Deborah quickly bowed to the king and queen. “I’ll take my leave as well.”
She didn’t want to walk with him–every step felt like stepping into a trap–but there was no way out of it. So she followed behind Damian.
They had just reached Peace Palace, not even through the doors yet, when Damian suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.
Deborah blinked, confused. “Your-”
Before she could finish, his expression darkened–and in the next second, he reached out and pulled her firmly into his arms.
“What are you doing?” Deborah gasped, instantly pushing Damian away.
His face was stone–cold, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. “I may not spend much time with the my mother and father,” he said flatly, “but I see my grandmother often.”
That one sentence was all it took for Deborah to catch on. She took a steadying breath and calmed herself. Doing her best to adjust to standing beside him, she slipped her hand through the crook of his arm.
Still, just before they entered, she couldn’t help but ask in a hushed voice, “Where exactly is Simon?”
Damian lowered his eyes to her and said coolly, “You planning to meddle in royal affairs?”
Deborah shook her head quickly. “Not at all.”
She just wanted to know when Simon would be back. Maybe once he returned, this whole mess would finally be over.
Because truthfully, walking around with Damian was exhausting, Her nerves were constantly on edge–she felt like her heart couldn’t take much more of it.
Inside Peace Palace, the Queen Mother Leanna Montage was already waiting for them.
Deborah spent the whole day keeping her company, chatting and listening. Damian, for the most part, stayed silent.
But from the moment they stepped into the palace, a subtle change came over him. The sharp, icy edge in his expression softened–just slightly.. Once in a while, he even smiled.
His smile was still a little cold, sure–but compared to the terrifying presence he normally carried as Prince Damian, this version of him- pretending to be Simon–felt far more approachable.
Deborah noticed that every time he so much as smiled, the palace maids nearby would blush furiously and go weak in the knees.
They looked positively drunk on it, and honestly, Deborah felt a little worried they might actually faint.
He was cold, yes. Intimidating, absolutely. But his appeal was undeniable. The man was basically walking pheromones.
The day passed like that, through dinner and into the evening. Just when Deborah thought the ordeal was finally over-
The Queen Mother suddenly said, “You’ll stay here tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’m taking Deborah to the Harmony Court for a visit. We’ll ask for Royal Seer’s blessing, so Deborah can give the royal family an heir soon.”
Deborah’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly said, “Grandmother, the prince’s residence isn’t far. I can come early tomorrow.”
If she stayed here as his wife, they’d have to share a room. And honestly, she wasn’t sure she’d survive the night–Damian might just scare her to death.
But the Queen Mother smiled gently. “I’ve asked the Royal Seer to bless you, and he’ll be sending over some soup. If you leave, where am I supposed to send it?”
“Grandmother…”
“Or is my palace not good enough for you?” she said, still smiling pleasantly, though her tone left no room for argument.
“Since it’s a bit stuffy here,” she continued, turning to Damian, “why don’t you take her for a walk in the imperial gardens? But tonight…” Her tone sharpened, final and firm. “You will stay here. Understood?”
Deborah looked to Damian, silently begging him to speak up. She thought, ‘He’s been bold enough to push back against the queen earlier–can’t he
do the same now?‘
But to her dismay, he nodded without hesitation. “Yes, Grandmother. We’ll stay.”
Which was how Deborah ended up walking with Damian through the imperial gardens after dinner.
The night air was crisp, and the scenery was beautiful–but she barely noticed any of it. Her head was down the entire time.
When is Simon coming back?‘ she wondered. ‘Are we really going to have to spend the night in the same room? This lie just keeps getting worse…!
Lost in thought, she didn’t notice when Damian came to an abrupt stop ahead of her. She walked right into his back.
1/2
He turned just as she stumbled, and before she could step away, his hand clamped around her wrist and pulled her straight into his chest.
“Y–Your Highness…” she stammered.
Before she could say another word, he swung her–not violently, but not gently either–against the side of an artificial rock formation with a solid thud.
When she looked up, she found herself staring into his ice–cold eyes.
Then she noticed–it was gone. The beauty mark by his eye had disappeared.
It must’ve been the garden mist–just enough moisture to smudge and wash it away. After all, it had been drawn on. One careless moment, and poof–it was gone.
But he was still walking around pretending to be Prince Simon. She thought, ‘If someone saw him now…‘
Panic seized her. She opened her mouth to warn him. “Your beauty mark-”
But before she could finish, Damian’s expression darkened. He suddenly pinned her against the rock, his body pressing into hers.
“Didn’t I tell you,” he said, voice low and dangerous, “if you ever tried to pull anything with me again, I wouldn’t let you off easy?”
