For a long time, he simply watched her and then with a quiet sigh, he stood up and moved towards the balcony.
The night wind howled softly through the balcony, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and distant rain.
He however stood motionless, his dark red cloak billowing behind him in the wind. He looked ahead at nowhere in particular, lost in the deep abyss of his thoughts.
Fear.
That was what he had seen in her eyes earlier that evening.
Sheer fear and terror.
The way she'd flinched when he carried her earlier, how frantic she tried to escape when he approached her, how scared she'd been when he carried her ,looking at everywhere else but at him.
It reminded him of her.
"Emily".
The name was like a ghost on his lips, a whisper lost to time.
He clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the balcony railing until it creaked in protest.
Emily.
Eleanor's exact lookalike.
They had the same face , eyes, lips . Everything about them was just so similar that it felt unreal.
Emily.
The one person he'd ever truly cared for.
The one person he'll never forget.
And now the exact reason he's bent on marrying Eleanor.
The name and the owner's face had long been locked away in the safest part of his memory until a month ago ....
He was sitting before a sturdy oak table in his study in the castle late at night, the room lit only by the flickering glow of the candles.
He had a goblet of blood red wine untouched before him and , his gaze fixed on the open journal before him on the table.
The room was still and quiet until there was a knock at the door.
"Enter". He'd said , caressing his temples. He knows only Orion, his right hand man would dare to knock so brazenly.
Orion entered and rounded the table to stand before him, holding up a canvas.
"Your Majesty ". Orion began, hesitating for only a second before pressing on. "This is the portrait of the princess the human king will be sending this time."
He only replied blandly but didn't look up, busying himself in the journal spread open before him. "You know what to do ".
Orion didn't seem surprised but he frowned slightly at his usual bland response. "Of course, I know what to do. But at least take a look, would you?. It wouldn't hurt a bit to do so."
A slow, irritated breath escaped his lips at Orion's words and with a sigh, he finally lifted his gaze from the journal to Orion and whatever portrait he was holding.
Only to freeze.
The face in the portrait was breathtaking. Soft dark curls framed delicate features, hazel eyes, high cheekbones, a gently curved nose and lips that seemed perpetually on the verge of a smile.
But it was the eyes , lips and the nose that particularly struck him like a bolt of lightning. He stared at the face in the portrait and even closed his eyes to make sure he was not seeing wrong but even when he opened his eyes, the scene before him didn't change.
"Emily". He breathed, the name slipping out before he could stop it.
Orion blinked. "No, Your Majesty. You've got it wrong. This Princess's name is not Emily but Eleanor ".
He didn't respond.
His mind reeled.
It wasn't possible.
Emily was long dead. He had held her lifeless body in his arms, had watched the light fade from those very same eyes centuries ago. And yet...
The resemblance was just so uncanny. The same curve of her lips, the same way her hair fell over her shoulder, even the faint dimple in her left cheek when she smiled.
Orion then cleared his throat, shifting from foot to foot. "So... about this Princess. Shall we... I mean, shall we deal with it as usual, right?"
His head instantly snapped up at Orion's words, his eyes burning with sudden intensity.
"No."
Orion blinked. "No?"
"She's going to be my bride."
Orion's mouth fell open, he wasn't at all expecting that. "Are… are you sure of what you're saying? I mean … she's human ".
His gaze turned glacial as he ordered . "Make preparations and ensure that her every need is met. She shall arrive in a week's time and by that time I want everything already prepared."
Orion swallowed hard. "But this isn't the way…"
"Are you the king here now , or am I?". He asked, his voice dangerously soft.
Orion snapped his mouth shut, bowing hastily before scurrying out of the room, leaving the portrait behind in his haste.
Alone once more, he reached out for the portrait. His fingers tracing the painted face ever so gently.
He was jolted out of his revire by the sharp cry of a white raven bird that had just landed on the railing before him.
He sighed and took the small scroll tied to the bird's leg, unfurling it with quick, precise movements. The words in the letter were brief, but their impact was immediate.
His grip on the parchment tightened, the paper crumpling beneath his fingers as a low growl escaped his throat.
With one last glance at the sleeping figure inside who was curled beneath the blankets that had half fallen to the floor as she adjusted her position.
He immediately walked over and adjusted the blanket around her shoulders then with a final glance he walked towards the balcony again, closing the door behind him as he jumped off the railings, vanishing into the night.