The King's Mistress

Chapter 32: We Meet Again

Sierra blushed immediately. She instantly recalled what happened between them the last time they met. She did not want him to come anywhere nearer. After what she did the last time they met, he would likely want her beheaded.

She lifted her hand to her neck, subconsciously touching it with the fear of being executed floating in her mind. She did not even realize Alistair had gotten off his horse to speak to the princesses one after the other.

It did not take long for him to reach her. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

"Princess Sierra. We meet again," he greeted her.

Returning to her senses, Sierra, quickly curtsied as she kept her eyes glued to the gravel of the ground and the King’s shoes as she greeted him.

"Your Majesty," that was all she could bring herself to say.

Alistair, on the other hand, had been most amused by Sierra since the last time they met. In fact, he could not quite forget about her. There was an irrational part of him, deep within his heart, that wanted nothing more than to see Sierra again the day after that incident.

But his actions, bringing Sierra to his personal quarters, had already earned him trouble with his court. They were unhappy with what had happened and implored their King to think about the Queen and to keep his distance from the candidates in order to avoid any potential favoritism.

Remembering what his court had to say made Alistair grimace. He did not dawdle too long speaking to Sierra, knowing the backlash he would have to face once more. He moved on to greet the other princesses.

When he walked away from Sierra, she felt as if a stone in her heart dropped. A wave of disappointment washed over her. Though she could deny it, Sierra was hoping their conversation would go on a little longer.

She wanted to hear his voice more.

She wanted to look up at him and see his masked face.

Sierra quietly leaned sideways, hoping to catch another glimpse of Alistair. Unsurprisingly, other princesses were also doing the same thing. This completely obstructed her view.

As such, Sierra stretched and bent her body even more in hopes of seeing a glimpse of him. When Ida realized what she was doing, she tried to stop her. But realizing Sierra was so determined, she decided to help her.

She held onto Sierra’s arm as she continued to lean sideways. However, Ida was struggling to hold onto her.

"Your Highness! I’m running... out of the strength!" she whispered to Sierra, hoping no one else could hear or notice what they were doing.

At the very least, they were not the only ones doing go. However, Ida’s hands were slipping off Sierra’s. Just as she was about to warn Sierra again, her hands slipped off Sierra’s wrist.

"Princess!" that was all Sierra could hear as she felt herself losing her balance. She fell sideways and landed on the gravel-covered ground with a thud.

Alistair heard the commotion. He quickly turned around to see what was going on. All the other princesses had stopped leaning and peeking. They pretended as if nothing had happened.

This left Sierra right out in the open, sticking out like a sore thumb. She cursed beneath her breath as she lifted her elbow to see that she had scraped it. She was so focused on her injury, that she failed to notice the shadow looming over her.

"Are you alright, Princess Sierra?" Alistair asked as he reached out his hand to help her up. freēwēbnovel.com

Sierra shot up immediately. She moved so quickly that Alistair failed to see her. As such, her head hit his chin, causing him to stumble back. Everyone gasped in shock and horror.

Myra squinted her eyes closed, praying to whatever gods there were out there that her friend’s life would be spared. Sierra looked over in horror when she realized it was Alistair. Her mouth was agape and she could barely find the right words to speak as some of Alistair’s servants came forward to check on him.

"You sure have a hard head, Princess Sierra," he remarked bitterly, lightening the mood just a little.

Sierra got down on her knees and lowered her head, "I beg for your forgiveness, Your Majesty, I didn’t mean it. Honest."

Princess Agnes and Cassandra watched on with glee. With what they knew about Alistair, he was sure to punish Sierra severely for what she had done.

"Whether you meant it or not, you’ve hurt a King," he said coldly as he straightened his back.

Alistair knew he could not favor Sierra in front of everyone. Especially since all these princesses were here to become his concubines. With the reminders from his court still fresh in his mind, he had to do what he had done in the past. Even if it was just a ruse.

"Take Princess Sierra to the dungeons. I will see to her punishment personally."

He did not give any further explanation or any chance for Sierra or anyone to rebuke him. King Alistair walked away and did not turn back.

The royal guards were at a loss. They were uncertain if they should follow the orders. They glanced over to one another, then at Princess Sierra. A small part of her wanted to run away.

Perhaps this was the perfect moment the gods had blessed her with. A rare opportunity to run away for good. She could finally live the life she had always wanted, but at the expense of the Kingdom, she once called home and the people she loved.

General Leon’s words came to mind.

"You are a bright young woman who is fully capable of making her own decisions. I will support whatever decision you wish to make."

Myra, who was watching everything from the sidelines, could not standstill. She wanted to help Sierra, just as she had helped her before. But she could not bring herself to do it, knowing the consequences of angering King Alistair.

She tightly clenched her fists as she lowered her gaze to the ground. She had to take into consideration her Kingdom, whose future rest on her shoulders.

"Your Majesty, I beg of you, please do not punish Princess Sierra. I will be more than willing to take the punishment in her stead," Ida’s voice rang loud and clear, cutting through her thoughts.

The palace maid who had only been following Sierra since her arrival was a loyal ally. At first, she was paralyzed by fear. She had carried a little hope that King Alistair would forgive Sierra. But when he ordered her to be taken to the dungeon, she knew she had to do something.

Sierra glanced over to the maid who was now on her knees. She could not believe that she was fighting for her. King Alistair stopped in his tracks. He turned in disbelief as he glanced over to Ida who was on her knees.

"A loyal maid you have there, princess. Guards, take her to the dungeon too. That way, the princess won’t be lonely."