Title: Untitled
Authors: Domino and Anne
Email: zahfat@yahoo.com and
partypooh@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Not ours…
A/N: Alternate Universe
Summary: A fairytale, in the kingdom of Antarra, a prince, a bodyguard, a Ball…
Chapter 2
Stealthily as a cat Maria made her way to the palace hall. Nothing in her stanza
betrayed the nervousness she felt, quite on the contrary the self-confidence
seemed to be oozing of her.
The reason for her nervousness lay in the mysterious note Tess had handed her
yesterday. It was a request from the Queen for a meeting today, that in itself
was already out of the ordinary. But on the bottom it stood that she should come
in civilian clothes and that no one was to know she was a member of the Royal
Guard. Not that that would be difficult since most of Maria’s missions had
involved undercover work gathering Intel. Despite her well earned reputation,
there were few that recognized her on sight. It was the way she liked it.
Still, Maria was actually glad to be out of the all black uniform for once.
Instead she wore cream pants with a light blue tailored blouse. Her blond hair
tied together in the nape of her neck by a simple ribbon.
With her chin held high and her piercing green eyes taking in everything around
her, Maria continued towards the grande palace hall. Unaware of the life
changing events that she was about to meet head on.
~*~
Michael moved through the palace hall, his stride long and purposeful,
intent only on his target. Those that knew him, which was to say, most
of the occupants of the hall, knew better than to interrupt him - that
is, they all knew better except one. She, in a manner almost identical
to his, stalked her prey with the same look of intent and purpose -
her attention focused solely on that.
It was a collision fated to happen, and if some would have it, a
planned one which neither could avoid. Yet, it was out of all of
their hands.
Their fall was graceful, for 2 people that embodied grace, well, as
graceful as a fall could be. It seemed to the audience of the Royal
Court, the Royal Guard and servants in their plentiful numbers, to be
an event. For its abnormality, and even more so the atmosphere that
arose upon its occurrence, a memorable event - a fall that moved in
slow motion for more than the two that were being observed so
curiously.
It felt like she had been hit by a wall. Everything faded but for
his presence. The wall. Her wall. She was too disorientated to even
notice the possessive thought that momentarily passed through her
mind, yet at the same time it felt completely right to her. As she
fell back, her well honed instincts and trained quick reflexes met
his equally fast ones as they both grabbed the others hand.
And in a way , it was this touch that was responsible for the
actual fall. After all, Maria was Royal Guard, one of the elite, and
more than that she was one of the best. Even walls couldn't defeat a
Royal Guard, let alone result in a fall.
Electricity sparked through the touch that spread to every inch of
her body the moment her hand touched his, fire igniting what already
existed - that. That was enough to send her reeling backwards.
It, of course, wasn't a one-sided feeling. As he had walked through
the hall, his gaze fixed on two men - his best friends, Maximillian of
Evander and Alexander of Whitmanner, Michael's thoughts had been
occupied solely on the latest attack , having escaped it not 10
minutes ago. Yet at the same time he was aware of a prickling
sensation in the back of his neck. A feeling he had never felt
before, an awareness of something, or somebody, one that did not bring
fear but instead anticipation.
But he was Michael. Crown prince of Antarra. Known for his single minded
determination, his warrior skills and well... that and his rather well-deserved
reputation as a playboy. And because of the former, he pushed the awareness
away, that is, until, he collided with her.
And in that single second, it came rushing back to him as a lightness, a
softness and a scent he recognized instinctively as being uniquely her,
surrounded him. Michael reached out to stop her falling, to stop her leaving, to
hold her to him to forever...and then, it happened.
Everything he had been waiting for his whole life rushed forwards to the surface
in that one brief moment in time. And he felt it. Fireworks. From a single
touch, from the lightest of contact, and ... he panicked.
So they fell. Her total and complete disconcertion combined with the amazing
strength invisible in her petite frame, pulled him - her wall -with her, with
his panic, and distraction. Still, he had the presence of mind, or maybe it was
his automatic protective instinct to protect all those in his care, to turn and
twist their falling bodies so he landed first, her light frame crashing on top
of him.
And there they lay.
On the floor. In a crowded room. In the grand hall of a Royal Palace. In a
country on the brink of war.
And it was in that second, that single never-ending second, that history was
changed forever.
~*~
The body under her was warm and inviting, his arm was swung loosely around her
waist, holding her firmly in place. Their faces were only inches apart. She
could feel his breath tickling her face. There seemed to be shock in his eyes
and for a moment Maria wondered if he’d felt it too. The burst of fire at their
touch, the feeling that their meeting was fated.
And then suddenly something moved in those deep brown pools, like a stonewall
suddenly being pulled up. “Would you mind getting of me.” Sarcasm dripped off
his words.
Not to be undone Maria retorted. “Well remove your arm from around my waist and
I will.”
