Chapter Nine
Chances
After the party, Ayanda sat on a chair beside her window and looked out at the stars after making ready for bed. 'I wish there was some way to be absolutely sure Caspian was talking about me when he said that Cesar's falling in love.' She mulled over the evening's events for a while before her mind finally calmed enough to allow her to rest. The next morning, Ayanda chose to head to the dining room rather than having her breakfast brought to her in hopes of gauging Cesar's mood but was surprised to find he wasn't there. She quickly looked around at everyone who was conversing to see if he was possibly among any of them. When she didn't see him, she quickly grabbed an apple and as not to break her habit of eating alone, and aimlessly wandered the halls while the others ate together. 'I wonder where he is?' She bit into the last bit of apple with a loud, juicy crunch before graciously handing the core off to one of the passing staff members. "Still unwilling to dine with the others I see." Ayanda turned to see Cesar dressed in an untucked white peasant shirt, black pants, and matching boots leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His demeanor was usually shameless and enticing like the gravitational pull of the sun, but in this moment, Cesar seemed chagrined. Ayanda smoothed out her dress and clasped her hands together. "I didn't see much of you after the party. Did something come up?" Cesar smirked with a scoff. "Not at all. I simply wasn't in a very festive mood after the mutt of Yikon's disgusting display of disrespect." It took every bit of strength Ayanda had to keep her composure when disbelief at Cesar's sour attitude came upon her. She straightened. "I fail to see how the emperor disrespected the crown or country of Craorus with a mere dance." Cesar moved from the wall when Ayanda continued her walk. "I'll admit I don't know much about how things are done in Obren, but I doubt what you pulled last night with that mongrel would be seen as anything other than a slap in the face." Ayanda's mouth fell open. "I beg your pardon?" Cesar moved to stand in her way. "Well, you don't have it. Tell me, do all the women of Obren lack self-respect or are you unique in that regard?" Ayanda's amusement at the chink in Cesar's constant display now gave way to vexation at his hypocrisy and her fists balled at her side. "I could ask the same of you," "oh really?" He snapped while slowly advancing toward her. Ayanda stepped back with every step forward he took. "Yes really! I've had the extreme displeasure of watching you go gallivanting around the castle every night with every potential bride from the moment we all arrived!" "Oh have you now?" Ayanda stumbled as his steps led her backward into the empty throne room. "Yes I have." "And why would that displease you so?" Taunted Cesar. 'Oh this mother..' thought Ayanda as she tried to remain calm enough to continue holding her own in their game of wits. "B-because!" She grunted and looked behind her as she came up against the columned wall near the doorway after making a turn. Cesar finally stopped and crossed his arms. "Be, because why?" He mocked, making her angrier. "Because I find your hypocrisy repulsive." He laughed and brought a hand to his chest. "What exactly have I been hypocritical about?" "The same thing as most men. There's nothing wrong with sleeping around when you have a penis but when a woman chooses to indulge in her sexual desires then it's some big scandal!" "Perhaps that's because the women whom you've seen me enjoying the company of are here in hopes of entering a union with me, so any of them engaging in relations with other men would be considered inappropriate, loathsome and downright filthy." Ayanda scoffed. "But it's not loathsome or filthy for you to bed them all when you know you will only be marrying one?" Cesar shrugged. "How else will I know which maiden I want to choose if I don't first sample what they have to offer?" Ayanda practically growled in outrage as she shoved a finger in his chest. "You are the most despicable, pig-headed, cocky jerk I have ever met! And that's saying something because I've known some HUGE ones in my day!" His eyes traveled down to her finger. "Well, at least now you can say you've touched every man in the kingdom."
