"Do you know that there is a saying that if you smile at the sky before bed, the moon will give you beautiful dreams?"
"I never heard of that.." he whispered as he smiled at her.
Evanora is a young witch who lives in exile all by herself after her f...
Evanora turned around and watched with burning eyes as Rokan stepped into the room. He was wearing his usual attire, a dark blue tunic, and a big dark fur coat yet his presence made the room feel smaller. He had no throne or jewelry, unlike the other royalty present tonight yet he emitted strength and authority the most. They were all his guests after all and he had the upper hand.
"Her Highness, Princess Elor" another servant announced and a blonde woman in a white gown walked right after Rokan who stood and waited for her to catch up with him.
Evanora watched their interaction carefully, the princess smiled as Rokan greeted her.
"I see that Princess Elor is here too," Brianna remarked.
"Of course, she is here, she is representing her father as the successor of the throne to the Northern Kingdom of Taran. Besides it's thanks to them that the trade through the enchanted forest is going so well it's only natural that she is invited and treated as Rokan's equal."
"He is just being nice to her due to the huge part their kingdom plays in supporting our trade," Brianna whispered as she leaned closer to Evanora.
"I don't care.." Evanora sounded distant and her eyes started roaming around the room, searching for something else to distract her when she noticed a pair of eyes fixing her.
The man smiled in acknowledgment as their gazes met and nodded at her. Evanora nodded in response despite her confusion. She wondered if she had seen the man before and forgot who he was; however, she quickly shook off her feeling of discomfort and turned her attention back to Brianna.
The witch sat next to Brianna as Theon and Akare, who joined them later, faced them on the other side of the table and they waited for dinner to be served. She dared a glance to the edge of the table and saw Rokan sitting with Princess Elor to his left. She looked at the princess's features and realized that this was actually her first time seeing a princess.
The royalty had her blonde locks arranged carefully up while a few strands fell on her shoulders. Her features were soft and she appeared to have perfect white skin. Evanora studied her carefully before looking back at Rokan and her cheeks burned as she found him staring back at her. He smiled at her and she felt even more flustered, she nodded her head slightly at him before looking the other way, trying to concentrate on what the knights were saying.
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When the meal was over, the loosened atmosphere came back alive. Drinks were served and people started moving around from one table to another making small talk. Evanora was staring at her glass when someone appeared behind her.
"Evanora, the witch?" He asked.
Evanora turned around and an old man was staring at her.
"Yes.." Before she could ask who he was the man broke into a small laughter, his gray hair falling over his eyes.
"I've heard a lot about you! Can I take a seat ?" He pulled the chair next to her when she nodded in approval.
"Sir Arthur!" Brianna shouted and leaned over the table to see the new addition to their group.
"Lady Brianna, looking marvelous as usual." The gentleman smiled and the wrinkles around his eyes became more visible.
"How have you been? It's been a long time. You rarely come to the castle!"
"Same as usual. I decided to drop by when I heard Evanora the witch was attending." He said as he shifted his gaze to Evanora.
"Sir Arthur is a retired knight, but he is a very valuable person to our kingdom. He was the one who trained us and he is the one Rokan turns to for advice." Brianna spilled as she tried to emphasize the importance of his status to the woman sitting in between.
"It's a pleasure Sir Arthur," Evanora finally managed to say.
A few minutes later, Theon peered over Brianna's head and pulled her up to meet someone, leaving Evanora alone with Sir Arthur.
The king was moving around the room trying to make sure his guests were all entertained with the princess never leaving his side. She was the most important guest in the evening so Rokan was introducing her to other nobles and royalty.
The blonde beauty had people looking at her in awe and whispering as she passed. She looked at Rokan through her lashes and smiled from time to time showing a beautiful set of pearl-white teeth.
Some people in the room watched the two and started discussing how good they looked together and how a marriage between the two would benefit the two kingdoms. Even though such whispers reached Rokan and his guest, neither of them showed any reaction and went about their casual greetings.
Around midnight, Princess Elor excused herself to go back to her room and rest, Rokan nodded and asked about a dozen servants to tend to her then went back to the hall. Soon his eyes fell on an interesting pair. Rokan took vast strides as he crossed the room and then stood still listening to the conversation the two were having, oblivious to his presence.
"Believe me dear, he was always strong-headed and even more arrogant than now. The wise side you see of him is only there because I tried to smooth his edges for years!" Sir Arthur complained and Evanora chuckled at his slight complaint.
"I see the two of you have already met." Rokan started and both Evanora and Sir Arthur turned his way. "Arthur, do I need to remind you that I'm the king? You shouldn't be walking around bad-mouthing me."
"See, it's these little things that keep everyone away from him. Even if you think the two of you were close, he would find a way to remind you of his status." Sir Arthur explained and Evanora nodded in agreement. Rokan opened his mouth to say something then just shook his head in disbelief.
"Well, I think it's time for me to excuse myself. This old man is starting to feel tired. It was a pleasure meeting you Eva." The old knight smiled at Evanora and bowed to plant a small kiss on the back of her hand.
"The pleasure is all mine Sir Arthur, Thank you for spending your time keeping me company," Evanora responded and Sir Arthur expressed again how fun it was to be in the company of such a wise young lady before leaving.
