The King's Lover-Chapter 422: Tonight Just Won’t Do

After lunch ended, Caira returned to her room almost immediately and didn’t leave. Usually, she would head to the library, then the gardens, and would remain there until Rylen came to let her know dinner was ready. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

But Caira wasn’t going to do any of that today. She intended to skip dinner, as that was the only way her plan would work. If she attended dinner, then there wouldn’t be enough time to get ready before it was too late.

"Are you not going to the library, my lady?" Mara asked as Caira sat in her chair.

Caira turned to look at her maid and then slowly shook her head.

Mara’s face immediately filled with even more concern. "Is something wrong, my lady?"

Caira shook her head again. "I am okay," she said. "Could you pass me the wool and pin?"

Mara nodded. "Would you head to the gardens later, then?"

Caira shook her head once again and watched as her maid walked back to her with the items in hand. She accepted them and began to work.

"Also," Caira started to speak as her maid stepped back. "I won’t be joining them for dinner."

"Why not?" Mara asked in alarm.

"Don’t be so alarmed, Mara," Caira said with a smile.

"Would it be too forward to ask your ladyship why she won’t be attending dinner?"

Caira paused for a moment, as though contemplating whether to tell Mara now or not. She couldn’t keep it from her maid, as she would be the one to get her ready, but Caira wasn’t sure if she should tell her yet. She shrugged as she came to a decision.

"I will go to the crown prince’s chambers just before dinner is over," she mumbled.

Mara became as stiff as a board. "What does that mean, my lady? Pardon me, but I am very confused."

"Well," Caira started to speak. She didn’t meet her maid’s eyes, she concentrated on the wool work in her hands. "I decided not to wait for the crown prince anymore. Rather, I will go to him."

"Why?" Mara blurted out, then immediately realized what she had done. "I am sorry, your Ladyship. I just don’t see how that’s a good plan."

"Are you suggesting I sit around and wait?" Caira asked. She was getting angry. She knew this was no fault of Mara’s—her maid was just trying to help—but she was overwhelmed.

"No, my lady, but perhaps you should reconsider."

Caira took a deep breath as she tried to calm down. "I have reconsidered, and I have decided to do this. The crown prince didn’t just marry me; I also married him. I can’t just sit around waiting. If he won’t come to me, is it too bad if I go to him?" she asked softly.

Mara sighed and shook her head. "No, it’s not." Her face however, held worry.

"Thank you," she replied and turned her attention away from Mara. "Please inform them that I won’t be able to join them for dinner. Give a good enough excuse."

Mara bowed and left the room, leaving Caira alone. She welcomed the silence, but only briefly, as she soon realized it made her thoughts louder.

She forced them down and concentrated on knitting, not giving herself the chance for anything to slip through. Mara returned soon after and informed her that it was done.

Caira barely acknowledged her; she was too busy trying to find the confidence for this task. Unfortunately for her, she never really found it, and soon enough, it was time for dinner.

Caira did her best not to give her fear away as she sat in front of the dresser and her maid dressed her. Mara had chosen a pretty lace nightgown. It was similar to the one she had worn on her wedding night.

Her maid brushed her hair diligently and put scented oil on her skin. Caira could see the glimmer in the candlelight. For the last part, Mara put a little bit of color on her cheeks.

Caira smiled at the mirror, trying to decide what expression was best. Her anxiety was enough to keep her from taking a step forward, but she felt as though she had to do it.

She stood up, surprised none of her fears were slipping to the surface. She looked composed and put together—at least, that was what the mirror was telling her.

"You look very beautiful, my lady."

"Thank you," Caira said, and for a moment, she was too distracted by the compliment to notice the anxiety.

Mara quickly handed her a coat to cover herself. They would have to go through the hallway, and guards lined the front, and no one else was supposed to see her in such a scanty outfit except her husband. Caira accepted it, and together, the two of them left her room.

The hallway wasn’t as bright as it would be during the day. Torches lined the wall and gave enough light to see, but there were still a lot of dark corners.

The crown prince was only a room away, but each time she took a step forward, it felt as though something in the ground latched onto her feet. It was heavy to move, and each step felt even heavier than the last.

The guards stared at her oddly as she approached the crown prince’s room, but no one stopped her. She stopped in front of the door, and the nearest guard turned the handle and held the door open for her.

Caira smiled politely and then turned to look at her maid, who was standing back, as she could not go into the room with Caira. It was only a glance and as soon as she stepped in, the door shut behind her.

Caira jerked at the sound of the door closing. Now that she was here, the thought that this might be a bad idea crept its ugly head up again, and no matter what she did, she couldn’t push it down.

Caira slowly took off her coat and placed it on the armrest of a chair—not scattered, but enough for someone to notice—then she untied the drapes of the four-poster bed and got into it. She arranged them so she was hidden.

Caira took a deep breath. All she had to do was wait. Unlike how quickly dinnertime had arrived, it took almost forever for the crown prince to arrive. In the meantime, Caira had thought about quitting at least twenty times.

Suddenly, the door opened, and she could hear voices. He wasn’t alone. Caira wasn’t completely surprised; she had partially expected it, and that was why she had taken such steps to prevent an embarrassing accident.

The conversation seemed to trickle, and she heard the crown prince’s voice louder than before. "Leave me."

"As you wish, Your Highness." This voice sounded like the butler’s.

After a few moments, the door shut, and it was silent again. Caira wasn’t sure if she should indicate her presence, but she could tell he already knew, so she waited.

She didn’t hear anything—no sounds, not even footsteps. The silence grew louder, and her state of mind worsened. Then, without any warning, the drapes were flung to the sides, and Caira yelped out in fright.

"Princess," Caius said coldly. "What are you doing here?" He sounded disappointed and annoyed.

"Prince Caius," she called and moved to a sitting position, trying her best to compose. "I-I thought, since you have been so busy, it was best if I came to you."

She twisted her hands together as she sat on the bed, looking at her hands; she didn’t have the guts to look him in the eyes. Besides, Caira could remember what she saw in his eyes, and she didn’t like it.

"I didn’t peg you to be so impatient. It has only been a week. We have a lifetime together, isn’t that what we promised?"

The knife that was already in her stomach sank in deeper as she realized he was dismissing her. He wasn’t saying the words but that was what was going to happen. She had come all this way and he was going to chase her off.

"A w-week is a long time, Your Highness." Caira was unsure what emotion was at the forefront. She just knew she was feeling a lot of things right now, and her body temperature went from hot to cold again and again.

"Perhaps, but not if we have a lifetime together," he said and tossed her coat onto the bed. "Tonight just won’t do. I have a few things to deal with."

Caira barely registered his words. She heard him, but they didn’t make much sense to her. All she could see was her coat on the bed. The crown prince was asking her to leave. She had come to him, and he told her to get out.

Caira didn’t know how to react or what to do. Even as she reached for the coat and put it on, it was not something she did consciously. She stepped out of the bed without looking at Caius and made her way to the door.