80: Sand in the hourglass

Sand in the hourglass

3Anastasia's mouth fell open at the sight of the rose floating on the wavering water. She said, 

"That was my flower. I would have added the bath oils—" A gasp escaped from her lips when she felt Dante's fingers squeeze the finger that had been crushed beneath the chair yesterday. "That hurt," she complained with a frown. 

"Barely," Dante responded, with a glimmer of glare in his red eyes. He asked, "Are you pretending to be oblivious? Or are you intentionally provoking me to punish you again?" 

"You are the one who chose to sit in the bathtub," Anastasia retorted, not understanding what he was talking about. It wasn't her, but him, who was looking for ways to punish her. She inhaled sharply when she felt him squeeze her finger again to discipline her. 

"How annoying," Anastasia heard Dante mutter under his breath. He then clarified, "Seems like it can't be helped. Let me make it easier for you to understand then. Don't wear things offered to you by other men. Be it anything, for that matter. Flowers, accessories or otherwise, because I will either throw them away or break them, so you cannot use them again."

Blood and heat rushed up to Anastasia's face. Her lips trembled at the words that were uttered by the prince, not knowing how to respond to him. She understood his words, but she didn't understand the reason behind them.

"Does it still hurt?" Dante asked her, his eyes falling on her finger. The next moment, she saw her finger disappear into his mouth, feeling the wetness and the light bite designed to hold her attention on him. 

Wide-eyed, Anastasia swiftly pulled her finger from his grasp. Prince Dante was leading her into uncharted territories, entangling her, and before things could get complicated, she turned, attempting to get up and leave. But before she could do so, Dante's hand snaked around her waist and yanked her to him, preventing her from leaving. 

"I told you not to run," Dante's words fell on the shell of her ear. 

"I merely turned around," Anastasia replied with her eyes closed. When his breath hit her skin, her body began to recall the time he had bitten her ear. She wanted to shield her ears from the prince's teeth, but her hands were trapped under his arm. Her voice came out as a whisper as she asked him, 

"Why me?" 

Dante could choose any woman from among the concubines or the courtesans, so why pursue a maid? Was it because it was easier to keep such a relationship from the public eye? 

He was unmistakably in a different mood right now, one that wasn't typical of him, Anastasia noted. When they were in public, he would act almost as if he didn't know her, his behaviour aloof, but it was a different story when they were alone. 

"I question that myself," Dante sighed, before his nose picked up the scent of the rose emanating from her hair, where it had resided throughout the day. He stated, "You aren't even my soulmate, not that I think I have one. Yet, you infuriate me beyond measure, and it makes me even angrier that I can't control my emotions around you. So don't rile me, else you will have to take responsibility for it."

"I didn't mean to," Anastasia answered quickly. She said, "I won't take any more flowers or anything from anyone." 

There was nothing wrong with agreeing to something for a brief period, Anastasia thought to herself. She had no interest in anyone, including Gabriel, and one week from now, she wouldn't be here anymore. 

When Dante didn't loosen the hold of his arm to release her, with her back against his front, she said, "I should tend to your wounds, My Prince." The quicker she finished her job here, the sooner she would be able to return to her room. 

Dante finally released her waist and took a dip in the bath before surfacing and ordering her, "Towel." As he climbed out of the bathtub, he pulled the plug's chain for the water to start draining out. 

Anastasia quickly turned away from him with her eyes wide before she promptly brought him a towel and, without looking at him, stretched out her hand towards him. She heard him say, 

"Bring the first-aid box to the couch," and his footsteps padded away from her. When she looked at him, she noticed the towel hanging low around his waist. 

By the time the water in the bathtub was half drained, Anastasia had collected everything necessary and placed the items on the small table in front of the couch. Once Dante had finished donning his trousers, he noticed how she avoided looking at him since he had emerged out of the bathtub, and he asked her, 

"Is this how you help Emily too?"

"What?" Anastasia turned to meet his gaze. 

Her eyes fell on more than his gaze now. His wet hair was combed back with the help of his fingers, with some strands falling on his forehead. Drops of water slid down his face, travelling down his neck and his expansive shoulders and then to his tapered waist. Realising what he meant, she ran to get another towel and came to stand before him. 

Anastasia began to wipe the water drops from his upper body. Her hands were gentle when they came near the wound, making sure not to press on it. All the while, Dante only watched her before he cocked his head to the side and remarked, 

"Your mind seems to be preoccupied today, and you look happier. Did something happen, Anastasia?" 

Anastasia shook her head without meeting his gaze and replied, "It was just an ordinary day." 

She quietly scolded herself that her emotions were so visible, especially when the first prince stood before her, wrapped only in a towel. Hours had passed since she found out that she and Gabriel belonged to the same village. 

