Favors of Mind

"How many vote for the acceptance of the terms?" A couple eight hands were raised.

"And how many for the refusal?" Six hands raised in the air. Each circumstance being noted by Dale. Ella was surprised to find Mr. Park raising vote for the acceptance of the terms.

"That decides then. We will welcome the prince tomorrow to convince him in joining hands with the city." She received approving nods from the most, to finalize the day. With each of them leaving the hall, Ella sighed and rested her head in her hands on the table, a few strands coming out of her bun in the process.

"You didn't ask for my vote."

"I didn't have to. I knew you'd vote for the favor."

"Absolutely not. I'd have voted against this whole mess."

"Right. It still wouldn't matter." She spoke tiredly.

"The importance of a CEO here is palpable!" Roy raised his hands in the air complaining.

"Then as a CEO you would vote for the terms." He was going to object when she interrupted, "The meeting is over. It doesn't matter now what you would vote or not. I'm tired, I'm going to sleep now."

"Now?"

"Yeah had a long day."

"And a night..."

She pretended to not hear him and rounded the hall to get past all the chairs, she was about to exit the room when he called, "Miss Kingsly, if you need anything at night, I'll be there. Close by." She resumed walking out with her blushing cheeks and reminder of the last night.

Dinner with the governor was going... pleasant. Involving many condolences for Mark Kingsly with loads of wine, the man was mourning the two year past loss. Especially considering he was elected as the governor only last year, thus the amount of sorrow from his side seemed too much even for the hosts present.

"...to that man. He built a great empire to the world. No force can stop this corporation from ruling over the world. As the history speaks, we Englands have managed to conquer everything and everywhere." She smiled uneasily at his words, which were half disappearing from her thoughts.

Continuing to eat her beans she heard Roy speak, "Actually the empire was built long before you were born. Perhaps you met him then?" The governor was around his 30's which wasn't exactly enough to present a judgement surely.

Bischoff tried to smile at that and said, "Ahhah, you joke well. You are very lucky to have someone like him by your side, Miss."

Roy gave a sweet smile to the man whom he had appointed to work for him, "Aye Bischoff. You think so well of me. How is the party faring? Did the Union come to an agreement?"

"Ah, they were too stubborn. But people are all the same. It was easy to..." Their voices faded from Ella's ears which Roy noticed as he was staring at her distracted look the whole evening. Since he had sent a maid to help her in getting dressed, she seemed to be spacing out in between the whole dinner, just like now.

Skidding her spoon on her plate her mind returned to the dream she saw before being woken up. It was her father warning her to stay away from Roy; which was strange in all conscience. The person who had taught her to rely on only one man when the whole world was against her, his sudden change of interception caused an alarm for her. Was she doing right? Or was she thinking too much?

Through her thoughts when she had stopped eating altogether was unknown to her until she heard a dead silence around the table. She looked up from her sight to the two men seated opposite to each other, with their gazes already on her. One with concern and the other with curiosity.

Ella started to apologize for not being present mentally, "I-I am sorr-"

"It's alright my queen. We all feel for our fathers," the governor proclaimed sorrowful, probably thinking of his own. He continued sadly, "I think of my own too."

"I am sorry, I wasn't aware."

"Oh no no, he's alive. Just away. Not here, in the countryside. He never liked the city so remained back." She nodded to him and involuntarily swiped her gaze to the other one who was watching her too deeply. Turning her focus back to the food, she sipped wine from her glass. The dinner came to an end finally with no more sorrow stories in the process.

Ella and Roy were present for seeing the governor out who was continuously praising her and kissing her hand more than once in farewell, waiting for his ride to come along the way. After three kisses, Roy snatched the hand from her hold saying, "Move back before I brand your face with my hand."

The man gulped at that, correcting himself, "You are mistaken Mr. Knight. I was just praising my thanks to our heir." The malice on Roy's face was enough to stop the governor from uttering another word and stand quietly with his hand clutched behind the back.

