"Welcome to the lion's den and your hell on earth starts from here," the man's hand he was holding whispered. The entire council was present to witness the king's elaborate wedding.
"Not mine alone but yours too," Jaelyn replied with a steady face and still not looking at the man beside her. Everyone bows as they walk past them. Jetaime was speechless, he was trying to scare her but he didn't expect such a reply from her. "It said countless times that the princess of
Malavon was a gentle, easily frightened, and well-mannered princess." Jetaime said under his scary face mask.
"And you are said to be a monster," Jaelyn hissed under her veil still not looking at him pissing off Jetaime, he grabs her both hands and force her to look at him ignoring the many eyes staring at them.
"Look at me!" he sneered. Moesha couldn't stand till try to run to the princess's aid but was stopped by Byron who asked one of the guards to take her away.
"but you sound human to me," she hissed raising her eyes to meet his, she didn't batch or show any form of disgust, she looks into his eyes raising one eyebrow and tilting her head.
Jetaime stares at him without blinking and neither did she blink, he finally let go of her and raised his hand, and immediately the priest nervously stepped forward to complete the ceremony and get them married.
Once he was done, the large crowd chanted "Long live the king!" "Long live the queen!" it was as if they were compelled to say those words, everyone was shaken by his mere presence, and after witnessing how he treated Jaelyn in front of everybody they could only feel sorry for her.
King Jetaime's uncles, his step-mothers, and step-brothers approach them to congratulate him and welcome the new queen, he could see through their fake smiles.
"What a beauty you are," Prince Dewey remarked with a smirk on his face, in his head, it was a waste for his ugly brother to have such a beautiful princess as his wife.
"Dewey!" Jetaime looks at him with furious eyes pushing his hand away from the queen. "Are you tired of living? I can gladly send you to your grave if you dare touch her," he growls making Prince Dewey mockingly raise his hand in surrender stepping back. Princess Jaelyn wore a satisfying smile she tried to hide under the veil.
Consort, her Highness Suva is the mother of Prince Dewey and Prince Danyon. Goodness, could he loath her any more than he already did? Consort Suva steps forward with a smile holding Princess Jaelyn's hand.
"True, such a rare beauty whenever you are bored you can come to my palace, we will then keep each other company," Jaelyn returns a fake smile pulling her hands away. They were expected to utter kind words and wear fake smiles that doesn't suit their faces, she could see that.
"The queen is tired and needs to prepare for the wedding night, we will skip the rest of the formalities," Jetaime announced ignoring what everyone will think. He grabs his newlywed bride's hand, Jaelyn could barely keep up with him so it looked as if he was dragging her forcefully.
For some reason Jetaime stops not wanting to add to his long list of cruelty, he carries the princess in a bridal style and takes her side while the royal family looks at them with a hostile gaze.
Annoyingly, he still needs his stepmother, she has been managing the family affairs so well that he didn't have to worry about orderliness in the palace and among the princesses and consorts. That doesn't mind he has never been tempted to get rid of all of them.
Jetaime was expecting Jaelyn to put up a fight when he carried her but she didn't complain besides she wanted to leave the company of those pretentious vipers and didn't mind him carrying her like they were some love birds that can't wait to be alone, at least she feels relaxed when she is around him, this hell of life will be less miserable she thought.
Jetaime didn't put her down until they had reached his huge spacious room, he was once again expecting her to twist her nose in disgust upon seeing the room, and everything was dark from the interior deco to the walls and cabins. Even the sheet and curtains were black.
Jaelyn smiles upon seeing the scary dark paintings on the wall.
"Are you scared," Jetaime looks at her sympathetically? He was feeling guilty for dragging her into such a mess, for some reason he wanted to protect her.
"No," Jaelyn hissed as her eyes filled up with tears, she might not be close to Oaklyn but she loves her so much, the thought of her freaking out each time she sees the paintings in her room filled her mind. Yet still, she never stops coming to see her.
To think sweet innocent Oaklyn will be surrounded by these paintings made her feel glad she made this sacrifice for her. She sniffed while she continue to look around, Jetaime thought a tremor of fear went through her, but she remain calm. She was a difficult one to crack, he realize he was becoming soft and weak in front of her.
No matter how hard he tried to live up to his reputation he couldn't, "Get some rest, I will send some handmaiden to help you prepare for tonight," Jetaime voiced while Jaelyn takes over her veil nonchalantly in response.
She wasn't used to maintaining all the protocols in the palace, she couldn't wait to be alone. It was tiring keeping her hands in a fixed position in front of her and keeping her composure like some elegant princess well that is what a true princess will do but not her.
"I came with a handmaiden, could you send her over," Jaelyn requested looking at him in the eyes, his blue eyes that still glows behind the mask he was wearing. No one has ever looked at him like that in the eyes before. The closest was his chest, they were afraid and disgusted by him. Here she is looking at him in her eyes. "Please," Jaelyn added.
"Princess Oaklyn, I was clear when I said no one from Malavon could enter my kingdom, how dare Byron defy my orders?" Jetaime chuckles. "Please don't be angry at him, I begged him to let her come with me," Jaelyn pleaded on Byron's behalf at least she thought he was a good man.
"No one flouts my orders not even you," Jetaime yells looking at Jaelyn's sigh with a sad expression settling on her face. Jetaime wonders how long she will put up the act and remain indifferent. She just spoke her mind to him out there and now she was acting like a good princess who obeys everything. Pretenders are what he hates the most.
Jaelyn pinches her hand hard in other not to speak her mind, she couldn't expose herself. She couldn't hold back during the ceremony but her sister is not someone that will talk back or challenge a powerful king like himself, for her sake she needs to hold her tongue so it doesn't slip again.
Jaelyn fakes a smile while Jetaime gets irritated and walks out shutting the door angrily, God saves Byron he was in deep trouble. Jetaime is going to roast him alive. Jaelyn took a deep breath in relief as she falls on the bed spreading her legs on the bed, she enjoy the extreme softness of the mattress and how good it felt on her skin.
"Finally I'm alone, why does it feel like I'm in heaven? This doesn't look like hell," Jaelyn smirks rolling and turning on the huge bed.