To Bewitch a Devil

“You think I am a rake?”

He asked, looking amused. At that instant, Neera realized she had not prevented him from reading her thoughts and her cheeks flushed.

“You shouldn’t do that.” She said, looking away from him.

“Do what?” Axel asked;

“Read people’s thoughts. It’s bad manners.”

“I’m a demon, you should have prevented me from reading your thoughts, and even though, that is not an excuse for you to judge me without even asking.” Axel spoke, pouting his lips.

Neera smiled, as she dug into her food.

“It’s not like my opinion matters, and I did not say it out loud, you pried into my thoughts.”

.....

“Okay, but I’m not a rake. Although I get that a lot.” He paused, as though waiting for her to speak, but Neera did not say a word, she just ate quietly.

Axel stared at her for a moment, then leaned closer to her on the table. Neera inched backward when she saw him come close; her eyes wide.

“I like you, you’re cute,” Axel said and she blinked, after some seconds she smiled.

“That’s exactly what a rake would say, your Majesty.” She replied with a low chuckle.

“Axel, call me Axel; and I’m serious, I do like you.”

Neera smiled and continued eating. Her purpose for sitting with him was to get fed, when she was done, she would be on her way, but she continued to engage with him to pass time.

“And I do not like you, Your Majesty,” She replied.

It was not as if she hated the Prince, he was good-looking and was a prince. If he indeed was interested in her, she would become a Princess, and leave this god-forsaken kingdom. Who would not want that?

But she did not have the luxury to love.

She could not tell him that she was about to be killed to revive the dead queen, so she just smiled.

“Ouch, that was hurtful,” Axel replied, one hand on his chest as though he was feeling pain.

Neera chuckled, “you should be over five hundred years old, you can’t tell me this is the first time you’re being turned down by a woman.” She said, arching her brows.

“It is. Have you seen this face?” Axel spoke, pointing at his face; “And I’m a prince, who would turn down a prince?”

Neera looked at him closely for the first time. He was indeed handsome, with sea-blue eyes, and he was a prince, indeed nobody would turn down a prince.

When Neera noticed she was staring for too long, she looked back at her food.

“Well, I guess I’ll be the first woman to turn you down, then.” She smiled,

“Why? Do you have someone you like?”

“Must I have someone I like to not be interested?” She asked, eating quickly now. She wanted to stuff her stomach enough to last her the whole day.

“No, but I don’t think I’ve done something wrong, have I?”

“You have not, Your Majesty. I just do not like you.”

Axel stared at her in silence, as though he could not believe his ears.

“Tell me, what do I need to do to win your love?”

He asked but at this juncture, Neera stood up and picked some meat from the plate wrapping it up with her loaf of bread. She hesitated as though thinking of a reply, then she spoke;

“Nothing. You can’t do anything, Your Majesty. I cannot love you.”

She said and turned towards the door; “thank you for the food, Your Majesty.”

“Wait!” Axel tried to stop her, but before he could stand from his chair she had left the room.

Neera shut the door after she got into her room, panting softly. Thankfully she had not met anyone on the way. She walked to the table and placed the bread and the chunk of meat she had gotten from Axel’s breakfast and then walked to the bed.

Lying down on the end, she sighed softly as her thoughts ran back to her discussion with him.

When he said he liked her, a part of her wanted to dream. A part of her wanted to be selfish.

She wanted to ask him to take her away, she wanted to ask him to help her escape from here, but as the words reached her lips she swallowed them back.

She was not stupid. There was no way she would escape the claws of the king. He was having mercy on her now, but what would happen when he finds out that she was trying to run away?

She couldn’t risk it, and what assurance did she have that a Prince would take a liking to a slave girl. She should not be delusional.

Neera sighed and closed her eyes, she was about to sleep when she heard chirping by her window side. A smile stretched her lips as she stood up and let the little bird in.

Walking to the table, she took some crumbs in her hand and fed the bird.

“What do I do with you?” she thought with a smile as the bird ate from her hand.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Neera startled as the bird flew away and she turned to the door.

The knock came again before she walked to the door and opened it;

“Your Majesty.” Neera bowed when she saw Freya standing outside, quickly shifting to the side, she let Freya in.

Freya’s eyes took in the room as she walked inside, there was a thousand thoughts on her face but her lips did not say a word.

Turning to the girl, she spoke;

“The Dukes are leaving in a few days, until then, you have to stay here. I cannot risk them seeing you, just lay low until they are gone. The Princesses are less of a problem than the Dukes, so you can come out after they are gone.”

She said and Neers nodded. Freda stared at her for a while and then turned to the door and walked out.

Needs heaved a sigh after she had left the room. She was grounding her without a single care about how she would eat or drink.

Neera was not surprised though. She knew the only reason Freya had not killed her was because of the king. So she did not expect her to be worried about her in the least.