The King's Mistress

Chapter 39: Let Me Read Your Fortune

Alistair grinned, "It is. Would you like a drink?"

He asked as he walked over to her and handed her a glass. Sierra was just about to accept it when she stopped herself from doing so. She was not here to drink with Alistair. She had to explain why she was here.

"I think there’s something you should know," she tried her best to piece her words together.

There were so many things going through her mind, that she did not know what to say first. Alistair offered her the glass again.

"It will help calm your nerves," he advised.

This time, she did not reject it. She downed it without thinking and placed the empty glass on a nearby desk. Taking in a deep breath, she calmed herself down before explaining everything.

There was no point in keeping information from Alistair and she felt like she could trust him. She only presented the facts, including what she had found in the dungeon. Alistair listened carefully to her analysis, keeping his comments for the end.

"So you’re saying the man was likely poisoned?"

"Yes, but I don’t know what type of poison. If only I had some reference materials or books on poisons, I might be able to identify it from there."

"That’s simple," Alistair declared with a grin, "The Royal Library has an entire section dedicated to the Herbs and Plants. I’m sure they would have books on poisons too."

"I’ll head there at once," Sierra declared as she turned to leave.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Alistair asked, "The library is closed for the day anyway and I will not have you sneaking in like how you snuck in here."

Sierra gulped as she turned back around. Alistair patted down on the chair next to him, beckoning her to take a seat. Without any other options, she sat down and he handed her a glass.

Alistair leaned his head on his hand as he looked over at Sierra. The princess from Cair had captured his attention from the very first moment they met. While others constantly sought after his attention, she was the only one who seemed to actively avoid it.

However, the hands of fate always pushed them together.

"Let’s have a casual chat, sweetling," he declared as he straightened his back for a moment before leaning back in his seat, "How are you liking your stay in Vargos Castle so far? Is everything to your liking?"

Sierra looked over at him, confused by Alistair’s attitude. Not wanting to cause anymore trouble, she played along.

"It’s been... alright," she said in almost a whisper.

Her palms were beginning to sweat, so she wiped them on her pants nervously.

"Is it that difficult to speak to me, Sierra?" he sighed as he lifted her chin for their eyes to meet.

She heard the disappointment in his voice, the tinge of sadness in his tone. For just a moment, Sierra almost felt a little guilty.

"Is it lonely being on the throne?" she muttered inquisitively.

Sierra widened her eyes in shock, as did Alistair. He did not expect her to be so candid with him, while she thought she had said that in her mind.

"Did... did I say that out loud?" Sierra asked awkwardly. She quickly tried to laugh it off while scratching the back of her head, "It must be really late, my head is muddled. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Her flustered expression brought a smile to Alistair’s face. He could not help but chuckle. There were few in the castle who dared to speak to him in such a manner. In fact, he could only think of two. Roxine and Sierra.

Seeing him laugh, made her realize something. She had rarely seen him happy. Apart from their encounters with one another, she had barely seen him smile.

"I think you have a knack for fortune-telling, sweetling," Alistair commended her as he took a sip from his glass.

"Fortune-telling?"

He nodded as he continued to explain, "You’re spot on for most of your observations. What else can you tell about me?"

Sierra paused in thought for a while, "I think you crave companionship. Being lonely can get... debilitating."

She was all too familiar with the feeling of loneliness, it was her closest friend for as long as she could remember. Sierra never knew her parents, nor did she have anything to remember them by.

She was surviving on her own for a long time until General Leon took her in. Even then, she had lived a largely lonely existence. As much as he tried to be a great role model and a father, Leon was also a general to his country. He had duties to fulfill.

Others might think it was a tough time for a child, but Sierra saw it positively. It taught her how to be independent, to think on her own two feet.

Alistair chuckled as he leaned back in his seat, "That’s common knowledge is it not? Why else would I be looking to get a concubine?"

He leaned forward, closing the distance between him and Sierra for just a moment as he asked, "Tell me something I don’t know."

Sierra bit her lip. Her heart was pounding in her ears it was difficult to think. She closed her eyes for just a moment, hoping it would help to clear her mind and help her to think. Seeing her working hard to give him the answer he sought made him smile.

He loved every expression she made, happy, sad, or even neutral. With her eyes closed as it is right now, he wished he could freeze this moment forever. He desperately wanted to kiss her. freёwebnovel.com

Just as he was about to lean in closer to Sierra, her eyes flickered open.

"You don’t like being King," she blurted out the first thought that came to her mind. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

She jolted back in her seat for a moment, realizing how close they were. She could almost feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. But Alistair pulled back to ponder over her answer. It did not take her long to realize what an audacious answer she had given.

If anyone else heard her say it, she was certain she would be executed on the morrow. Sierra bit her lip, as the silence grew longer with each passing second. She tried reading Alistair’s expression, hoping she would be able to decipher what was on his mind.

But the creases on his face did not provide any clues to the thoughts in his mind. His eyes, however, were different. They always seemed to be swirling with thoughts. Unable to bear the silence between them any longer, Sierra decided to start a new topic of conversation.