Chapter 242: First Life, Alice. (9)
’I promise’ her last words to her mother kept echoing in the heavy silence as her feet moved with practiced ease through the corners of the palace she had lived in all her life.
The walk back to Alice’s chamber was shorter than she would have thought since her father, the king, chose to be quiet the whole while. His curiosity is well masked behind his calm and cold demeanor.
Alice saw her dad as a cold and calculated man even to his family because he shows nothing but strength yet sometimes she often wondered if his cold countenance was just a mask or if it was his true nature. She always dismissed such thoughts and it seldom came up. This was one of the few times.
"We are here" Albert announced to an absent minded Alice whose thoughts still lingered with her mother who was at death’s door and the promise she had to make to her, a promise she was yet to understand.
Why did her mother ask such a thing of her? What did she know that she was not telling?"
"Thank you, father" Alice replied, too lazy to care about the consequences of using such familiar titles with the king of Springton with two of her guards present "Have a good night," she wished him.
"And you too Alice" Albert did not seem to be offended at all. If anything, the king appeared to be very emotional as he took in his daughter’s hand and kissed it. The contact was strange but welcome by both father and child.
The guards looked on, not daring to even breathe out their shock at such display from a king who was known to be a ruthless conqueror. They prayed to remain unnoticed as they dutifully guarded the door to Alice’s quarters.
The kiss was brief and so was the warm light in the king’s eyes. He heaved a sigh and was back to his cold self. He nodded once at the guards and they saluted him before he made his way to leave Alice there.
Alice, who seldom took interest in the men that watched over her, simply walked into her room wishing her maid was still there so they could talk. Harley had retreated earlier that evening to her own sleeping quarters she shared with other maids in the palace.
Alice went straight for her bed, suddenly feeling too exhausted to be pissed Harley had left her. She lay on silky sheets and willed sleep to come but it didn’t leave her to toss and turn in bed for what seemed like hours.