The Annoyer and The Annoyed (II)

Meanwhile, Charlotte continued to drag Alexander through the castle grounds, and as she dragged him, Alexander's mouth only continued to utter compliments that cringed and vexed her.

The next moment, her fingers got hold of his ears, pulling it hard.

"Ouch!!" Yelled Alexander, "That hurts, Lottie. Do you intend to pull off my ears?"

Charlotte's eyes rolled for the umpteenth time, "Of course, I intend to pull it off and chop it alongside the vegetables in the kitchen."

"How mean," he commented, a smile he couldn't help formed once more on his face, contrasting the pain he felt from Charlotte's grip.

Of course, he could have effortlessly pulled away, but what more entertainment could they be than being punished by the girl who was close to his heart?

Alexander's smile widened, "You know Lottie, I intended to make the very best dish out of my ear, you don't have to be in such a rush, else I might think you can't wait to have a taste of me." He commented.

Charlotte cringed again. Only Alexander could say such a cheesy thing.

With a defeated sigh, she removed her hand from Alexander's ear, lest she wanted to hear more of his nonsense, "Suit yourself."

Nevertheless, Charlotte's hand still held his shoulder as she continued dragging him. Alexander's loud voice attracted the stares of the servants around, and they didn't need an angel to tell them it was the king's assistant and his right-hand man.

"Tell me Lottie, why are you so riled up with my presence in the garden…afraid I am going to steal her attention and leave you lonely?"

"Pttf, Genevieve is a poor and innocent soul. The last thing I need is you corrupting her with your annoying and dramatic presence."

"Annoying?" Alexander's grin stretched wider, "How rude. I thought I was entertaining to your soul." 

Charlotte gritted her teeth at his sarcasm, "Yes, you're an entertaining nuisance." 

"So where do you intend on taking me to? The dungeon?"

"Somewhere you'll hate the most." finally, a satisfying smile crept its way up her face as she devised where to take him to.

The servants quarter.

 It was the worst place in the castle. Not because it was filled with nosy servants, but because Mrs. Sharon, the head maid lived there.

She talked a lot. Using every opportunity to tell boring and long stories to anyone she saw, especially her two favorite people, Alexander and Charlotte, who in turn disliked her presence. And this terrified Alexander. Especially when she continuously told unfunny jokes and he was forced to laugh.

Meanwhile, at that moment, a pair of feet with a usual daunting stride clicked on the marble floor, walking through the hallways and to the castle grounds.

After Genevieve's departure, Maximilian had the remaining of breakfast in the usual silence that screamed nothing but danger. 

Genevieve's presence had somewhat intrigued him like no other, and he realized how he would completely keep her by his side to feed his boredom when eating.

He had changed into his royal outfit, a crown gracing his head, as he had one place in mind to go, and it was outside the castle of Darkshire. After his arrival with Genevieve, he had not stepped out of the castle, and he decided to spend awhile out today.

As the king made his way to the castle ground, the servants who sensed his presence had already scrambled away, lest they were unfortunate to fall into his notice.

Maximilian still had Genevieve's thought in mind, when a certain voice he deemed annoying echoed in his ears.

It belonged to none other than Alexander. Someone who Maximilian planned to throw off a cliff one day for his constant annoyance.

His sharp gaze swiftly shifted, to see his right-hand man and personal assistant in a state of argument as always, making his eyes slightly narrow at them.

When Charlotte suddenly sighted the king from afar, his demeanor was impenetrable and calm, yet concealing some sort of dark energy.

His eyes were boring into theirs from a distance, and she finally freed Alexander from her hold. 

"Thank Goodness, Char…" commented Alex, stretching his neck to relieve the discomfort that Charlotte's grip got him. Nevertheless, his green eyes also caught sight of the king, making his face light up.

Without another moment, the duo made their way to the king.

Maximilian's hands slipped into the brown coat he wore, visibly annoyed. Nevertheless, his eyes remained on Charlotte who had been absent from the castle for three days.

"Good morning, Lian." She bowed, addressing the king informally, which he didn't mind. It had been a name they both had long called him for more than a decade, even though he was the king. They were the closest people to him in the entire world. 

A smile surfaced on her lips when she heard him comment, "There is barely anything good about the morning, Charlotte. Where have you been? I was expecting your presence after your arrival, but seems you got worked up with another thing which I have no idea about."

His gaze was lazy and his words deadpanned.

