"I heard you're the new wife of our fourth brother," Ellena said, her eyebrows raised in contempt. "I'm Ellena Bellamy, the commander's daughter," she added, straightening her shoulders and neck, as if trying to intimidate me with her position.
"It's nice to meet you, Ellena. I'm Princess Alanora," I replied politely, not wanting to provoke her, just as the maid had warned me. The last thing I wanted was to get into trouble with someone like her.
"Um... Princess Alanora," she chuckled with disdain. "My father told me about a kingdom with a useless king. He supposedly sold his daughter to gain allies."
I looked at her, confusion evident in my expression. What did she mean by that?
"What kingdom are you from, princess?" she asked sarcastically, her lips twitching at the corners.
"If your father tells you about every kingdom, then he must at least know where I'm from, or did he not tell you?" I questioned, and her face immediately turned sour. I didn't mean to offend her, but her words struck a nerve.
"You don't talk to me that way," she retorted, giving me a fierce glare.
"I apologize if my words angered you," I said, attempting to defuse the situation, and I took a step forward to leave. However, she grabbed my hand.
"You can't walk away while I'm still talking. My father is the commander, and I can have you thrown into the imperial dungeon," she spatted, her eyes burning with anger as she spoke.
I glanced down at her hand gripping mine, then looked at her with a faint smile on my lips. "Good luck with being the commander's daughter. You might be able to do that with other princesses, but not with me," I said, and her maids stifled their laughter behind her. I gently freed my hand from her grasp and walked away.
"This is not over!" she fumed, clenching her fist tightly as she turned to face her maids.
"Why were you laughing?" she demanded.
"We're sorry, young mistress," they murmured fearfully, bowing their heads in submission.
"You should be sorry for yourselves because there will be no food for you. You both will go hungry for three days," she snapped before storming off in anger.
"We're sorry... Young mistress!" they chorused, hurrying after her.
"You did well, my lady," the maid praised. "Elle is a thorn in everyone's side. They all fear her because her father is the emperor's adviser and the commander. I'm glad she got what she wanted," she continued excitedly as we reached our chamber.
"What is your name?" I asked her. She seemed nice and fun to be with. She reminded me so much of Saida and Cara.
"I'm sorry, my lady, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Lisa, and I have been assigned as your new handmaid," she said, bowing.
"Okay, Lisa. Thank you for today. You can go now," I smiled at her, appreciating her support, and she sauntered away quickly.
****
After having dinner all by myself with no sign of my husband, I decided to take a relaxing bath. Lisa, my maid, kindly washed my hair, complimenting its beauty with a smile.
"Your hair looks so lovely, my lady!" she exclaimed.
"Thank you," I replied softly, returning her smile.
But despite the calming atmosphere, my mind was filled with worry. It was our first night together as husband and wife, and I couldn't help but feel anxious. What if he expected me to perform a wife's duties tonight? The thought terrified me. I was so scared to be in such a position. What if he does something horrible to me? I know they were just rumors and couldn't be real. But I grew to know that there are no flames without fire. Those rumors weren't just made-up, he definitely has something to do with them.
I had considered telling him that I wasn't ready, but I was too afraid of how he would react. What if he rejected me or laughed at my concerns? I thought about making up an excuse, like pretending to be sick or pretending to fall asleep.
After Lisa finished drying my hair, I put on a beautiful silky white nightgown she had prepared for me. She smoothed scented oil onto my skin and carefully styled my hair, letting it fall in soft waves. She took one final look at me, nodding in satisfaction at her work, before leaving the room.
I sat nervously on the edge of the bed, fidgeting with my fingers and stealing glances at the door. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard the door creak open. I quickly lay down and covered myself with the satin sheet, pretending to be fast asleep.
Suddenly, a chill ran through the room, causing goosebumps to rise on my arms and neck. I knew instantly what had happened. Whenever he entered, the temperature dropped, making me shiver under the sheet. Although my eyes were closed, my mind was conscious of every movement of his.
As he returned from the bathroom, his captivating scent filled the air, making it difficult to think straight. But then, the lights went out. I peeked through my lashes, wondering why he had blown out the candles, only to see him removing his mask.
Fear gripped me, and my body trembled uncontrollably. I quickly shut my eyes tight. Seeing him without the mask meant certain death. He spared no one who laid eyes upon his face, not even me, his wife.
I felt the other side of the bed sink as he got in. My body became rigid, my breath caught in my throat, and my heart pounded loudly in my chest. I was terrified of making any sound, not even the slightest breath.
I sensed him pulling the sheet over himself, and I let out an inaudible breath of relief.
"Just go to sleep, Nora," he said in a flat tone, and my body became even more tense. Did he know I wasn't asleep? God! What if he expected me to fulfill my duties as his wife now that he knew I was awake? My heart squeezed painfully in my chest. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole. Why did this have to happen?
Realizing that I didn't need to pretend to be asleep anymore, I decided to try and relax, listening to my own thoughts. I wondered what his name was since no one had ever mentioned it before. In the castle, they referred to him as the fourth brother, and outside, as the devil. Did he even have a name?
"When we are alone, you can call me Regan," he said under his breath, as if he could hear my thoughts.
"Regan," I whispered back. The name sounded good and unique. I liked it.
After struggling to stay awake for a while, my eyelids grew heavy, and my lashes blinked uncontrollably. Before long, I drifted off to sleep.