"Where do you want to go first?" Keith smiled at the girl through the rear-view mirror, amused at her lost expression.
Alana, the one who was lost in her thoughts, did not seem to hear his question, and her eyes glanced at the chestnut-haired girl who was sitting in the front seat of the car.
She could not sleep last night as she was expecting to spend the entire day today with Keith, but in the morning before they left the Manor, she learned that they were not going to be alone, and the new girl, Zoey, asked Keith to take her with them.
Keith did not refuse her, and Alana had been depressed about it ever since, having not even uttered a word since she sat in the car. She was only listening and feeling more depressed as Zoey and Keith chatted with each other with a familiarity that ached her heart.
"Alana," Keith called out her name, and she broke out of her trance, looking at him in alarm and realising that she had been spacing out.
"Sorry..."
"It's okay." He smiled. "Where do you want to go first."
"You decide."
"Have you been to the venue of the Opening Ceremony?"
"Yes." She nodded to him. "The rehearsals were held last week, and I was invited."
"Can we go and visit the Demiliore Castle first?" Zoey, who was sitting in the front seat excitedly asked.
"Sure." He smiled at her, nodding his head, and found Alana sulking again in the backseat.
It was so clear that she was not happy that Zoey had come along with them. However, it did not take long for her mood to improve a little.
Both the girls had not seen the Demiliore Castle in Noxville, and it was one of the most beautiful places in the City of Night. Unfortunately, it was not a place where the general public could go. It was their private property.
Along their way, the two girls soon found themselves hooked by the sight of the Castles atop the hills and down the road they took, and Keith deliberately drove slower to let them have a good look around.
They arrived at their destination after nearly half an hour, and the girls, who were already excited, gasped when the front gates opened and a majestic castle stood proudly in front of them.
It was a place straight out of some fantasy as they had never before seen a Castle like this one.
However, they were in for an even bigger surprise when they arrived at the front of the Castle, and a beautiful young girl with pearl white hair came running out of it, wearing a bright smile on her lips. A pair of twin maids stood by her side, and she along with her attendants bowed to Keith when he exited the vehicle.
"Lord Keith!"
"Princess Avriel." He smiled at her and then gave her head a lovable pat which she enjoyed a lot and leaned into. "You could have stayed with your family for a little longer."
She had returned from France a couple of days ago after Rebecca gave her a few weeks off their training.
"It is not so much fun there." She playfully said, making her Protector, who was standing a little away from them sigh.
"Sorry for the inconvenience, Lord Keith."
"No worries. She's allowed to come and go whenever she wants." He smiled at the Princess, who was immensely pleased with his words.
"Is Master not coming?" Avriel asked.
"Master, eh?" Keith smiled at how she blushed at his words.
"Lady Rebecca teaches me a lot of things, and so..."
"She's been busy and will contact you soon." He understandably nodded her head and patted her head some more. "Come, I will introduce you to two lovely ladies. I am sure you already know one of them."
"Yes!" Avriel giggled at his words and then smiled at Alana as they approached her and Zoey. "Miss Storm." She politely addressed the music sensation, and probably the most popular musician in the world right now.
"This is Avriel, the youngest Princess of France."
Alana seemed to be already aware of the girl's identity and did not look so surprised, but Zoey was a little anxious right now.
"Princess." They both politely bowed in unison, and Avriel was about to pry into their minds when Keith placed his hand on her head and she stopped.
It was not that she wanted to look into their minds. It was just her instincts kicking in, and Keith did not seem to mind it as he lovingly patted her head as if she were a kitten. And she seemed to love his caresses a lot.
Seeing the two of them so intimately behaving around each other roused a lot of questions in Alana and Zoey's minds, but they did not voice them and just kept observing the situation.
"This is my lover, Zoey Alvarez." Keith suddenly said, introducing Zoey to the Princess, and the chestnut-haired girl took the opportunity to step forward and confidently draw her hand forward.
"Hi!"
"Hello." Avriel narrowed her eyes a little but still smiled and shook hands with the girl. "How many lovers do you have, Lord Keith?" She curiously asked, looking right at him, putting Zoey in an awkward state.
