The door opened, and the first to come in was Phina. Audrey held her elbow. She had planned to hit Damien, but the moment she saw Phina, she almost jumped on her. She was so happy to see a familiar face apart from the four walls of this room.
She was so captivated by seeing Phina until she heard the door locked behind her. She looked back to see Damien walking in his handsome glory, but she didn't say a word to him. He moved to the cat that purred at him and jumped in his hand, curling there.
Audrey dragged Phina to a place she believed was secluded in the room, "What's going on?" She whispered.
Phina bowed her head, "Prince Damien came looking for me. He believes you needed an attending maid. I'm more than happy to serve you, my lady."
Audrey looked back at Damien, who was now feeding his cat something on a small plate. He didn't look like the beast that had claimed her from the way he was attentive to the cat, and she had no idea if he could hear them. She didn't want him to.
She grabbed Phina's hand tightly and pulled her close before asking her next question. "Is it true that the crown prince is married?"
Phina didn't answer; she looked conflicted. She didn't want to be the bearer of bad news to her lady, but Audrey was eager to know.
"Please, tell me. If you don't tell me, there's no way to know what's happening outside. Did the crown prince really get married?" Her voice was getting lower now. From the look on Phina's face, she already knew the truth but wanted to hear the words from her. He wanted confirmation.
"With who?"
Phina bowed her head before answering her question. "Princess Ella, my lady."
Audrey crouched on the floor. She expected him to marry Mia. At least Mia was her friend, and he had chosen her as his concubine. "What about Mia?"
Phina shrugged, "She didn't attend the party. She has moved to the concubine room."
They heard footsteps and turned to see Damien walking towards her. "Phina, dress the lady. I'll order some maids to bring food for you."
She didn't respond, and he walked out again, locking the door behind them.
Audrey frowned. She had never been locked inside before. Was she his slave? How could he treat her like this?
Audrey glanced at the door, "Is there a way to escape here."
Her former wedding dress pooled at her feet. She didn't cry this time.
'I don't know, young lady., but it's not advisable to run away a day before your marriage."
Audrey paused. She heard Phina clearly but wanted her to repeat it. "Whose wedding?"
Phina's lips thinned, "My lady, with the rumor about the upcoming war. The king decided to marry the two princes, so they could unleash their powers and help the kingdom. The king made this decision for the kingdom. And because the first prince had chosen you, you're getting married tomorrow."
The tears she tried to hold streamed freely down her eyes.
"What about what I want? I don't want to marry to that beast; not when he was the one who destroyed my dreams."
Phina had no idea what to do. "I think you should have a bath now, my lady."
Audrey shook her head.
She knew she wasn't getting married for love's sake, but at least her dream was coming true, but there was no hope now. There's no becoming the crown princess.
"Thank you, Phina. If you haven't told me, I would have been very surprised."
"I'm just doing my job, ma."
She allowed Phina to help with the rest of her dress and assisted her into the bath. As she took her bath, she had these faraway thoughts on her mind.
If her father hadn't come to rescue her, does that mean he agreed to her marriage to this rejected prince? She shook her head; there was no way he could. She was his only child. He wouldn't want his only child to live a life of regret.
"What are you thinking of, my lady?"
Audrey sighed. She finished bathing and walked out of the water. She held Phina's hand lightly. Right now, she had no one but Phina. "Please, I need your help."
Phina squeezed her face, "My lady, I don't think I am in a position to help someone like you."
But she didn't give up. If she gave up now, it was like she admitted to wanting to marry him. She wouldn't marry someone so arrogant. Someone who had no idea how to take care of a woman. Someone who most people talk about in whispers. She refused to be part of his life.
"I need you to help me escape."
Phina gasped, her eyes everywhere while she avoided looking at Audrey. "I'm sorry, ma. There's nothing I can do. I suggest you wear a cloth before you get cold."
She had brought a cloth to her and refused to wear his clothes. She dropped on the bed with her naked ass while her stomach grumbled.
Phina came with yet another cloth, "I think you can manage this until I am able to bring your box from the middle wing. And you need to eat, miss."
She grumbled, "No. I'm not eating anything here, and I am not wearing that, too."
Phina frowned, having no idea how to deal with her lady. An idea formed in her head, and she glanced at the door, "My lady, if the first prince comes back, he will see you naked like that."
Audrey's eyes widened, and she collected the cloth from her, wearing it as fast as she could. There was no way that man was seeing her naked. Where exactly was she supposed to sleep if she got locked in here tonight? The room was big enough, but there was just one bed in the room.
Phina smiled at Audrey. Although, she was wearing a male cloth, she looked as beautiful as ever. She would have fitted perfectly for the crown princess, but who knows what was going on in the first prince's mind. Who knew why he had decided to claim her on the wedding day?
As if her thought had summoned him, they heard the door lock open. Damien carried a plate of food. He dropped it on the only table in the room and faced Phina. "You're dismissed."
As Phina stood up, Audrey stood with her. She wanted to leave with the maid, and the door felt like heaven – a place she could only see in the distance but couldn't get there. Phina looked at her longingly as if telling her to be good. The moment the door closed behind her, Damien locked the door.
