Chapter 80: Evanna’s punishment..
"How would I repay you?" Evanna whispered as she watched Arawn smile wickedly and his eyes gleaming mischievously.
The prince turned on his heel abruptly and spoke over his shoulder, "Follow me."
Evanna could only follow him as he led the way back to the palace doors. She turned her head when she walked past Anwel, relief was apparent on his face, but he quickly looked down at the ground. Evanna clenched her teeth together as she remembered Arawn’s odd behaviour regarding Cedric and Anwel’s polite manners towards her. For a brief moment, Evanna didn’t feel like the prisoner she was; and she wouldn’t lie to herself either. She had fun sword fighting with Cedric.
In that moment of time, Evanna forgot about all her troubles with the prince, her imprisonment, her mother’s health and her friend’s escaping the Flori. All she had to do was concentrate on the fight at hand. Now in a matter of minutes, Cedric had been dismissed, and Anwel nearly whipped and starved for three days. The prince did not say Evanna would have the same punishment, but it didn’t mean that she wasn’t worried.
That worry only grew as the deafening silence grew between them. Evanna was still behind him, walking through the hallways; she kept her gaze in between his shoulders and focusing on his perfectly straight hair. But her concerns disintegrated when she saw the familiar walls and archways leading to the stairs and past his room. Evanna sighed in relief, not realising she was holding her breath in anticipation.
The prince swore to her that he would not sexually assault her, but she couldn’t help but think that way when he said nothing and led her towards his room. Now, she was entering through some double doors into one of his many chambers, as customary of a prince in a palace. Yet, her eyes widened once more from the beauty of the elves interior design and architecture.
The room was beautiful with the usual open ceiling but with many open windows, letting a dazzling light of golden rays kiss her skin. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the artwork, the marble flooring and brown leather love seats along with coffee tables; the only dark colouring in the room. The chamber itself was fit for a small gathering of up to twenty people, but she knew there must be much larger rooms to accommodate his guests.
Without uttering a word, Evanna walked past Arawn and to the windows, immediately forgetting why she was there. She leaned her hands against the ledge and sighed at the view. These views were angled of the forest more, but she could see some of the elven villages and towns nearby also.
While she stared outside, listening to the birds, watching the skies and the ant-sized people in the distance. Arawn took the time to watch her. His eyes roamed her face, and the excitement lighting up her stunning features. He knew Evanna was absorbed in the scenery and the mundane life she could see from the towns.
The prince’s lips curved into a small smile; he was pleased in making the decision to bring her to the privacy of his chambers, otherwise his men, the servants and nobles would see him smile, and he did not wish them to think he was capable of such a thing. He liked the rumours surrounding him; it kept his people in line without him needing to do much. Fear was a helpful tool, especially when one ruled over a kingdom. But he made sure that he nor the king wasn’t too feared. There was just enough set in their minds to keep his people from acting stupidly.
His father, the king, was in charge, but he had been overcome with grief for the last 200 years since his mother’s passing. Arawn was the one to help pick him up and happily let his father’s chilling ways rule over him and the people. They still adored the king and prince, that much he knew from the many times he snuck out and posed as a commoner working for the prince, so he could listen to his people’s needs.
They were strict and heartless, and their punishments could be cruel, but their people never suffered. Only the criminals and those who defied them did, and for that, the people stayed loyal to the crown.