Amellia looked at the iron gate with a design of a man in a horse on both gates as it slowly opened. The Southam castle was huge. Its boundary covers the hill and valley. The car slowly drives through the gate as the green meadow on either side grabs her eyes. She didn't know she would come to her home so soon.
The castle was at the topmost part of the hill, with extra cottages and halls all around it. The first one to pass was Audrey Hall. The building was the same as she remembered. It was a memorial site of her mother made by her father after her passing. Amellia always felt suffocated by the place. It was cruel, how a murderer showed care for his victim.
She could feel tears forming in her eyes. Amellia could only bite her lips and pray to pass from there soon. The whispers of haunted voices in her head grow louder the more she remembers. Southam was the golden cage and she was its precious bird. Once again she was back in her cage.
"Why this place." Amellia finally found her voice back she tried to ask, trying to sound as calm as she could.
Adrian didn't look at her, instead, his focus remained on the laptop on his lap, his fingers busy dancing all over the keyboard. "It's my house, why else?"
Amellia took a deep breath remembering the rumours around this place. "This place is known as haunted. Queen Emily's sister was rumoured to still reside here even after death." Amellia argues, her mind can't fathom why they would think that. If she was still a soul she would preside over the lake beside the willow tree not here.
"Like you said it's rumoured. And Princess Amellia would never reside here." Adrian spared a glance before going back to work.
"Why do you think that?" Amellia couldn't help but ask. Her heart skipped a beat. No one knows that, not even her until death. Most of all hearing someone call her name after a long time was nice. Amellia was so consumed by curiosity that she even forgot to breathe.
Adrian paused typing, and he had this unexplainable expression on his face, "Because… I stayed here and never saw her." Adrian narrowed his gaze giving her a common sense look.
Amellia went quiet after his words. It wasn't the answer she wanted to hear but she was expecting too much from a stranger. If anything other than what the news describes of him she knows nothing. Her illusion that he was the one was long gone. It's a convenience that she needs to keep up with until her plan succeeds.
After passing all the cottages, they stop in front of the castle. The huge marble building with pillars holding it up. The elegance and beauty were breathtaking. It was a four-storey house, made with marble and luxurious stones by the founding king. The irony was this white wall had soaked more blood than any building.
Amellia got out of the car with her eyes watching, nothing changed, everything was the same. Even after two hundred years, it was the same, hauntingly beautiful. The statue of a lady in front of the place welcomes them.
"Are you going to just stare at this place or are you still waiting for me to carry you," Adrian remarked, coming up to her.
Amellia crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him. She scoffed in annoyance, storming inside the castle while Adrian patiently watched her.
"Sir."Suzy who was present the whole time finally called out. Who would know her working late would be seeing her cold boss smiling like a fool over a woman? If that wasn't worse, she lost her money over the bet she made on Adrian being gay.
"Did you forge the document?" Adrain's smile has faded away to his usual sternness, his eyes averting to her.
"Yes. To make it more believable I already took care of the magistrate. It's a fake marriage on paper." Suzy answered, handing him the document. "Do I need to tell madam about this?" Suzy inquired, it didn't look like Eva was in this marriage with love in mind. No woman has ever told her boss to buy humanity.
"No. Other than us, it's a real marriage. Just announce I married someone and keep my wife's identity secret." Adrian took over the file, fixing his blazer.
"Okay." Suzy nodded.
"Also, take some time off. Hire an assistant to help with your workload. You can choose the candidate." Adrian stopped before continuing, looking straight at Suzy in all seriousness.
Suzy was left stunned at her place, while Adrian disappeared inside his home. She was sure, this man was not her boss. When did he care about such stuff? It wasn't like she was underpaid, she paid way better but her job demanded that as long as Adrian needed her she should be present. Just one word of his fake wife and he was ready to hire another. Suzy just prays this woman ends up becoming her boss's real wife. She supports this ship over anyone.
***
Amellia felt the air leaving her lungs as she entered the place. It was the same. In the last two hundred years it was still the same. The crystal chandelier hanging on the ceiling. The ceiling with paintings of myths. Every detail was preserved. Just a hall, with portraits of places she knows better than anyone, more than that it was the portrait of her. Hanging over the intersection of the stairs, almost taking over the wall.
The portrait of her coronation. A laced pastel blue gown matching her eyes and her golden locks cascading down her shoulder. The crown made of diamond and aquamarine adorned her head. In the painting she sat at the throne her eyes looking straight up, chin held high. The arrogance and air of royalty, as her father stated. Amellia walked up the stairs, her hands slowly reaching out to touch it.
"Is the painting to your liking?" Amellia pulled her hand back, turning back to see Adrian staring at her from down the stairs, his hands inside his pockets. It was an unreadable expression taking over him. '
"Not really. She was a foolish woman who trusted the wrong people and became nobody in history." Amellia glanced back at her portrait, swallowing the bitter truth.
She could blame Emily as much as she wished, but it was no one foolish and blind to not see the traitor slithering right behind her. Arrogance and air of royalty but blind to never see her sister planning.
"Not really. Queen Emily could only become a prosperous ruler only by using her ideas. Some even think Princess Amellia was far advanced in her time. If she was the queen, maybe her descendants would still be ruling our country." Adrian walked up the stairs standing beside her.
Amellia kept quiet, he was wrong. "Not really. Princess Amellia took celibacy after breaking off her engagement at 17." Amellia remarked as a bitter taste spread through her mouth.
Adrian peeked at Amellia as curiosity sparked him. "It's too stupid to give up on love for a man who fell for her sister." Adrian's voice chipped.
"No. It wasn't her fiance. Her love was someone else, she was planning to get her father's blessing until news came that he died in an assassination attempt." Amellia gulped, finishing her words. Her eyes hid the tear that was ready to spill.
"Well it's a rumour, I heard. Found it romantic. I will go use the washroom." Amellia tried to lighten the mood, excusing herself not noticing the shift in Adrian's emotion.
Amellia turned around, walking a few flights of stairs when something froze her.
"Lia!"