With a grumble he quickly moved his arm and almost pushed the frail body off of
him. With the agility of a jungle cat Maria jumped on her feet. Michael followed
her with as much grace.
The moment that they stood apart, taking each other in from top to bottom. Maria
felt a great loss. She wanted to pull him close again, rub her body against his.
Loose herself in those chocolate brown eyes.
When she looked closer at his face, there was something there that she
recognized but couldn’t immediately place. Their eyes locked and neither was
willing to back down, that is until the little cough beside them reminded both
exactly where they were, in the palace hall surrounded by the Royal Court, the
Royal Guard and servants.
Deirana stood there, looking as regal as ever in her dark green dress and small
tiara that twinkled brightly in the sun streaming through the overhead skylight
cut in the middle of the high ceilings of one of the palace domes , matching the
joyous twinkle in her eyes. “Michael, what took you so long?”
Michael turned his head slightly, not willing to lose the sight of her just yet
and then leaned over and kissed the Queen lightly on the cheek. It was at that
moment Maria realised exactly who he was - Michael of Antarra, Crown Prince to
the throne. And she felt silly, for bumping into him, for loosing herself in him
for that mere second. For not recognizing him. Her shoulders straightened as she
gave the Queen a small smile and bowed her head in greeting. “Your grace.”
“Maria, thank you for coming. Why don’t we move into the conference room for
this?” So that was her name – his tongue wrapped around it, and a small smile
crossed the prince’s face. He liked it.
At the end of the room, the King stood up and offered his arm to his wife,
together they led the small procession to the adjoining conference room. Michael
and Maria followed them, their shoulders brushing from time to time, like they
sought each other’s touch but were unwilling to give into it, the emotions
coursing through them had shaken them. Isabel followed on Alex’ arm, her eyes
twinkling in delight as she looked at her brother and friend in front of her. At
the end were Max and Tess.
~*~
She frowned as they left the hall, in a procession - a Royal One, and forgetting
herself glared at the girl. She had never seen her before, but already she could
see the way the Prince looked at her, the way the King and Queen looked at
her...like she was one of them.
He should have been hers, she thought spitefully. Well, if she couldn't have
him, she would have Antarra. She would make sure of it. And the face that might
have been beautiful, was marred by the constant look of displeasure on it, by
the hardness of her expression and the coldness in her eyes.
They would all pay. Isabel, Tess, Deirana, Tebram and most of all Michael and
her. The girl they accepted. And then she would laugh over their beaten bodies -
with that thought, a rare smile crossed her face as she imagined her cruel
fantasy.
~*~
All the questions raced back to Maria as she entered the well lit room with the
large table in the centre. The Queen’s summons filled her mind– but at the same
time, part of her noticed her friend’s overwhelming good mood, and the smile
that said she was up to something, although Maria was too distracted to pay much
attention to it. He stood to the side, and it was all she could do not to turn
and stare, to lose herself in his eyes.
Michael looked at her, Maria, as she amicably talked with his sister, the smile
on her face putting her entire being alight. She was beautiful, breath taking.
Not like those ladies that frequented the many state affairs he was forced to
endure, those ladies who spend hours perfecting their looks and were more than
aware of the fact that they were pretty. No, Maria seemed to be quite unaware of
her beauty. She had a fire burning brightly inside of her. Maria was alive and
that’s where her attractiveness lay .
And in that moment he felt jealousy towards his sister. He wanted to make her
laugh. To bring that twinkle of joy in those puddles of green light.
Deirana watched her children carefully. She had chosen well, she thought to
herself – and the last doubt left as she noticed her son’s preoccupation with
the guard. She turned slightly and gave her beloved husband the smile. We can
begin now, it said.
And so the King called the conference, a private one for the most trusted
members only, to order.
“I assume you’re all wondering what’s going on here. So I’ll immediately get to
the point.” King Tebram started. His kind voice echoing through the room as all
the occupants listened attentively. “Last weeks attack on Michael’s life,
shocked us more than anything. Not only had our son’s life been in peril but it
had also happened just outside the city walls. We always thought that we’d be
safest here in Thera, but Khivar proved us wrong. Therefore Deirana and I
decided to assign Michael a new bodyguard. Someone from who, only us and a
select few others will know that she’s a member of the Royal Guard. Maria
DeLuca.”
You could hear a needle drop as all heads swivelled around to look from Michael
to Maria and back again.
Maria just stared at her King. In the short expanse of her visit at the Palace,
one extraordinary thing after another had transpired. First the head on
collision with Michael of Antarra, and all the feelings that had ignited in her
and now this. She, one of the youngest members of the Royal Guard was chosen to
protect the heir to the throne, prince of Antarra, Michael with eyes of molten
chocolate.
