Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 1409 - 8 : Just Out of Reach

*Saoirse*

I clutched the note tightly in my hands, staring down at it with shock still etched across my face. The perky servant was looking at me with wide, excited eyes. I swallowed once before opening the envelope and pulling out a sheet of expensive parchment. The script was so neat that it could have only come from the sure-handed prince.

It read, “Miss Saoirse, I hope that you are well. I regret to inform you that we were not able to recover all of your belongings. I hope that the replacement clothes will suffice for the duration of your stay. Please alert me or any of the staff members if this is not the case.

“It is understandable that after the ordeal you’ve experienced, you must have been feeling far too shaken to leave your room. While I do wish for you to be rested, I did not wish for you to go hungry. Sincerely, Prince Rhys.”

I felt my hands tremble a little bit. It was not just from the hunger but from the thoughtfulness of the prince who barely knew me. I put the note back in the envelope and set it carefully on the large wooden desk before looking at the food and giggling.

The servant gave me a startled look. “Is there something the matter with the food?” she asked with concern.

I shook my head. “No, not at all,” I said, giving the dishes another once-over. “It’s just a little more than I can eat on my own.”

That was a bit of an understatement. The prince had sent up a whole array of options that would have fed a few people. There were roasted vegetables, duck with some kind of savory sauce, decadent-looking cakes, fish of some sort, and some chocolates.

The servant laughed a little as well. “His Majesty wasn’t sure what you would like, I imagine.”

I smiled and started to dig into the food, trying to do so slowly since I had an audience. The servant insisted on keeping me company while I ate. I didn’t mind. She was kind enough with her dark hair and warm brown eyes.

“My name is Edith,” she said when there was a pause in the conversation.

My eyes rounded. “I’m so sorry for not introducing myself,” I said fretfully. “How rude of me. My name is Saoirse.”

Edith waved a hand at me. “Don’t be sorry. I heard you’ve been through a lot and haven’t regained all your strength. I should have introduced myself earlier as well.”

I smiled softly at her. She seemed like a nice person. She was probably just a little older than me. “How long have you been at the palace?” I asked curiously.

“A couple of years now,” she said, pursing her lips as she thought about it. Then, her eyes brightened. “I love it though. Everyone here is so kind, and it’s so much less stressful than my last position.”

I smiled politely, nodding at the appropriate times and trying not to wince when she mentioned the others being nice. Edith had been the first so far to offer me a genuine smile and friendship. The others seemed to despise me and wonder why their precious prince was wasting his time helping me.

After Edith left, I crawled into bed and tried to fall asleep, but my mind was so busy with all of the stuff that happened. My heart ached as I worried about my village. Fear struck me as I imagined Conall’s cold, slimy touch on my skin.

When I shut my eyes and did manage to fall asleep, I would jolt awake due to the nightmares of flying beasts. When I wasn’t dreaming about those winged monsters, I was dreaming about Conall and his cruelty. It was a wonder that I didn’t wake up screaming after each one.

Eventually, I could stand it no longer and wandered over to the large window, gazing out over the lush Egoren gardens. I pulled my feet up onto the armchair and rested my chin on my knees, praying to the Moon Goddess that everything would turn out alright.

Thankfully, there were no more nightmares for the last couple of hours before the sun rose.

I woke up to someone shaking me gently. I groaned, feeling stiff and sore as I sat up and looked around, wondering why I was so cold and stiff.

“Miss Saoirse,” Edith said, her voice filled with concern.

“Ahh,” I groaned, embarrassment coloring my features as I realized I had fallen asleep in the plush armchair by the window. I squinted up at Edith. “I am so sorry.”

“No need to apologize,” Edith said quickly, but her eyebrows furrowed with worry. “Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? Should I go fetch a healer?”

I reached out and grabbed her arm before she could alert the whole palace that their quest was a nutcase. “No, no,” I said. “I’m okay. I was just having trouble sleeping, so I decided to sit up for a little while and must have dozed off.”

“I’m glad you’re alright,” Edith said. I could tell that she meant it. Her deep brown eyes brightened as she gestured behind her. “Would it be alright if I helped you get dressed, and then you can have the breakfast I brought you?”

I blinked. “Oh, that really won’t be necessary. I am more than capable of dressing myself.”

“It would be my honor,” Edith said. “And besides, the dresses that the prince had brought up to you are kind of complicated to put on, especially on your own.”

My shoulders sagged, but I relented, nodding. I reminded myself that I was the guest of royalty, so I couldn’t expect to dress myself. I stood up and was a little surprised when I realized that I still felt sore from the beating I had taken. While Edith chose a dress for me, I rummaged around the room and found the medicine the doctor had prescribed me for the pain. I swallowed it with some water from the breakfast tray.

“I think this one would look gorgeous on you,” Edith said, holding up a light spring green gown with floral patterns on the hem and sleeves. She wiggled her eyebrows. “I think this color will bring out your eyes.”

