Bab 46: Reveal
Lillian peeked into the room, looking from left to right as Vaille entered in majestically. She followed behind her like a duckling following her mother.
It was a fairly modern-looking room with sleek black interior with little windows at the very top allowing sunlight to enter the room. The long table at the centre was polished black metal and felt cold to the touch.
Nothing else was in the room, just the table.
"Good afternoon, your Majesty." Vaille stopped in front of the King with Lillian and they both curtsied.
"Good afternoon, Princess. Lillian. Thank you for agreeing to join the meeting. Please have a seat." Sappier said, indicating to two empty seats on his right.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Lillian said, trying to put on the most dignified air she could as she took her seat.
"I would like to introduce you to my most trusted courtiers." He first pointed to the old man beside him, "This is Jarish, the court physician. I do believe the princess knows him."
"It is a pleasure to meet the princess again and her friend," Jarish answered, bowing a little at the both of them.
"The pleasure is all our, Jarish," Vaille answered, bowing her head to him.
"That is Gin, the Chancellor."
The brown-haired man stood up and walked over to their side, taking Lillian's hand to his lips he said, "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance."
But Lillian was unfazed and she looked at him like she was putting up with a child's antics. Even the smile she gave him after was so devoid of emotions.
"You already know Arthur."
"Yes." Lillian clapped her hands together, "It's so nice to meet you again."
"You seem so enthusiastic to see me again. Did I make that good of an impression the first time we met?" Arthur teased, resting his hand on his hand as he looked at her.
"No. Your first impression was awful." Lillian answered without hesitation and a smile on her face.
"Huh? Aren't you being a little too honest?" Arthur asked, trying to regain his composure.
"Hmm? Was I being too rude, your Majesty?" Lillian asked, turning to Sappire who had his hand over his mouth.
He cleared his throat and answered, "No. You are in perfect behaviour."
"Oh, ok. What do you think, Princess?"
"I agree with the King." Unlike the King, Vaille was openly smiling because of Lillian's remarks.
"AHhh~ I see. Then I'm glad I am not overstepping my boundaries." Lillian said, turning her attention back to Arthur.
Arthur laughed, his eyes shining on Lillian, "You aren't. Don't worry."
"That's a relief," Lillian answered, pretending to wipe sweat from her forehead.
"Pardon me, your Majesty." A servant entered the room and began whispering to the King.
"This is a strange child." The man with red hair beside Lilian said, coming a little too close to Lillian for her to feel comfortable.
She kept leaning back but he kept getting closer to her face. Even when she turned away from him, he still tried to get into her line of sight.
"Uhhh … Could you ple-"
"Commander Ray, you are overstepping your boundaries now." Arthur jumped in and using his magic, pulled the man by his collar to the other side of the table.
"What?" He asked when Arthur dropped him on the chair beside him.
"That was inappropriate. What are you trying to do anyway?" Arthur asked.
"Are you ok, Lillian?" Vaille asked, looking at her with a worried expression.
"I'm fine. It just caught me off guard." Lillian tried to reassure her while clasping her trembling hands under the table.
"I just wanted to take a better look of her face." He whined, trying to get up from the table again but Arthur didn't allow him to.
"I do think you should mind your manners around a lady, Commander Ray." Gin said, glaring at him.
"I am being a gentleman. I was just curious."
"About what?" Arthur asked, while Vaille still looked at Lillian from the corner of her eyes in concern.
"Her face and skin. It's so unnatural. Are you a noble's daughter?"
"No. I'm an orphan," Lillian replied with a smile on her face, trying to ease the awkwardness in the room.
From the corner of her eyes, she could see the King whispering something to a servant, he looks so serious.
"Really? Then it makes it stranger."
"May I know what is so strange about my skin?" Lillian asked, steadying her breathing.
"It's too new. Are you sure you are an orphan? Not secretly some Lord's daughter? Where are your parents' buried? I'll go confirm it."
"Pardon? You do not ask that of a young lady." Jarish finally spoke up, bewilderment in his voice, "Please excuse him, child. He is an idiot."
"I can see that." Lillian murmured under her breath.