But then, at the same time, Dante wasn't talking about now, but earlier when he had noticed her standing in the garden, talking to the gardener. He noticed yesterday's unfamiliar, awkward air had turned into something familiar between them today. 

"Look at me," Dante ordered her, and at the same time, his finger traced upwards from the hollow of her neck before lifting her chin so that he could look into her eyes. 

Anastasia felt his intrusive eyes studying her, and she reiterated, "Nothing happened." She could feel her anxious nerves ready to break under the pressure of his intense gaze, but she knew she had to remain strong if she was to escape from here and ensure Gabriel kept his head on his shoulders. 

But Dante was far from convinced as he continued to observe her. As they stood close together, two cold drops of water trickled down from the strands of hair near his forehead, falling on one side of her chest, trailing along her skin and disappearing beneath the neckline of her dress. 

"You sure about it, little rabbit?" Dante probed, his narrowed eyes softening in an attempt to coax any information she might be withholding. "I don't particularly approve of you keeping information from me."

Anastasia didn't fall for the sweet trap that Dante laid down for her. She tried not to be intimidated by him and kept her thoughts straight. But it was hard to do so when he looked at her as if he knew she was up to no good. Not knowing how to throw him off the scent, she replied, 

"I spent my day with Princess Emily, and later on, we went to the garden. It was the first time I received a flower from someone… A woman of my status can only dream of such things."

"Received… I believe Emily was the one to give it to you, and not the gardener. So you were happy because someone gave you a flower," Dante murmured, while his cool eyes languidly traced over her face before they fell on the mark on her neck. 

The rumours that Anastasia had previously heard about how Prince Dante Blackthorn was shrewd and how one had to be careful if they even thought of lying to him was something she was experiencing now. She requested, 

"Please sit on the couch so that I can dry your hair." Dante finally let go of her chin and released her from the hold of his gaze before he walked towards the couch and sat down. 

Coming to stand behind Dante, Anastasia uncertainly placed the towel on his head and, at the same time, felt him lean his head back. She towelled his hair with the same pressure as she used on Princess Emily, and by the time she was done, she noticed his eyes had closed. 

Anastasia then approached the front of the couch before carrying out the task she had initially come here to do. Taking a small bottle of antiseptic liquid and a cotton ball, she cleaned his wounds. She could see the redness of the layers of the skin, while the edges of the injuries had already begun to dry because of how much time had passed since Dante had received them. Though she couldn't dress the wounds, she didn't want to disturb him as he appeared to be sleeping through the pain. 

He looked peaceful, Anastasia thought, unlike when he was awake and trying to scare her. He also seemed tired, and she remembered how he was sitting earlier when she had first found him in the bath, as if he was trying to catch some rest. 

Anastasia was about to leave when she stopped by his bed and took a blanket to cover him, as it was cold. Walking towards the door, she opened it and stepped out of the room. 

Upon hearing a soft click of the closing door, Dante opened his eyes to look in the direction of the door before his eyes fell on the blanket carefully spread over him. 

The following day, Anastasia found herself in the company of Princess Emily and her grandmother, who was sipping a cup of tea infused with a dash of liquor. Princess Emily frowned, somewhat appalled by the taste of her grandmother's unconventional tea. 

"Grandmother?" Princess Emily called for her grandmother's attention, who had closed her eyes while sipping from her teacup. 

"Yes, dear?" The Mother Queen asked, turning to look at her granddaughter. "What is it?" 

"Is there any way to implement an order to prevent the king from humiliating members of the royal family?" Princess Emily was still upset about what took place at the base camp. 

"I wish there was, but sadly no. It would have prevented everyone from being forced to move to the old palace," the Mother Queen replied. "I have ordered for my cat to be brought here."

Anastasia didn't dare to look at the Mother Queen because even though she was old, there were some things she picked up on quite quickly. She heard Princess Emily ask, 

"What is the cat going to do? You plan to gift it to the king?" 

"Silly grandchild of mine. The cat is a way to get Aziel to come to visit me here. Petting a cat is good for my health too," the Mother Queen responded before adding, "I had to request it twice, because Queen Maya is trying to restrict my movements. But it is fine, as Dante is on his way to the old palace."

"If I had known, I would have sent a letter to Mother," Princess Emily murmured. Considering the relatively short time since their last visit, she asked, "How is Lady Lucretia's health?" 

A grim expression formed on the older woman's face. The Mother Queen then placed the teacup on the saucer and said, "From what I heard from Aziel, not very good. She hasn't been able to eat and is currently surviving on liquids, but even that hasn't been going well as she has been struggling to keep them down. The physician said her health is taking a turn for the worse, rapidly deteriorating, and there's nothing they can do but count the days now." 