He lifted the food and brought it to them. There was just a plate, which made Audrey wonder if the food was for them both or if he had eaten before bringing hers here. She folded her arms under her chest.
Damien eyes lingered on her body, making her feel hot as his eyes moved slowly all over her.
"You look beautiful in my clothes."
She cocked a brow. So, that was what amazed him.
"I don't wish to wear your cloth. I'm wearing this because I don't have a choice."
He nodded as if he understood, but the smirk on his face made her realize he was far from understanding her. Probably, he was amused by her excuse.
"I think it's best if we forfeit the idea of your cloth. You can continue wearing mine."
What does that even mean? She couldn't understand this man.
Her stomach grumbled again.
"You need to eat."
She looked at the food. It was inviting. She wanted to dig in and finish everything. She had never felt that hungry before. Yet, she closed her eyes and said, "I'm not eating."
She heard him hiss, prompting her to open her eyes.
"I think it will be best for you to eat. I won't let my wife starve herself."
"I'm not your wife."
He nodded, "That's true, but this time tomorrow you will be. Your father has agreed to get you married into the royal family, and it's the king order. Are you going to reject the king's order?"
No one had ever rejected the king's order. She couldn't reject it and live to tell the tales. That was why he was the king. The king has authority over everything in the kingdom, and whatever he says is final. If he commanded her to get married to his son, then who was she to reject it?
He picked up the spoon and scooped some food in it. Audrey watched him in interest; the way his hand was wrapped around the spoon felt so intimate. Everything about him felt so strange to her. Instead of putting it in his mouth, he lifted the spoon to her mouth.
"You might not want to eat but you have to eat."
She pressed her lips together. "If you want me to eat then let's me go. I'll eat at home."
Damien sighed. He dropped the spoon back and stood up from the bed. He walked to the other side, leaning against the table.
"The sooner you get that this is your new home, the better for both of us. If you act well, I will let you go outside and move around in that garden you like. But, if you continue to act this way, I will have no choice but to keep locking you in this room."
It was hard for her to believe what he was saying. Even if he was her husband, he had no right to keep her inside forever. She was a noble woman, not some sort of slave.
She didn't say a word as she just glared at him.
"Trust me, Kitten. If you want, I could cut off your claws or I could sharpen it. It's up to you to decide."
She stared at the door again.
What was the possibility that she could escape the prince?
If she ran away, where will she stay?
She shook her head, not wanting to be negative. "If I do as you ask, you will let me go out."
He nodded.
Maybe this was her only way out. If she could leave the room, she could easily escape from this place and probably from the kingdom. She could live as a traveling maiden around other kingdoms and stuff. Anything, as long as she was not in the palace with that handsome face.
"Fine. I'll eat."
Damien narrowed his eyes. She was up to something. She wasn't the type to agree to anything that easily. "Great. Let's eat together."
A frown.
"What do you mean? I can eat all by myself."
He came back to the bed, his body scent evading her nose.
"This is another thing you should get used to. We're going to get married, so we are eating together."
"What about sleep?" She said, realizing there was a reason there was only one bed.
"Of course, we would sleep on the same bed."
Audrey's cheeks turned red. She had always slept alone. "I'm not sleeping with you." She yelled.
Zeus jumped up from the impact, running around the room.
Damien glanced at her, "You just scared Zeus. Don't worry you will get used to it, too."
The more they conversed, the more Audrey got confused about him. He didn't let her eat by herself. He fed them both, taking one spoon for her and one spoon for him until the food was finished. Surprisingly, she was okay with eating with him.
When he was done, he placed the plate aside and took off his clothes. Audrey's eyes were on his chest. If she had thought he was handsome with his clothes on, he was breathtaking without his clothes on. Her eyes stared at him without leaving it until she heard him chuckle. "Stare all you want, Kitten. This is all yours, just like you're all mine."
The statement made her avert her gaze. What was she supposed to be doing in this room if she wasn't allowed outside?
"Why me?" She asked.
Damien carried Zeus with him.
"Because I said so."
How was that a response? She wondered, but she didn't argue with him. She watched him dip Zeus into the water while the cat struggled to run out of the bath to no avail. He scrubbed him and washed him clean with care as if he was his baby. He handled the cat with so much care, which made Audrey question if he was only nice to animals and a beast to human beings.
After attending to Zeus, he started pulling down his shorts. Audrey bolted to the bed and pressed her face to the wall since there was no wall demarcating the bathroom from the main room, apart from a thin curtain Damien didn't bother to pull.
"Next time can you warn me before pulling your short?"
He chuckled. "You'll get used to it."
She heard water splashing in the background. She didn't move from the wall. She heard footsteps, and then the bed dipped on the other side. She stiffed.
"Why are you sleeping here?"
"I told you we're sharing bed."
Her heart beat fast, and she could almost hear the sound. She moved slowly towards the edge of the bed, trying to get off.
"Where are you going?" She felt his hand curled around her, and she had never been so thankful for wearing thick clothes.
"I'll sleep on the floor."
"You'll sleep beside your husband, Kitten. Get used to it." He pulled her closer to him, and that was when she felt that he was naked.
"Are you not wearing clothes?"
Another chuckle, "I don't wear clothes to bed, Kitten."