"It's alright, Doctor. I am used to this." She replied, sounding as cheerful as she could.
"I have a question." The man said again.
He's like a child, what's he doing in the King's court as one of the King's most trusted courtiers?
"No. Enough questions," Arthur said while Gin looked with the utmost interest at everything taking place and Jarish looks like his blood pressure is rising.
"I asked the Lady, not you. What do you say?" He looked at her while stuck on the chair, like a puppy begging its owner for something.
If I look closer then he and Arthur are close in terms of attractiveness and if he looks at me like that, I can't say no. Damn my weakness of attractive men.
And … this could be another trial from the King. If they are to observe me then I will need someone thick-headed like him on my side.
He seems intrigued by me so … Let's indulge him for a little longer then.
"Sure. What is it?" Lillian asked, taking a sip from the goblet in front of her.
Wine. Nice.
"Are you engaged?" He asked, his mint green eyes becoming bigger.
"No," Lillian replied without missing a beat.
"Then-"
"Commander Ray." Vaille's voice finally came through, "I think that's enough. Don't you?"
She smiled but there was a strange murderous aura around her that made everyone in the room fall silent. Even the King stopped talking to the servant and looked around him in confusion.
She is almost as scary a Jasmine.
"Yes, princess." Ray finally stopped talking but he wouldn't take his eyes off Lillian who was trying to calm Vaille down.
Why is he so obvious?
Lillian turned to him and smiled as a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.
"May I ask you a question?" Lillian asked him, as Sappier finished talking to the servant and sent him away.
"Sure. I asked you so it is only fair that you can ask too." He said, softly.
Puppy! He's exactly like a Pomeranian puppy!
Lillian picked up the goblet again and asked him, taking a sip "How old are you?"
"Nineteen."
The wine went down the wrong pipe but Lillian forced herself to try and hold the cough that threatened to come out.
Ray and Vaille looked at her with concern, Arthur was trying not to laugh with the King and the other two were giving their full attention to them.
"Is something wrong?" Ray asked while Vaille patted her back.
"No. You're just … so young," Lillian answered, occasionally coughing when she couldn't hold her cough in anymore.
"I am still older than you." He said, indignant.
No, honey. You aren't.
"Right," Lillian answered, composing herself again.
This guy is off the list and so is Arthur. The only option now is the King.
Lillian turned to him to see him smiling as he spoke to Vaille.
You know what? Never mind. As they said, 'there are plenty of fishes in the sea.'
"Your majesty." Another man came in with a cloak, carrying an ominous air about him.
Who is this? A suspicious hooded character? He seems like he will do something to flip me off. But there's no way, right.
"Where did you disappear to?" Sappier asked.
"I apologise, your Majesty. I went to get something I forgot." He spoke with so much charisma, Lillian felt uncomfortable.
"What did you go to get?" Sappire asked, perking the interest of the others in the room.
"Just someone … special." He said that as he turned to Lillian with a sinister tone in his voice. "Please come in."
From the doorway a figure entered the room, a weird pull came over Lillian as they entered the room. A hazy film covered her face and she could feel her body start to move but something jolted her away from the trance.
Vaille grabbed Lillian's hand out of concern when she saw her eyes go blank and her body starts to move robotically.
"Are you ok, Lillian?" She whispered as the hazy air around Lillian slowly dispersed but the pull was still there.
"I'm fine." She whispered back, squeezing her hand in reassurance.
Taking in a deep breath and steeling her resolve, Lillian turned to them again, her eyes widening when she saw the person standing beside the clocked figure smiling at her.
"Do you know that person, Lillian?" Vaille whispered behind her.
Know that person? Of course, I know that person. More than anyone else in the world.
I can't believe this.
Lillian felt a smile come on her face, her gaze never breaking with the person there. A gaze of sheer disbelief and amusement came over her face.
I gave the author too much credit to be creative.
Standing in front of her is her body with crystal clear eyes, just smiling at Lillian with a knowing look in her eyes.
A soft 'ha' escaped Lillian's lips as she continued to stare at herself.
I hate my life.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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