Anisha opened her eyes the next morning and realized she layed close to Nhel. She rolled back, careful not to wake him up.
It wasn't everyday she awaked before him, what had made him so stressed out?
He looked so breathtaking. It would be nice to wake up to this sight everyday.
She furrowed, trying to remember if anything had transpired between them.
Unbeknownst to her Nhel had already woken up at the slightest movement of her rolling over.
Anisha moved back when Nhel opened his eyes right at her, adorning a smug smile.
Feeling awkward that she had been caught staring, Anisha trailed her eyes anywhere but him. She hastily got off the bed and smoothened her garment.
"Good Morning," She greeted.
Nhel got up too, a few strands of hair sticking.
"Morning,"
"You seem flushed, are you okay?" Nhel asked like he really had no idea what happened last night.
Feeling her face with the back of her hands, Anisha replied, "I'm alright."
"Is anyone there?"
Nhel called and then Anisha's maidservant came in quickly.
"Good Morning My Lady, Good Morning Your Highness."
"Get Anisha some hangover soup."
"Yes Your Highness," she then left.
"Thank you," Anisha appreciated his thoughtfulness.
She thought he would inquire about last night but he didn't say anything.
"What should we do today? I'm taking a day off," Nhel asked while they were having breakfast beyond the confines of the bedchamber surrounded by lush greenery and low shrubs.
To have one's meal in this garden was calming.
Anisha stopped munching the crust bread in her mouth and stared at him briefly, a bit surprised.
"Um, It would be great if we could go outside the Palace for sightseeing.
Do you know any interesting places?"
Nhel shook his head disappointedly, "not really."
He then signalled for someone standing by to pour him wine.
The servant who picked up the bottle began to exhibit some form of nervousness.
She lowered her head so much that Anisha wondered if she could see anything and she was right because the next moment, her hand slipped and the bottle broke into shards.
Red liquid spilled all over the table. The scent came off so strongly that Nhel could feel his senses changing.
He shut his eyes hard. He couldn't afford to expose himself when there were people around, especially Anisha.
The scent was so sweet smelling it was doing something to him.
He had never tasted something as delectable.
Nhel opened his eyes and trailed his gaze to the table, he had already had a taste of the wine before so how come the scent.
Seeing Anisha's wrist bleeding from a cut, Nhel found himself gripping the servant's neck.
"Your Highness… I'm sorry I didn't," she coughed, "mean to,"
The other servants tensed up, they feared the outcome.
Nhel himself didn't know what came over him, he didn't want to lose it here.
He felt Anisha's touch, "Nhel please let her go, I'm sure she didn't mean it," Anisha was frantic.
Now that Anisha came close, he could now detect where that addictive scent came from.
His eyes trailed to her wrists and the next thing, released the girl who sprawled on the floor choking out.
What he did next shocked the hell out of Anisha as well as every other person who was present.
He licked the area where she was cut.
Gasping, Anisha jerked her wrists.
The moistness of his lips lingering.
She turned around and everyone immediately looked away except her handsmaiden who had a wave of shock on her face.
Anisha faced Nhel whose gaze lingered on her wrists.
She turned a shade of red.
Remembering the way he had suddenly grabbed her hands, there couldn't help but be butterflies.
"You over there, Edmond sent you, am I right or wrong?"
Nhel's tone made the girl who had been kowtowing for forgiveness flinch.
Upon hearing that, she shook her head roughly, "I swear I didn't mean any harm to Your Highness, I've always and will always be loyal to you, Your Highness."
Anisha at that instant, recognized the voice but she couldn't place her finger on where she had heard it before.
The servant girl whose tears had stained her face moved her gaze towards Anisha and looked away immediately.
Anisha believed the girl was scared of her seeing how Nhel had defended her like an Alpha.
"How can I be certain you're as loyal as you claim to be, this is not the first time you spies tried this," Nhel commanded a brooding presence.
"Now how should I deliver you back to whoever placed you in my quarters."
"Your Highness, I beg you to believe me, have mercy on my clumsiness."
Then it struck Anisha.
This was the disrespectful servantmaid from the hallway.
"It was you right?"
The girl kowtowed repeatedly towards Anisha.
"My Lady, I never meant those words, I'm terribly sorry."
"What words?" Anisha intentionally inquired of her.
"I never meant them, Your Highness."
"Don't make me repeat myself,
I asked what words?" Anisha demanded.
"I didn't mean to disrespect Her Highness yesterday, I don't know what came over me," the servant continued to sob.
Anisha scoffed, this attitude of hers was sickening, she sounded totally different from when she had spewed those hurtful words.
"What did she say to you yesterday?" Nhel's voice came in.
"What matters right now is she only had the guts because she's your mistress." Anisha said.
Nhel fixed his gaze on Anisha. The servants took their cue to leave.
"Are you mad at me for having mistresses before we got married?"
"I only have a problem with you still keeping them." she retorted.
It was quiet between them for a while.
Anisha sighed.
"I'm sorry I still thought about you keeping mistresses even though we had already talked about it. I promise to not be so disbelieving anymore."
Nhel put on a satisfied smile, his mood elevated.
"She caused you trouble, decide how we'd deal with her," Nhel said referring to the girl below who muffled her sobs.
"Have her fired so she goes far away from you."
Nhel chuckled, "I don't see why not."
Nhel strided the halls as he pondered on what had happened that morning.
His throat hitched, the taste of her blood took him past the stars.
He punched the walls so hard his fists started bleeding, what had become of him?
What could he do to quench this weird thirst?
he gnashed his teeth.
Nhel's thirst rather increased when he arrived at his brother's quarters. He grabbed a maid who was passing by.
"I won't hurt you, don't be afraid," he could hear her heart accelerate but she didn't dare say a word.
The maidservant turned excited the instant he pushed her to a corner. Nhel chuckled.
He afterwards, pricked her neck which brought out a shiver from her but wasn't able to get what he craved for so he pricked one more time and licked again and thought something was wrong with him.
"Your Highness, are you done?" Nhel heard her ask after him, surprised it was that quick.
"Get back to work," he said.
Arriving at a hallway two guards stopped him from going further.
"His Highness doesn't want to see anyone."
"Let him know I'm here," Nhel said.
"I'm sorry Prince Nhel but you cannot see him right now, he's having his rest."
"From doing what exactly?" Nhel's face darkened.
One of the guards looked conflicted as he didn't want to mess with Nhel while the other one stood unwavering.
"I don't want to cause a commotion,
the least you could do for him right now is let me in." Nhel's tone was threatening.
And In the next moment, Nhel struck one of the guard's wrists, his staff slipped free, clattering to the stone floor and delivered a sharp kick between his shoulder and neck that sent the man crashing to his knees, breath knocked clean from his lungs.
Nhel smirked at the other guard's cowardness. He had made the right decision stepping aside for him.
On getting to his brother's chambers, he met him sitting in a chair, someone with him.
"Brother."
The man who looked the same age as Nhel said irritatedly.
"Who did you just call Brother?"