Flashback
By the end of the wedding reception, Alaric was temporarily separated from his wife, Eve. He also took a bath, preparing for their wedding night.
'I still couldn't believe that I married the third princess.' Alaric thought to himself, staring at the old mirror absentmindedly.
Though Eve was known to be a frail and sick princess, she was still a member of the royal family. That's why Alaric wondered why he was chosen to become the third princess' husband. He just came from a commoner family.
After putting his clothes on, Alaric grabbed the flowers he had picked for Princess Evelina. He took a deep breath, feeling a bit tense for his wedding night.
'Am I really going to sleep with a princess tonight? Will she allow me to touch her?'
Alaric didn't know how Eve would react once they stayed together in the bridal chamber. He was troubled by Eve's silence during the entire ceremony.
'She never talked to me. I feel like she doesn't like me and she is against this marriage. But she allowed me to kiss her on her lips earlier. Sigh. I don't know what she was thinking.'
Alaric stumbled on his feet as he kept thinking about Eve. He shook his head and smiled foolishly. He realized how nervous he was right now. His heart was beating rapidly against his chest.
He was on his way to the Bridal Chamber when suddenly a group of five men blocked his path. They were all wearing masks as if they were assassins.
Alaric frowned, his sharp gaze raking his surroundings.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" He asked them in a stern voice.
Alaric clenched his right fist, putting himself in his fighting stance while gripping the flowers tightly in his left hand. Unfortunately, he didn't bring his sword with him.
"Attack!" The leader of the group commanded everyone, ignoring Alaric's questions.
Four men charged in Alaric's direction, each of them holding a weapon.
Alaric quickly stepped back, dodging their attacks with speed and agility.
'Fuck! Am I getting assassinated? Don't tell me this has something to do with my marriage to the princess?' Alaric was confused and distracted, causing him to commit a mistake.
One man managed to nick his left elbow with a dagger and blood seeped from the open wound.
Alaric hissed, kicking the guy in his abdomen. The man fell down but another three stepped forward, attacking him simultaneously.
The five men underestimated Alaric. Little did they know, he was the strongest knight in his battalion. Even without a weapon, he could beat them up using his fists.
After twenty minutes of fighting, the five men were knocked down by Alaric. He grabbed the leader of the group by his collar, pinning him on the wall.
"Who ordered you to do this? Answer me!"
The man laughed mockingly and spat blood onto Alaric's face.
"Don't be so high and mighty just because you married a princess. Haha. Nothing will change. You are still a commoner knight!"
Alaric clenched his teeth after hearing that insult. He punched the man once again, demanding an answer to his question.
"Who is the mastermind behind this attack?!" He asked him through his gritted teeth.
The man erupted into another peal of laughter.
"Hahaha! Who else? It's your wife! Princess Evelina. Haha."
Alaric's eyes widened in shock upon hearing that. He couldn't believe it.
"You are lying!"
"Haha! Stop dreaming. Do you really think the princess will want a husband like you? She wanted us to beat you tonight so that she won't sleep with you. If you don't believe us, then why don't you see for yourself." He assumed that Gavin was already spending the night with the third princess in the Bridal Chamber.
The leader of the group swore loyalty to Gavin. He wouldn't admit that the order came from Duke Valir's son.
Enraged by this revelation, Alaric punched the man once again, knocking him down completely.
Throwing him on the ground, Alaric hurriedly walked away, heading to the Bridal Chamber. He needed to know the truth by confronting the princess.
Meanwhile, at the Bridal Chamber, Gavin continued his evil scheme against Eve. He was forcing himself to her, touching her inappropriately.
After beating her, Gavin threw her onto the bed, tearing her clothes off. Eve felt so weak. Her body was squirming in pain and she had no energy left.
'No. Please stop. Don't touch me.' Eve continued begging in her mind, her tears streaming down her face. She was utterly scared!
But Gavin couldn't hear her plea and he didn't care about her feelings at all. All he wanted to do was claim her!
The cold air swept over her exposed flesh. She was pinned on the bed and Gavin was on top of her.
"Don't cry. I will make you happy. I will please your body until you taste heaven." His eyes darkened with lust as he licked his lips lasciviously.
He stroked her pale body, his hand palming her breast, savoring its softness. He bent over, kissing her neck and collarbone. His entire weight was on her, immobilizing her.
Eve just wanted to shut her mind right now to forget everything. She felt helpless. He was too strong for her. Tired of fighting back, she just closed her eyes, hoping for her misery to end soon.
'Alaric… Where are you? Please come… Help me.' In her hopeless situation, she could only pray for Alaric to come and save her.
Meanwhile, Gavin was satisfied since Eve was no longer resisting. He could do whatever he wanted. He wanted to kiss her but she moved her head to the side, avoiding his lips.
He just smirked and continued his exploration. He could feel his growing erection on his lower body. He pressed it against her abdomen.
"Oh, my princess. Can you feel it? I am so hard and throbbing because of you." He rubbed his bulge in between her legs.
Eve could only shut her eyes, unmoving.
Gavin was so focused on taking advantage of Eve's vulnerability that he failed to notice that someone already slid the door open.
Alaric stood frozen by the door. From his spot, he could see Gavin making out with the princess.