Anisha, indeed curious, took a glance at Nhel, he had almost finished what was on his plate.
"Like you said Prince Edmond, it's a sensitive topic for my husband, some things are better left unknown. I hope you get my point."
"Of course I do,"
Seeing the way he curved his lips at Nhel, Anisha was then convinced that the Prince was trying to get to him.
So was it truly a sensitive topic for him or not?
A clank spread across the dinning, "We can go now," Nhel announced, stood up and started leaving, Anisha quickly followed behind him.
Walking through the silent hallway, hearing the clicking sounds of their own shoes, Nhel's silence got Anisha on her toes.
"Why are you behind me?" Nhel asked.
He stopped for Anisha to get to where he was.
"Oh," Anisha then increased her pace.
"Maybe you should stop the broodiness, don't you think?
Did I do anything wrong?" She inquired.
A halfhearted smile escaped Nhel, his stoic expression wearing out.
"You seem to have smoothless conversations with him, it makes me jealous," teased Nhel as he closed in on Anisha.
Because of that?
Anisha had thought she might have said something wrong.
"I…Um, You," Nhel's closeness had an effect on her.
Nhel chuckled and moved away.
"You were saying?"
Anisha saw him raising a brow at her, it looked like he was waiting for her to say something.
"Could you come again?"
Nhel close in again. This time around, he pulled Anisha close to him.
"like this?"
Realizing what he had done and feeling his closeness, Anisha blushed.
His eyes never failed to draw her in.
She suddenly came to her senses and immediately came off him.
Luckily no one was in sight.
This young man only knew how to tease her.
"What's on your mind?"
Nhel asked when they went to bed. A few candles flickered, the moon seeping in.
Anisha got questions but could not ask them.
"Nothing serious," she replied.
Silence stretched in the midst of the night and crickets sang in harmony.
"Anisha" Nhel called in a silent voice.
"Hmm?"
Nhel looked fixedly at the ceiling.
"No matter what you may hear about me, just know that I won't hurt you."
Anisha paused, not knowing what to say.
She pulled the blankets up.
She recalled the words of those maid from the day she came into the Palace that had gotten her so scared.
"Hurt me?"
Nhel was silent for a while.
"Goodnight." He said and closed his eyes.
"Goodnight," She responded and thought about what he had said for a while before drifting off to sleep.
Anisha woke up to a maid rolling up Nhel's hair for a shower, he then got up and headed to the bathroom.
"Good Morning," he greeted.
Anisha who had been battling with drowsiness became wide-eyed.
She frowned due to the number of servantmaids that followed him.
"What's going on?" She uttered to their hearing and hurried up.
The servants looked at her confused.
Anisha glanced over to Nhel expecting some sort of explanation but Nhel was expressionless.
"My Lady, His Highness has not had a proper bath in a long time," one of the servants explained.
"If you noticed, he leaves early in the morning and has not had the time to be attended to."
Realizing she had spoken out of sheer foolishness. Of course Princes were normally bathed by servants.
"Yeah I noticed too," Anisha tried to redeem herself.
Go ahead, treat him well."
"Leave."
Nhel ordered the servants and they departed.
"You're uncomfortable with the servants helping me bathe?" Nhel asked, a smirk on his face.
"Not at all," Anisha said, earning a chuckle from Nhel.
"Since you don't mind, I'll let them back in."
Anisha's eyes widened a little. So he would really call them back.
She turned to the other side, a little bit annoyed.
"If there's anything you don't like, tell me.
Why keep it to yourself." Nhel said.
Anisha turned to him but he had already disappeared behind the bathroom doors.
"My Lady."
The Palace is holding a cleansing ceremony, you have to get prepared." Madlyn announced.
"A cleansing ceremony?"
"Yes My Lady."
Anisha then got prepared, brushing her hair by the mirror at the same time curious on what the ceremony was all about.
She saw Nhel about to head out.
"Do you have somewhere else to be? How about the cleansing ceremony?."
"I have somewhere more important I should be."
"Where?"
Anisha paused, not wanting to seem like she was probing.
"What's the cleansing ceremony all about?" She asked him out of curiosity.
"The Prince had not been able to recover since over a year now and the King's health is also deteriorating so a priest was invited to conduct a cleansing to get rid of any curse or bad luck that might be present in the Palace," Madlyn answered.
"Oh" Anisha responded.
"After the ceremony, I would like to go out." She said before Nhel could step out.
"You can't go out alone, it won't be safe," he reasoned.
Nhel didn't miss her disappointed look. It seemed, she liked going out.
"I'll take you once I'm back. How's that?"
Anisha's heart skipped at his reply. Her gaze held in his.
She simply nodded.
"My Lady, we're already late." Madlyn informed.
"I don't think I'll attend." Anisha replied.
Madlyn furrowed and felt her neck.
"Are you not feeling well?"
She could say that because honestly, she didn't like being in this place.
Everything appeared so gloomy.
"I'm alright Madlyn. It's not that."
"What happened?" Anisha was surprised on how Madelyn's eyes turned red all of a sudden
She looked downwards, twisting her fingers.
.
"Your Highness….. " her voice cracked.
Anisha didn't want to push her to speak. She could only wonder what it was.
"I will make sure nothing happens to you even if it costs me my life."
Madlyn suddenly said, her words making Anisha drown in wariness.
"Speak Madlyn. What makes you say that." Anisha persuaded.
"It's about Prince Nhel."
Madlyn then drew closer,
"You have to be careful around him Your Highness."