40 A Surprising Proposal

Lara leaped up from the bed in surprise. She shrank to the other end of the room staring wildly at the man who was merely eyeing her with very passive interest. “Lucas Corrad?” She spluttered, suddenly realising for the first time that she did not know how the king actually looked like. How had she not remembered that before? Well, she had expected to be ushered in to meet him in some stately room, sitting on a throne and clad in a golden cloak; the way she had imagined how kings looked like in her childhood. No one had told her he would come sneaking into her room in the dead of the night. “You're supposed to say your Majesty, or my Lord or something more courteous than blurting out my full name like that,” the king smiled pleasantly. “But I'll excuse you. You're clearly in shock.” “Will the king be so gracious to let me find proper clothes to wear?” Lara asked next, now ten times more conscious of the flimsy dress she had on. “Everything and everyone in this kingdom belongs to