When I opened my eyes, the sun was already dipping beneath the trees. The horizon was a deepening orange, the last of the blues slowly being enveloped by the embrace of the evening.
It seemed as though the lack of sleep took its toll on me. I had slept like a log. How very unlikely. Well, I suppose crying my heart out had made my eyes tired.
Almost as I rose to a sitting position, stretching my arms, a soft knock echoed from the door. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, twisting to get off the bed.
Halfway to the door, still bleary with sleep, I heard another series of knocks once more.
"Coming," I groaned.
It was probably Noel, telling me to get down to have dinner with Niko. It wouldn't be so hard to tell her that I didn't feel like eating. Frankly, I preferred to go back to sleep.
I twisted the golden knob open, pulling the door toward me. I paused when I saw Nikolas, holding a tray of soup and steamed fish. It was an effort to pull my gaze away from the food.
"What is this?" I asked, my voice hoarse from disuse. I cleared my throat.
Without a single word, Niko stepped past the threshold, inviting himself into the bedroom. I cleared the way for him, lest he stumbled into me—tray, soup, fish and all.
My brow knotted as I stood dumbfounded. "What are you doing, bringing food to a lady's private quarters?" I didn't say it loud enough for anyone else to hear. Just in case.
Niko set the tray onto the bedside table. He whirled to me saying, "So what? We're married. I can come in whenever I please."
I huffed out a breath. Was he being serious?
He chuckled. "Relax, I'm only joking. Come, I brought you dinner."
I was utterly confused but I managed to say, "I can see that. But why?"
He ran his fingers through his silver hair. "I figured you weren't comfortable eating downstairs. The servants are especially gossipy and curious since we've only started living here. But they'll grow tired soon."
My eyes narrowed. "So what you're trying to tell is…"
Hi sighed, then a smile appeared on his lips as if in disbelief. "Fates, Lilibeth, I had never taken you to be so slow-witted. I'm telling you that you can take your time to adjust. I can be patient, as stubborn as you may be."
He caught me off guard. I hadn't expected him to do this, much less state those things out loud before me. Me, his nemesis since the beginning of time. No matter how much I tried to flip it over and over in my head, I couldn't comprehend why he was doing this. And perhaps I didn't have the energy to.
Instead of looking for some sharp remark to throw at him—maybe the chidings had dried out of my mouth—I gathered myself together and straightened my shoulders.
"Thanks, Niko." I said, wearily. "I appreciate it."
It had come as a surprise to him, for certain. I had seen the way his brows shot up to his forehead, though only briefly.
"You're welcome, Lily." He replied. "It's nothing."
A period of silence came next. It was so silent that I could hear the chirping of crickets, the clattering from the kitchen and the chopping of wood from faraway.
Nikolas probably wasn't able to bare it for he said, "Nice room."
Indeed, it was the truth. The bedroom was more than I'd expected. The walls were a soft pink, disturbed by the occasional equal intervals of square windows. Pearl-white, translucent curtains were hung, falling until the beautifully patterned floor beneath my feet. The bed was white and large, at that. Above the bed was a canopy, the same pink as the walls, sheets and pillows, though accentuated with golden strings. Most importantly, the medium-sized balcony overlooked the gardens up until the gates. It offered the best view among this mansion's rooms, I could say.
It was a place for a princess. It was a place for Erilyn.
Heat prickled my eyes. I blinked the tears away.
I pulled myself to reality, away from the sadness. Then, I raised an arm toward the hallway. "You may leave, Nico."
He cleared his throat. "I'm afraid I can't do that."
I faced him fully. "Why is that?"
"It's about the lieutenant. But first, I think you should eat," he offered.
I closed the door. I could see that he wasn't leaving anytime soon. "Just tell me, it must be so urgent that you have to bear with being in the same room as me."
Nico huffed. "Stop trying to pick a fight every time you get the chance."
I had to tilt my head a little. "I am not. I'm stating what's obvious. Matter-of-factly."
It is true though. He hates me as much as I hate him.
Nikolas threw his hands in the air. Composing himself after a few seconds, he rubbed his temple. "Look, just eat all right? And then we'll talk."
"You're telling me what to do."
"Yes, Lilibeth. If that answer makes you happy, then yes." His tone was so flat and serious that I had to bite my inner cheek to stop myself from speaking.
He was dead set in making me eat.
"Fine," I said, trudging toward the table. "The food's getting warm anyway."
"Finally," he blurted with a breath of relief.
I considered for a moment, "Will you be watching me eat for the whole time?"
"No way. What do you take me for?" he said, strutting toward the balcony. "I'll wait for you here and enjoy the scene while I'm at it."
I shrugged, diving into the dish. I was hungry and I wasn't about to care that Niko was here. For a while, I could pretend he was in his own room rather than mine.
The problem was, I could not pretend.
In between the meal, I watched him over my shoulder. "Are you sure you don't want to eat?"
He scoffed. "Are you inviting me to dine with you, sweet Lily?"
"How ridiculous," I decided to focus on the food laid before me. "I meant to say you should get your own food. It would be rude of me to simply ignore someone while enjoying my meal."
"And since when were you concerned with your manners around me?" He laughed, as if delighted. "Don't worry about me, Lily. I've had my fill."
"If you say so." I said, not realizing that I was smiling as I ate.