Haydar, my finger hurts, get me olive oil", Arya said in agony. May quickly called the nurse who arrived with first aid. As Ross rubbed Aryas back after the nurse finished bandaging her finger, May looked at him with pity. Ross's patience was impeccable, and she told herself that her sister had gone overboard, letting her obsession threaten her very perfect relationship. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if her husband called her his ex-girlfriend's name; she'd lose it. It was so unfair to the poor gentleman.
Arya's face flushed as she tried to hide her embarrassment. What was wrong with her? She needed to put her emotions in check; otherwise, her marriage was likely to end before the honeymoon did. They excused themselves and Ross took her upstairs for a quick nap, as the nurse instructed, while May and Liam went to have a splash in the castle's pool. They unanimously rescheduled the wine tasting for the following day.
During dinner, only May and Liam were at the table. Ross had earlier taken their dinner upstairs. May wished her sister came down for the meal, she wanted to see her and ask how she was feeling. Knowing Arya, she was probably balling her eyes out due to pain as she had little patience for injuries. She smiled as she thought fondly of her sister. One when they were in fifth grade, Arya got accidentally pricked by a sharp pencil. She cried so much that the teacher had to call their mother to come pick her up thirty minutes later. Arya was such a crybaby. "Why are you smiling, care to share what's making you happy?" Liam asked her, also smiling.
"It's nothing", May said, "I'm just glad Arya married someone who could treat her tenderly; she's a big baby, you know". "Yes, Ross seems like a proper gentleman", Liam said. "Now, speaking of babying, let's go upstairs", he added naughtily with a wink. They strode upstairs, hand in hand, and headed for the bathroom for a warm, bubble bath.
May slid into her lavender dress with ease; her diamond jewelry sparkled as she got ready for the day, her body enrolled in silk and luxury. She applied makeup lightly on her face and spritzed her favorite perfume, Carol Poivre, feeling the room with a trailing scent of femininity. She turned away from the vanity that stood magnificently in the room to look at Liam, who was still asleep. Perfect, she said to herself. There was a faint knock on the living room door, and she quickly went to open it, as quietly as she could. When she came back, Liam was wide awake. "Happy birthday love", she said cheerfully as she approached him with a cupcake which had a lit candle on it. "Blow the candle and make a wish baby", she said with childlike enthusiasm. Liam smiled and came closer to give her a hug and a light kiss. "You remembered" "Of course, why would I forget?" May asked, looking at her husband.
They arrived at the dining table a little later than their usual breakfast time, and May was disappointed to see the chairs empty; Arya wasn't there. She was even more disappointed when the butler told her that the couple had asked for breakfast in their room a few minutes ago. May dialed Arya's number, and it rang with no response. She then called Ross, who answered almost immediately.
"Good morning, is Arya okay? She's not answering her phone". "Hello, sister-in-law", Ross greeted her cheerfully, "Arya's right here", he said as he passed the phone to Arya. "Hey, twin", Arya said. May sighed gently and said, "I just wanted to check up on you. Is everything alright? I haven't seen you since yesterday evening"." Everything's fine, sis, just taking a much-needed rest". "Okay, today's Liam's birthday; if both of you could come downstairs for brunch and a short hot air balloon ride afterward, it'd be great". "Sure May, we'll be there", Arya said with enthusiasm. "Alright then, see you at eleven!" May hung up and took a deep breath. She could swear that she sensed hesitation in her sister's voice. She pushed that thought aside and paid attention to the birthday cake the castle's baker had made for Liam's birthday.
Arya's make-up was so distracting. It didn't look bad, but it gave a very different appearance, as too much makeup wasn't her style. Nevertheless, May was happy to see her sister. Throughout the balloon ride, Ross paid undivided attention to Arya, as if he were scared that another mishap would happen. May noticed this and teased him, "Ross dear, your wife is only accident-prone in the kitchen or classroom; she knows how to have fun safely". Everyone, including Arya, laughed heartily. The balloon ride was soon over, and they went in for a slice of cake and a few pictures with the birthday boy.
After their wine tasting in the castle cellar that evening, they went out to see the sunset. The sun dipped lower and lower as it kissed the earth with its final warmth before disappearing. Orange and shades of purple and red decorated the sky. The couples were gazing in awe at nature's beauty. Liam's phone rang, and he excused himself to answer the call. He left the scene while the ladies made poetry out of the evening's show, with Ross giving his input. They went inside as the sky became darker, signaling nighttime.
Liam joined them at the table for dinner. "I've had too much junk food to be eating anything for dinner", May said as she picked an apple. "I agree we've eaten too much cake today". There was a live band there to perform, and the honeymooners put on their dancing shoes. They danced into the night until their feet got sore. They had mad fun. They soon went upstairs to fulfill bedtime routines and hop in bed.
It was a little past midnight when May woke up thirsty. She craved fruit-infused water, so she headed for the little kitchen they had upstairs. It came in handy when one wanted a midnight snack. She walked carefully to the kitchen door, which was on the left wing, not far from Arya and Ross's room. The first sip caressed her throat with its fruity taste. She took a few more sips and decided to take a glass of it to their room in case she felt thirsty again. She heard a thud and then a clap and then a woman's cry. She moved closer to where she heard the sound, outside the kitchen. She soon found herself in front of Arya and Ross's room. With shaking hands, she twisted the handle and opened the door. In front of her was Arya being repeatedly slapped by Ross, her face swollen and red from the beating. May's eyes bulged in horror, her sight blurred and she felt instantly sick to her stomach. She let out a piercing scream as she passed out on the floor, drawing the couple's attention her.