8. I Burn You?

"Tiana” Tiana!" Nicklaus called, his voice filled with pain and agony. Was he in pain? No, he couldn't be. She couldn't be hearing this, but she heard my name again "Tiana". Maybe all this wasn't in her head, maybe he was calling for her. she climbed down from the bed, put her robe on, and trailed out of the room.

"Where is His Highness?" she asked two guards walking through the hall.

"I am sorry Your Highness, but we can't tell you. He doesn't want to be disturbed."

Disturbed? So she would disturb him?

Of course, he was having fun with his mistress, and here she was worried about him for nothing. Tiana decided not to worry or care anymore and went back to bed.

Opening her eyes with a yawn she scanned her surroundings. Nicklaus was sitting in front of the mirror and a maid was combing his hair. Her fingers caressed his cheek and neck when she tried to gather some strands of his hair. Tiana could see that she didn't touch him accidentally, she was doing it on purpose. Disturbed by her action she climbed down from the bed.

When she saw Tiana’s reflection in the mirror she turned around. "Good morning, Your Highness," she said, bowing deeply.

"Good morning,” Tiana said although she had the urge to ignore her but being rude was just not her thing. "I will help His Highness; you may leave." She glanced at Nicklaus, waiting for him to give her a sign that she could leave, but he didn't move a muscle. Hesitating, she walked out of the room.

Tiana went up to Nicklaus and stood behind him, staring at his reflection. He didn't look back at her or greet her like he does every morning. He just stared down at the book he held in his hand. Why was he behaving like this?

"Won't you comb my hair since you dismissed the maid?" He asked, still looking at the book. Tiana got the urge to pull his hair and mess it up. Maybe she should. He deserves it for the way he was treating her right now.

"Of course," Tiana said with the softest voice she could muster. She knew how to fix hair and many other things that princesses usually don't have to know, because she was often bored, and she would tell Margret and Sandra to teach her.

The thing is she wasn't planning on fixing his hair but playing with it. She took the brush and started brushing his hair. It was softer and thicker than her own.

How could a man have such beautiful hair? It was not the time for admiring, it was time for messing around she reminded herself. Tiana made a few braids here and there, not caring how they looked.

"I am done," she said eagerly waiting to see his reaction. He closed the book and looked at his reflection. He frowned as she fought the urge to laugh. There was one braid in the middle, three on one side, and two on the other side. The braid in the middle is what made him look funniest. she couldn't hold it in anymore and let loose a loud peal of laughter.

Nicklaus got up from his seat, a serious look on his face as he turned around. He grabbed her arm and yanked her close.

"Are you playing with me now wife? You shouldn't play with fire; you will get burned," he said with a low voice. He was intimidating but he chuckled when he saw the terrified look on her face.

"No need to be scared, wife. I am just joking. Do you think you are the only one who can play around?" Tiana pushed him away.

"That wasn't funny."

"Then is this funny?" he asked, pointing at his head and she couldn't help but laugh again.

"You shouldn't be laughing at me when your hair looks like that," he said pointing at her head. Tiana looked herself in the mirror and gasped. She was so angry and occupied with him that she didn't even look at herself. Her hair looked like a bird's nest. She tried to straighten it with her hands before Nicklaus wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and hugged her to him.

"Still, you look beautiful," he said near her ear, "and I like the sound of your laughter. It's the first time I've heard you laugh."

Tiana wanted to give in. she wanted him to hold her and hear all those sweet things, but no. she couldn't just forget how coldly he had treated her last night. Breaking away from his hold, she crossed her arms, a defiant look on her face.

"Did you have fun last night?"

"Did you?" he asked, irritating her even further. "You seem so reluctant to sleep in the same bed as me, so I bet you slept comfortably last night." Comfortably? When he was with another woman?

"You are ruthless," she said and stalked out of the room into her personal room and closed the door. This time he at least came after me.

"Tiana, open the door," he said, knocking loudly but she ignored him and decided to dress up without help.

"Tiana? I said open the door." Who cares what you say? she thought, slipping out of her nightgown.

Looking around for something to do other than open the door, she decided to take a bath, so she

went into her personal bathroom. A hot bath was always prepared every morning. Taking off her towel, she slid into the hot water just the she heard something break, Footsteps ensued. she quickly pressed her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs as Nicklaus walked in.

"What are you doing? How can you just walk in like that?"

"You don't leave when I am talking to you," he said flatly.

"You can do what you want, so why can't I?" she snapped. He walked closer to the bathtub and stared down at her. she felt so vulnerable. He crouched down and grabbed a strand of her wet hair in his hand. Something about the way he moved scared her. It was different as if something about him changed.

"Because you don't have the power to do so," he said. Even his voice terrified her at this moment, but she wasn't going to show it.

"What will you do? Beat me? Kill me?" she taunted, trying her best to mask her fear with arrogance.

He leaned in close to her face "How about I burn you?"