215: Abandoned

Abandoned

Oriana soon reached the lake side where Arlan was standing. Arlan had already smelled her scent long before she entered the garden, but he didn't react to her presence and continued staring at the calm surface of the lakewater.

Due to her arrival, the negative emotions inside him rose, stirred up by the source and target of his anger.

The ignorant attendant bowed to the prince. "Good evening, Your Highness…"

Seeing Arlan's lack of reaction, Oriana wondered, 'Neil said he is angry about something. What can it be? Did something happen when he was out? Never mind, let's make small talk. I will first explain to him my side, about Queen Seren's invitation and then her request that I see Prince Cian's injury.'.

"Your Highness—" she started, but the rest of her sentence was stuck in her throat.

When he turned his head to look at her, his dangerous gaze made her swallow her next words. 

'Why is he looking at me… as if he wants to kill me?'

A furious storm brewed within those deep blue eyes. Menacing and unsettling, the kind of angry gaze holding power—a power that struck fear into the hearts of those who encountered it.

And at this moment, the full brunt of that power was solely on Oriana.

Under the weight of that gaze, fear began to take hold within her, bringing up the most primal instinct to retreat. Oriana wanted to run away. 

The instant she took a step backwards, the fury in those eyes blazed.

"Y-Your Highness, I, what…"

"You stink." 

His voice was cold, his expression devoid of any emotion. However, the anger in his eyes continued to paralyze her in place. To him she stinks because she carried another man's smell on her.

'I stink?' She gulped, unable to make heads or tails of the situation. Her thought process was interrupted, just as she was supposed to apologize and give an explanation as to her prior absence.

"Uhh, apologies, Your Highness. I have ran back from the mansion of Abetha so the sweat—"

"With whose permission?" He sneered at her. "Since when have you started serving others, forgetting to whom you belong to?"

She was taken aback. Did she commit that serious of a mistake?

"I…"

"Have you always been like this?" he snapped. "Crawling your way up to get close to rich handsome men? Charming them by using that pretty face of yours?"

"What?"

"Are you not getting paid enough that you have to go lure others? What favors do you want from him now? Am I not enough for you?"

"Your Highness—"

"You make me feel nauseous. You stink so much that I can't even breathe!" he growled at her, venom in his eyes.

Arlan was about to snap.

Why was there fear in her eyes? Why was there guilt in her eyes? Why did she take a step back from him? Yet with that damned Cian, they were so close that… her hands were touching his hand. Her voice…her sighs and rebukes… her care… She cared for another man!

And her scent! She carried another man's scent on her and the beast inside him was disgusted by it. The sweet  smell of honeysuckle was being overpowered by that horrible stench of another male and that herbal oil she massaged him with. 

It was making him go crazy!

Arlan never thought it would affect him this much. If he was more rational, he would have guessed that the enraged beast inside him was fanning his jealousy, but at this moment, both human and beast were furious at their mate.

"Go serve Abetha and never come back," he commanded in a frigid tone and turned to leave. 

Oriana's heart was pounding, each heartbeat ringing loudly in her ears. She could not understand the situation, but an overwhelming urge appeared deep within her. It was telling her not to let this man leave, otherwise, she would regret it.

"Your Highness, please calm down and let me explain—" 

She unconsciously reached out to stop him, grabbing his arm, but he shrugged her hand off without even looking at her.

"Ah!"

Splash!

Arlan turned around, only to find Oriana had fallen into the lake. She struggled in the water, and his thought was to jump down to save her. However, his body paused at the edge, the emotions in his eyes conflicted.

After the initial panic disappeared, Oriana realized the man-made lake was shallow, having water only below her chest. She was able to quickly stabilize herself after spitting out the water she swallowed.

Her body shivered in the cold, yet none of that mattered more than the ache in her chest as she watched Arlan walk away. 

Disbelief, confusion, anger, disappointment, frustration…and betrayal.

Arlan abandoned her, just like that. 

Though her face was drenched in water, it didn't hide the way her eyes turned moist with tears, ready to roll down due to the weight of all those emotions, as she watched him taking each step only to go away from her.

Her intuition was right. It told her not to let him leave, otherwise, she would regret it.

…but how could you ask a person to stay when he wanted to go away?.

—-

Imbert and Rafal were standing quite a distance away, and though they could see their prince and his attendant conversing, they were unaware what was going on between the two. 

They witnessed everything—from how Oriana accidentally fell into the lake, to Arlan's hesitation before he chose to walk away.

"Go after His Highness, I will check on Orian," Imbert spoke up decisively.

Rafal's worried gaze moved from Oriana towards his captain and then hurried to run after their liege. 

By the time Imbert arrived by the lake, Oriana had gone out of the water, her clothes drenched and she was shivering a little. Though the weather in Othinia was warm, during the night, the temperature would drop.

Imbert removed his coat as he walked towards her. She stopped and looked at the knight with reddened eyes. Her arms were folded in front of her chest, and her uniform clung to the slender shape of her body.

"S-Sir Loyset…"

Without a word, he put his coat around her shoulders. He observed her headwrap which was somewhat loosened due to the weight of her wet hair.

"You should fix your hair," he reminded her before turning around. 

'He knows,' she realized. 

Oriana was unusually quiet. At this point, she did not care if this knight was aware of her gender. She no longer cared. Or rather, she was not in the mood to care. 

She quietly fixed the stray strands of her hair back into the sopping wet fabric on her head.

Once she was done, she heard Imbert say, "Let me escort you to your room."

Oriana numbly nodded and she followed him with her head lowered, not being able to contain the overwhelming sadness she was feeling at this moment. She wanted to cry, but she was barely holding on to the last shred of dignity she had, at least until they arrived in the safety of her room. 

If she had been left alone, she might have burst into tears at the garden, at a loss on how to navigate the complicated hallways of the mansion.

Upon arriving at the servant quarters, the odd pair of a knight and a disheveled attendant caused many eyes to follow their steps. Imbert passed all of the curious servants a cold glare that no one dared say anything. 

After Oriana entered her own room, Imbert passed the order that no one were to disturb her. Neil made sure it would be obeyed and no one would go to Oriana to check on her.  2

Though no one said a single word, in their minds they were guessing that poor young lad  must have fallen prey to the prince's anger and could not help but pity her. 

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