The King's Unbreakable Wife-Chapter 45: Intentions (1)

"Should we end the dance with a kiss?" Tobias jokingly asked.

Hazel looked up at Tobias, hoping he could see from her expression alone that she was against it.

"You look like you want to kick me, Hazel. Do it here before my mother so I can be entertained. The selection is getting a little boring. The last group was full of drama, but then, you wouldn’t know about that. My mother has kept it quite hushed from the town," said Tobias.

Nothing bad was to escape the palace walls. If it did, the person who allowed it was severely punished and the palace would then search for something to distract the town with. Secretly release some news about someone else in town to point fingers elsewhere.

"I am never going to kick you again. Again, I apologise for my actions. My mother wouldn’t be pleased, and it was wrong of me," Hazel said, cringing at the memory of her kicking him.

Hazel lowered her head in shame.

Tobias titled his head, amused by how she reminded him of an injured dog right now. "Don’t look so sullen. You kicking me was part of what opened my eyes to how fun Hazel the prude could be. Have you started to hear the rumour going around yet? I hope to make it take over me being a flirt."

Hazel squeezed Tobias’s hands as it was the only way to hurt him without being noticed by the queen and the only way to hurt him to then act like it was an accident.

"Are you trying to hurt me, Hazel? You are going to need to do so much more than that. Tell you what, if you tell me where your room is-"

"Prince Tobias," Hazel said in a warning tone. "You will not make me a part of your scandals. Was that why you wanted to walk me back last night?"

"Oops, I’ve been caught," Tobias replied.

Hazel stared at Tobias in disbelief. She thought he was being a gentleman to walk her back to her room, but he had other plans. "You," she paused, needing a second to prepare herself for what she was going to ask. "Are you doing this because you are trying to find your way to my bed? Is this some kind of bet you have going with someone because of what I said at the ball?"

Tobias frowned because that was far from what he was doing. "Anyone would have to be a fool to think that after a bit of flirting you, Hazel Wallace, would welcome them to your bed. I don’t have a bet with anyone, Hazel. I picked you the first time to upset you and then as I said, I am most comfortable around you."

Hazel remained silent, trying to decide if this was the truth. Perhaps she had taken his joke too seriously, but he shouldn’t mention wanting to come to her room. That might get her kicked out of the palace and her reputation ruined. freewebnoveℓ.com

"I can take some of your jokes, but you must promise me not to take it so far that you ruin me. I’ll try not to overreact to some of your jokes though I wish you would stop with them. It is hard to believe that you are so playful. I always thought that," Hazel stopped as she caught herself giving away too much.

"Thought what? You were thinking of me? You cannot stop there, Hazel. You must share why I was on your mind," Tobias said, eager to know what she thought of him.

"Nothing," Hazel replied, looking off to the side. It was nothing she had to hide, but since he was playful, she could let him overthink what she had thought about him.

"Let me take a guess. You thought that I was some cruel cold prince who wouldn’t like to have a word with any of you women. Did I guess right? I know what some people are saying about me, Hazel. I have so many personalities I am not aware of at this point," said Tobias.

"That was not it. You will need to do more guessing. It was lovely dancing with you, Prince Tobias," Hazel said, letting go of his hands. She stepped back from him to curtsy.

Tobias was surprised by the dance ending. He thought there was still more to go, but the music had stopped. "You sly dog, Hazel. Saying that when we need to part," he smiled.

Hazel tried to fight showing her smile, but she could not. "I can also play games."

"Wonderful," Tabitha said, clapping her hands now the last dance was over. "It is evident that all of your parents have invested well in ensuring you know how to dance. You were all great, but there were some to have shined more than others. Like Linda Henson, Helena, and Hazel Wallace. As my mother would say, you were floating on air."

"I must send a letter to your mother to have her share who she employed to teach her daughters," Tabitha said, looking at Helena. "There is still plenty of time for others to show their improvement. There will be other times when you have to dance like at the gathering for when your parents return to the palace."

’Why was I pointed out?’ Linda wondered. She wasn’t doing a good job of not sticking out during the selection. Luckily, the prince had his eyes set on Hazel so she didn’t need to worry about him taking a liking to her. Her greatest concern was the queen.

"You’ve danced away your feet and I am sure you are in need of a little break. There are treats for you in the garden and a gift I personally prepared. Something special you can take back home with you when the selection is over. The maids will escort you to the garden," said Tabitha.

"Hazel," Tabitha said before Hazel attempted to walk off with the women. "I would like to have a word with you."

Hazel froze, not knowing what to make of the queen wanting to speak with her and not calling on anyone else. Was it for the same reason she had called on Helena? Hazel didn’t question Helena on what the queen called her for so she wasn’t aware if other women were present when Helena went off to see the queen.

"And Jasmine. I would like for the two of you to join me," Tabitha said, carefully getting up from her chair.

Tobias didn’t like that his mother wanted to speak with Hazel. Her calling Jasmine along sounded like a last-second thought. Since when was his mother meeting with women off to the side on the second day?

For someone who wanted to follow the plans carefully laid out weeks before the selection started, she was doing what she had an issue with him doing.

Before Hazel could leave, Tobias approached his mother.

"Do not-"

"You are not needed here anymore, my son," Tabitha said, patting his right cheek. "Edmund and Edgar Collins are in the palace. You should go see them with your father and let me take care of the women here. I am showing her attention. Isn’t that what you wanted?"