Chapter 14: oh Belle
"Your Majesty, that is highly inappropriate of you to ask!" Belle exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock at the King’s audacious request. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson as she fanned her face, desperately trying to cool the heat that overtook her. It was utterly shameless of him to pose such a question. It was the most immoral thing anyone had ever dared to ask her.
Hezekiah merely stood there, observing her with a mixture of amusement and incredulity. Her reaction was so innocent, so unguarded, that he momentarily forgot she was a married woman. Had he not known of her union with Quinn, he might have believed her to be untouched by any man. The naivety with which she chastised him was endearing, and he couldn’t help but chuckle softly. It was refreshing to encounter such unfeigned modesty. But then again, hadn’t she and Quinn already experienced such intimacies?
"Oh, my lady, you speak as though you are not a wife. It makes me wonder about your... married life," he teased, his chuckle deepening as Belle’s face turned an even brighter shade of red.
Smiling nervously, she stammered, "O-Of course, I do have such a life! I just... I simply wasn’t expecting such a question." She avoided meeting his gaze, knowing all too well how good he was at detecting her feelings. If she dared look into his eyes, he would see through her lies in an instant.
"How very convincing," he said, his voice laced with mockery as he shook his head, clearly unconvinced.
"I really must be going now, Your Majesty," Belle said, steering the conversation away from her embarrassment. "I have little time before my absence from the mansion is noticed."
"Ah, of course. We have plenty of time ahead of us to converse. I wouldn’t want to be the one to shorten it," he replied, understanding her situation and yielding without further argument.
"Allow me to escort you home," he offered graciously, but Belle’s quick and panicked response interrupted him. "No!" Her breath caught as she shook her head emphatically.
"You cannot do that, Your Majesty. I am still a married woman. If I am seen riding in a carriage with another man, the consequences would be dire. Rumors are far more dangerous than swords," she explained, her voice steady but her heart pounding. Hezekiah, of course, was already aware of this but had merely wanted to test her courage.