23 Breakfast With The King (II)

Looking at the large tall figure that stood before her, Genevieve felt her heart leap out of control. Her heart intensely thundered against her little chest, triggering series of ragged breath.

Above everyother thing, his mask stood in limelight. She noticed, he wasn't wearing the usual silver mask that covered almost his entire face. Rather it was a black mask with gold designs, that covered only his eye region, leaving the rest of his face visible.

However, by merely glancing at his foreign look, she didn't know why she felt another emotion subtly stir up in her…but it wasn't fear. Maybe because his revealed features looked so appealing.

"G-good m-morning, Y-your M-majesty." Genevieve forced out those words, only making the king's amused smirk deepen.

Her eyes widened when the king's face, which towered hers, suddenly started to move closer, but just when his lips neared her ear, she heard him whisper,

"Are you sure there is something good about the morning, Genevieve? All I hear is that constant racing heart that never seems to end and a terrified look that seems to continually stirred up at my presence."

"I-I-" the frozen princess trailed off, turning stupefied.

"One of these days, I'm sure you might get a die from a heart attack, before I even get the luxury to lay my hands on you…" the king tsked heartlessly, "How saddening."

With each word he uttered, she could feel the air, hitting on her neck, making her jolt internally.

Maximilian pulled away in the next moment. His eyes turned to the direction of dining set, walking there. Meanwhile Genevieve gazed at him, while remaining as still as a statue.

As she watched him walk away, his steps resembled the daunting steps of a villainous tyrant…who he actually was and as she had guessed, Genevieve saw the king walk to the larger chair at the middle, sitting down on it.

He was wearing a royal blue robe, with black slacks beneath, his crownless hair was tousled making him seem like anything other but a king. He looked crazy and frightening.

Genevieve was still standing unmoving from her position, when she saw his grey eyes snap to her direction. His hand then unexpectedly motioned at her,

"Come here," the king spoke, his words snapping her. However, Genevieve's feet anxiously remained glued to the ground.

His eyes narrowed slightly at her hesitance, "Don't tell me you plan on standing there Genevieve? If you plan on getting busy, I certainly have other interesting things in mind for you. But you standing is the last thing I want. "

His utterances sounded more like a threat than a statement, making her quickly move from her position. Under his watchful gaze, Genevieve found herself walking to the dining set and with tightly clenched fists, she soon arrived at the table.

The seat she had intended to sit on was two seats away from him, but Maximilian didn't buy the idea, and the moment Genevieve attempted to sit, the king did something unpredictable.

His hand caught hold of Genevieve's wrist, pulling her closer to him with her eyes widened at his actions. Rather, she soon found herself closely seated next to the king.

"Y-your M-majesty…." She trailed off, with a shocked look.

"I never ordered you to sit two seats away from me, Did I, Genevieve?" He asked with a hint of intimidation, his head tilted at her.

The tension between Maximilian and Genevieve was thick enough to cut with a knife. Her every movement seemed to be under his scrutiny, and she found herself struggling to maintain composure in his presence. The king's unpredictable nature was keeping her on edge, and she could feel her heart racing even faster now that he was so close.

"No, Your Majesty," Genevieve whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I apologize for my...misunderstanding."

Maximilian's lips curved into a smirk, his eyes fixated on her like a predator stalking its prey.

"Of course, Genevieve. You will always sit close to me." He declared, "You are my bride after all, did you forget?"

"N-no," her voice replied unsteadily.

"Good, you should start familiarizing yourself with being close to me. You can't avoid me…. even if you wanted to." He revealed, making her feel her heart clench. Yet his words were true. A truth she couldn't deny.

The sound of the dining door broke the tension, as the servants began to bring in the breakfast, while they remained utterly silent.

Two female maids pushed in two trolleys, each containing different dishes. However, Genevieve noticed that the servants seemed as tense and nervous as she was, not daring to speak or look in the king's direction.

They began to serve the food on the table, placing them before the king and Genevieve. The maids who noticed how Genevieve sat so close to the king, didn't even dare to stare nosily, knowing their head would eventually be served on the plate rather than the food.

When the maids left, the atmosphere in the dining room was heavy with tension, and Genevieve could feel the sweat forming on the back of her neck.

She was now staring wordlessly at the dishes that were placed before her, until she heard him order, "Eat, Genevieve!!"

But when she subconsciously remained unmoving, she heard him utter, "Shall I feed you myself?"

The tension in the air was palpable, like a taut wire about to snap. Genevieve felt her stomach churn with nerves as Maximilian's words echoed in her mind. She knew she couldn't disobey him, yet her body seemed frozen in place.

"No, please," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "I'll eat."

Slowly, she reached for her fork, her hand trembling slightly as she picked up a piece of porridge potato. She put it into her mouth, feeling the delicious taste in her tongue.

The food in the castle was so good, she couldn't deny it. Much better than what she had to always eat back in Alexandria. Nevertheless, she couldn't stay focused on the food.

"You're fortunate, Genevieve," Maximillian suddenly said, his voice low and dangerous. "Not everyone gets to taste the richness of a king's table. And I trust you'll not forget that fact."

Genevieve swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. "No, Your Majesty. I'll never forget."

The king leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving hers. "The privilege of eating with the king is something that many would kill for. And yet, you sit here, unable to eat."

"Tell me, Genevieve, what is it that you fear?" Maximilian asked, his voice calm but commanding. "Is it the food that you fear, thinking it might attack you? or is it that you can't stand me watching you eat?"

Genevieve's hands trembled, the fork in her hand shaking slightly as she tried to control her nerves. "I-I'm not afraid, Your Majesty," she said, her voice small.

Maximilian's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Not afraid? Then prove it. Let me feed you Genevieve.".