Once again she found herself alone with him in a room.
Hurrying to leave it, Mariana folded the princess's dress and tucked it in her satchel. The dress was thankfully extremely flexible.
She clutched her satchel tight at the king looked at the king.
Busy in his papers.
Very good.
"Allow me, Your Majesty". Before he could say anything Mariana started to walk behind him to the door.
"Miss Mariana".
Her steps haulted and she closed her eyes. Her heart started to beat rapidly. Now he would do something that would make her think of him for many days. Just like last time.
She opened her eyes, turned back and looked at him. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
The king was leaning towards the chair Mariana had placed sleeping Ross on. He picked up Ross's one leg and dropped it and the leg dropped limply back, leaving the ferret unaffected from his sleep.
"What did you do to my ferret?" The king looked at her.
"I beg your pardon".
"He is not moving". The king picked up another of Ross's arm and dropped it from even longer height.
Nothing.
The ferret's brown body lied unmoving on the chair.
Mariana remembered him remaining unmoving ever since he dozzed off in her arms.
Unmoving when she had stood up.
Unmoving when she had placed him down.
She felt her arms getting cold. Perspiration dampened her face. Was Ross....?
The king looked up at her and shot up his eyebrows, urging her to answer.
"I-I-didn-" she rushed and haunched down on her knees near Ross. She ran a pressuring hand over him.
"Ross".
She shook his body. "Ross, get up darling".
She felt her eyes watering. What did she do? Why wasn't he moving. The sweet little ferret! Tears pooled in her eyes, blurring her vision.
She knew she didn't do anything. Then why wasn't he waking up.
She turned him on his back and caressed his round belly. She found the belly rising and falling with steady breaths. Relief washed over her skin. Ross was breathing! She frantically turned her head to tell that to the king.
And found him smiling.
"W-why are you smiling like that?" She asked, her chest heaving up and down.
The king chuckled and then coughed.
The insufferable man was stifling his laughter!
He knew the ferret was fine.
He teased her! Unbelievable.
Taking a long breath, stood up. The king was instantly on his feet too.
Mariana was angry. Meeting his eyes, she said, "Your Majesty, I was so scared".
Even her voice trembled.
"I apologise, Miss Mariana. But you were so sad while talking to Amy. I wanted to lighten the mood". He smirked.
Mariana shook her head in disbelief. How could a king do this?
"Does my mood looked like lightened?" She asked gritting her teeth.
The king cocked up his brow. "No. But atleast you are not sad anymore". He tilted his head.
"No, I am not. I am furious!" She screamed and then realized she was talking to the king.
His eyes widened as he leaned back.
She cast her eyes down. "Pardon me, Y-Y-Your Majesty".
The king took a step towards her.
"No".
She looked up to meet his eyes.
His gaze softened. The two round, sparking sapphires looked deep in her eyes.
Mariana's chest still heaved with raised breaths.
He took another step forward and trapped his hands in his pockets. "I rather prefer you screaming".
His eyes darkened a shade, lids cast down as if turning heavy.
Mariana had never thought she would admire such expression of a man. She felt as if she wanted to look at his face forever. His black hair falling over his eyes. His cheekbones taut. A bit of whiskers, dark, grown from the last time she saw him. Perhaps he didn't shave today.
'It was none of your business', Mariana yelled in her mind to herself.
She blinked and took a step back. She swallowed through her dry throat and glanced at the ferret and his moving belly one last time.
"Allow me, Your Majesty". Without looking back at him or letting him say something else, Mariana rushed out of the chamber.
When the heat of his nearness started to vanish, Mariana again thought of his mischief.
Why did he do this to her? She was frightened to her wits. She was worried how lady Daisy would accept that? She loved her pet dearly.
She worried how the princess would find her so cruel to not take care of an innocent ferret.
She was worried how she would have forgiven herself even if she had no idea what she had done to the ferret.
The king perhaps was entirely heartless. No matter how he had saved her from the thugs. No matter how he had carried her trunks. No matter how he had given her a job irrespective of her status.
From now, this insufferable king was a heartless king for Mariana. She wished she could help him develop a very big heart like a normal being.
Reaching home, she thanked Mr. Lawrence and moved inside. She saw aunt Penny happily chatting with Caelen.
He turned his head and looked at her. No sign of embarrasement or awkwardness flashed in his green gaze. And Mariana was grateful for it for she didn't know how to withstand it.
"Good evening, Mariana ", he smiled.
"Good evening, Caelen. I'm glad you are here to accompany aunt Penny".
"I'm glad too".
She kept her satchel and moved towards her aunt. Touching her forehead to check for the fever, she was happy to find there was none.
Her aunt brought Mariana's hand to her lips. "I am alright, dear. Feeling better already". She smiled up at her.
Mariana smiled back.
"Did your meeting go well?", Caelen asked.
"Yes. The princess wanted to have my opinions on the jewellery that would match with the dress".
He gave a nod.
Mariana stood up. "I'll go get dinner started". She glanced around the room. "Where's Voilet?"
"She was sitting by my side the whole day. So when Caelen came, I sent her to have some fresh air and play", aunt Penny said.
Nodding at her aunt, Mariana felt proud of her little sister. Just as she promised, Voilet sat with aunt Penny all day, looking after her. Picking up her satchel, she went to her room.
She unfurled the princess's dress and spread it on her chair. She washed her hands and face and came down in the kitchen to prepare the dinner.
She wanted to make something nutritious for aunt Penny, so she decided to make the stew. She was busy cutting carrots when Caelen joined her.
"You need some help?" He asked.
She glanced at him and returned back to her carrots. "No, thankyou, Caelen. I am making simple stew".
He didn't move and stood there looking at her. Mariana wondered if he wanted to say something.
"I will get back to my home then", he said.
She began to add water in a pot.
"Thank you for staying with aunt Penny". She smiled at him.
"You know I would do anything for you"
Mariana blinked and smiled awkwardly at him. He must have said that sentence many times before but now it felt as if he was trying to say something more. She wasn't comfortable saying anything to him in reply and was grateful when he left.
As she served, Mariana added the medicine Mr. Whit had given for her aunt in her bowl. They all had dinner happily and after making sure that aunt Penny was sleeping soundly, Mariana went upstairs to her room.
She took a bath, changed into her nightgown and grabbed a book from the bookshelf.
She sat down and eyed the cover. The book was about animals.
She opened the part that was written about ferrets. She read that the ferrets slept deeply, looking as motionless as dead.
Closing the book, she groaned.
The insufferable heartless king!
He had nearly snatched her heart out her throat. She was so afraid for Ross. Anything happening to the enderaing creature seemed to make her really sad.
'I rather prefer you screaming'.
Thinking about the king saying that brought the same heat in her chest like when he had actually said that. He really had a power to make a woman think about him for a long time.