NIGHTS OF HALLOW

’The beating of my heart betrays me with you around’ — Amzy_Bella

—★

”What do you think one will be doing in that part of the castle, Perdita?”

Her name rolled smoothly out of his tongue almost a whisper. He always called her green eyes and now he said her name, it sounded sweet and intimate in her ears.

Perdita seized breathing to stop the hitch in her heart but failed to stop the skipped beat of her heart which Sthena clearly heard.

She answered, ”What one will be doing there depends on what one has in mind to go there”

Always smooth and smart with words. Sthena chuckled his chest vibrating against the back of Perdita.

Perdita felt her heart twitch lightly inside her chest again. This was the second time she was hearing Sthena laugh tonight and she couldn’t deny it didn’t sound rich and sweet in her ears.

What is happening to you Perdita?! But the question should be, what was he doing to her? She shook her head trying to shake those kinds of thoughts away from her head but woefully failed when she felt Sthena’s hand sliding down her arms before he held her waist again.

”You’re right” Sthena spoke in the shell of her ear. He released her waist and took her hand, he made her turn around to face him and they resumed dancing.

Perdita noticed how he avoided her question which made her narrow her eyes on him. What was he doing there?

”You haven’t answered my question”

Sthena peered down at Perdita looking into her green iris that gazed back at him anxiously awaiting an answer.

”What were you doing there?” Sthena avoided her question with his own.

”I was exploring the castle” Perdita answered in a matter-of-fact tone. She wondered what Sthena was getting at. He was dodging her questions.

”If I said I was exploring the castle, will you believe me?”

”M...maybe” she answered hesitantly. The way Sthena phrased the question made it look as if he was doing another thing aside from sightseeing.

”You won’t,” Sthena pointed out. ”Your eyes said it all. You seem to have forgotten I work in the castle”

Oh right. He worked for the king. How could I have forgotten that? Why do you always act dumb? She mentally knocked herself.

”Oh, that’s right” she mouthed feeling embarrassed for forgetting something she had known about him all this while. She tore her eyes from his face and looked around the ballroom. More people joined on the dance floor. Wealthy and poor, everyone is in each other’s company. It appeared as if the dance floor was divided into two. One side for those of the high society who was still disgusted by the presence of the commoners. And then the poor people whose actions spoke volumes of where they came from.

With a glance, one can distinguish between these two groups. The rich acting all high and mighty and the poor acting exactly as how they behave in their villages. They stuffed, ate, and drank everything their eyes saw as if it will disappear if they didn’t eat it quickly. Probably once in a lifetime they will have a taste of rich food and luxury.

”Ahh,” she suddenly winced feeling pain in her waist.

Sthena smiled wickedly at her ”Your body is in my arms but your soul has traveled thousands of miles away”

”Did you have to pinch me?” Perdita glared at him.

”Yes,” He deadpanned. He didn’t like how her attention drifted to another place and other people when she was with him so he had to pinch her back to reality.

”I’m sorry. Was it painful?” Sthena’s eyes softened a little which made Perdita blink twice in confusion at the emotion that swirled and went as it came in his eyes.

What was that? Was he truly sorry?

Perdita opened her mouth but he beat her to it ”If it was painful...” he deliberately paused and lowered his voice an octave lower. He continued to say, ”You can always come to me to soothe the pain for you” He grinned at her.

Perdita’s mouth fell agape at the open remark from Sthena. ”Were you always this shameless?”

Sthena shrugged his shoulders ”There are other unique characters of mine. I’m sure you will be flagabasted as you are now when you get to witness them.”

Perdita fought the urge to punch Sthena in his stomach and most importantly in his sinful mouth that uttered words shamelessly.

Changing the topic before Sthena spoke more embarrassing words, Perdita said, ”I was thinking...” she paused trying to phrase her question so she wouldn’t appear rude. She asked, ”Since you work with for king, I believe you have seen him” It was not a question but a statement to Sthena.

