CHAPTER 135: ALL FOR HERSELF

Earlier...

Lois didn’t expect to find herself in the arms of the man she met that night, and not just was he in the room, he was among the men coming for Jenna.

The watchman...

How was that even possible? Lois asked herself as she walked out of the hall without anyone noticing. She didn’t know what had happened, but when she met the man, she felt something in her chest that she couldn’t explain. It had only happened once, once, and it didn’t end well.

"Get yourself together," Lois murmured, resting her back on the closest wall, her chest rising and falling. Rubbing her palm on her face, she continued walking.

Lois knew she needed to do something, and it had to do with making sure that the man with forest eyes didn’t last long in the tournament. A man like him would only hurt Jenna, and she knew it.

If he had sneaked into the house just to look at women and was now back to fight for Jenna when Jenna’s heart belonged to someone else, then he was a sly fellow. Something had to be done.

What? Lois asked herself, stopping in her tracks. She had recognized him immediately. The scent from him was like the woods blessed with rain on a cold night. His cloak different from others, he was clad in black. Taller than everyone else. When he dismounted from his horse, Lois had seen his eyes, but before she could look closer Jenna asked for her help.

Yet it didn’t leave her mind. As she fixed Jenna’s dress, she tried to recall the features of the man she had seen that night. On standing up, she fell into his arms.

His arms! Lois snapped her fingers. That was it, the reason she recognized him. It was how she felt safe in his hold, how just one arm could wrap her whole body. Lois felt her heart slow in pace, she bit her fingers to relax.

It wasn’t the first time she met a man. Why was she feeling different? Why was she feeling like she needed to be in his arms again? Not her! She was never one to settle, being an option in a man’s list!

"Never!" Lois cried. When she realized how loud her voice was, she glanced around to be sure she was the only person in the hallway. Then she continued on her way, rubbing her chest as she walked.

The man had something different about him; he didn’t have the dull gaze other men had. Lois had only heard him say a few words, but she felt like he could read her soul if he tried. He could say things she wanted so badly to hear. The way he spoke to her with a rough edge to it, Lois was drawn to it.

Their encounter had never lasted a second, but that brief moment had left Lois wondering what it’d feel like to be there for a long time... to hear his rasp lushed in velvet voice, gaze into his mystical eyes, and let him run her down all of her womanly lessons.

"This is bad," Lois admitted to herself. She wasn’t thinking about getting rid of the man because she worried for Jenna, she wanted him to step down from the tournament because she wanted him for herself.

All for herself! Lois had never had something she wanted, and she lived like that, seeing it as life with its cranky humor. It was nothing as long as she got by the day. But with this stranger... this young man, she knew just by his eyes and strong grip. Lois wished to have. Wished to take, to make her his own.

It wasn’t going to be a problem since Jenna already had someone she wanted. The young, handsome master she had seen with her earlier.

Lois bit her nails, deep in thought. If she could get the man disqualified from the tournament... or if he could help Jenna’s man win, that would be even better. On a second thought, what if she did all of that, but the man still didn’t want her?

The thought worried Lois. She did want this man. To hear him speak, to be in his company, and know what brings a smile to his cold face. What toughened his hard muscles. Have him stand behind her and retrieve things above her with his body pressed to hers. All this was what Lois wanted when she thought of the young man.

It hadn’t been her intention to get involved with anything concerning the choosing, but her interest had been piqued. Now she had a goal.

To get noticed by that man in black.

"Lois, you need to help me with this dress."

"Lois? Lois, can you hear me?"

Lois jerked, blinking her eyes. "W-what? Did you say something?" she asked the young woman now standing in front of her.

The maiden narrowed her eyes suspiciously, looking at Lois. "Why is your face red?"

Lois gulped, rubbing her cold palm on her cheeks. "I... my face? It’s—"

"Hahaha..." The maiden threw her head back and laughed, holding her stomach. "I’d never dreamt of the day I’d see Lois blushing... what has got the ice queen smitten?"

Lois frowned, squeezing her palm. "You must have had a lot of liquor to be seeing things," she sucked her teeth. "What is it you want, or do you wish for the matron to hear about your drinking habits?"

"Tch," The maiden hissed. "And here I am hoping a man finally melted you... you’re still the ice queen, alright." She turned around to show her back to Lois. "Help me with the blouse... the rope came undone when I tried to dance."

Lois closed her eyes and sighed; she needed to be careful. Reaching for the girl, she carefully worked the rope until it fit back on her blouse.

"It’s done," she said with a low voice.

The young woman turned to look at Lois. "I might get beheaded, but..." she twitched her lips. "You should let a man love you, Lois. You really should."

Lois stared at the woman calmly, her mind racing toward the man she had been thinking of. She wanted him to love her. If she was going to open to a man, then she wanted it to be him and nobody else.

"Your make-up is a little ruined," Lois said to the woman instead.

Stunned by Lois’s reaction, the young woman touched her face. "Oh..."

"Wait here, I’ll go to the dressing room to bring powder." Lois turned and left, walking towards the dressing room.

The young woman waited, her feet bouncing on the ground with impatience, when she heard a noise from inside the hall. She groaned,

"Lois..." the woman bit her lips, "I need to impress the men... I’m sorry, I have to go." She left the place, racing inside the hall at the same time Jenna stepped out in search of Rhane.