The journey to Venesia was tiring, Isadora thought as she was led out of the carriage by a footman. She almost forgot that footmen exist, he didn't even show up the previous times she wanted to get off the carriage and he was now pretending to handle his work truthfully? She couldn't tell the reason the footman was like that but she knew it was something insignificant that still meant something.
Edward, the only man Isadora had talked with most of the time was also walking out of the carriage while the carriage ahead of them had also stopped, but no one was coming out of it.
Isadora wanted to ask who were there and why they lingered in the carriage but she chose to keep her mouth shut. There was something she knew, she knew the men in the carriage were hiding or hiding something. She also noticed that Edward wasn't just a normal bodyguard or something. He was a warrior and perhaps not even an ordinary warrior.
She had seen how he entered the carriage looking unscathed like he didn't just battle with beasts. Before he got down from the carriage, she knew the beasts were not just one or two because their howling was ear-deafening. She also knew that if one wasn't a warrior, he or she would have been defeated by the noises without even launching a fight.
She had seen the pictures of beasts in some of her novels and she had concluded that they looked like wolves. The only differences were they were bigger and had large wings like that of dragons. In the same novel she had read about the mythical creatures, she also knew that the beasts had poisons in their claws and teeth. Those poisons were really dangerous and responsible for drying their prey's blood in a split second.
Isadora was a warrior herself. She might also be a self-trained warrior but she knew she couldn't hold the acknowledgment only as Oswald had been her mentor. Apart from Edward, she had never seen anyone as good as Oswald. Though Oswald was just nineteen, ten months older than her, he fought well like he was theoretically married to brown Bess (serving as a soldier.)
Despite her being good with swords and without one, Oswald had warned her against fighting any enemy. Even if it was a friendly fight, he had warned her not to fight against anyone because he was afraid that she would die as a result. Not that she wasn't strong or was that bad at fighting, it was just because any single wound on her skin would make her lose a fortune of blood.
Likewise her mother, Isadora was also suffering from royal syndrome. The royal syndrome was a hereditary disease that was mostly caused by the inability of the blood to clot. So every single time, she hoped not to have a scratch, let alone an injury. She knew one day, she would be free from this disease and she also knew one day she and Oswald would be living their perfect lives together.
It was just like the novels she had read, difficulties or challenges appear to people who in the end would have a happy ending. Challenges are just a test of one's ability and they come and go. Just like they had.
"Princess, I hope you are aware that in this town you are not a princess anymore. So please bear with me when I call you, 'milady' and when others do the same," Edward said, erasing her thoughts as she realized they were no longer outside. They were already in the castle and she was really unfortunate to not have grabbed the full view of the entrance.
It was in the middle of the night and she sensed that everywhere was dead silent. She walked slowly in her flat old-fashioned shoe without replying.
She had nothing to say to him.
Well, she had previously lost her title already. Even though it was yet to be announced by King Griffin she was sure by now, the rumours would have spread like a white wind. She would be too dumb to think Edward had no right to proclaim such.
Though Edward knew where she should be or where she was supposed to stay, he was behind her. Isadora just kept walking not knowing where she was going but then she felt a cold wind touch her skin.
She wondered where it came from so she stared at the corners but she was also conscious to notice the sudden goosebumps that were growing on her skin. For a second she felt dumb, but suddenly the cold breeze grew warm and she couldn't explain what just transpired.
She hesitated, while Edward stood behind her. Maybe he was thinking of why she suddenly paused Isadora had no idea but she felt his strong gaze on her, "Lady Maxwell, are you okay?"
Did she look like she wasn't? Her head asked instead as she stared directly at his eyes, "I am. I just felt an unusual coldness just now."
Edward smiled in response before he walked beside her, "You would get used to it, Milady."
She nodded in response and followed Edward's lead as he walked slightly ahead of him to his left. It was frightening and by now her footsteps could be heard loudly as they walked deeper into the castle.
The castle was purely dark with just a few candles situated on the arcs she had come across. Her novelty outweighed her this time, "Where are the lights?"
"The lights?" Edward stopped as he gazed back at her, "Oh the lights. Those are lights," he pointed at the few candles that were in some of the fine arts.
"I well do not consider that as light because lights are supposed to be brighter in the darkness." She pointed out, matter-of-factly.
He nodded as if trying to understand her view but he finally stated, "My Lord doesn't need light to live, I assure you. Besides, no one roams about in the darkness, the candles are only meant to wear off themselves or for an emergency purpose like this."
Isadora understood what he was saying. The fact that her coming over here was something unexpected but how could it be an emergency to them? She wasn't the one who demanded on getting married three days earlier. Oh well, how quickly has she forgotten? She was already a concubine. A concubine who is yet to sleep with her lord. For a minute she couldn't think clearly but she replied, "And why doesn't your Lord need lights? Everyone does need light in the mid of the dusk." Or were they at the beginning of the dawn?
She saw herself standing before a door. Edward thumped at the door and a man came out of it. He was looking worn out though but Isadora's gaze swept down his whole body. He had golden hair! She had never seen anyone with such a feature. She had only seen people in black, brown, and blonde, and again, white. White or grey for the old men.
His golden hair shone brightly but she was surprised that she wasn't the only one aware that he had golden hair, "Elvis. What ... what happened to that hair of yours?" Edward polled.
So he was Elvis. And this wasn't his hair color.
"I do not need to state the obvious, do I, Edward?" The man's voice boomed in the dark and Isadora could feel it. She could feel that there was a cold aura spewing from his body. Even the light from the candles showed out his hair giving him an ethereal beauty. Who was he and why was he this beautiful?
"You do not. Elvis. I leave her to you." Edward stated and walked away while Isadora made an effort to follow him, confused and at the same time annoyed.
Isadora's mind changed drastically as Elvis stood in her way and stared darkly at her, "He is leaving you to me, Milady."