Sthena moved forward and then backward with his head slightly bent to the side as he guided and glided Perdita on the dance floor. The music had increased its tempo requiring them to increase their dance moves too. He waited for Perdita to complete her words as it seemed she wanted to ask something, probably about the king.

Perdita then asked, ”Have you seen him anywhere tonight?”

”I mean anywhere in the ballroom?” she quickly added.

”Do you wish to see him?” Sthena questioned back. Something Perdita had noticed him do every time she asked him a question.

He saw the way her eyes held back what she wanted to say so he added ”I won’t judge you. Everyone wishes to see him. After all, he’s the king”

Perdita negatively shook her head ”I don’t wish to see him. It’s just that he should have made his presence known to his people after he invited and said he wants those invited to be present.”

”Hmm,” he hummed with a thoughtful look on his face ”He should have done that,” he agreed with her words.

Perdita shrugged ”I guess the rumors about him are true”

”What rumors?” Now he was more interested in the conversation.

Perdita bit her tongue for the third time she could remember. Her tongue will surely get her in trouble. Did she forget that this was the castle? And also, she was speaking with someone who worked for the king too. If any of her words got into his ear, she was a dead vampiress.

Noticing the hesitation and guided expression on Perdita’s face, he assured her ”Don’t worry about how you speak. Your secret is safe with me”

Still feeling doubtful, Perdita was skeptical to continue her words. But then, she was not the one that said them. They were rumors and it’s obviously not her that started them. She could defend herself if ever, her words reached the king.

”The rumors. The rumors of how he is a wicked...I mean not so kind king who like how I heard, is cruel to his subjects especially the commoners” She spoke nonchalantly as if those words held no meaning but were baseless talks of those who like to gossip.

Sthena smiled. He noticed again how she spoke. Putting and pointing everything at the heads of the nameless gossipers. ”What do you think about the king? Do you agree with the rumors?” He probed and added ”Even I sometimes, agree with some of the rumors”

Perdita’s brows rose in surprise behind her masks which Sthena noticed by the change in her look.

”You do?” She asked unsure if Sthena was trying to get her to say things she didn’t want.

”Believe me when I say this, I sometimes have seen the king being ruthless”

Well, that was some personal slander there. Sthena grinned to himself.

Perdita pursed her lips and stayed quiet before she answered, ”I can’t say what I think of him or will I agree with the rumors because I have never met him to know how he behaves”

Intelligent woman. Sthena applauded Perdita in his mind. She sure knows what to say each time. Always thinking before speaking.

His interest had piqued when she suddenly mentioned the king and then spoke about rumors. He wanted to know if she thought the same way as those dimwits that got on his nerves by spouting rubbish about him. Was he glad she thought differently? Yes, he was.

The music finally came to a stop and Perdita and Sthena stopped dancing.

Releasing Perdita from his hold, he stepped back. ”It was an honor dancing with you” He smiled genuinely happy being in her company.

”It was an honor too,” Perdita made a small bow with a faint smile on her face. She turned around to leave the dance floor, taking a few steps before turning to look at Sthena who she danced with but he was nowhere to be found. That man was a mystery. She shook her head and decided to grab something to eat.

Moving around the ballroom filled with people of different statuses, she made her way to where the foods were arrayed in order. Different delicacies welcomed one’s eyes and made their mouths water at the sight of them.

This time, there were servants assigned who helped to dish out the food for the guests unlike when she had gone to take a drink.

One of the servants filled the plate with foods she wanted to eat. The food was not big, just a little quantity she can use to hold her stomach. Taking a spoonful, her mouth was blessed with the most delicious food she had ever had the chance to eat. In no time, she finished eating and gave the plate back to the servants there.

Just as she made her way out of there, she was stopped by a man in his well-tailored expensive coat. His red eyes were visible under his red mask.

”Perdita,” the man called in a gentle masculine voice.

It took a while before Perdita recognized who it was.

”Mark,” a string pulled in the heart of Perdita when she uttered the name of the man who could have been her husband. The man she had once loved.