They had arrived at the main hall of the Castle. The cold stone walls intensified the chilling atmosphere as the three of them stood in the center of the hall.
Servants quickly moved aside, giving them the space they needed. But well, there was no real secrecy within the castle. Even the statues in every corner seemed to have eyes and ears.
Reynand's gaze dropped, his forehead creasing as hesitation flickered across his features.
For a moment, he seemed to weigh his words, then his eyes sharpened with resolve. "Elara, listen—I'll give you a brief explanation. Because of the war, our kingdom must work with Corsaria through marriage, and I must fulfill that duty with Princess Trisha. It just… had to be that way."
Elara bit the inside of her cheek. Her disbelief was palpable. All the sacrifices she'd made living in this castle for the past four years were now repaid with the crushing news that her husband was going to marry a princess.
"A brief explanation? 'Had to be that way'? Am I one of your sergeants, Your Grace?" Her breath hitched, trying to mask the anger rising within her.
Reynand blinked, momentarily flustered by Elara's boldness. The innocent girl who once couldn't even muster a word of defiance was now raising her voice. 'She's changed.'
"I'll explain more later," he said, his tone clipped. "Now isn't the right time. That's all you need to know for now."
Elara narrowed her eyes, her voice wavering yet sharp as she lashed out. "Am I not even worth your time now, Your Grace?"
Reynand clicked his tongue and exhaled deeply. His eyes narrowed, studying her reaction with unsettling calm. Every beat of silence between them felt heavier than the last.
"Why?" His voice, cold and sharp, sliced through the silence like a blade.
"What do you mean, 'why'?" she shot back, her voice trembling slightly and clenched the side of her dress.
"Why does your tone sound so... ragged? This will be like any other marriage of convenience, just like ours."
Elara froze, his words striking her like a spear to the chest, leaving her breathless.
"Th—That's because—" Her voice faltered as she realised she had let emotions she should have hidden slip free.
"This is a royal command, and our laws allow nobles to take multiple wives. It's a duty, just like when I had to go to war four years ago."
"But..." Elara's words faltered. Since childhood, she'd been taught to accept a man's word without question—especially when he was her husband.
But this sudden news shattered that control. For a moment, she forgot that she wasn't just an ordinary wife awaiting her ordinary husband's return from war.
Her hope for Prince Reynand's safe return from the battleground had been fulfilled. Shouldn't she be grateful for that?
Did she want more? No, she had no right to expect anything beyond what she'd already been given, even though her heart screamed otherwise.
Again, she was supposed to just accept the cold reality of their marriage.
"Reynand, I think… I shouldn't be here. This is between the two of you. It's not my place to listen, is it?" Princess Trisha's voice cut through the tension like a knife.
Hearing Princess Trisha refer to Prince Reynand without his title felt like a stab to Elara's chest. How close were they, for her to drop the honorific so casually?
Despite knowing Princess Trisha was of higher status than them, the way she spoke to Prince Reynand so informally unsettled Elara. And the warrior's cloak she wore only deepened her curiosity about the Princess' true role.
Reynand watched Princess Trisha tapping her shoes, noticing the discomfort on her face. "Forgive my negligence, Your Highness."
He turned to call for a servant to escort Princess Trisha to her chamber, but as he took a step back, a thud rang out. His right foot collided with something.
Reynand glanced down and froze. There, sitting on the floor at his feet, was a tiny girl, barely reaching his calf. She must have been the one he'd bumped into.
Her blue eyes looked up at him, wide and curious, as if trying to piece together who he was. "Uhm… uhm… awe you… my faahder?"
Reynand stared at the little girl, his eyes narrowing with confusion. His mind raced with one question: Why was there a child in his castle?
"AGATHA!" Elara yelled, rushing towards the little girl and scooping her up in her arms. Her heart hammered in her chest, a mix of relief and concern flooding through her. "Are you okay? Why are you here?" she asked.
"Princess Agatha… Oh no… Forgive me, Your Grace… Princess Agatha slipped away from my watch. I…" A maid quickly approached, her hands trembling as she reached for the child, guilt and fear written all over her face.
Elara sighed, her grip on Agatha tightening for a moment. "Agatha, you must go with the nursemaid for now. Mother will see you later." She handed the girl to the maidservant, her voice gentle but firm.
Agatha pouted, clearly wanting to protest, but Elara's eyes narrowed, giving her a silent command to obey. The little girl sulked, her lips forming a cute pout as she let herself be carried away.
Before she disappeared down the corridor, Agatha turned back and waved at Prince Reynand, her smile bright and innocent, as if nothing had just happened, leaving him stunned.
Elara glanced at Prince Reynand again, biting her lower lip as she took in his cold expression. This moment shouldn't be like this. She had trained and prepared for this moment over the last four years, imagining it would be a beautiful one.
Reynand clenched his jaw, his tension visible, before turning sharply and summoning the steward.
"Escort Princess Trisha to the guest quarters and ensure her needs are well met," he commanded firmly. Then, turning to Princess Trisha, he added, "You may rest easy in your quarters, Your Highness."
"Alright. I shall have my dinner in my chamber then. See you again tomorrow, Reynand, Princess Elara, I take my leave." Princess Trisha dipped her head gracefully before striding off, following the steward toward her quarters.