As the car arrived poised right in front of the stairs the governor turned to them but his eyes remaining on the lady saying, "Goodnight Mi-"

"Night." The stern voice stopped him to say anything further. He left before he did anything to face the ire of that man who was clutching the Mistress behind him like an armor. It wasn't like he was hitting on the lady, but he wanted to keep good favors from her in future. Forming a private relationship with the Queen herself would be a benefit for him and his position. Thinking about Mr. Knight, the man's dreams shattered into pieces. Grunting, that his fate being evolved around the two of them was too frustrating.

"What was that?" He asked with his back to her in the same position.

"What?"

He breathed deeply and said, "That man was touching you unnecessarily and you didn't say anything."

She actually didn't say anything. He turned to her gritting his teeth, "You behave like this with every man?"

"You are not talking sense. He was eventually going to let go."

"When? After fucking you?"

She met his eyes and spoke nothing, which was stranger for Roy knowing how much repulsive the woman was. "You are thinking too much." She finally voiced out. Turning to leave the pavement and entering the palace, she went into her room directly. Closing the door she undressed from the formals she had worn for the dinner, into her long sleeved shirt coming up to her knees.

Picking up the book she was already reading, made herself comfortable around the pillows and the blanket. She was reading through the researches revealed in a human's mind, she jumped when her room door opened. Finding the reason, she saw his silhouette in the dim room. As she was the only reading, she had switched off the lights except the bedside lamps, which helped her in recognizing him.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"You too."

"I was reading a book." He stared at her, she knew it even though she wasn't able to see his face clearly. Walking over to the other side of the bed he lied there without hesitation. Should she question about him sleeping here with her, but the moment she was about to open her mouth, she remembered they had slept before. Only slept, nothing further. The philosophy in her mind was turning to something too hot, distracting her substantively.

"What are you reading?"

"Incognito."

"The same page that you are reading since I'm here. What line are you reading for too long?" She couldn't help feeling embarrassed. It wasn't five minutes since his arrival, of course he would notice.

She cleared her throat, "The language is bit complicated to understand at once," meeting his eyes who nodded understandingly at her. Blinking away from him she focused back in her book talking about inner conscious. She tried focusing further but her inner conscious seemed to be not present in the right place.

"Did you want something?" she started feeling his eyes on her still.

"Yes."

Ella waited for him to say more, when he didn't she looked up from the book and looked at him. Meeting his eyes she noticed a strange look in them, filled with too much affection, or was it something else? No one had ever looked at her like that or maybe she was observing around herself only now. "You are distracting me Roy."

"I love it when you say my name. Fitting one isn't it?" She gave him a bored look and shook her head relaxing herself in her pillow.

"Why wouldn't it be? Your mother named it."

"Yeah." She felt him shift near to her, making her aware of it even though her eyes were set inside the book. Suppressing the tremble in her body when his leg touched hers in the process, she shifted slightly away from his side to face him, "Are you planning on sleeping here?"

"Yes."

"Isn't your bed big enough?"

"Uh, it's far enough."

"Get on the other side if you want to sleep here." He obliged confirming, "Is it right milady?" She nodded and concentrated back on her book. Easier said than done with the feeling of his eyes on hers.

Finally Ella closed the book with a snap turning to him, "Stop staring at me."

"I'm not."

"What are you doing now?"

"You spoke to me first. Hence I acknowledged, it's bad manners to talk without facing each other." He gave his perfect scenario explanation.

"I'm trying to read the book."

"It's boring."

"You don't know that!"

"Of course I do. You are not able to focus since half hour."

"And who do you think is at fault for that?" Ella narrowed her eyes.

"It isn't my fault that I hold your focus more than the other things. I don't mind it." Within their bickering when had they both shifted so close to each other that their lips were facing at one level. With another move from either side would lead to them touching each other. Finding the compromising position Ella shifted back to her side, then he pulled her to him through her waist, resulting in her left hand placed on his chest.

"Since I won your mind, you can't go back." His eyes trapping hers took the book from her other hand and threw it on the other side of the room. It broke her concentration on him with a gasp.

"I was reading that!"

"I mean it. You can't go back once you are mine."