Flashback
After the wedding reception, Eve was escorted to the bridal chamber by her maid, Annie.
"Let's clean you up, my Lady." Annie led her to the shower room.
There was a large wooden tub made of oak wood at the center. The sweet aroma of scented oils and flower petals filled Eve's nose, calming her nervous nerves.
As Annie started to take off her wedding gown, Eve reached for the quill pen and scribbled on the paper.
[ I don't know what I should do. Queen Amara said I should serve my husband well and satisfy him. How would I do that? ]
Annie giggled after reading Eve's message.
"Oh, my Lady, you married at this young age and I understand why you are clueless. Your duty as a wife is to consummate your marriage by sleeping with your husband. Don't worry. Your husband will teach you everything. Just go with the flow. Trust him with your heart and body."
Annie heard a lot of good things about Alaric so she was happy that he was the chosen husband for Princess Evelina. She knew that Alaric was a gentleman and he would take care of Eve.
She turned her around, cupping Eve's worried face. "My lady, since you marry a good knight like Alaric, you don't have to hide your true face from him. I will wash your face clean and remove this ugly makeup."
Eve hesitated for a moment, shaking her head.
[ Queen Amara might get mad if I remove my makeup. ]
But Annie gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, my Lady. Queen Amara won't be here. This room is only for you and your husband. He should know the real you. This will be your surprise gift to your husband." Her personal maid sounded more excited than Eve.
With Annie's convincing power, Eve finally agreed to remove her makeup, washing away those thick eyebrows and fake freckles.
Eve soaked in the wooden tub for half an hour. Annie helped her clean her entire body. When they were done, Eve put on her linen dress.
"I have to leave you now, my Lady. Just wait for your husband. Don't be anxious when interacting with him. I assure you. He is a good man."
When Annie left, Eve sat on the bed while facing the mirror. She looked at her face, tracing it using her own fingers. Her fingers moved down, pressing against her throat.
'Will he like me? Throughout the wedding, I was silent. He doesn't know about my condition. Will he be disappointed once he learns that I can't speak?'
Eve didn't mean to completely ignore Alaric during their wedding. He talked to her several times but she couldn't reply. She wasn't holding her quill pen and parchment paper at that time. Only a few people knew about her condition.
Eve closed her eyes as she traced her lips with her thumb. She recalled the quick kiss she shared with Alaric during the ceremony. It was her first kiss.
She was in the middle of reminiscing her moment with Alaric when the door of the bridal chamber slid open.
Her heart started to race, knowing that her husband had entered the room. She didn't dare turn around to look at him. She just sat still with her eyes closed while listening to his approaching footsteps.
It did not take long before she felt a hand, gently caressing her shoulder intimately. Eve gulped hard nervously as the strange sensation spread across her body.
'His palm is so warm.' She thought to herself, still afraid to open her eyes.
She didn't resist him since Annie advised her to trust her husband and just go with the flow.
Getting no resistance from her, his finger hooked the strap of her night dress, pulling it down her shoulder. He began taking off her clothes, revealing her soft round breasts.
Eve gasped the moment her naked body felt the chill of the cold night air, giving her goosebumps. Subconsciously, Eve covered her bare breasts using her hands. Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.
Only Annie had seen her naked body. This was the first time she let a man see her nakedness.
"Don't hide, my princess. You are so beautiful tonight."
Eve snapped her eyes open when she recognized that voice.
'No! Where is my husband?! What is Gavin doing here!' Eve panicked in horror when she realized that the man in her room was the Duke's son.
She pulled her dress up, clutching it close to her chest to cover her breasts from Gavin's view. She shook her head frantically as if telling him to stay away from her. She darted her gaze around the room searching for Alaric. But he wasn't there.
Gavin smirked as he asked her, "Looking for your husband? He won't come. I ask my men to deal with him tonight so that I can be with you."
'What did he do to my husband?'
Eve trembled in fear. She was more worried about Alaric's safety than her. She hastily stood up to run away and look for her husband.
However, before she could make a step, Gavin's strong arms caught her from behind, holding her body in place.
She wanted to scream to ask for help but no voice came out of her mouth. She struggled to free herself from his grasp but Gavin was stronger than her.
"Shhhh. Don't be afraid, Eve. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just here to take what is supposed to be mine. I fell for you first… the moment I saw your real face. It's you who I want to marry, not Princess Aliyah."
Gavin tightened her grip on Eve's body, his nose sniffing the sweet scent on her nape.
'No! No! Let go of me! Please!' She wanted to plead but she couldn't say those words out loud. All she could do was cry and struggle hard.
"I am mad knowing that a goddess like you will just go to a commoner knight! So I have to claim you tonight! Because you are mine!" Gavin's mind was already clouded by his lust. Furthermore, he was intoxicated by alcohol.
"Stop fighting me, Eve. It will be your honor to have me as your first. I'm a Duke's son. Your commoner husband is just nothing compared to me." His palms harshly grabbed her breasts through her linen dress, squeezing them.
"I promise, I will give you a taste of heaven. You will enjoy it." He whispered in her ear, biting her earlobe.
Eve continued struggling against his grip. She felt a bile rushing into her throat. She didn't want to be touched by another guy. She desperately needed to escape but she was helpless.
With all her strength, she elbowed Gavin and kicked his feet. These actions caused him to loosen his grip on her.
"Fuck!" Gavin cussed under his breath. He got hurt so he lost his patience.
"Don't blame me, Eve. I don't want to hurt you but you force me to do this!" After saying those words, Gavin chased after Eve who was running toward the door.
He grabbed her hair mercilessly, pulling her back into his arms. Without hesitation, Gavin punched Eve at her stomach, making her squirm in pain and losing her strength.
A few seconds later, Eve just found herself being thrown back into the bed, Gavin tearing her clothes off.