Chapter 1: Calanthir Kingdom

Calanthir Kingdom

Ona was in her usual spot under the tree with a beam of sun kissing the left side of her bare shoulder to arm leaving her dark chocolate brown skin glowing and shining while sitting on the round wooden chair without supporters covered by the blue long dress she put on.

Using her right arm engulfed by the apple tree shadow to paint the red apple inside the glassy cup filled with water afront the painting board before her eyes with the wind slightly blowing her long black 4c wavy hair lengthening to her lower back in the right direction.

The breeze was endearing.

However, her black eyes shifted abruptly when the long thick bronze gates of the palace creaked to open welcoming the black car driving inside with the male guards and female servants running to welcome whoever was inside the car.

Her eyes darted away to put down the brush in her hand so she could descend the well-designed cliff to see well the man, but the sound of the heel clacked against the dusty brownstone on the ground made her head turn swiftly with her lips separating in slow motion.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She stood still. Her eyes caught the handsome man with the white skin shimmering under the sun in his thin fabricated cream white shirt, exposing his chest while tucked neatly inside the dark brown well-tailored slack with the black and shiny formal shoes making the bold cluck with each step he was taking. 

The eyes of Ona never blinked. The man was ridiculously handsome and felt like she was under his spell.

Gosh! She received a side smile when the man slowly looked up to meet her gaze. Ona couldn't handle the heat but run away, but she knew that it was going to be inappropriate for her not to welcome the guest too. She was the princess in her royal – The Calanthir Kingdom.

She walked with her chest rising and falling from blowing air from her mouth maybe trying to calm herself down. To get rid of whatever spell she was cast under.

How can an unknown man make her feel that way? She had never experienced that feeling in her 23 years of existence.

Her wood sandals made no noise when she entered the palace. She took a halt, took a deep breath in – held it for a minute then out slowly. 

She found her parents and the servants side by side with bowed heads but her eyes were not yet seeing the man's profile, up until her shoe got dragged against the shiny white stone on the floor evidencing that she was not walking in wary.

The man peeped and her eyes were there to catch his handsome face again. She saw him acting in an abrupt motion to help her not to fall.

"Be careful," he said. With his left hand on her waist. So cold but giving her flutters. "Are you okay?"

"Thank you, and yes…. My… my dress got tucked under the shoe," true, her dress was long enough to get dragged on the floor too.

"I see, I'm sorry, I am Kalus Windsorrow from Valtira Kingdom," his voice was not helping much to Ona's stomach. It had sent piles of flutters with a smile that was escaping his lips.

Ona widened her eyes realizing that they were actually waiting for the guest for days and there he was in front of her taking her breath with every action he was making.

But she finally managed to open her lips by saying, "Nice to meet you Mr. Windsorrow, and I'm Princess Ona Astrum of this Kingdom." Her gulp was not audible enough for Kalus to hear.

She saw him stretching his hand to reach hers. She revealed her hand to him. He held it. Mmmh, tingles happened between their skins, she felt it then watched him placing a small kiss on her knuckles.

****** 

The Calanthir Kingdom had lost their trusted Accountant a month ago. Ronan was a great accountant, and the king loved him as his best friend. King Thome Astrum gave him an honourable funeral and it took him weeks to try to find another Accountant but he knew that the Kingdom needed one, so he made sure to send the word out.

That's when he received a letter from Valtira Kingdom assuring him about having the best Accountant with 10 years of experience, Kalus Windsorrow. And yes, Kalus never lied about his experience, he had worked from Kingdom to Kingdom over the past 10 years. When he received the news about the Calanthir Kingdom in need of a new Accountant, he made sure to apply for the position and he came along with his trusted assistant Gideon, they've been working together for the past 10 years and very well.

When he arrived in the Calanthir Kingdom, he was welcomed with love by the guards, servants, Queen, and King then the princess he had been staring at for a moment that King Astrum had to distract them by clearing his throat.

He respectfully apologized for his behavior. 

I mean who would blame him, princess Ona was immensely gorgeous. Her beauty was made for any man to fall in love with her instantly.

Kalus moved his legs away from her sight to sit on the dark green royal couches highlighted with gold.

Queen Astrum had already made sure the guest's bedrooms were prepared weeks ago but she instructed her servants to quickly prepare them again with the male guards already taking the suitcases to the bedrooms.

"I apologize for arriving late, I had to make sure to be leaving the Kingdom in a good state first," Kalus said.

"We are glad that you're here and you will help us with the crisis," King Astrum said with an assuring tone. "So tell me, is there someone as good as you in your kingdom who will be in charge?" 

Kalus made a genuine laugh and said, "Yes, I had three apprentices that I made sure to strictly teach them everything and when I left, they did a very remarkable job."

"We need more men like you who don't want to be wit alone," King Astrum said. "

Whenever Kalus would steal glances at Ona who was sitting next to her mother, the Queen, her heart would skip a bit with flutters inside her stomach. His light brown eyes exuded the romantic man.

Ona stood up after she whispered to her mother that she wanted to check if the servants did a good job of preparing the bedrooms for the guests, her mother allowed her. Ona gestured for Nia, her trusted – her best friend servant to follow her. 

Nila, was 10 years older than Ona, with a husband already living in the royal cottage which they shared with few servants. She and Ona became best friends instantly from Ona's early age and she did a remarkable job for raising her.

King and Queen were the best parents that Ona wouldn't trade for the world. She was the only child to them with their Kingdom far from other kingdoms, and as well the other Kingdoms were far from each other.

She walked to the other side of the palace with Nia.

"Out with it," Ona said, she wasn't that oblivious with the facial expression Nia had been making beside her.

Nia shook her head with a flash of smile all over her endearing rose beige skin tone and curly red hair all over her face making her look younger.

"He's handsome right?" 

Ona gave her a side eye with pursed lips before agreeing with nods and, "Yes." 

"I mean, I have never seen you hiding blushes for a man and not staring deeply into his eyes when talking to you." Nia was right.

Ona never found any man in her kingdom attractive, not because they were not striking high profile or not handsome, all of the men in the kingdom were very handsome but not to Ona, and all of them had respected that. She was a princess after all.

They strode inside the first room of Gideon, the assistant of Kalus. Gideon was also striking wealth, but in a low position, not the same as Kalus. He was handsome too as he made the female servants unsettled and giggling in a faint tone.

He had noticed that. His height and body type were the same as Kalus's, tall and masculine but with a different hair hue. Gideon had light brown hair cut while Kalus was a blonde, slicked back and wavy to his neck.

Ona and Nia had admired how the room was sparkling before going to the next room.

"So, do you think if he asks you to have a day with him would you allow him?" Nia asked in a wary tone.

"If he does yes, the butterflies in my stomach had not been giving me a break," her voice was toned down even though there was no one around them to hear, she couldn't risk it.

"I saw the way he looks at you and the way he spotted you outside, it felt like his soul and yours called each other, or maybe hearts."

"Do you think he's interested in me that much?" before Ona could get an answer from Nia!

The deep voice transmitted faintly in her ears saying, "Princess Ona." With a hand placement on her lower break.

Gosh! Her heart skipped. Knees seized with numbness. 

Her turn was swift and her chest hit the hard chest with her upper chest.

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