"What do you think you are doing?"
The King's voice rolled across the courtyard like a tiger's roar in the night, freezing everyone in place — even Lady Tyra.
Her smile vanished as she blinked at him. She clearly had not expected his arrival, and neither had I. Yet somehow, the stars seemed to be on my side.
"Drop. Your. Weapons."
Each word cut through the air like a blade. With trembling hands, the guards released their swords and fell to their knees. In an instant, everyone around me bowed — everyone except Tyra and me.
King Harry strode toward her, his gaze dark and unyielding. If I was afraid before, now I feared for Tyra even more.
She stepped back as he approached, but not quickly enough. His hand snapped around her wrist, gripping her with brutal force.
"What did I say about touching what is mine?"
I blinked, confused. So he had not come for me after all? Was this about something Tyra had taken from him? I rolled my eyes inward, as if I hadn't just been seconds away from death.
What a terrifying world.
Tyra's eyes filled with confusion. "Your Majesty, I… I…" she stammered.
"Tyra!"
I jumped when the King shouted her name, his voice echoing through the corridor.
"What did I tell you about touching what is mine?"
His jaw tightened. I had known Harry Hulk as a man of few words, and the King was no different. Saying this much must mean he was truly furious. I wondered what Tyra had taken.
"Your Ma.... your… Majes.."
She couldn't finish before the King shoved her aside. She staggered, nearly falling, but thankfully her maidens rushed forward and caught her in time.
While I was still absorbed in this whole royal drama, I failed to notice that the King's eyes had already locked onto me — until he started moving.
Okay… chill, Isabel. Chill like ice water.
Who was I fooling? A shiver ran down my spine. My hands trembled, so I quickly clasped them together. What had I done?
He reached me and stopped. His gaze traveled over me from head to knees. Harry Hulk, no, King Harry... stared at me with something that looked like concern. Then he asked,
"Are you hurt?"
The question hit me completely out of nowhere.
What? Did he just… ask if I was hurt?
Words failed me. My lips parted, but nothing came out. Whatever he read in my silence made his eyes darken, and he glanced over his shoulder.
"I assigned her as my personal maid. Were you going to sentence her, knowing she is mine?"
Oh… oh… wait. Me? King Harry meant me? When he said "what is mine," he meant me?
My heart pounded loudly in my chest, partly from relief that I was still alive. Still, this was strange. This had never happened before. I could fall down a thousand stairs in front of Harry Hulk and he would not even lift his head from his tablet.
Now, as I stared at the carved lines of his jaw and his dark lashes, I wondered why he was acting so different. Why was he noticing me now? Why was he treating me kindly?
God, I hated that my eyes were stinging with tears. I did not want to cry.
But they spilled down my cheeks anyway, and I could not even bring my hands up to wipe them away.
"You are mistaken, my King," Tyra finally steadied herself. "She stole from me. You can ask the head maiden. There is enough evidence."
King Harry kept his gaze on her, and from the corner of his lips, a small curve appeared. "Or was this one of your traps, Tyra?"
"What?"
Tyra looked shocked, but even more shocked that he was defending me. I caught her glaring at me with pure venom. If looks could kill, I would have dropped dead on the spot.
"How can you say such a thing, Your Majesty?"
Her voice shook with disbelief. She looked between the King and me, then her eyes settled on me. Her lips curved slowly, but her stare turned cold.
"You just arrived, and already you plan to compete with me?"
She shook her head, then turned and stormed off.
The King turned to me. His eyes were calm, and for once I could not meet his gaze. My heart swirled with emotions I had no control over.
"Your Majesty."
I heard Matilda's voice beside me. It seemed he had pointed at her.
"You will arrange a change of room," he said, then paused. My breath hitched. "For my personal maid."
The way the words rolled off his tongue made my heart race. Next to me, I felt Matilda stiffen, but she quickly bowed.
"Of course, Your Majesty. I shall get her things ready."
Soon he waved his hand, dismissing everyone until only the two of us remained.
"You don't… ha… have to," I said, my voice cracking.
The King said nothing. He only took my hand and began walking away.
"Your Majesty, where are we…"
"Shh."
He turned, placing a finger over his lips. I nodded and followed without asking more. And honestly, even though I still held so much resentment toward him, my knees still felt weak whenever he was close. I made the worst decisions when it came to him.
He led me through a dark hallway lit only by dim lamps along the walls. At the end stood a large door. When he opened it and guided me inside, the air left my lungs.
Before me was the most beautiful library I had ever seen. Unlike the hallway, it glowed with warm lamps lining every wall. Tall mahogany shelves stretched up to a ceiling higher than I could imagine, with ladders standing at every corner.
At the far end sat a maroon couch and a fireplace crackling with glowing embers.
I followed him forward until he gently guided me to sit on the soft couch. He walked to a side table stacked with books, feathers, ink, and piles of letters.
I watched as he lifted a cup and poured water from a jar. Then he returned and placed it in my hands.
"Drink. It is jasmine tea."
I took the cup, the fresh jasmine scent drifting into my nose. In my world, you could only find artificial jasmine tea. Nothing ever came close to this. Still, instead of drinking, I simply held the cup and stared at him.
He sat on the armrest across from me, his jacket slightly undone, his white shirt stretching over his chest. His gaze drifted toward the fire, giving me a clear view of his sharp, sculpted jaw.
"Drink. It will help calm your nerves."
A soft laugh slipped out of me. "I'm not nervous."
He turned his attention to me, then glanced pointedly at my hands. The cup trembled so badly I could barely keep it steady.
Okay… fine. I was nervous.
"Drink."
I nodded and took a slow sip. The warmth touched my tongue and my eyes widened. This tea tasted nothing like anything I had ever had before. I ended up gulping the rest in one breath, closing my eyes and letting out a sigh.
"This is good."
"It is."
When I opened my eyes, he was watching me intently. The memory of everything that had happened rushed back. Surely he did not think I was guilty.
"I did not steal it."
"I know." His gaze stayed fixed on mine.
"Well, I thought you brought me here to interrogate me."
He snorted softly and shook his head. "I know Tyra, and I know what she is capable of."
"So you believe she framed me?"
The words burst out of me before I could stop them. He said nothing, only turned back to the fire. His jaw tightened, but that was all.
Silence settled between us, heavy and awkward. I wanted to speak, but I did not want to dig into royal drama, so I shifted the topic instead.
"Are my properties safe?"
"Properties?" His brows lifted slightly.
"Yes. My bag and my phone." He still looked confused. "My things. The ones you took when I was dragged to the palace."
"Safe," he replied shortly.
Safe? Did he mean me or my things? Could he just say a full sentence?
"Where is your home?" he asked suddenly.
Again with this question. Breathe, Isabel. Stay calm. Smile.
I leaned back into the couch and tapped my fingers against the cup. "I told you. I am from the future. The twenty-first century."
He shifted in his seat. "You were not lying?"
I raised my thumb in the air. Finally, he was starting to believe me, and it felt strangely satisfying. My body relaxed… until he did the most unexpected thing.
He raised his thumb too, mirroring my movement, except all his other fingers lifted with it, making his hand look stiff and awkward.