Chapter 18: Ordering the King

Samantha's green eyes met Alastair's brown ones and the next second she furrowed her eyebrows, not in confusion but in pain. Her head was throbbing as though someone had smashed it was a hammer. She felt light-headed and all she wanted was to sleep until the next night. She had no strength to even move and was too exhausted, but surprisingly she felt hungry. Her stomach was growling in protest even though it had been just a few hours since she had dinner.

Alastair had expected the girl to scurry away from him in shock or in fear for he was a stranger and he was in a room with her alone. But the words that slipped out of her mouth were different than what he had assumed. Instead of asking him who he was or why he was even here, she grumbled loudly as though she was complaining about something. She then pushed herself up as she leaned on the headrest and without even looking at the man beside her, she ordered, "Bring me something to eat. I am famished."

Alastair was stunned at first to received orders from someone he had just met. However, he recovered quickly and his face masked a look of indifference even though he was clearly drawn to her. "Wait a minute."

With that, he searched around the room to see if there was anything he could find to feed the hungry woman, whose stomach was rumbling so loud that he could hear it even if he did not have heightened listening skills. At last, he found a plate full of fruits and he brought it for her to eat. He was just about to slice the apple with the knife when the girl hurriedly picked it up and munched it down as fast as she could. Alastair could only gape at her seeing her speed and by the time he had realized what had happened, the entire plate before him was empty.

Samantha had finished it in a time which no normal human being could and for a second, Alastair wondered why it was so. Was it because she was special or was there some other reason? After eating, the girl looked more cheerful and it seemed as if she was revitalized. Her cheeks that were once pale returned to normal and they looked absolutely ravishing just like the apple she had just finished, in the candles lit room.

Samantha then stifled a yawn and before she even knew it, she had slipped down and had drifted off to sleep completely ignoring the man who was staring at her intently with a questioning gaze. Once again, the girl had surprised him by dozing off in front of him. 'Did she not realize how dangerous it was to sleep before a man she did not even know?' Alastair wondered. Right now, she was in a vulnerable state and he could do anything he wanted to do, but he was not a man who took advantage of these things.

Samantha was important to him. She had answers to the questions he had been looking for long and for that, he would make sure that she was safe at all costs. It had been not been even an hour since she had fainted. So, assuming her to be exhausted, Alastair sat beside. If he did not get the answers today, he would get them the next day. There was no rush. He had finally found the girl he was looking for and he would do all he could to get his confusion cleared, even if it meant waiting for her to wake up until dawn.

But to his dismay, the maid who had gone out to look for help returned with another elderly looking woman who was wearing gold-rimmed spectacles. Looking at the dress she was wearing, she seemed to be the matron of the house and was in charge of all the maids. Alastair had heard the two women's voices even before they were yet to reach the room. In order to not get noticed, he had apparated right away and had gone back to the dark place where he had stood before, and waited patiently as he fixed his gaze on Samantha.

The two women entered the room and rushed to see how Samantha was faring. Compared to the last time the young maid had seen her, she seemed to be better. "Madam Lily, please check what is wrong with Samantha. She has been lying this way before I had even entered the room. I am worried, what if she is sick?"

The maid blabbered on and on without knowing the actual truth that the girl had woken up in her absence and had even finished a plate full of fruits all by herself. She was still under the assumption that Samantha was sick and hence unconscious. Alastair could not help but smile at the maid's ignorance. She should have witnessed the gluttonous face the now sleeping girl had made when she was presented with a plate full of fruits. It was highly amusing and Alastair pondered if he had seen anything as interesting as that ever before.

The matron who had accompanied the young maid sat beside Samantha, her plump body leaning towards her slightly as she checked her temperature. Except that she seemed to be a little cold, everything else looked alright. The girl was in a deep slumber and did not hear or sense a thing that was happening around her.

After making sure that Samantha was fine, she got up from the bed and sighed lightly. She wondered what could have been the reason for her to fall sick all of a sudden when she was in perfect health at the time of dinner. Nonetheless, she did not give it much thought and decided it was best to let her rest until she recovered. "It is fortunate that the Lady Bradford has gone to visit her son in the capital. Samantha can sleep here in this room tonight. And you," Lily turned to stare at the young maid who seemed to be anxious with the way her gaze was fixed at the sleeping girl, "Stay with her in the room and see to it that her health does not deteriorate. Call me if anything happens."

The maid nodded and waited until Lily had left the room before she sat beside Samantha and patted her forehead trying to soothe her. She had been worried to death seeing her best friend pale and deathly sick. Now, her heart had settled down when she saw the color returning on her cheeks. However, she would only be assured after Samantha opened her eyes. "Sammie, get well soon." She muttered softly and continued to pat her forehead just like a mother lulling her child to sleep.

After waiting for some more time beside her, the maid laid down on the bed and not too soon, she too gradually drifted off to sleep, not knowing about the presence of the almighty king in the chamber.

Alastair had been waiting patiently for both the woman to leave the room. But to his annoyance, one of them had decided to stay back, ruining his plans completely. He waited a long time in the room until the last candle that was left out flickered loudly before it diminished, plunging the room into absolute darkness.

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