Chapter 28

I don't know if a one week stay at the punong baylan's house was too long, but stepping inside the Flamis Palace once again feels foreign now.

"Good morning, Princess Fhyra!" The murandas that lined up by the gate of the palace greeted in unison.

I throw a glance at Ignis who was standing behind me and gave her a meaningful look. She suddenly nodded, curtly bowed, and left the place in a hurry to do what I ask her to do before we left Hailec's home.

I faced the people confidently and made my way towards the Queen's quarters to give my greetings and let her know about my return.

Although we're not in good terms she's still the queen and my grandmother, just like what Cool said.

'Cool?' I called out in mind.

It took him a few more minutes to respond.

'I'm here.' I almost sigh in relief when I heard him talkback on my mind.

'Just go to my room. He'll be there soon.' I told him pertaining to Blaze.

Before we left Hailec's house, I asked Ignis to immediately find the count and told him to go to my room so that Cool can meet him and warn him about how the darkess imitated him.

'Alright.'

One of the murandas who was following me opened the Queen's quarter's red gate for me. I entered the quarter's halls with my head held high and my every movement screams of elegance and nobleness.

During my stay at his house, Hailec trained me and Sassy on how we should act accordingly in front of the crowd.

He told me that my perfectionist grandmother would pry less on my business if she would be satisfied with how I act.

And this is how she liked it.

A noble and elegant princess.

I pity my mom having to live to her expectations for a long time.

I miss you, mom.

I put on an elegant smile when I saw her staring at me while she was seated on her royal chair in the center of the room.

"Good day, Queen Feu." I greeted elegantly followed by a tender bow taught by Hailec.

I wanted to wipe off that satisfied smile that appeared on her face right away.

You're that satisfied? I keep mocking her on my mind but my appearance says otherwise.

"It's good to see you back here, hija. How was your stay at the Punong Baylan's home?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"It was indeed eventful. It helped my health a lot and also made me realized a lot of things, my queen." I said with grace.

"Really? I would love to hear about it all." She said.

"I would like to apologize for my previous behaviors, I hope you understand that everything was just so new for me and I haven't known how to cope with it until recently." I played the card Hailec wanted me to be.

The Queen's perfect granddaughter.

The perfect Princess.

"I'm glad you've concluded with such a realization. The Punong Baylan was indeed right when he told me that keeping you away from the palace would help." The queen said with a pleased smile.

I reciprocated her smiles and answered her questions about my stay outside the palace. I stayed there for almost an hour before she let me go so that I can finally rest.

'Cool, you're with him already?' I asked as soon as I walked out of the Queen's quarters.

'Yeah. We just finished talking and we're just waiting for you.' He answered.

'Alright. I'm on my way.' I said and made my way towards my room.

When I was just a few steps away from my room, I turned around to face the murandas who had been following me since I arrived here.

"You can all go now. I can manage it from here. I'll just call on Ignis if I need anything." I ordered them.

These murandas didn't have to be told twice, so they immediately offered me a polite bow and left.

I can feel Blaze's presence inside the room and Cool's faint one that I rarely sense.

I went inside the room and made sure it was locked before I faced the two men inside.

Blaze was seated on the chair by the lanai, while Cool was standing beside the lava fountain by the door.

When Blaze saw me entered the room he immediately stood up and acknowledged my arrival.

I nodded at him, throw a sideways glance on Cool who was busying himself with the lava fountain before I walked towards the lanai and took a seat in front of Blaze.

"I believed Cool had told you about what happened back at the punong baylan's house?" I asked him and he responded with a nod.

"Yes, he did."

"What are your plans about it?" it took him a while before he answered.

"I don't have a concrete plan on my mind yet but when this happens again, please do bear in mind that I am not an enemy but an ally of yours, Princess. I wouldn't do something that can cause you harm." I stared at him a little longer and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"What happened here while I was away?" I inquired while my brows furrowed when I saw Cool on my peripheral vision lay down on my bed.

Blaze fill me in with the situation of the palace and the shameless things that the duchess did to be able to ask the queen about her whereabouts.

"She did that?" I said with a voice filled with disbelief.

"Wow! She's taking her shamelessness on the next level." I added as I listened for more.

"Duchess Ardor even told the queen that the Punong Baylan might be a spy from the glaciers to take you away from here," he said and glanced at the guy on my bed and returned his gaze on me.

He was about to speak once again when he suddenly snapped back his attention on Cool's direction. His face is now laced with irritation.

"Commandant Santiago, don't you think it's rude to use the Princess' bed without her consent?" he asked which caused me to gape at him.

'Here comes your loverboy, Princess.' I heard Cool teased on my mind.

'Shut up.' I said in frustration.

Just when I started to see him in another light, he just needed to act like the jealous fiancee that he is.

"Let him be. He's tired." I told him to make him shut up but instead, he looked as if asking me if I completely lost my mind.

I was left with no choice but to give him a warning look.