Maria was swept up in another emotional rollercoaster. She felt proud of being
chosen, but also scared, scared that she might fail the important task presented
to her. Her inner turmoil was interrupted by an angry exclamation.
“WHAT?!” Michael barked. He couldn’t believe this, Maria was a Royal Guard.
Confused he looked her up and down, she looked so frail and innocent with her
milky skin and big green eyes. And more so, she was to be his personal
bodyguard.
Her eyes ablaze with anger, Maria glared at Michael. Prince or not how dare he
question her abilities as a Royal Guard. She could probably take him down.
The King cut in, looking at Maria and Michael’s faces with the emotions running
across, “I understand undercover work is your specialty, Lady Maria. You will
work as Michael new…how shall I put this? His new lady friend.”
The King looked directly at her and waited for her agreement. She reluctantly
gave it. One did not disagree with kings
“But…” Michael began.
“This is not a choice, Michael,” Deirana stated, using her Queen voice, a voice
she rarely used on her children. It wasn’t a voice that they argued with. It
wasn’t a voice she expected an argument from.
“Well now that that’s settled, Maria why don’t you come with me, I’ll show you
your new quarters. Oh and Michael, with Maria being your new escort to the Royal
Events, please remember not to bring a date.”
It showed ever so slightly, and was gone before he could be sure it had ever
been. A smirk – but the King knew he had seen it on his son’s new bodyguard’s
face, before she followed the Queen and Isabel out the room. ‘Maybe his wife was
right after all. Things were about to get very interesting around here.’ And
with that thought the king hid a smirk of his own, particularly when he saw his
son’s expression.
With one last look at Michael, Tess quickly followed Deirana, Isabel and Maria
down the hall. Michael looked like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to Maria to
leave, or if he should hold her back. His hand was outstretched partly in
indecision.
‘This was definitely going to be fun.’ Tess thought, smiling.
Patting his son on the back, Tebram hid his grin. “She’s one of the best there
is,” he said to reassure his son, who looked bewildered at the events that just
took place Well, I got a meeting to get to.” And King Tebram left.
As soon as the door closed behind the king, Alex and Max looked at each other
before glancing at Michael, who had now turned to look outside, one hand in his
hair. Max bit his lip trying not to laugh out loud. Alex lacked his subtlety and
just burst out laughing.
With a confused look, Michael turned around. “What?”
~*~
The four women walked through the quiet corridors of the private wing of the
Palace.
“Everybody at the Palace will think you’re a personal friend of us. Spending
some time here in the big city. The only people who now about this are us and
your commander Captain Marlando, oh and your friend Kyle – since he already
knows your true identity. I heard the rest of your team are on missions
throughout the country, so I don’t think any of them will be able to blow your
cover.” Deirana patted Maria’s hand. “You’ll be fine, dear.”
They had stopped in front of a large ornate door. Isabel swung it open. “This is
your room. Michael’s is right next to it and mine and Tess’ are at the end of
the corridor.”
Maria followed Isabel slightly apprehensively. This was all moving a bit too
fast for her. She didn’t hear the rest of what her friend said, as she looked
around the room.
It was beautiful. Just perfect. She walked slowly into the room and stood and
stared. The room was huge, fit for a princess. It was decorated entirely in
shades of green, with touches of blue, giving the impression of an underwater
palace. And in the centre, dominating the room was large four poster bed, with
wooden carvings in intricate details on the edges. Maria blushed as she studied
the carvings a bit closer, they showed couples embracing. A veil of sheer blue
hang around the bed, moving softly in the wind coming through the open windows.
The same carvings returned in the antique vanity standing next to the door that
led to the walk in closet. On the same wall hung a tapestry telling the tale of
the legendary Andreas and Milandre, the first King and Queen of Antarra. The
other furniture consisted of a small desk standing in the corner by the window
and a love seat.
There was a large window on one side and the other had doors that opened out on
to a balcony. Maria ran to the window and the love seat that sat beneath, her
fingers running lightly over the furnishings in the room. Kneeling on the
emerald velvet covered cushions she leant out the open windows to take in the
view. From the window, all of Thera was visible stretching into the horizon, on
one side and the blue oceans reaching out on the other. She breathed deeply, and
when Deirana kneeled next to her, she turned to the Queen and smiled a tremulous
smile.
“It’s beautiful, isn't it, child?” the Queen said softly to the girl. Looking
down on Thera, it was no wonder that the Antarian took pride in their capital.
The Palace was done mostly in marble, that gleamed in the sun. The houses around
it were made out of greystone and bluestone, making a beautiful contrast with
the lush green gardens and the sapphire blue ocean. It was truly breathtaking.
“It’s why I do what I do,” Maria replied in a whisper, as if to speak louder
would be an insult to Thera.
“Its why I do as well, Maria,” the Queen returned.
~*~