The king?
"My mind struggled to keep up.
I stammered, completely losing track of what I was supposed to do. "I… I…"
The man tilted his head slightly toward me, one pale brow lifting in mild curiosity.
"Bow, foolish woman," Charlotte whispered sharply through gritted teeth.
I nodded quickly and lowered my head. "Your Majesty," I managed to say as steadily as I could. But my heart was pounding wildly in my chest. The sound of it filled my ears.
Suddenly the world around me began to spin. Heat rushed through my body as sweat broke across my forehead. The overwhelming pressure of the moment, his gaze, the realization of who stood before me, the memory of those eyes from my dreams, crashed over me all at once.
I felt dizzy. My knees weakened beneath me.
No… no, not now… my illness can not be triggered now.
Charlotte's voice reached me faintly as if from far away.
Before I could hit the ground, strong arms suddenly wrapped around me, catching me mid-fall and lifting me effortlessly from the floor.
≈≈≈
Slowly, I began to stir. My eyelids felt heavy, as though sleep itself was refusing to release me, but after a moment I managed to open them.
The ceiling of my chamber came into view. For a few seconds I simply lay there, staring upward in confusion.
I pushed myself up slightly on the bed, and the sudden movement must have caught someone's attention.
"Adeline!"
I turned my head. Lady Charlotte sat beside the bed, her face filled with worry. The moment she saw my eyes open, relief washed over her features.
"You are awake," she said quickly, leaning closer. "Thank heavens."
I blinked at her, still trying to gather my thoughts.
"What… happened?" I murmured weakly.
Charlotte let out a small breath as though she had been holding it for quite some time. "You fainted," she said gently. "Quite suddenly, I might add."
My brows knitted slightly as fragments of memory began returning to me.
The courtyard.
The unicorn.
And then… The king.
My eyes widened slightly.
"The king…" I whispered.
Charlotte gave a small nod. "Yes," she said. "His Majesty himself carried you here."
For a moment I simply stared at her, unsure if I had heard correctly.
"The king… carried me?" I repeated faintly.
Charlotte folded her arms and gave me a look that was equal parts disbelief and amusement. "Yes," she said. "And you have no idea what a sight that was."
My face heated instantly.
He carried me here himself? But… why?
Surely he could have ordered a guard or a servant to do it. That was what kings did, was it not? They gave orders, and others carried them out.
Yet Charlotte had said he brought me here himself.
My thoughts drifted back to those eyes. Those deep crimson eyes.
Could it truly be him? The same pair that had haunted my dreams night after night?
But how could that be possible?
Those eyes could not belong to someone else… could they?
Should I ask him?
But what if I am wrong?
And what if I am not?
What if he becomes angry that I dared question him?
Kings were not known for their patience with foolish maidens.
What if he simply orders my head cut off for my insolence?
I shut my eyes and ran a hand through my hair, trying to calm the storm of thoughts inside my mind.
Charlotte must have noticed my uneasiness. "Is something bothering you?" she asked gently.
I looked at her quickly and shook my head.
"No, I am well," I said, perhaps a little too fast. "I suppose… I should go thank him."
I moved to rise from the bed, but Charlotte reached out and stopped me. "Wait," she said with a small smile. "You can always do that at the royal banquet tonight."
I paused, then slowly nodded and settled back onto the bed. That seemed far less terrifying than marching up to the king's chambers.
Charlotte stood from the bedside and smoothed the folds of her gown.
"I should go prepare myself," she said. "You should do the same. The banquet will not wait for sleepy maidens."
I smiled faintly. "I will," I replied. "And… Thank you, Charlotte. For your kindness."
She gave a small nod, her expression warm before she turned toward the door and quietly left the chamber.
The moment she left, I collapsed back onto the bed, letting the soft sheets swallow me whole.
I pulled part of the cover over my face and groaned quietly into the pillow. It felt as though my mind was coming apart piece by piece.
First the prince.
Then the strange trial at the ball.
Now the king… the unicorn… and those eyes.
Those cursed red eyes.
I dragged the sheet away from my face, sat up and stared at the ceiling. "God help me," I muttered under my breath. "I believe I am going mad."
Only a few moments had passed when the chamber door opened again.
Two maids entered quietly. The moment they saw me sitting on the bed, they bowed their heads politely.
"We are here to prepare you for the royal banquet, my lady," one of them said.
I quickly sat upright, pushing the sheets aside as if I had been doing nothing unusual at all. "Oh," I said, clearing my throat. "Very well."
The two maids moved further into the chamber, already glancing around as though silently measuring what needed to be done.
One of them gestured toward the large wardrobe placed against the wall.."The gown for the evening has already been prepared," she said.
The other maid stepped closer to me with a small respectful bow. "If my lady would allow us," she added gently.
I let out a quiet breath and nodded.
At this point, it seemed the entire palace had already decided what my evening would look like.
And I, apparently, had little say in the matter.