Chapter 18
**Honeymoon IV—Nothing in common**
Liliana gasped as the car stopped in front of the royal vacation home. It was a beautiful urban resort which had a large pool and was on a private beach owned by the Tegan's, the famous beach ‘The sea of stars', known for its sparkling blue water at night was a landmark she wanted to visit for a long time—something good was coming out of her honeymoon for once, not her irritating husband but an opportunity to branch out her love for science and nature.
Adonis wondered why there was excitement written all over her face the moment they stepped out of the car, she excused herself to go to the beach instead of checking in to his family's resort which he found very strange—then it clicked, she was an archeologist who loved things like rocks and science and he was a man who loved showcasing art....they definitely had nothing in common.
‘Take my wife's bags inside'. He ordered one of the staffs who was dressed formally, she looked like she was dazed to see him.
‘Yes....yes sir...I....I'm the head of staff your highness', she stammered as she extended a hand to shake his, ‘I'm so....so...so glad to finally meet you Prince Adonis...my name is Matilda'.
She sounded like a fan girl which made him frown, ‘The pleasure is mine'. He murmured as he brushed past her without shaking her hand. She heaved a huge sigh of relief as she didn't embarrass herself the way she thought she would, she glanced over to the beach and a scowl was plastered on her face as she spotted the redhead who was observing a rock somehow—so she must be the prince's wife, she thought still scowling until Liliana got up and adjusted her pants, walking towards her.
Matilda forced a smile as she extended a hand towards her, ‘It's so great to see you, your highness. My name is Ma—'
‘You don't need to address me so formally', Liliana smiled at the blonde haired woman in front of her, ‘Just call me Liliana, or ma'am if you'd wish'.
‘It's mandatory to address you formally your highness', Matilda tried her best to keep a straight face but her sudden dislike for Liliana wasn't something that could be hidden easily, ‘Let me give you a tour of the resort'.
There was something strange about the woman's attitude towards her, Liliana noticed, she was a keen observer and it was evident that Matilda didn't like her even though she didn't know the reason why. She followed Matilda into the resort which was just as beautiful inside as it was on the outside, there were three pool areas with different sizes, it had seven rooms and a bar area which was for evenings—It was so unbelievable, that she and Adonis had it all to their selves.
The tour continued until they finally got to a room, Liliana murmured a thank you and Matilda walked away without paying heed to her appreciation. She frowned deeply at the head of staff's brash attitude, her jet-lag already wore her down to the point where she just needed to take a nap. She opened the door and much to her surprise, she got the best room in the resort—it had a full window view of the beach which got her so excited beyond control.
She shrieked with joy and turned around only to scream as Adonis was watching from the couch by the side with his legs crossed, ‘What are you doing—'
‘You're in my room'.
’No this is my room'.
‘Well it's our room then', he poured himself a glass of water, ‘We're married after—'
‘I am too tired and in need of rest your highness. Our bickering can wait....please get out'. She said calmly as she was too tired to yell or snap at him.
Adonis wasn't ready to budge, it was the best room in the resort with the best view of the beach—it was pure art and there was nothing he loved more than enjoying the wonderful arts of nature. She sure was tired as he was also, still he didn't care about her feelings and would rather die than leave the room for her use.
‘I'm not leaving', he rose to his feet, ‘You can leave if you want or you can share the room with me. You're too cowardly to do it anyway'.
She sighed deeply, sat on the edge of the bed and took her shoes off, ‘I guess we're staying in the same room then'.
********
Hours gone before Adonis woke up from his slumber, confused as to when he dozed off he glanced over to the window and realized it was already dark into the night. Liliana was nowhere to be seen which was a relief on his part, he loved taunting his wife but he also enjoyed her absence—still he wondered where she might be as he got out of bed.
The resort was especially beautiful at night, from the bright lights to the main attraction which was the beach. The beautiful aquamarine of the water which gave it the same ‘Sea of stars' shone vibrantly adding a beautiful and serene ambience to the building walls. He spotted Matilda who flashed a beautiful smile at him, there was something off about her but he couldn't care less as his eyes searched for the woman he dreaded the most.
She was nowhere to be seen in the resort, not at the pool or the bar, she wasn't in any of the rooms either, a part of him thought she had probably fled but Liliana wasn't a coward to that extent. Then it dawned on him, how much she liked rocks and he strode over to the beach where he found her sitting quietly with her toes dug deep into the sound.
The water made her red hair almost look ethereal, it made him uncomfortable as he gulped hard before moving towards her. Liliana frowned deeply as she already sensed his presence behind her, ‘What do you want?', she asked with her voice filled with contempt.
‘It's a beautiful seascape'. He responded, looking down at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen—why did they have to hate each other so much? if she wasn't so much of an arrogant, loudmouthed and vile human being he would've actually liked her...a little bit that is.
‘It's one thing we can agree on I guess', she shrugged as she rose to her feet, ’It's all yours now. You've ruined the fun for me'.
‘I didn't ruin anything'. Here they go again, turning a simple moment into an argument.
‘Then what are you doing here dear husband', she laughed mockingly, ‘You're too dignified to touch the sand. It'll soil your pristine pants'.
God she was starting to get on his nerves again, Adonis thought as he raked his hands through his curls, ‘I don't play with rocks like you do dear wife, I enjoy the sea by looking... not by picking rocks like a little child'.
‘It's not picking rocks', she scoffed, ‘Gosh we have nothing in common, I wonder what our parents were thinking to match us up. They could've at least gotten me a man who loves what I love'.
He smiled as he turned around to leave, ‘What you're looking for is a boy toy my dear wife. Too bad you're stuck with a man who isn't willing to put up with your crap'. He started to snicker as he left her on the beach, Liliana sighed again as her night was ruined by the same man—she hated him so much.