Charlotte's lips pressed into a thin line. It seemed like she should have come first to meet the king, "Well… I was at the…"

"The garden. Char sure loves to smell the plants and flowers." Again, Alexander intruded with a knowing smile, making her shoot him a glare.

"You don't seem like a flower person to me, Charlotte. Unless you decided to change your preference along the line." Stated Maximilian, his eyes somewhat narrowing further.

Charlotte sighed, "I was with your bride, Lian. She is a very fascinating person." she revealed. 

There was no need to cover up that she had been with her. There was no way Maximilian would punish Genevieve, as the princess feared, for going with her to the garden.

At the mention of Genevieve, Maximilian's narrowed gaze cleared, replaced by a questioning look.

It somehow surprised him how Charlotte had ended up with Genevieve first thing after her arrival.

It seemed Genevieve as a person would draw eyes and attention to her. Maybe he would soon have to lock her in her room and never let her out again.

"How interesting." Commented the king.

Charlotte didn't need a seer to tell her that the king's words contrasted his thoughts. 

"You don't have to feel so riled up, Lian. She looked so lonely, and I thought to give her company. There was no harm in it." 

Earlier, Charlotte had been going to the dining room were the servants informed her that the king was in, not until she saw Genevieve and her mindset changed. Nevertheless, Charlotte was happy for the time they both had spent.

"Of course, a time of bonding is a time that should never be missed…" he drawled in an intimidating manner, "Especially with my bride."

"How was your journey, Charlotte?" Maximilian then changed the topic, to the very reason she left the castle.

Charlotte, relieved, breathed at the king's change of the subject. " As usual, it was about the suitors."

Charlotte Winslow, the Baron's daughter had received a letter six days ago from her father, Baron Anthony Winslow, of a ball as always, informing her of her needed presence. As usual, she had to pick a suitor….a suitor she never ended up with anyway.

She sighed softly, "Father never gets tired of riling me up, with his obsessive quest about finding me a partner."

Maximilian's lips curled, "The more reason I wanted to help you get rid of him. Tough luck that you declined my kind gesture."

Charlotte slightly frowned, "He's still my father, though." 

Though she was twenty-four years old, Charlotte still didn't have marriage on her mind, compared to most females in the kingdom who already got married at sixteen. 

She wanted to be a skilled fighter…a Dame. Unfortunately, her father would never approve of it. So she used her time in learning archery.

To her, men weren't worth it. The last three suitors her father had gotten for her, had tried to have their way with her, and yes, they all ended up with broken bones in their body.

"Good luck getting indulged with more suitors." Maximilian commented in a deadpanned voice.

"I don't intend to go back there for the next one year, no matter how he persuades me." She murmured.

Alexander's grin couldn't help but widen more. "This is why you should have ended up with me, Lottie. You would have saved your father the stress of finding more annoying suitors f–" 

Charlotte slapped Alexander's chest. " I would gladly tear out my spleen than marry you, Alex."

"Well, nobody knows what the future holds, Lottie."

She pulled Alexander's hair for dreaming that he would have a future with her.

"How cruel." He responded with a light groan.

Due to the king's presence, her plan to deal with Alexander had been ruined, and she would need to go back to Genevieve. She knew the king's bride might be feeling lonely."

"I will go back to the Garden, Lian. I feel she must be lonely without company." said Charlotte.

Rather than Maximilian ending her time with Genevieve, he gave her an approving nod. 

Maximilian didn't intend on going there. He decided to let her be. He had all the time in the world to torture her. 

Charlotte took one step closer to the king, as she suddenly said emotionally, "Please be gentle with her, Lian. She is so helpless and fragile. She might break if you don't go easy on her."

She knew the king wouldn't hurt her, but he could certainly terrify her with his every word and actions.

"If I intended on going hard on her, I'm sure she would have arrived at Darkshire incomplete, Charlotte." 

Charlotte nodded in understanding. That was all she needed.

Maximilian's hands slipped deeper in his coat as he watched her feminine figure retreat. When Charlotte had left, his gaze turned to Alexander, who still wore his grin as his eyes were on Charlotte's direction.

"I'm certain that one of these days, she will use your head as a target for her archery practice, if you continue annoying her"

Alexander chuckled, "I'd gladly give my head then."

"Suit yourself," commented the king in a deadpanned tone. He then ordered Alexander, "Get the horses prepared, Alex. We're going hunting."