She dropped her hand, fuming as she drew closer to him. "What was that?" "It's obvious you were doing more than playing games and discussing books with the nobles," he accused while resting a hand on the column behind her. "I'm truly curious, did they enjoy you one at a time or was it a group affair?" Ayanda was never one to allow herself to be so overcome with emotion that she acts without thinking but with Cesar, she did just that. Without realizing it, Ayanda aimed for Cesar's cheek, raised her hand and swung her open palm with all the force she could muster. His reflexes proved faster as they both grunted when he caught her by the wrist before she could make contact. His silver eyes bored into her amber ones as the tension between them grew ever thicker. She attempted to pull her wrist free with a bit more effort, but Cesar's grip proved stronger than her rage. "Let. Me. Go," she demanded. Cesar inclined his head until they were almost nose to nose. "No." She huffed through her nostrils like a mad bull before he suddenly kissed her so forcefully, she felt like her breath had been stolen from her. Ayanda's fingertips dug into his shoulders as he pushed her against the wall. 'Is he seriously kissing me after all that?' Although she knew she probably should've been happy about this outcome because it meant that she had gained Cesar's interest, all she could feel was fury at his brazen entitlement. So once the initial shock wore off, she bit his lip to make him let go and when he did, Ayanda shoved him back with both hands, made a fist and punched him right in the jaw as hard as she could. Cesar's head snapped to the side, causing his hair to fall into his eyes. He slowly turned to look at her while she stood there cradling her throbbing hand and panting as she stared at him with enough rage to melt iron. She watched as part of Cesar's lip bubbled out from his tongue instinctively pressing against the injury. He touched the back of his hand to his mouth and pulled it away, surprise at seeing a spot of blood on his hand clear across his face. "You struck me," he said with a laughing breath of disbelief. "That's right, I did." She quickly retorted while stepping towards him to declare, "serves you right for daring to take before I look to give." She then hurried past him and out of the throne room only to hear him call out after her, "good to know you're looking to give!"
Ayanda went to her room and shut the door behind her. She leaned back against it when she heard a knock from Astra on the other side. "Is her highness alright? She seemed to be in distress when she rushed to her room." Ayanda breathed through the pain in her hand to keep Astra from hearing her pain as she answered. "I'm alright. I just... forgot something! I'll let you know if I need anything." "Yes milady." Answered Astra before walking away. Ayanda waited until she could no longer hear Astra's steps outside the door before she began furiously searching for something to properly brace her injured hand that she could also disguise as some sort of accessory. After thirty minutes with no luck, the adrenaline from earlier had fully run its course and Ayanda just sat in the middle of the floor staring at nothing in particular. 'Maybe... maybe Steven and Joseph will accept another union as long as the country can offer something as appealing as what Craorus has to offer. Temir.... he seemed to like me. Maybe I could marry him.' She thought as her eyes blurred with tears. 'I shouldn't have hit him. Why did I hit him? I know what's a stake. I should've just jumped his bones instead like all the rest of the princesses.' She thought as Steven's threats played in her mind.
After a few minutes, Astra came knocking again. "Princess? Are you decent?" Astra gasped and rushed in when she saw Ayanda on the floor. She immediately went to her and asked what happened, but Ayanda couldn't respond. She just reached up and wrapped her arms around Astra. "Oh!" exclaimed Astra as Ayanda sobbed into her shoulder. After a moment of contemplation, Astra hesitantly embraced her back. "There, there highness. It's alright." Ayanda felt thankful that she was unable to speak in the moment because all she wanted was to ask Astra to help her get back home. To her real home in the states where her real family was. What did it matter who knew the truth now since she had completely ruined her chances with Cesar? Astra sat there with her for half an hour before helping her to her feet. Although any sort of intimacy between royals and the staff wasn't permitted, Astra stroked Ayanda's hair and used a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. She then noticed Ayanda's inured hand and said, "if you'd rather not divulge your grievances, that's alright. How about I just draw you a nice bath and get one of your other assistants to have the chef make you something sinful to enjoy while I get one of our physicians to tend to your hand?" Ayanda looked down at her still throbbing fist and nodded while wiping away a stray tear that had managed to slip down her puffy cheeks. Astra smiled sweetly at her. "In fact, I think a full spa treatment and massage is in order as well." She bowed her head and left to go set things up for Ayanda who leaned against her bed in silence while lightly tracing her lips with the tip of the crooked finger of her injured hand. 'The kiss was aggressive but Cesar's mouth was so.... familiar.' She furiously shook her head of her memories of Edgar that would only make her already awful situation worse. Gratitude for Astra filled Ayanda's shattering heart as she relaxed against the pillows and ate the last morsel of the double fudge chocolate cake the chef had made special for her after having been pampered and having her injury tended to. She leaned back with a satisfied, "ahh," while the flavors melted on her tongue. "Why is chocolate always the go to when someone's upset?" She thought aloud while letting the thought push out all the negativity in her mind. 'Tonight's the last night of this whole stupid gala thing,' she couldn't help but to think about it. 'I might as well try and enjoy it before I have to face the music.'
