CHAPTER FIVE: LYRIANA's POV

The palace was unusually cold even as the sun shore upon the golden floors. But everything was frozen deep inside of me.

Pregnant.

The child of a total stranger whom I only had one night stand with. I didn't even know the name of the father of the child that I am carrying.

I laid down on my bed as I placed my foot on each other, looking mindlessly at the ceiling. The memories of that night became so fresh in my memory again- the way he sounded, the manner with which he held and kissed me. I couldn't let go of those thoughts no matter how I attempted to.

The silence was interrupted by a gentle yet sharp knock.

“My Princess?” a maid called silently from behind the door. “The Queen asks that  you come to the throne hall.”

As I moved slowly, I heaved a sigh of relief as I smothered my dress over my stomach. The fact that it was unbelievable has been revealed by the palace physician. And since then, I have remained indoors as I pretended to be ill. The truth was only known by my mother and two trusted maids.

I saw my mother, the Queen, going forth and back in the room with her two hands crossed on each other behind her back, as I stepped into the room.

“It took you longer than I thought,” she said sharply with fiery eyes.

“I feel a bit weak today,” I whispered.

She turned around. “I believe you were so strong when you allowed a stranger to sleep with you. She said,

The words she spoke to me deeply got to me, but I remained calm, maybe because I knew that I deserved that.

“Have your seat”, she said with a commanding tone.

I did as exactly as she had ordered.

“Can you see there is a problem?, she asked. “A baby is growing inside of you. And not just any child. This is a child conceived contrary to the royal rites and don't you of all people know what this means, Lyriana?”

“Of course,” I said quietly. “I understand ma.”

“I don't think you do.” She snapped. “If this information gets out, that you, a royal heiress, gave herself cheaply to a man she doesn't even know gets out, Calista will crumble. You represent the legacy. And now the legacy is at risk.”

Silence.

“Who is he?” she inquired. “I need his identity. What is his name?”

“I don’t even know his name, Mother” I said with a confused tone, ashamed of myself.

“Don’t dare to play dumb with me!”

“I swear, Mother.” My voice cracked. “I don't know his name. He vanished before I woke up in the morning. I have not set my eyes on him since then.”

She took a step backwards with her mouth fully opened in shock. “ What you are telling me is that you gave your body to a total stranger.” She clapped her hands in disbelief. “You couldn't even wait to get his name. It was a whole lot of fun, I suppose.” She taunted .

“It wasn't my plan, Mother! It was beyond my control and I couldn't even think right.”

She looked away from me and I could sense the brokenness in her heart. She held onto the edge of the window frame. 

“You have brought disgrace upon the royal bloodline,” she said coldly. “And you will bear this shame in silence. The public must never find out.”

“What is your plan, Mother?” I asked

“For now, we are going to tell everyone that you are sick and you need the bedrest.” She said coldly. “You are to limit your movement. You are to remain indoors without stepping out until I come up with a better plan. Is that understood?”

“Understood, Mother.”

“And what about the child, what do you want to do about it?” She asked sharply without looking at me.

“I… don't know. What I know is that the baby is mine and I am going to raise it.”

She looked at me with annoyance. “We’ll see about that 

**********************************************

Later that afternoon, I was in the sunroom sipping bland herbal tea when I overheard two guards near the archway whispering.

“I heard that Ardonia’s Crown Prince, Alaric, just returned from the Southern mission. He made another headline yet again.” One of the guards said.

I froze. Alaric.The name stabbed through me like a two-edged sword.

Another guard laughed. “That man is a living legend. You should’ve seen the crowd when he walked into that council chamber. He practically owned the room.”

My teamug slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor as I still was shocks

“Your Highness?” a maid rushed in.

“I’m okay, there is no problem,” I murmured as I rose up. “You can go back.”

I hurriedly ran and searched through the royal archives but my curiosity wasn't satisfied. Then I lifted my eyes up, and there it was, a screen being played softly ina corner 

And there he was.

Him.

He was clothed in a navy blue sash adorned with the Ardinia badge. His golden brooch lightened under the shiny sun. His hair was packed to his back, his face regal and proud. But my stomach twisted as I looked at his eyes, they looked like the eyes that looked into mine that night. The same mouth that called me, “My fox.”

With shock, I reeled forward.

“This can't be…..No… no, no…”

The caption below confirmed the impossible:

“Crown Prince Alaric of Ardonia addresses council after Southern negotiations.”

The heir.  Of Ardonia.

The rival kingdom.

A stream of tears dropped from my eye, mindlessly. 

The silence got interrupted by a sharp knock. One of the reporters peeped in. “My princess? Are you in need of anything?”

I instantly cleaned up my teary face. “No. Get out!.”

I fell into a chair with no strength in me, my hands were trembling as they position themselves by the sides of the table.

How foolish could I have been?

**********************************************

That evening, I returned to my room silently.

“Lyriana?” a gentle voice whispered my name. I turned to see one of the Queen's trusted maids.

“The Queen wants to see you again,” she said.

“I am not feeling too good.”

“She already told me what your response would be. But I was also asked to show this to you.” The maid handed a parchment to me.

It was sealed with a golden lion—the symbol of Ardonia.

I opened it patiently.

“To the Queen of Callista, as Crown Prince of Ardonia, I will be paying a courtsey visit to the Callistan Kingdom for the upcoming Unity Ball, as part of the alliance efforts following the Southern negotiations. I request your hospitality and anticipate to honoring the invitation extended to my late father before his passing.”

My vision blurred.

Alaric is coming to Callista.

And he is not even aware…He doesn’t have a clue that he left a child behind.He doesn’t know I was the woman he had in his bed on that night.