"Nora, open the door!" he knocked loudly, but I didn't care.
I moved away from the door, my legs trembling uncontrollably. I had never felt such a strong urge to disappear as I did in that moment.
Soon, I heard something break, followed by approaching footsteps. If my legs were trembling before, now my whole body shook. Cold sweat ran down my cheeks as he approached me, each step he took forcing me to retreat in fear until my back hit the wall behind me. Now, he stood close, just a few inches away, looking down at me with those strange but beautiful eyes. His left arm rested against the wall above my head, and his cold fingers touched my face, gently lifting my chin to make me meet his gaze.
"Why are you running away?" his voice was cold, as if he struggled to control his anger.
I struggled to find the right words, feeling at a loss. Why was I running away? It was because I was scared of him, and I didn't want us to be in the same place. I knew he would do something terrible to me.
As if sensing my thoughts, his eyes narrowed, glaring at me with a frown that filled my heart with horror, urging me to speak.
"I... I... I mean, Your Highness..." I stuttered, my words faltering.
"You mean what?" he pressed on, his voice still cold, sending shivers down my spine.
"I... mean... I wasn't running away... Your Highness," I managed to say, my voice trembling.
"You're scared of me?" he questioned, and I froze.
Yes, I was scared of him, but I wouldn't dare say it out loud. What if he decided to make me fear him even more? His hand, which had been resting above my head, dropped as he let out a sigh when I didn't answer.
"You don't have to be scared. I will never hurt you," he said.
Why did I feel like he was lying? Even if he didn't hurt me physically, I couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I saw him. There was a strange aura around him that always signaled danger. I didn't feel comfortable around him; he scared me.
"Yes, Your Highness," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. He stared at me for what seemed like an eternity before turning and leaving the room.
****
After having dinner one evening, I went to my personal bedroom and decided to take a bath without the assistance of my maid. I prepared the bathtub and filled it with warm water. I removed my towel and slid into the tub. The steam enveloped me, providing some solace. I hugged my knees to my chest, staring blankly in one direction, lost in my thoughts.
I despise him. Why does he have to exist and make my life miserable? If he didn't exist, my father wouldn't have arranged my marriage to him. I would have been with Albert. Albert was the youngest soldier among my father's men. He grew up in the castle since his father was the General. We used to play together when we were younger. Besides my maids, he was the only person who treated me kindly and with sweetness. As we grew older, I developed feelings for him. My face would turn red whenever he smiled at me, and I often found myself stealing glances at him and smiling to myself. I liked him so much that I couldn't imagine a life without him. I used to daydream about our future together, how it would feel to marry him and have his children. We would lead a simple life far away from the confines of the palace.
But one day, my father informed me that I was betrothed to someone else. That day, I tried to run away from the palace, but the guards caught me. They brought me back to my father, and that's when he decided to cage me. I wasn't allowed to leave my room or see anyone, not even Albert. I missed him everyday and would cry whenever I was reminded that I would never be with him. I was betrothed to someone else.
I hated him! I used to fear him, but that fear transformed into hatred. I despised everything about him— the way his presence sent shivers down my spine, his eyes that held me captive and lost in my thoughts, his voice, and even his scent that stirred unwanted emotions within me, making me question the hate I felt. Why couldn't he hate me the way I hated him? Why did he have to be kind to me and not do some terrible things to me so I wouldn't feel guilty for despising him?
Tears streamed down my cheeks, a lot of emotions consuming me. He was my husband now, and I couldn't change the fact that I was destined to spend my life with someone I didn't like. I was expected to grow fond of him, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. He wasn't the person I cared for, nor was he the one I wanted to spend my life with. I was married to him because of my father's insatiable thirst for wealth and power.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. It was him. He approached me, his gaze never leaving me until he stood near, his eyes piercing into my soul.
I clutched my knees tightly to my chest and covered my shoulders with my wet hair, trying to shield myself from his intense gaze. He crouched down to my level and brushed the hair away from my face, a frown appearing on his beautiful face.
"Are you crying?" he asked calmly.
I had almost forgotten my previous trance when he entered. That was the effect he had on me— he made me forget things just by being present.
"No, Your Highness," I replied softly, averting my gaze.
"Regan," he corrected.
"Regan," I murmured under my breath.
He let out a deep sigh and gently cupped my face with his hand. "I understand how you feel. I'm not asking you to like me or anything, but I promise I will treat you well, and I will stand by my word," he assured me. I simply nodded, unable to find words to respond.
His lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something more, but our moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Soon, the door opened, revealing one of his men.
"Your Highness..." The man quickly turned to leave upon seeing our closeness.
A faint smile graced his lips. Oh, how I despised that smile. "See you later, Nora," he said, standing up before walking out of the room.