"A few." He chuckled and then proceeded to plant a kiss on Zoey's cheek, which bloomed a bright smile on her lips. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" He asked, and the Princess smiled at him.
"Everyone around you is beautiful." Avriel pointed out before putting her attention back on Alana. "Miss Storm, if I must say, I would like you to know that you are one of my favourite musicians. I enjoyed all your music a lot. Thank you for being so good at it."
"Thank you, Princess." Alana smiled at her and glanced at Keith. "But I owe everything to him."
"No." Avriel shook her head. "You have an inborn talent and have worked hard. You should not give Lord Keith all the credit. I am sure he's a major reason behind your success, but you have done your work diligently as well."
Hearing those words, Alana felt quite grateful, and could only nod to the young girl who looked wise beyond her years with a smile.
"Why do you call him Lord Keith?" Zoey curiously asked, her brows furrowing a little.
"Because he is a Lord." Avriel smiled, quite tempted to peek into Zoey's mind to understand how much she knew about Keith but kept herself in control and did not give in to the urge.
"Avriel, why don't you show Zoey around the Castle?" Keith suddenly said, making everyone turn and look at him.
"Of course!" Avriel nodded her head happily and then looked at the chestnut-haired girl, who was glancing between Keith and Alana. "Can we go to the Amusement Park after lunch?"
"Of course." Keith smiled at the white-haired girl. "I planned on taking Alana and Zoey there. You are welcome to join us."
"Thank you!" Avriel excitedly thanked him and then grabbed Zoey's hand, which surprised the girl, but before she could react, she was already being dragged into the Castle.
"You seem quite close to the Princess." Alana could not help but say when Avriel and Zoey went out of sight.
"I have known for a while. We met at her Palace, and then she spent a few months with me when I was at the Royal Academy of Medicine in Austria."
"Oh." Alana seemed surprised at his words, but her mind went blank when he suddenly reached for her hand and grabbed it, leading her to the back of the Castle.
"You seem distracted, Little Bird." Keith gently said, squeezing her hand a little. "Is everything okay?"
Alana lowered her head at his gentle question as her heart had warmed up a lot and she could feel the heat reaching her cheeks.
"I just..." She tried to make up an excuse, but then just trailed off and turned quiet.
She was a little disappointed when Keith did not insist she tell him what bothered her, but her mind was soon cleared of all the thoughts when they arrived at a beautiful staircase that led down the hill, and her eyes widened as they stared at a crystal clear blue lake that was at the foot of the hill.
"It's an artificial lake," Keith informed her.
"It is beautiful." She honestly said and subconsciously squeezed his hand. "Can we go down?"
"Of course." He smiled and then led her down the stairs.
They arrived at the shore of the lake, and he led her to sit at a spot where they could take off their shoes and dip their feet in the water.
Looking around the place, which was surrounded by forested hills, Alana felt like she had entered a different world, something straight out of her dreams.
And she was there, all alone with the very man who had been haunting her dreams.
"Keith." She whispered his name after nearly half an hour of silence, and her nervous heart made her body tremble a little as well.
"Yes?"
"I..." She tried to speak what she wanted to say, but her nervousness won in the end. "Can I come here often?" She asked, strangling her feelings for a while longer until she mustered up enough courage to voice them.
Alana expected Keith to agree to it and answer her right away, but he did not say anything, and after a few seconds, she curiously raised her head to turn to look at him.
Her heart thumped hard against her chest when she felt the soft sensation on her lips, and her eyes widened at how close she was to the most perfect face she had ever seen in her life.
She could hear her racing heart, but it soon started calming down when his taste lulled her mind and drowned her senses.
He kissed her better than she had ever dreamed or expected, and it was a surreal feeling that she knew she would never forget in her life.
It was only after their lips separated that her mind started running again, but even then, she could not break eye contact with him and stared right into his deep brown eyes where her figure was reflecting.
"You taste like cherries." He said, and a warm blush crept on her cheeks and she finally lowered her head.
Keith did not speak again, and neither did she, but he did wrap his arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer to him as they sat there for a long time, basking in a sweet and peaceful silence.