"Brother Dante must have been informed about it, which is why he made his request to the king yesterday," Princess Emily sighed. 

"Dante is well aware of it. He's known for some time now," the Mother Queen replied. "That is why he embarks on journeys to the old palace at midnight and returns here by morning. I know it all," she added, casting a meaningful look to her granddaughter before she brought the teacup to her lips and sipped from it. 

"Do you think we should get married like Mother? Before the ship sinks?" Princess Emily asked. 

"The men are obligated to fulfil their duties to the king. Any refusal would result in them being stripped of the titles they hold and banishment. As for the women, is this what you want?" The Mother Queen raised one of her eyebrows, seeing her granddaughter shake her head in response. "The easy path may seem more comfortable, while the harder one is where you will face the storm, but it will shape you, Emily. Though sometimes not for the better, but for worse."

In the old palace, though Dante had barely slept so that he could visit his mother, their conversation was scarce as Lady Lucretia couldn't stop coughing blood out of her mouth every time she spoke. 

"You should stop talking and rest. I will be here for a while," Dante let his mother know. There were distinct dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were paler than the last time he had seen her. 

"I have rested enough since yesterday. I would feel terrible if we didn't get to chat," Lady Lucretia responded with a smile. "You look tired yourself. You should get some sleep here before you depart."

"Work has been a little busy, but nothing I cannot handle. I can catch up on my sleep later," Dante assured her, so she didn't have to worry about anything.  1

"How are things at the palace? How is your grandmother?" Lady Lucretia inquired. 

"Getting on Queen Maya's nerves whenever the opportunity arises," Dante smiled, and this brought on a chuckle that triggered a cough in Lady Lucretia's throat. 

He brought a glass of water infused with herbs, handing it to his mother, having already taken a sip from it earlier, and he watched her drink it. 

"Aiden and Emily are well-behaved as usual, and the palace is empty with all of you gone," Dante continued. 

"You didn't tell me the most important thing, though," Lady Lucretia said softly before saying, "Of how you are doing. How is my son doing?" She raised her hand and placed it on his face, caressing it with her cold fingers. 

"He misses you," Dante replied, and he saw his mother lower her eyes. He then said, "I am doing well," without mentioning the wounds that he had received yesterday. 

Lady Lucretia refrained from mentioning how much she missed him because she didn't want to make things difficult for him, knowing things were already hard enough even though he didn't say it. Instead, she spoke up, saying, 

"There is something I wanted to talk to you about, and I want you to listen until I finish." 

Upon seeing Dante nod in agreement, Lady Lucretia dropped her hand from her son's face and took his hand in hers, enclosing it with both her hands, before she said, 

"I think it is time you took a partner, Dante. I won't be here forever, and you need someone who understands you and will love you. I am always filled with the worry that I will leave you here alone, and the thought causes my heart to ache. I know you have no desire to walk the path the last generations have followed, like your father. But if there comes a time when someone sways your heart, don't shut them out. I believe that you won't make the mistakes your father committed." 

"If only you could have the blood of the demon running through your veins," Dante responded, eliciting a smile from his mother. 

Lady Lucretia then directed her gaze towards a drawer, "There is something I would like you to keep." 

"What is it?" Dante asked, leaning towards the drawer next to the bedside and upon opening it, he found a thin, rectangular box. As he lifted the lid, his eyes fell upon delicate anklets adorned with pearl drops. 

"I got these made three years ago and it took quite some time," Lady Lucretia stared at the anklets, and she said to her son, "They are meant for someone who will capture your heart."

Dante knew his mother was aware of how he felt about taking a woman for a partner. Though in his mother's case, she was the other woman when his father already had a wife and had subsequently taken more women as his partners, he was adamant about not following anywhere close to his deceased father's footsteps. On the other hand, his brothers seemed to have inherited his father's approach to relationships. 

As he stared at the anklets, a particular brown-eyed woman back from the palace came to his mind—one who didn't want to do anything with the palace and longed to escape. To comfort his mother's heart, he offered her a smile and said, 

"Thank you for being thoughtful, Mother. I shall keep them safe." 

"That's more than enough o—" Lady Lucretia started to say, but her words were interrupted by another coughing fit, her body shaking violently this time, and Dante could only remain by her side, holding her until she calmed down. 

The coughing took a lot of her energy, leaving her exhausted, making her fall asleep in her son's arms. With his mother asleep, Dante stayed by her side for a few more minutes before heading back to the main palace. 

Four more days passed in the palace, and an anxious Anastasia accompanied Princess Emily. 

As the sand trickled through the hourglass, Anastasia found herself caught in the passage of time. She anxiously waited for the royals to find the culprit of her sister's untimely death, and with only one day remaining before Gabriel's departure, time seemed to slip away. 

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