I Am The Queen

Her contact told her that they should go to Royal Mall, a luxurious shopping mall, owned by the Royal Family. Everything was already in order and in place, the only missing was their presence.

She peered at her reflection. Everything looked good. Her wavy hair was cascading on her back with every curl in place. Her black turtle neck long sleeve shirt was perfectly hugging her curves. And her short lacy skirt made her look fresh and young, paired by warm thick winter leggings and black winter boots. Completing the whole look, a comfy thick scarf draped around her shoulders.

She nodded at herself, a smile never left her face. She picked her Dolce and Gabbana enchanted clock box bag and stormed out of her room.

She saw Eric busy petting Winter while her pets were busy munching foods.

He gazed up from his kneeling position, and a smile bloomed on his face that made her entire system explode and malfunction.

He got up and walked towards her while she remained motionless on her spot. Her eyes flaring, didn"t want to miss any details.

He was casually wearing a white long sleeve sweatshirt and denim jeans with his usual worn-out tennis shoes. He was sporting a simple watch and a sporty jacket he always wore in cla.s.s. His messy hair was tousled with its typical style, which no style at all, and his thick-rimmed eyegla.s.ses parked steady on his nose.

Even so . . . he was sparkling in her eyes, and her bones melted. A sigh of pure bliss escaped from her lips, which woke her from the trance.

Her perfect brows then arched in its usual arrogance.

"Should we go?" she said, smiling in a haughty manner.

Eric nodded and followed Evangeline out the door after they waved at the adorable furb.a.l.l.s who didn"t care about anything except the food in their bowl.

----

It was a fine day in Everland. The snow last night was washed over the sidewalk and road. A tincture of freshness lingered in the air despite the traffic fumes. Not from private cars, it was more on the public transportations. Most were riding bicycles, scooters, and all forms of vehicles that didn"t emit smoke. The vibrancy of the city was palpable the moment the clouds cleared, and the people go and about their daily activities.

A Benz Maybach stopped in the main entry of Royal shopping mall that spanned across acres of land with its modern approach of curves steels and gla.s.s, sprouting trees and foliage from here and there. One look and everybody could tell that whatever inside only offered the finest things the world had to offer. Even the scent smell expensive.

Eric and Evangeline stepped inside after the shopping attendant at the entrance greeted them.

Evangeline stretched her hand at the falling snow from the ceiling. They were virtual, of course, they were. The temperature inside was even, achieving the right degrees in comfort, and the draped around her shoulders stooped to each side of her arm.

"Eric, let"s go to the upper floor. It"s where we can find the gadgets." She intimately wrapped her hands around Eric"s as he let her led the way.

Controlling his breathing to calm himself, Eric tried his hardest to suppressed his arousal when Evangeline"s soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed against this arm. Nonetheless, he made no effort to retract his hand from her grasped as they made their way towards the upper floor.

When they reached the cyber zone section, they were transported in the world of sci-fi movies where virtual images popped from the floor, and robotic figures stood here and there.

"h.e.l.lo sir and Madam, are you looking for a phone?" One of the staff greeted with a smile as wide as her mouth could stretch.

"You"ve come at the perfect time! We have a game right now to celebrate the holiday! If you win, you get the chance to own a state of the art phone that is the top of technology today! A phone that is a game-changer in your workflow! A large screen packed with more than three million pixels up to five hundred gigabytes in storage! This phone can let you work creatively, accurately, and professionally on the go! The new state of the art technology promises staggering processing power as though you"re on a laptop!"

Eric was oddly uncomfortable with the woman"s unceasing talk while Evangeline nodded her head throughout.

"But wait! There"s more! For a limited time, that is today only! The phone came with a pen! And if it doesn"t tickle your interests, if you win, the phone comes in pair! A white and black! Double the fun!"

". . . Uh . . . I don"t think that kind suited me," Eric said, wanting to walk away from the weird woman who was spouting nonsense at them. If he didn"t know the mall belonging to the Royal family, he would think she was scamming them.

"Eric, what are you talking about? She said it"s free. We should try it out first. Think about it, if you win, you don"t have to spend on a phone." Evangeline tugged his shirt, smiling –– a rather unsettling smile.

"Miss, kindly lead the way," she said.

The female staff nodded with a happy face, leading them in a phone store that was oddly deserted at the moment.

Eric thought it was weird, but the smooth and sleek curvy white furniture, gla.s.s tables and chairs only screamed cla.s.s while the staffs sporting nothing but formal clothes and professional smile, eyeing them rather . . . weird.

"Here, I"ll explain the mechanics of the game." The female staff led them in front of a gla.s.s table with a roulette on top.

"Turn this lever here until a pebble fall in the hole. If the pebble contained the number zero, you win the phone. Easy, right?"

