon, Lady Emily," the man greeted them with a deep bow.

"Good afternoon, Clark," Raylen replied at the same volume as he had used with Emily. He continued, "A beautiful day, isn’t it?"

Clark nodded with respect, keen on presenting himself in a favourable light, as he was in the presence of the king and his beautiful niece. "It is a wonderful day, My King," he acknowledged. He then turned his attention to Emily and apologised, "Forgive me for not visiting you sooner, Lady Emily. If I had the power, I would turn back time to have met you yesterday."

"I would have liked that," Emily responded with a smile, though it faltered slightly.

"Unfortunately, none of us can turn back time, and one needs to accept the consequences of their actions," Raylen remarked as he stepped into the room. His taunt didn’t escape Emily’s notice, and she continued to maintain her smile, which now appeared a bit strained.

Mr. Valentin, however, believed the remark was directed at him, and he bowed once again, saying, "Of course! I take full accountability for it and can only hope to make up for the lost time."

"You are a responsible person, Clark, unlike many who tend to say and do things and then conveniently disregard them," Raylen responded in a calm and charming manner.

"People of that nature are terrible, and I have no inclination to associate with such conduct," Mr. Valentin replied in agreement. He then turned back to Emily and inquired, "Wouldn’t you agree, milady?"

"Yesterday has passed, and we can choose to put it behind us," Emily replied to Mr. Valentin’s query. "Today is a new day, and it presents us with a fresh start. Shall we take a seat?" she inquired, gesturing towards the couch. However, before they could sit down, her gaze shifted to Raylen, who had settled on the other couch and began reading a book.