The Prince had pushed the door open. She peeked into the room and she blushed.
The room had been decorated.
Her smile deepened.
According to tradition, marriages were consummated on the wedding nights.
He stepped aside for her to go in and she did.
The room was filled with wonderful fragrance, she took in a deep breath, walking to the side of the bed.
Then she turned to the Prince who seem to be looking for something, his steps a little sloppy, like it had been when they left the Celebration Hall. He leaned against the wall every now and then.
Nervous, she distracted herself by picking up one or two things from the dressing table and admiring it before dropping it back. Then to the roses littered across the bed, she would pick a petal, admire it, breathe in the fragance and bask in how fresh it was or how well it had been preserved to retained it's freshness.
Suddenly she heard swishing of clothes, she looked at the Prince to see that he was taking off his ceremonial robes.
Her heart raced.
It was starting already?
But then he stopped, having only his plain robes on, leaning against the walls as he walked back and forth in a dazed, still searching for something.
She watched him for a while, then it clicked.
Maybe he wasn't searching for something, maybe he was too shy to approach her.
She blushed.
With all the brave tales she had heard of him, of how great a warrior and Prince he was, she could have never imagined that he would be shy with things like this.
Well, fortunately for them both, she had made Bihishma teach her many things about nights like this before she came down to Kisha.
Tonight, she would be the bold one.
Her slightly shaky hands moved to her dress and one by one, she peeled all her dressing off till there was nothing left to remove.
Then she looked at him for a while, hoping he would turn to look at her but he didn't. Time was running out and she was starting to feel more and more aware of her body, doubt about the whole thing setting in.
So she called out to him, "My Prince."
He stopped, probably waiting for her to go on but she didn't know what else to say and she was starting to get really nervous, so she waited and finally he turned to look at her.
His eyes widened in what she believed was awe for a spilt moment.
His hand reached for his plain robe, the last of the top he had on him, and he pulled it over his head, taking it off.
She curled her hands in light fists by her side, feeling very seen. Suddenly all that Bihishma had taught her deserted her.
He started walking towards her, his steps a little unbalanced because of how drunk he was.
She gulped, watching his every step.
When he finally got close to her, a strange warmth of expectancy spread through her body.
There faces just some distance away, if one of them leaned forward a little, their lips would touch.
His breathe was mingled with the smell of alcohol but that wasn't something she was strange to. The feeling his closeness brought to her was what was strange to her.
Then he pulled her into a hug.
This was happening.
****
Elyesa moved her hand over the cuts along her arms, tears rolling down her cheeks as she remembered what had happened moments before she passed out.
She wiped her tears away for the umpteenth time.
She couldn't stay in the maids Quarters with the other ladies tonight.
Rumours flew faster than wildfire here.
The maids had a lot of whispering against her going on in their midst that she couldn't bear to listen to any longer.
They were once again calling her a witch, saying she must have done something to the Princess, enchanted her with spells and that was why she had stood up for her. Some laughed at her, that the Princess who called her a friend was the one marrying the Prince, the man that had claimed to love her on several occasions.
Ever since Bihishma had kindly led her back to the Maid's Quarters, the mockery hadn't stopped.
While they had all been engrossed in making jest of her between one another, she had slipped away and came here, to her safe place.
A secret inn Guba had built for them some years ago. She still remembered their last time in this inn, it had only been barely a month ago.
She sobbed again, pulling the flare of her apron in a fist and drawing it against her open mouth, so as not to scream into the night about her pain.
Tonight was the consummation night.
It was tradition.
Asides from that, she had been amongst the slaves that had been made to decorate the Prince's room for the activities of tonight.
That had been on purpose, she knew. The message the Royal family was trying to pass to her was glaring.
She traced the cut on her palm, watching it under the light of the lantern. She had gotten this injury while decorating but this didn't hurt at all. All the aches were coming from her heart.
How cruel fate was to have done such a thing to her.
A new found friend she had before regarded to as a spirit and her Prince, together, married.
Cruel!
She laid on the floor, looking at the ceiling of the inn, her eyes aching from how much tears she had shed.
Then she heard a knock, an almost silent one.
She stood up slowly.
That was strange.
No one knew of this place.
Except her Prince and he was busy tonight.
Her heart ached again. She didn't like thinking of it.
She picked her steps carefully, trying not to make a sound.
She heard the knock again and her heart started pounding in her chest.
But it got worse when she realized that this person was trying to force their way in.
She reached out for the nearest thing to protect herself.
The Prince sword hung by one side of the wall. She knew she didn't even know how to wield a sword but she held tightly upto it nevertheless,like as if her life depended on it.
Could it be that she had been followed here?
Maybe by one of those many servants in the palace that had been trying to bed her, or the guards.
There had been a lot of drinking tonight, many drunk men would be roaming around, everywhere.
The attempts to force the door open suddenly stopped, but still, she didn't let go of the sword.
There was a kick against the door, then footsteps.
The person must be leaving in frustration.
She held her breath, not wanting to make any noise, while waiting for the footsteps to become very distant.
But she the next sound made her go rigid with fear.
It was from the window.
She hadn't locked the window!