She threw the covers off herself, hopped out of bed and got dressed. She smirked mirthlessly to herself in the mirror at her black gown with gold trim. 'I didn't even mean to pick this but black seems fitting now.' She sighed and headed out of her room. Hoping to avoid Cesar, Ayanda thought it best not to seek out the nobles today. She was about to head out to one of the gardens when she heard a splash come from behind the cracked door that led to the indoor pool. She peeked inside. 'Whoa! This indoor pool is much more luxurious than Obren's,' she watched as some of the female monarch's swam and jumped in the pool while others sat, drank and talked around the edge of it. "Listen I know a thing or two about men and I'm telling you, Cesar acted that way last night because the princess of Obren isn't sleeping with him, not because she is." Stated the princess of Molon. The princess of Prumor's interpreter repeated the princess of Molon's words in the native language of Prumor before replying for the princess of Prumor. "Her highness wonders why prince Cesar has yet to bed the princess of Obren." The princess of Tratish scoffed. "Because she's not his type." "She's a woman with a pulse. What else does he need?" Teased the queen of Drizia. "Well," said the princess of Pithia. "I've not seen nor heard of the prince taking a liking to women of darker complexions before plus she's a bit shorter and rounder than he's use to so that may be why he hasn't been with her like he has with most of us." Ayanda gritted her teeth just wishing she could punch the snark out of the princesses who judged her when the princess of Sluthia sipped her drink and said, "speaking of, I wonder how many out of the twenty of us have been with the king-to-be?" Ayanda's ears perked up as she leaned in to hear better.
"Well," began the princess of Tratish. "each night, he increases the number of sexual partners to ensure he gets through us all with the exception of the princess of Obren before the week is up." The princess of Kahba looked up thoughtfully while she took count. "Let's see, he slept with one the first night, two on the second..... by the fourth night the number was up to eleven..." she muttered. The Queen of Kriteba leaned in to say, "and last night I saw him sneaking away with five more." The surrounding royals giggled and the princess of Kahba tapped her finger in the air. "So that leaves, four he has yet to..... know." The princess of Tratish leaned back and held the copper straw of her drink between her thumb and forefinger. "You mean three. We all know there's one he will continue to pass over." Murmurs of agreement spread through the air before the queen of Drizia chimed in to say, "I wouldn't be too sure about that." A hush fell over the others as the princess of Tratish eyed the queen. "Forgive me, but I'm unsure of what you mean?" "Well, if his anger towards Emperor Temir is any indication, the prince's tastes when it comes to the type of maiden he prefers is subject to change." Whispers came from the others while the Princess of Tratish's expression turned stern in annoyance before she quickly recollected herself. "I beg her majesty's pardon, but I believe the squabble between them was about male bravado, not the princess of Obren." Everyone's eyes darted from the princess of Tratish to the queen of Drizia who elegantly hunched one shoulder forward and gave a small frown. "We shall see." Ayanda backed away feeling confused and even more disheartened than before. 'So, either Caspian was completely wrong when he said Cesar was falling in love or he just wasn't referring to me. He did kiss me but maybe that's just because he's a whore and wants to fu-err bed us all before this whole stupid gala is over.' She sighed heavily before hearing someone behind her ask, "hear anything good?" Ayanda screamed and spun around to see nobleman Lucius standing behind her with an amused look on his face. She put her hand behind her back to keep from pushing him away since that type of action would be unbecoming of a royal. "You scared me!" She said while looking back over her shoulder to make sure she hadn't alerted any of the princesses to her presence. Lucius held his hands up in mock surrender and stepped back while biting his lip to keep from laughing. "Apologies milady but I was just walking about. You're the one eavesdropping." Her jaw dropped. "How dare you accuse a royal of eavesdropping!" She declared, causing Lucius to give a thoughtful pout. "You are right princess. Please forgive me. If I may be so bold; what were you doing with your ear practically pressed against a cracked door?" Ayanda stammered while trying to come up with a viable excuse, only to give up when she saw Lucius smirking at her feeble attempts. She couldn't help but to smile herself and said, "alright let's not stand here and remark on things that I clearly did." Lucius put a hand to his chest and lowered his head. "As her highness wishes. Would you like to join me and a couple of the other nobles? We're going out to the lake to watch the staff test the miniature ships they'll be using for the naval combat show tonight." "That's what the last night of the gala will consist of?" "Yes as it's one of the prince's favorite recreations." Her stomach dropped at the mere mention of Cesar and she let out a sigh of discontent which made Lucius worry. "Are you alright princess?" She forced a smile and shook her head. "I'm fine. I just.... don't know much about miniature vessels is all." "I'm more than happy to teach you what I know. What do you say?" Ayanda thought on it for a moment before nodding. Lucius perked up and crooked his elbow out for her to take which she did.