Chapter 107- Behind The Curtain

Arabella Toussaint:

Lucien walked beside me all the way to the guest building, and when we reached the entrance, I expected him to leave. But he didn’t and followed me inside.

I glanced at him as we crossed the quiet lobby. "I’m a big girl, you know. I can go back to my room by myself."

"I know," he drawled. "A girl who managed to sneak out of the royal palace can certainly find her way back to her room."

Touché.

It was hard not to be shocked by his remark. I stopped and stared at him, but he continued toward the stairs without even looking back.

That was rude.

I hurried after him, glaring at his back. I kept walking until we reached my room, then stopped outside the door. Now what to do?

The silence between us suddenly felt awkward. I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned toward him. I swear he was staring at my lips, but this goodnight kiss was not possible. He belonged to some other woman.

"I don’t know if it would be appropriate to invite you inside, Your Highness." I gave him a graceful little curtsy. "After all, you’re a king."

Lucien stared at me for a moment before he caught on to my sarcasm. I expected him to be annoyed, but instead, I could have sworn there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. However, it was gone the next second.

"No need." His face returned to its usual seriousness. "Jasmine must be waiting for me."

Ah! Of course. Jasmine!

How could I forget her! The girl he left on stage. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Why did he have to bring her up? Did he think I was interested in him in any way?

"Okay, Your Highness." I gave him another curtsy before opening the door. After stepping inside, before closing the door, I peeked out at him one last time and offered him my sweetest smile with another curtsy.

Lucien tilted his head, his lips parting as if he was finally about to call me out on my nonsense, but I closed the door before he got the chance.

There! I had shown His Highness enough respect for one night. Ha-ha

***

By the time I walked away from the door, whatever little energy I had left disappeared.

Forget changing.

I dragged myself to the bed and fell face-first onto it without even bothering to take off my shoes. The mattress felt so good that I almost moaned.

Just one minute.

I would lie here for only one minute, then get up, take off my shoes, change into something comfortable, wash my face...

Yeah. Definitely.

My phone pinged, but I ignored it. So, it pinged again.

"Urgh." I blindly searched for it around the bed until my fingers found it and brought it close enough to see the screen.

Maya.

Seeing her name reminded me of everything I needed to tell her. On any other day, I would have called her immediately. But tonight, even moving my fingers felt like a lot of work.

Long story. Still alive. Lots to tell you. Call you tomorrow.

After typing the message, I hit the send button. A huge yawn escaped me before I could stop it. The kind that made my eyes water and my mouth open wide enough to swallow a tennis ball.

Very ladylike, Arabella. I told myself with a chuckle and let my arm fall onto the mattress. Urgh. Get up, Ara. At least take off your shoes, bitch.

My eyelids slipped shut, and the phone slowly loosened between my fingers. That was the last thing I remembered.

***

My eyes opened, and for a few seconds, I simply blinked. Something was wrong. I could feel it in the air. I wasn’t lying down anymore but standing. Why?

My sleepy mind struggled to catch up as I looked around, but everything in front of me was dark. I blinked again, trying to make sense of the thick material brushing against my face.

Velvet?

I reached out and touched it. A heavy velvet cloth hung right in front of me, so close that it almost covered my face.

Where the hell was I? The last thing I remembered was falling onto my bed. So why was I standing here?

My heart began to beat faster.

Had I gotten up in my sleep? Was I sleepwalking?

Before I could make sense of anything, some familiar voices reached me, making me freeze. A few women were talking somewhere on the other side of the cloth.

Very carefully, I caught the edge of the velvet and pulled it back barely an inch. Light slipped through the gap, making me realize that it wasn’t just any cloth. It was a curtain. I was standing behind a huge curtain beside a window.

What the...

My eyes moved through the small opening, and every thought disappeared from my head when I saw Queen Theodora sitting only a short distance away. Princess Aliya was also with her.

Oh, Goddess. Where was I? Was it a dream?

I immediately let the curtain fall back into place and pressed myself closer to the window. What was I doing in their room? How had I even gotten here?

I couldn’t remember leaving the guest building.

I couldn’t remember walking through the palace. Nor could I remember coming anywhere near the royal family’s rooms.

I had never sleepwalked in my entire life.

Apparently turning people into statues wasn’t enough for one day. Now I was wandering into the Queen’s room in my sleep. I needed to get out. But how?

Their voices were too close, and I didn’t even know where the door was. I was still trying to figure out what to do when the conversation outside suddenly stopped, and the silence made every hair on my arms rise.

Queen Theodora inhaled deeply and then spoke. "Aliya." Her voice had lost its earlier warmth. "Do you sense someone else in this room, dear?" My stomach dropped.

Aliya laughed. "Mother, you’re imagining things again. Who could possibly be in here?"

"I am not imagining it, love." There was another pause.

"Mother. Your witch side seriously needs a hobby," Aliya said teasingly.

"No, Aliya. Use your smelling sense." The Queen sounded completely serious now. "You’re a Lycan. There is someone here. Sniff the damn air, sweetheart!" she said softly.

Oh, shit.

I covered my mouth with one hand and stayed perfectly still. Then heard a chair scraping against the floor, and my blood ran cold. The queen was standing up.

"Mother, you’re being paranoid," Aliya giggled, but Queen Theodora didn’t answer. Instead, I heard footsteps. She was coming closer.

Oh, Moon Goddess. I was planning to meet the queen, but not like this. My fingers curled into the curtain.

What was I supposed to do? Jump out the window?

My heart was pounding so hard that I was sure she would hear that before she smelled me. What would I even tell her?

Hello, Your Majesty. Sorry for hiding behind your curtain. I just realized I sleepwalk. I held my breath when the footsteps stopped right in front of me.

For one horrible second, nothing happened, then the curtain was yanked aside, making the light flood my face.

And I found myself staring straight into Queen Theodora’s eyes.