The female staff smiled, urging Eric to try the roulette while Evangeline pushed him to turn the lever.

Eric let out a small sigh before he turned the lever, and when a pebble fell and rolled towards the basin, the female staff barely glanced at it. And not even a fraction of second, she shouted in full smiles.

"Congratulation! You"ve won the grand prize! Sir is lucky today! Madam is a very lucky woman!" the staff announced as she winked at Evangeline.

Cheers of claps echoed behind them as the other staff joined in the celebration while Eric was dumbfounded. In all honesty, he didn"t believe someone would win the grand prize, because, from the beginning, there was never a pebble for the grand prize. But he didn"t think much about it as Evangeline pulled him towards the counter to claim his prize.

He was in a daze, watching the next scene transpired. The staff and Evangeline talked while another prepared the phone, getting everything ready. It even came with accessories! And within five minutes, he already had a phone in his hand while Evangeline was all smiles, holding her new phone.

He broke out from the trance when at the corner of his eyes, he saw people walking towards their directions, shoppers who were intrigued by the sudden celebration.

"I heard there is a game here, and if you win, you can get a phone?" one of the shoppers asked while another group huddled closer.

The female staff politely smiled. "I"m sorry, but the promotion has already expired. It"s only available in a period of time. Please try again next year." She cleared everything and the roulette that was on top of the table a moment ago, disappeared together with the staff.

Collective dismay hanged in the air as the once deserted shop was filled by different people.

"Eric, come on. Let"s go and buy some clothes." Evangeline pulled his shirt, and Eric caught her eyes.

Beaming, she asked, "Do you like your new phone? I know! We should take a selfie together!"

It was not like he was totally ignorant of what happed. But looking at her smile, all those thoughts disappeared.

"Where do you want to take a picture?"

"There. Let"s go there!"

Evangeline pulled Eric towards an area with fewer people. The s.p.a.ce was near empty with a background of floor to ceiling window as virtual snow fell from the ceiling and chandeliers twinkled like an upside-down Christmas tree.

It was awkward since Eric didn"t know how to pose, especially together with her, but she made it look so natural. All he had to do was look at her, and everything clicked in place. He didn"t even have to act. Looking at her was enough to take a photo so naturally.

Evangeline giggled, looking at her and Eric"s picture. It was shot from an angle that captured the snow and sparkling chandeliers. She was looking at the camera with a proud twitch on her smiling lips.

In contrast, the man beside her was the exact opposite. His face was harboring a gentle smile, softening every hard line on his face. His eyelids were dropping, appearing infatuated. He was looking at her. Thick lashes created a breathtaking contrast against his silver irises. In the picture, it looked like he was going to kiss her.

Every bone in her body giggled. "Give me your phone." She demanded after she made the picture her screen background. After Eric handed his phone to her, she changed his phone"s background, replacing it with their portrait.

Who knew a phone could be this fun? She promised she would fill both their phones with pictures of them. She was even entertaining the idea of making a social account just for them.

After returning his phone to him, she snaked her hands around his, pulling him to roam around for clothes.

"You said you didn"t bring enough clothes, right?" she asked, innocent in her voice. In her head, she was planning which store to visit first.

Eric cleared his throat before he answered, "Yeah, but I don"t think I have the money to shop for clothes here."

Evangeline grinned, flashing Daniel"s phone in front of him.

"Do you know what this is? Daniel sent it to me last night," she said, suppressing her grin. "It"s a clothing coupon with a hundred percent discount!"

Eric scratched the back of his head. "Then . . . doesn"t that mean it"s totally free?"

"Isn"t it great?!" Evangeline said, grinning widely. Her eyelids fluttered as her eyes sparkled.

Eric"s brows creased in one line while his smile was a tad bit forced. Regardless, he let her pulled him along without complaint.

----

It was nearing dark when they finally finished shopping and roaming around the mall. And Eric hadn"t been exhausted shopping since –– since the day he was born!

Evangeline didn"t only have a clothing coupon but a bunch of coupons! A lot of them! He didn"t choose anything expensive, just simple shirts, coats, and pants. Nevertheless, they were still in a minimum of six digits.

By the time they finished, his hands could no longer carry another additional bag.

Evangeline skimmed her fingers on her chin. "Since it"s nearing night, let"s have dinner. I know a restaurant––"

"Eve . . . ," Eric interrupted, staring at her seriously before a smile loosened his tight face.

"I remember that I owe you dinner, right?"

Evangeline blinked, and she clapped her hands. "That"s right! You do owe me dinner when that bit––Jen stormed at me, and you just watched at the side."

One of her arms rested on her tilted waist, asking, "So, are there any restaurants you have in mind? Since you"re born here, I presume you know a fancy restaurant or two."

Eric looked at her. A mischievous smile appeared on his face.