"Hazel."
"Olive."
The wedding ceremony commenced after that, and the rest of the night flew away. Everyone drank and ate to their satisfaction, but Malcolm kept a good eye on Raziah to make sure she doesn't touch any food, not knowing she had already gobbled up some a while ago.
The new couples were showered with praises, and the knot was tied between them. Princess Raziah Octavius of Naria had gotten married to his Majesty, Odysseus of Erandell. Almost midnight, the celebration finally ended and it was time for the new brides to leave with their husbands.
Ms. Ophelia had lurking tears in her eyes as she hugged Raziah outside the grand castle. Malcolm had a satisfied smile on his face, then his eyes moved to the mask she was holding, "You're taking it with you?"
She nodded.
After she had bade them all goodbye, she walked over to the Carriage where Aragon was waiting for her. Felix, who was standing right outside opened the door for her and she stepped in to meet the mysterious stranger she now belonged to. She sat down beside him, noticing that the carriage was much smaller than all the other ones outside.
Why would he bring such a small carriage when he knows he's coming over to find a bride whom he would have to share the space with while riding back?
Or, is it that he had no intentions of finding a bride in the first place? Then why did he propose and dance with her?
From the whispers she had heard during their ceremony, she understood that he came from the kingdom of Erandell.
Felix, who was still shocked at how everything had turned around and his Majesty had ended up bringing a bride back home started the carriage, and the horses began to move.
Aragon was also thinking the same thing when he sat beside her. It was a good thing she had a petite frame and perched herself more to the carriage walls or else there wouldn't have been enough space for the both of them. Plus, the scent of different daring mixtures of Spices coming from her filled the air around them, and he had to admit that it was very intoxicating.
Even for a man like him.
He turned to look at her, but her eyes were closed. She was still holding onto the mask she was putting on, and her lips were still smudged with the red lipstick. His burning eyes moved down to her neck, a swanlike neck that looked so very smooth and inviting - he wanted to inhale her from there, and he badly wanted to.
Quickly, Aragon opened the small carriage window to get some fresh air. She was choking him already without even doing anything, and the only thing that could save him now was the breeze outside that didn't have her thick scent on them.
They stayed like that for a while, hours passing by as they got closer and closer to Erandell. The night breeze was a little cold, and something strange apart from the princess herself lurked in the midnight air.
Suddenly, Raziah's eyes peered open.
And...the carriage halted.
She turned to Aragon with the question in her eyes, "Why are we stopping?"
Aragon picked up the wine that was with him, "I have to pee." Came his response.
Is he planning to use the wine to wash himself up? Raziah asked herself.
"Take your time." She replied simply, and rested her head back on the carriage walls, but this time she didn't close her eyes. Goosebumps were making her hair rise, and she couldn't get relaxed again like before, "Ask the guard to check around us." She added just as Aragon was walking out.
He turned back to her, arching a brow.
"I think there's someone following us." She added.
Aragon's lips curved, but she didn't see it.
"But why do you think so?"
With a small sigh, she moved down from the carriage too, "Go and do your business, I'll keep watch till you get back."
His eyes widened, "w..what?"
"Your Majesty, there's only one guard. You go with him, and I'll keep watch here."
Aragon's dark eyes flickered with something unforeseen, "Have you done this before?"
"No, but we have no other option."
Aragon stared at her dim and uninterested eyes for a second, before he walked over to the front of the carriage. Raziah didn't know what he told his guard, but Aragon ended up walking into the woods around them alone.
The cold breeze danced on her face again, and Raziah reached out and rubbed on her wristband once again. Her goosebumps were still there, so she couldn't relax and her eyes kept searching around them in the darkness that was only brightened by the moonlight.
Suddenly, the breeze turned into wind and she felt as if she was being knocked to the side. The direction of the wind had suddenly changed, and a high bolt of air had rushed out through the woods and had her pressing against the carriage so she would not be flung away.
Felix was immediately by her side, "Your Highness, please get into the carriage." He urged.
"What about his Majesty? He just went that direction!" She answered with a little worry in her voice.
"He'll be fine, but for now you have to go in."
"His Majesty..." She drawled again, another bolt of wind hitting them again. The horses neighed, kicking their feet in an attempt to pull off and run away, but Felix knew they weren't going anywhere. The wind came rushing at them again, this time with a mixture of earth.
"Get back in the carriage princess, I'll go and check up on him."
With a small nod, he opened the door and she walked back in. Through the window, she also covered her eyes from the wind that was getting in, peeking to see Felix who disappeared into the forest too.
Could it be that his Majesty wasn't done with his business? He was taking too long.
Unease filled her system, and she kept on rubbing that wristband over and over again. Luckily, she finally sighted two figures emerging from the dark. Felix was walking behind Aragon whose bottle of wine was missing.
Plus, the Sparkle that was always in his eyes had lessened, and it looked like the fire in his eyes had doubled up, the air around him becoming even eerier.
She quickly shifted to the other end of the carriage, making space for his Majesty to walk in and sit.
"Hazel, I heard you were worried about me."
"I didn't want to become a widow so fast." came her retort, softly eyeing him from where she sat.
"A simple wind can't kill someone like me." The twinkle returned in his eyes. His hair looked a bit distorted, as if the pin holding his massive thick hair was getting loose slowly.
"That's a good thing, for me." She replied.
Aragon turned back and began breathing through the window, while Felix took the reigns of the carriage and they continued their journey. Curiously, Raziah found her eyes darting back to her husband who was still focused outside the window. She stared at his feet, his brown Khaki pants and Gown shirt, then his neck.
Everything about him was solidly manly, as if God had picked the best pieces of a man and arranged it all on him. From the angle she stared at his face, she noticed how sharp his jawline was, and his hair was almost touching the center of his back.
How weird. He still hadn't said anything about her short hair that stopped close to her shoulders. Subconsciously, she moved up and touched her hair to feel the flowers still pinned at the front.
By the time Aragon turned back to stare at his wife, she had closed her eyes again. Some hair strands had fallen over her face again, and she resembled one of those fairytale princesses come to life.
Just that, she was a strange one.
He couldn't quite put it, but she was incredibly strange.
Her eyes held uninterest, but the second time they had danced together she had unintentionally revealed something hidden deep inside those hazel depths.
He saw pain, fear, and one last thing.
One Last thing he didn't expect from a princess.
From her.
If anyone had been mysterious that whole evening, then it was Princess Raziah of the Kingdom of Naria.
The Morning sunlight was just streaking in through the window when they finally arrived at the castle gates of Erandell. Recognizing the man pulling the carriage, and the emblem of deep royalty that was imprinted on the carriage walls, the gates were pushed open.
Raziah's eyes fluttered open again on their own when the horses finally stopped moving.
"We have arrived." Stated Aragon.
She nodded, staring into his burning Olives, "I see."
"Let's go."
He saw the slight hesitation in her eyes, and waited for her to say something. Raziah clutched the mask again, gently rubbing her wristband in an attempt to calm herself down. She had finally arrived at her new home, which was making her nervous.
Plus, there was something she wanted to ask her husband.
"What is it?" He questioned softly.
"Your Majesty, What is your name?"