Ensnaring his Dark Moon-Chapter 208: Two Princes
Her feet moved on their own when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Esme ran to hide behind a pillar, lurking in the dark.
’’Haven’t you heard? There was a massacre near the dark lake earlier. The corpses were lying on the wooden aqueduct,’’ a woman whispered.
Aqueduct? Esme blinked. Heavenly people, indeed. She would have gone with bridge.
It was not her intention but she leaned closer to the pillar to listen a bit more.
Eavesdropping was against her morality.
They were talking in front of her and it was convenient to listen.
Some knowledge in this unfamiliar place would keep her alive till she returned to her kingdom.
Both the women stopped near the pillar and Esme took it as the heavens favoring her...literally.
’’A massacre?"
Esme marked that both of them were wearing shimmery white clothes which barely covered their bodies. Her gaze flicked towards their waists which seemed to be the size of her palm. Heaven, indeed.
She placed her palm on her waist. It was larger than the palm certainly.
Before Esme could let out a pitiful silent sigh for herself, she heard their next words.
’’You know how His Highness is. He killed all those men there because they offended someone they should not have.’’
’’The representatives of God Zephyr?"
’’Shhh... Speak slowly,’’ the other woman looked around.
Esme gripped her gown, tucking herself behind the pillar even more properly. Her heart thudded inside her chest.
She knew she heard something she should not have. Representatives of God Zephyr? It was her and Luciana....
She was unconscious and now Luciana and Leo were nowhere to be seen. What...? What happened to them?
’’Two women and a beast,’’ The women who were apparently the palace maids whispered to each other again and she kept hiding, her keen ears easily picking up their hushed voices.
’’Our Prince barely cares about anyone, let alone standing up for right or wrong. Everyone in the night court knows that he wants to kill his own brother. Why would he care about justice?"
Esme pursed her lips. How many brothers existed in this place? How many Princes? And these brothers even wanted to kill each other. They wanted to kill their own flesh and blood? Did King Rezeph send them here on purpose because he wanted to dispose of them? She almost cried at the thought.
’’I have heard that...’’ One of the women looked around carefully, ’’The woman with golden hair...’’
’’And green eyes...? I saw her going towards Prince Cardan’s room.’’
Esme’s jaw dropped. Golden hair. Green eyes. She knew only one woman or one family with an appearance like that. The Norwell family and the woman here should be Luciana.
’’..I heard she is Prince Cardan’s new mistress.’’
Esme: "..." Mistress Luciana?
’’He even whispered something in her ear. The gardeners saw it... Some people are saying that our Prince is doing her bidding and she is someone powerful.’’
Esme: "...’’ Lucy’s kept man?
"So he did these because those people offended her? But Prince Cardan never had a mistress or any woman in the past year no matter who threw herself at him...’’
Esme: "...’’ True lovers then?
’’It’s not our place to discuss that.’’
Esme: "...’’ You already discussed everything that was not your place to discuss.
’’They are even staying in the same room. She is that creature!"
Esme could not understand the exaggerated ’that’ creature.
’’A mermaid... Yes, she should be. She came here to represent the God of the Sea. How could she not be a sea creature?"
’’But don’t you understand what I mean?"
’’Oh, you are talking about that?"
Esme frowned. How would she understand if they kept saying ’that’?"
’’The pond in Prince Cardan’s room has existed for years and he never let any woman step inside it when he was with them. He dislikes seas and lakes since he was young after he fell into the dark lake once. Do you think he made it for her...?"
Esme blinked. Was this the reason Luciana eagerly pushed her inside the portal? So, she could come here and spend time with her lover after getting rid of her duties back in their kingdom?
Esme narrowed her eyes. They were going to talk about this.
One of the maids suddenly stiffened.
Her palm-sized waist twisted as she looked at the other maid, ’’We need to prepare for his bath...’’
The other gasped, ’’Let’s go. I will bring the flowers. You should get the oils...’’
’’Only Prince Cardan was enough for us to see between our lives and deaths everyday. And now we have another Prince...’’ They talked while walking away.
So, there are only two Princes in this Dark Castle. Esme stored the information in her mind as she kept inching to the side so they would not see her shadow.
Her elbow grazed by a pot of lilies and she quickly grabbed it to stabilize it.
’’Who is there?"
Her head snapped in the direction of the voice and her hair flipped, throwing the stumbling pot to the ground which crashed, spilling all the water and the flowers.
Both the maids stopped.
Esme’s back hit what she thought was a wall and her eyes closed on instinct.
But in the next moment, the surface behind her moved and she felt herself falling backward.
’’Ssss...’’ Esme winced as she fell on the floor with her back.
The shimmering of the chandeliers greeted her visions and she slowly tilted her head, propping herself up on her elbows as she glanced towards the half-ajar door.
She realized that she had just pressed herself on a door, not some wall.
"Maybe it’s the wind.."
’’You just stay here and keep an eye. I... I think someone was here. I am so scared. It must one of those low maids eavesdropping on us so that they can rise in status by getting us discarded.’’
’’Yes... I will see who it is.’’
’’Dispose them if you catch someone.’’
Esme pressed her palm on her mouth, pushing herself to her feet while enduring the pain that shot through her lower back. What do you mean by dispose, huh? I was innocently passing by. Why did you have to stop in front of a curious person and discuss about their friend?
’’Mm... Go and make the preparations fast. Or else His Highness will dispose us first. I’ll guard his door.’’
