Chapter 3 Ultima's

“I sincerely apologize,” Zyren continued apologizing to her. He just didn't want her to look at him differently. She amusingly chuckled, so he looked at her intently and thought how adorable she was while cupping her mouth. “You keep on apologizing to me,” She paused, “How many times do I have to tell you that it's alright?” “But you have to promise me that you won't do this again, you'll really be in big trouble,” She said worriedly. He just smiled at her, “I promise,” He raised his hands, so she thought he looked adorable as she composed herself. “So where are you from? Are you a commoner? A nobleman? A prince?” Tatiana curiously asked. She scolded herself on the inside for asking too much. Zyren just smiled at her as he roamed his eyes around the room. It was a stockroom that was abandoned by maids. He heard that she bid her goodbyes to that arrogant prince a while ago as he did whatever it takes to sneak past the guards just to speak with her privately. This was his only chance where no one would see him sneak her. Zyren was well aware that what he was doing was against the royal law. Inside the room, there was a small bed that was filled with dust and some bookshelves that were filled with ripped and torn books. “I think it's best that you don't know what's my status just yet,” He whispered, so she tilted her head for a moment like she was confused about why he said that. “I'm sorry, but I don't understand,” Tatiana mumbled, but he didn't say anything so she thought that they were going nowhere. “Then why did you bring me here? Do you want something from me?” Tatiana impatiently asked, she was a bit disappointed that he didn't want to cooperate with her. “I do want something and it's something that I probably couldn't have just yet,” He whispered while clasping his hands against each other. Tatiana was confused, she didn't want to question him any longer since she claimed that she wouldn't get any answers from him. This man was just so mysterious, she was losing her temper and wouldn't like for him to witness that as she paced towards the main door. Books aren't that hard to solve, especially when she was finally at the ark of the story where conflicts and solutions are being laid out to her. “If there's nothing else, I'll see you around…” She stopped when she realized that she didn't know his name, “W-What's your name?” “Zyren,” He casually replied before standing up to approach her from behind, she closed her eyes when she felt his hands around her waist. She was supposed to be stopping him from touching her in such places, but there was just something about him. Tatiana couldn’t make out what that warmth was which was making her crave for more, “Princess Tatiana, please meet up with me again,” He whispered before leaning in towards her neck. He tempted himself by smelling her alluring neck and oh, he wanted to dig his fangs over there to mark her as his. It didn’t help when he heard her releasing some accented moans as if she was trying to control herself not to be affected by what he was doing. Zyren amusingly smirked before planting a kiss on her neck, she gasped for some air before moving away from him, touching her bare neck. “Y-You shouldn't do that, I'm already engaged, Zyren,” Tatiana sounded like she was complaining, but it wasn't evident on her face. “If that is so, why didn't you stop me, my princess?” He amusingly raised his eyebrows, so she turned beet red and averted her gaze at him. “S-Stop teasing me, I'm leaving,” She bit her lower lip and was about to open the door when he stopped her. “Princess, before I let you go, you have to promise me that I'll see you again tomorrow, please? Can we meet in your garden?” He pleaded. “W-What are you talking about? Where are you going to stay and how will you enter our castle?” She curiously asked. “Our guards here are exceptional, they all have the things they needed to bring a man down or a supernatural being,” She proudly informed him, so he amusingly just nodded his head. He managed to get inside the ball unharmed, with no one finding out that he was a supernatural being probably because of the power that he possessed. ‘So much for the exceptional guard's thingy,’ He thought before smirking. Everything was at his advantage. “Leave that to me, just meet me in your garden, at this time,” He reached out to her hands. Tatiana thought that he was going to kiss the back of it, but she was surprised upon seeing him put her hands on his cheeks. “I'm going to miss you, if you don’t meet up with me tomorrow, I’ll sneak into your room,” He threatened, so she thought it was madness. Before she could say anything, he opened the door and pushed her out of that abandoned stock room. Tatiana wasn't with her head as she slowly paced to her chambers where she was greeted by the worrying and panicking Lily. “P-Princess! I thought you were gone or something!” She exclaimed, so Tatiana looked at her before smiling. “I'm fine, I just needed some fresh air because the engagement party almost suffocated me,” She reasoned out and was glad that Lily bought it. She often does that when she is too tired doing all of her royal duties inside of the kingdom, stepping into her mother's place when she’s gone. “Oh, I see, if that is so princess, shall I prepare your bath?” Lily politely asked her, so she thought it would be a great idea. “That would be lovely, please do prepare it,” Tatiana smiled, so her lady-in-waiting happily left her chambers to prepare her bath. Tatiana laid down on her bed and thought about that stranger named Zyren. She blushed remembering him kissing her neck and putting her hands on his cheeks. Everything was so intense a while ago that she