Chapter 2

(Zephar's pov)

“Is this how I die?” I shut my eyes and gripped my dress firmly. Then, I felt my long hair fall to my back and opened my eyes widely and looked up at him. He cut my hair tie into pieces with his sword trick.

His face held no expression, no one could read him. He kept staring at me without saying anything. Everywhere was silent until he made a move and completely left the bunker.

I fell to the ground trying to understand what just happened, his sword went through my hair tie without touching my hair. My friends ran to me and helped me up. My mind was still blank, Malek sat me down at the waiting bay area.

“He spared you?” Elsin was surprised as I was.

“Everyone is shocked,” Selith said and I jerked off.

“I'm not dead yet, I'm not dead yet,” A fake cry.

“Let me tie your very long hair you have refused to cut, I'll style it into a ponytail, you can do your thing when you get to your dorm,” Elsin said and brushed my hair to the back and styled it.

“Wow, so handsome, you're very handsome Zeph,” That left Selith’s lips.

“Shut up, squirrel,” Malek shushed her.

“His dress should be ready by now, and I have to run his bath.” I stood up and left the store. His order was ready. I packed it up with prince Valen Crowe's dress and had it dropped on my head and made my way to the ninth prince's chambers first.

“Prince Valen Crowe, it is Zephar, I came to deliver your dress for the veils ceremony tonight…… your brother ordered it for you,” I knocked while still carrying the box on my head.

The door flung open and I entered inside, I had the box placed on the table and brought them out and hung them for him to choose from both before I had the other delivered to the sixth prince.

“My brother picked a dress for me?” He was surprised. He happily went close to them and chose the one with yellow stripes beads on it. He caressed it and hugged it.

“I thought he had forgotten I'm his only brother, Darius picked a dress for me.” Prince Valen Crowe sang and hugged his dress.

“He sent a message to me that you'd be serving him tonight at the party, I'll have another servant do your services then, you can go to him.”

I packed in the other dress and left for the sixth prince's chambers, always as dark as night. The guard handed me a stick light to find my way. His room was quiet and lovely. I took out his dress and hung it on his single wardrobe. His eyes kept following me, sending a cold shiver down my spine.

“The hot water is ready.” I heard from the door as I ran to get it. The towel was still in its hand. I used to carry the big bucket to his bathroom and pour it in his bathtub and check the water.

“It still needs hot water.” I took the bucket to the door and requested for another hot water. It was brought almost immediately and poured into his tub. I arranged his role and towel for him and stepped out.

“Perfect.” I went to his room, he relaxed on his chair, his eyes closed and legs crossed. His sword sitting comfortably beside him. The flashes of him pointing it to my neck and slashing my hair tie came back and I swallowed hard.

“Your water is ready, my prince, I'll be outside if you need me,” I announced and made to the door and reached for the door handle and tried opening it, pulse spiked. From behind, he held it shut, his tall figure gave me an inferiority complex and I bent my head.

My body pressed against his, with my head on his chest, warm and shaking and for a few seconds, nobody moved, no one said anything. I turned to face him, his hand lifted my chin and our eyes met, he loosened my ponytail and my hair fell in its length. Prince Darius Crowe held my face up and looked deep into my eyes. I could hear our hearts beating in the quiet, the tension he's created between us.

The sixth prince gently caressed my cheek, my face turned pink, he messaged my hair and checked the length.

“Too long for a male,” Prince Darius Crowe said.

“I like it long.” I replied, though he didn't ask me.

He left me and went to his bathroom, my breath left me, I was finally relieved. I ran out of his chambers and went to the dorm to get dressed. Malek sat on my bed already dressed for the party starting in two hours. My bedsheet is disarranged and sand on my bedside.

“Malek!!” He stood up and ran out, I took out my sheets and swept my bedside and arranged my bed. I fell on it and shut my eyes.

“You unpacked your hair again?” Malek asked.

“No, the sixth prince did and I'm going to the party this way…… I need to get back before he finds me here,”

“Is he obsessed with you being with him now?”

“Do you want your head cut off by prince Darius Crowe?” We laughed. My roommates called me out to bathe, I took my dress and towel and followed them. Once done, I paid for the cart and was driven to the palace gate. I took on my pace and ran to his chambers to prepare him.

Then opened the door without knocking and was immediately shoved aside with his power. He was clashing it out with the first prince, Marcus Sylas. Their blades went against each other, prince Darius Crowe locked eyes with me, the first prince slashed his robe and he went back and stood in front of me.

He covered my eyes with his magic, but I could hear them clearly. “Where did you hide my stone bearer?”

“Is prince Darius Crowe the one with actually hiding prince Marcus stone bearer?” I asked myself.

“I will kill you tonight before you get to attend the veils ceremony.” The first prince threatened. The sixth prince laughed wickedly and grabbed his neck and shoved him outside his room and shut the door.