I laughed, feeling my cheeks turn red. Edith helped me into the gown with quick, practiced hands, working the buttons on the back and helping me straighten it out. I hated to admit it, but it would have been a challenge to put this dress on myself. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror, turning so I could see the dress from all angles. It was a flattering cut, giving me more curves than I actually had.

I looked at my face and frowned dejectedly. It felt like my face and slightly rumpled hair didn’t really match the gown’s beauty. I sighed, looking away. I was still the same village girl underneath the expensive gown. I reminded myself that there was nothing wrong with that.

Edith emerged from the attached bathroom and held out some hair and make-up supplies. Before I could protest, she ushered me into a chair and started to pull a brush through my long wavy hair.

“You have beautiful, thick hair,” she said as she worked the brush through, over and over. She then sprayed some strong-smelling stuff into it, causing me to cough slightly.

Several minutes later, she allowed me to stand. I looked in the mirror, my jaw dropping as I gazed at the young woman, whose face was all cream and roses and whose bright green eyes were actually standing out brightly.

And yet, somehow, the girl still looked like me.

Edith grinned at me and squeezed my shoulders. “You’re beautiful,” she said firmly as if reading my mind. “Now you should really eat something. You didn’t eat much last night. You need to regain your strength.”

I obeyed, picking up the fruit and yogurt from the tray and nibbling on them while Edith pulled up a chair across from me.

“So what would you like to do today?” she asked excitedly. She started to list things off of her fingers, counting them out. “We could go to the theater, do some shopping, or visit the famous Egoren museums.”

I blinked at her, surprised by the outburst. I knew I was a guest, but I wasn’t there to be on vacation by any means. Still, it wasn’t like I had anything to do at the moment, so I pursed my lips and thought, grimacing as I stretched and felt my muscles protest at the simple movement.

“Would it be alright if I visited the palace library?” I asked hopefully. The thought of walking around town with my aching muscles and bruises sounded like torture.

Edith looked at me with surprise. “That’s really what you want to do?” she asked as if I had suggested we poke sticks under our fingernails. “Egoren really has a lot to offer in terms of entertainment and shopping. Would you really rather stay in the palace?”

I nodded. “It’s a gorgeous palace,” I said. “It would be fun to explore it a little, starting with the library.”

Edith stared at me in disbelief for a moment before shrugging her thin shoulders and offering me her signature excited smile. She then led me out of the room and down a long hallway. “Maybe when you’re feeling more up to it, we can go to the museums,” she said as we walked. “There’s one dedicated to the ancient texts of Egoren that you would love, I’m sure.”

She spent the whole walk to the library trying to convince me to leave the palace grounds, but I just smiled politely until we finally made it to the library.

I was not disappointed. The walls were a rich light blue with gold fixtures. The furniture was a deep, dark, rich wood that matched the vintage book bindings perfectly. The room was huge and had to be more than ten times the size of the large guest room I was staying in. Bookshelves lined the walls and went all the way up to the ceiling.

Edith giggled. “I’m glad you like it,” she said, looking at my face and smiling brightly. She frowned when footsteps sounded behind us.

Another young servant burst into the room. “Edith, we need you in the kitchen! There’s been a disastrous spill!”

My eyes widened. “Do you need help?”

Edith rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, Miss Saoirse,” she said. “This happens more often than I care to let on. It shouldn’t be too hard to clean up, just the cooks being klutsy. Please enjoy the library.” She then followed the other servant out, leaving me alone.

I smiled and couldn’t help but twirl a little through the shelves. It was the most gorgeous library I had ever seen. I danced over to one of the shelves. After spotting an intriguing title, I reached up toward the highest shelf to grab it.

I huffed. It was just out of my reach. I stretched onto my tiptoes, determined. I froze when a familiar, warm presence washed over me. I turned and found myself staring into the intense dark eyes of Prince Rhys.

I tried to speak, but no words came out as I instantly got lost in the prince’s eyes.

“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. His rich voice was soft and gentle like a caress. There was such a small distance between our bodies that I was noticing details I hadn’t earlier—the muscle definition beneath his shirt, the enticing scent of pine and rainwater.

“You didn’t really,” I murmured, feeling shy under his intense gaze. I swallowed audibly. “Thank you for the dinner last night. It was very thoughtful of you.”

“I was happy to do it,” he said gently, and then his dark eyes traveled up to the book I had been trying to get. “Allow me to assist you with that.” He reached up and easily grabbed the book that was out of my reach. His fingers brushed mine, causing a spark to go through my body.

“Thank you,” I said as he handed me the book. I swallowed audibly, willing my cheeks not to burn too much.

“You are very welcome, Miss Saoirse,” he said, his eyes suddenly and impossibly bright as he smiled. “That title is one of my favorites.”

I swallowed hard, feeling extremely flustered. “I didn’t expect to meet you in here,” I admitted, hoping that it didn’t sound as lame as it did to my own ears.

My heart nearly stopped as his eyes bore into mine.