"Easy there, Princess," a familiar voice spoke up as a shadow loomed over her.
The masked man whom she had been talking to was holding onto her hand. He held her steady. She did not fall over and make a fool of herself. Sierra felt her heart skip a beat.
"Are you alright, Sierra?" he asked, bringing her out of her mind.
"Y... yes, thank you," she replied before removing herself from his grasp once more as she made a beeline for the empty balcony.
The man simply smiled and followed suit.
Princess Agnes was fuming in anger. Her plan had failed miserably and it was all thanks to the mysterious masked man. She silently cursed him beneath her breath.
If she knew that was in fact King Alistair, how would she react?
"Much better," a smile returned to Sierra's face as she took a deep breath of fresh air.
The cool evening air did not bother her at all. In fact, she welcomed it as it was getting stuffy in the ballroom. Just when she thought she successfully gotten rid of the man who had spoken to her earlier, he appeared next to her.
"So, what are your thoughts on this concubine business?" he asked casually.
She turned to him, momentarily confused by his attempt at making conversation. Was he even allowed to ask such questions? According to the rumors, King Alistair was a cruel and unforgiving ruler. Surely he would not keep such an outspoken bodyguard around.
"What about it?" she replied casually.
The man leaned his back against the railing, carefully reading her face. He could not tell what went through her mind.
"Are you sure you're suitable for the role? I mean-"
Sierra cut his words with a nudge in the arm before she folded her arms, "What was that supposed to mean?"
Stunned by her actions, the man stood there in silence. Never had a woman or man been so casual with him. But he quickly composed himself. Sierra, realizing how she had acted, had a shiver run down her back.
She had to compose herself. She could not be herself, not in front of all these royals. If they were to figure out her real identity, she would jeopardize everything. She could not care less about King Frederick, but she cared about her father.
She quickly cleared her throat, "My apologies, what I meant to say is that I think it's a great way to foster relations amongst the different Kingdoms. Certainly much more cost-effective to house the princesses of foreign Kingdoms than to fight costly wars with each of them."
She stole a few glances in his direction, hoping he would not call her out for her behavior. He did not seem too bothered by it. In fact, he was intrigued by her answer.
"Do you approve of his actions?" he inquired further, leaning a little closer to Sierra as he did.
"I don't have to approve anything," she answered honestly as she curled her hands into fists while looking out into the Royal Gardens, "It's not my place to make these decisions anyway."
At first, the man who was the King in disguise thought Sierra was simply an air-headed royal who was oblivious to things around her. From the way he saw it, she was certainly more intelligent than most princesses in attendance.
"What would you do if you were the one to call the shots?" he asked while looking into her eyes. He was curious to know her answer.
Having had the question thrown back at her, Sierra was stumped for a moment. If she got to decide, what would she do?
"If the King is set on having concubines, I guess there isn't much to change. But does he really want any woman? I'm sure he has his taste in women," the gears in her mind began to turn as she contemplated the question.
She did not know what it was about this man named Silas, but she felt at ease when she spoke to him. She felt as if she need not have to worry about everything and anything she said or do.
"I'm sure he would at least want to spend some time to get to know them? And perhaps a series of tests to pick the best princess should be in order," she voiced her ideas without putting much thought into it.
"What about the princesses who don't get chosen?" he asked, curious to see what she would come up with.
"Send them home," the answer was obvious to her. They would not be sent home in disgrace but as a sign of good faith.
Most Kingdoms assumed they were sending their daughters to be a hostage in Drakin. But Sierra was quite certain that was not the intention of the King.
"Sometimes I wonder if it was the King who wanted concubines or is the Queen lonely and wanted company," she chuckled.
Alistair laughed alongside her. With each sentence Sierra had spoken, he was growing fond of her even more. When she heard him laugh, Sierra realized she had said that last sentence out loud.
"I...I didn't mean to insult the King or Queen. I must have had too much champagne," she attempted to laugh it off awkwardly.
He reached over and gently patted her hand. Electricity jolted through their body when their hands touched. Sierra quickly avoided eye contact as she began to blush. She could feel the heat on her cheeks.
Alistair, on the other hand, did not think too much of it. But he made note of her actions.
"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me," he reassured her and gave her a wink.