As soon as she entered the palace, she saw Adonis sneaking off. Not really sneaking since the palace was his, maybe avoiding her. Well it was good enough that she had married him it's best if they maintained their distance she thought but still, out of instinct, she followed him. Until she rounded a corner and didn't see him. Around the corner was a room, just as she was about to walk pass, she head voices. Certain ones that destroyed her aim to look for her non-missing husband. As if on cue, a maid came to her.
"Your highness, I don't think you should be loitering around. The queen has ordered us to let you stay in your room."
Verity's head fell back on reflex. They were detaining her to her room? What the hell was happening.
She nodded, pretending to be in agreement.
"We don't want to lose our heads so you should please let us escort you over." The maid continued, taking her arms forcefully leading her away from the room. Even still because of her sharp hearing ability, Verity could hear her husband's gasps, groans and whatever. Him calling out another woman's name. She wasn't naive and stupid; she knew what her supposed husband was doing on the night of their wedding.
That certainly brought smiles to her. At least it meant she doesn't need to act like whatever wife for him. He knows where to satisfy himself. Such beasts.
"Hmmm, later please can you tell the prince to come over, the queen said he would show me around."
The maid shook her head. "I can't order the prince around."
'But you can order me,' Verity thought. 'A princess. What was she now, In this strangeland with no one by her side, not even her wedded husband?'
Did her father know this was what she was going to be facing?
Did he understand that she would be a prisoner and never even be given the opportunity to fulfil her marital vows?
As the lady of the house she wondered, has her husband's mistress been here before her or did he just pick a new one, on the night of their wedding?
Minutes after she had gotten into her room when she thought she had time to rest after that long journey, she was called to the dressing room and pushed on a stool, in front of a dressing mirror. To be filled up for her husband.
"Do you want to have a bath first or you want to dress up? You would be shown to the king today." Another maid asked as if just remembering she might need to have her bathe with a scowl on her face, she explained why she had been brought to the dressing room.
"I would like a bath," Verity replied out of compulsion. And immediately, the maid eyed her. She was a princess here! They didn't have the right to treat her how they did.
"Oh come on. The prince wouldn't mind. He doesn't mind the status of whom he sleeps with." The maid challenged.
Verity's head immediately whipped towards her, to see the maid's face decorated in smirks.
And she understood.
Not only would she be living a fake happy life in a very destructive arranged marriage, she would also have to live with continual reminder that possibly, every maid, any one with shift on might have been her husband's mistress.
The maid smiled then when she knew Verity understood.
"Let me tell you, the maid continued, thinking she had succeeded in snuffing out the fight Verity after all any lady would feel lost and alone knowing that their beloved was a womanizer, In bed, the prince likes a very active woman, say one who lets him take over but also participated fully. Now can you do that or should I help you. the woman resumed her taunting afresh, I was the longest mistress he ever had so i would have you understand that means he enjoyed me well enough. I never complained to him, didn't think of taking it further and I was his docile lamb even outside the bed. But on bed, his very own tigress. She continued, with a smirk on her face, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Verity flashed her a mocking smile. "So, you are contented with that?"
her face fell. "With what exactly." Came her reply, her face showing her irritation.
"With being the other woman, with trying to have what does not belong to you?"
He was not for any one and still isn't. You think because he is married to you, he stop having mistresses? don't be ridiculous."
Verity shook her head. "Even if he does cheat on me, let me give you a very good news I don't care. Tell the others whom he has played with, I am not interested in hearing their useless story of how he used and dumped them. Now if you would do your duty, escort me to the bathroom, and run the bath. I want to have my bath now, maid.
***
"Come back here!!"
The command was followed immediately after by a loud bang. Apparently, He Lan had ran away from home, her mother at her back in hot pursuit.
"What?" She queried, giving her mother a side glance. "It's not as if dad would care if I went anyways and I don't want to be the girl who would always be waiting for your approval. I am outta here, and you guys are out of my fucked-up life! Isn't that a good bet?"
"You don't mean it, I am your mother. The woman began, her eyes red and veins bulging out of her throat due to screaming. You cannot survive outside alone!" her mother pleaded, tears streaming down her eyes.
"You don't need a broken daughter and I am not about to bring our family to shame so, I am sorry, I am not sorry." That was the last thing she said as she heaved her only luggage into the trunk. She was never the best daughter she knew it. She had always been at the receiving end of her mother's anger issues, her brothers temper, and her father's foolish decisions.
She had had to pay for all their mistakes and so far, had been promised to more than three men for marriage because of debt
But last night's incident had been what broke the camel's back. Her father's best friend's son, who in the first place had been pushed upon her has a husband had decided it was good enough to try rape her.
When she reported, her father disbelieved her and said she wanted to destroy the agreement they had made twenty years ago. A marriage deal to her before she was even born, she snickered.
She took one last look at her mother, the house she had lived in for years, at her dog's kernel and the trampoline she knew she almost destroyed- due to over use- when she was younger before entering the beat bus.
It was a sure goodbye, where she was going? She didn't know.
***