The Commoner Consort: The Country's Respected Empress

Xavier jerks by hearing her sudden weak voice and sees her opening her eyes slowly.

'Impossible! Is she still in conscious?! After falling from that place?! Does she fear anything?!'

Knowing the answer to his own question, he tries to get out from those depressing thoughts.

He looks from her head to toe and senses Maya stirring in his embrace.

She smiles faintly "Seems you are not angry?!"

Xavier looks at her in disbelief "..."

'Is she for real?! Is she concerned about my anger at this moment?! She almost lost her life!'.

Xavier forgets about their closeness and asks holding her shoulder "How did this happen?! Why did you fall from that cliff?!"

Maya groans holding her hand and feels Xavier's scrutinizing gaze on her yet ignores his question. As answering his question was her least concern now.

'I hope that cut has healed... I can manage to survive with some bruises, but how could I survive if the older cut opened and starts bleeding?'

She checks her hand and sighs in relief 'It's good that I only sprained my hand'.

She closes her eyes and bites her lower lip in order to digest the pain. She only felt numb all over her body except the sprain in her wrist as it was the immediate victim of her stunt that she performed just before few minutes.

She gasps looking at him as if she remembered something "You seem to have some rare skills in swords?"

'How can I not notice his impressive skill in swords?! I have never seen anyone using swords that way!'

Xavier looks at her darkly 'Is she deliberately avoiding my questions?! And WHY is she curious about my skill when she faced death just now?! Did she lose her mind in the shock?!'.

His whole body freezes at this thought 'What would I tell Brother?!'

Xavier removes his grasp from her shoulder gradually in a daze.

Xavier is devastated at the thought as he never would have imagined that the girl he liked would be his Brother's wife!

His biggest worry was that he couldn't even worry for her in the first place rightfully. As she belongs to his own Brother! He doesn't know whether he would have liked her still if she isn't his Brother's woman but some other's woman.

Maya darts her eyes on his stern face and smiles "I am alive, aren't I?! Why does your face say that you are unhappy seeing me alive?".

Xavier was taken aback by her question and looks away from her eye contact to save his heart from hurting further "It's not what you think, My..Lady. I suggest you to worry for your well being than my skills".

Maya frowns seeing him talking to her like a servant in The Pavilion and wonders "Why are you looking down?"

Xavier gulps his emotions and speaks "It's an etiquette to not to look in Her Queen's eyes-".

HA HAA!

Maya laughs weakly and sighs shaking her head "At least you are talking to me now. Seeing you leaving previously, I thought you would never talk to me".

She looks at his hunched shoulder and feels uncomfortable.

'Why couldn't I see him like this? I don't want him to look me as a Queen. I want him to treat me like he always did'.

Xavier forwards his hand formally "Please allow me to help you".

Maya creases her eyebrows irked "Will you not help me if I do not allow you to?! Why don't you treat me like you always did before?"

Xavier is breaking inch by inch by her words 'Treat you like I always did?! How could I?! Now you are in a whole different  place in my life!'.

Xavier nods formally "We are supposed to obey Her Queen's order. Whatever it might be".

Even though he felt hurt while saying those words and treating like a stranger by keeping some distance, he has no other way.

Maya gets angry at his entire changed behaviour and stands pushing him weakly "Then let it be. I survived the death after all. Can I not stand without anyone's help?!".

Xavier gets shocked seeing her angry but he manages to say few words while she was struggling to stand "My Lady, let me help you".

Maya stands by her own stubbornly and announces "I don't need your help. See? I stood up by my own".

Maya felt her left leg shivering but she ignores it for now. She can't show her weakness before this man.

Xavier looks at her helplessly and sighs 'Stubborn woman!'

Seeing her struggling to walk, Xavier follows her closely "My Lady, let me help you! You might fall if you keep on struggling!".

Maya looks ahead and announces "I know to raise whenever I fall, Sir. Please! You may leave me alone".

Xavier closes his eyes defeated 'Is she playing this act just because I treated her like a Queen?! She is unbelievable! And where did she get this attitude?! Isn't she a simple commoner from Hindustan?'

'Seems I should admit my defeat to her. She wouldn't stop this till I change my way of talking to her!'

HORSE NEIGHS!

Maya gets startled hearing Charles's sudden w.h.i.n.es and freezes seeing it approaching her.

'Why is it coming my way?!'

Seeing Maya in panic, Xavier smiles "He found you first!".

'How did Charles remembered her so well?! How did he even sensed her presence?! I have never found him so strange but today everything happened are just miracles but still I believe!'.

Maya frowns "Found me?" and still looks at Charles's closeness in horror. She is not used to his closeness yet. But Xavier's presence behind her made her to be at ease.

Xavier nods walking towards Charles and says "I can feel his speed increased when he heard your scream. I wonder how does he remember your voice".

Maya gets surprised and looks at Charles in awe and forwards her hand. She c.a.r.e.s.ses his face 'So you too remember my voice?!'.

HORSE NEIGHS

Maya opens her eyes wide 'Can ..can he..hear my mind?!'

HORSE NEIGHS

Maya pulls her hand back in horror and stumbles back 'Impossible!!'