didn't know what to do but also felt strange around him. “What is going on with me? I have a duty, and this is not right,” She whispered and thought that if she didn't come into the garden, he'll come here where Lily would see him. “Ugh, Tatiana! Why are you allowing him to do this to you?” She spoke to herself before rising from her bed. She decided to read some books to forget about everything and noticed that she grabbed books about the supernaturals. Kingdom Cassia, her home, was doing whatever it takes to protect their people from these dangerous creatures. She thought that not all of the creatures were cruel. Tatiana remembered speaking to a werewolf back when she was just turning ten. That werewolf that has black and red fur protected her from a snake that almost attacked her from the forest when they were having some royal picnic. Tatiana thought that the supernaturals were amazing, they were not just humans, princesses, or some nobles, they had powers. She flipped over some pages and saw one page that she hasn’t read before, “Ultima's,” Tatiana read while caressing the page. Her eyes were just about to read the information about the ultima’s when Lily came in and bowed at her, “Your bath is ready, Your Highness,” Tatiana stopped before closing the book and she gracefully stood up to her feet, “Thank you, Lily,” After she went to her bath, she forgot all of the things she needed to do even before going to sleep that night. The image of Zyren kept invading her mind, but that didn’t help to keep her awake because of her exhaustion. She thought that tomorrow will be another day that she’ll deal with getting to know her future husband, Prince Nicholas. *** The next day came by. Princess Tatiana was dressed beautifully in her pastel blue off-shoulder dress that had a slit near her thighs as she had errands to attend to around their kingdom. Wearing her famous blue hat, she happily walked towards the red carpet until she arrived at the main entrance of the castle where a carriage was waiting for her. She has to visit those children she promised to give some toys to. Tatiana wanted everyone to know that their kingdom cares for them, no matter what their social status in life was. Tatiana was very popular in their kingdom because of the kindness she has shown to anyone, no matter who or what they are. “I simply don't get why you have to give those children these toys,” Nicholas spoke after they settled into the carriage. After she woke up a while ago, she heard from Lily that he was already waiting for her in the dining hall to eat breakfast together. Prince Nicholas also insisted on coming with her today, but she didn’t think about him giving comments about her duty. “Oh, but it's my duty to take care of the kingdom, and making the children happy with these toys is a part of it,” Tatiana smiled at him. Prince Nicholas looked like he was disappointed in her, “Those children wouldn't help to make your kingdom grow, that is why we have to forge alliances,” He claimed. “Children in low classes shouldn't be spoiled and must be given books for them to learn how to rise in life,” Nicholas added. “Nicholas,” Tatiana called him by his name, so Lily who was with them bit her lower lip since she knew her princess despises people who talk that way. Princess Tatiana has always prioritized helping those in need in her kingdom. It was one of the qualities she admired in her princess. Lily believes she was one of the people she aided, so she values her greatly, and no matter what happens, Lily always has Tatiana's back. “If you don't want to come with me, you can wait here in the castle,” Tatiana politely said, “I don't want you saying anything if we meet up with the children later on,” Prince Nicholas just sighed, “I will behave, I apologize for my rude statement,” He whispered, but the princess didn't say anything as Lily ordered the coachman to go. The ride didn’t take that long as they arrived at the orphanage where she always goes to give some gifts and read stories to the children who lost their parents. “Princess Tatiana!” All of the children cheered and ran towards the main gate after seeing that her carriage had arrived. “Hello, everyone,” She greeted them with a smile as Nicholas helped her down while looking at those children with disgust. Some of them have boogers on their noses and eyes, “Prince Nicholas, you can stay in the carriage if you'd like,” Lily bowed her head at him. She was the one who saw his disgust and thought it would be bad if her princess saw that look on his face. Nicholas finally got back to his senses as he took out a handkerchief, “I'll be fine, I'll accompany her,” Tatiana, on the other hand, was focused on distributing the presents she gave to them before reading them a story. It's a story about a supernatural being who fell in love with a human. Their love was forbidden, but it just made their love grow stronger every time they both sneaked out just to see and speak with one another. “They met with each other many times until the parents of the human found out that she was dating such a dangerous creature, this was a huge trouble for them since her parents wanted to kill him,” The children gasped after she shared those statements. “Did they end up together?” A child asked while raising her hands, so Tatiana happily smiled at her. “They did live happily ever after since they both proved that no matter how different they were from each other, love will always make a way for them to be together,” Tatiana explained so the children clapped their hands. She happily smiled at them as she continued reading them some other stories for them to learn how to speak and write English properly. To be continued…