Chapter 11: You both know each other?
{Music Recommendation: Scarborough Fair ~ Nati, Cullen Vance}
Jacquelyn gazed out of the small opening behind the carriage, her eyes fixed on Griselda's downcast figure. One could see from far how sad the woman was, all Jacquelyn wanted was to rush down and offer the only mother she knew, comfort.
"Grisie," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the creaking of the carriage wheels. Jacquelyn noticed Griselda's lips move as she said something, but they were too far, and she couldn't make out the words she was saying.
As the carriage carried on, Griselda and the governess receded into the distance, their figures fading slowly. Jacquelyn turned her face, with her hands on her lap she remembered how everyone closed their eyes when she removed her veil.
The Cursed One. A pang of hurt struck her heart as she remembered the words, Jacquelyn squeezed her hands tightly. The realization that her isolation wasn't due to illness, as Griselda had claimed, but because she was a child believed to be cursed. Even her own father couldn't bear to look upon her face, fearing the supposed curse.
Though Jacquelyn knew that maybe Griselda was trying to protect her from knowing her ill fate, the princess wished she had been told sooner than finding out this way on her wedding day. And despite seeing her father look away, Jaquelyn couldn't hate him, all her life she had painted in her head her father to be a great man and King. All she had to do at the moment was just think that he had a reason for doing what he did.
Maybe, just maybe she was really cursed. Doubt crept into her mind, as she gazed at her hands searching for any signs of curse but she looked just normal.
"I may be cursed but I'm still flesh and blood," Jacquelyn muttered, resting her head on the carriage couch. She wanted to put all her worries behind her. Though she has always been inside all her life, but she had read books, and she knew just how important a wedding day is to a girl.
Jacquelyn decided not to ruin it for herself even if she was cursed, she would find happiness with her husband and be the best wife alive putting her past behind her. Jacquelyn's thought was disrupted when her carriage bumped into something causing the dagger on the couch to fall down on the carriage floor.
Jacquelyn's hand flew up to her head, as she tried to hold her small crown stopping it from falling down but the carriage continued to jolt up and down tumbling the princess around.
"Wh-what...is... happening..." Jacquelyn asked nobody in particular because the creaking noise was too loud and the coachman wouldn't possibly hear her.
After some minutes, the ride became smooth again but with Jacquelyn's hair looking disheveled and her veil shifted to the side.
"Hm. . .Where does my husband live?"
The girl muttered to herself, pushing the small curtain that served as window to the side. Jacquelyn was welcomed with darkness, and the eerie caws of Crows echoed overhead the carriage, their silhouettes flitting across the dark sky.
"What is this place. . ." Jacquelyn's voice trailed, laced with fear. She was very sure that it was morning when they left the palace and they haven't rode for too long for it to get dark. Biting her lips nervously, she closed back the curtain.
As soon as Jacquelyn closed the curtain, a glint of light caught her eye. She turned to see what it was and spotted the silver knife lying on the carriage floor. She quickly picked it up, wiped it clean with her skirt, placing it on her lap. That was when she remembered what the Governess had told her.
"I assume you have already prepared for today, after reading your instructions. Use this and serve your kingdom."
Jacquelyn raised the dagger, looking at it properly. How was she supposed to serve her kingdom with this, the young Princess mused and to think that it had skipped her mind to read the paper given to her the day before. Jacquelyn sighed, holding the dagger tightly.
If things started out this way for her, it would lead to an unhappy marriage. But Jacquelyn didn't want that, even if she was cursed, she won't let it define her fate. The princess made a promise to herself to live the best life with her husband making sure nothing ruins it for them.
Finally her carriage stopped moving, Jacquelyn pushed her curtain to the side to get a glimpse of where they had stopped. It was a giant castle that looked almost like it could touch the sky and on top was a cross-like stake mounted on the peak of the castle's highest tower.
"We have arrived at Morville Castle... This is as far as we can go, you will now make your way inside the castle. Alone." One of the guards that had led Jacquelyn announced with a cold voice.
Jacquelyn nodded, fixing her veil properly, she didn't want to scare people again with her cursed face. Then she grabbed the dagger, pushed the carriage door open, and without help from anyone, stepped down from the carriage.
The cold mountain winds blew her veil and hair to the side, causing goosebumps to rise on her whole body.
"Achoo!" Jacquelyn sneezed, holding her hands together before walking towards the castle entrance. She stopped at intervals to fix her gown and her veil, just in case her husband came out to greet her, she didn't want to appear unkempt.
When she got to the castle gate, she raised her hand to knock, but the gate creaked open by itself.
"Okay... that's strange," Jacquelyn muttered, peeking inside first before taking a step inside. The moment she was inside, the gate closed by itself, startling the poor girl.
"Ha!" The princess held her chest, where her heart was now racing out of fear. Jacquelyn looked around, but she was all alone. There was nobody to welcome her.
"A-anyone home?" Jacquelyn's voice cracked at the end, and then her voice echoed back to her. Fearfully, she took another step forward, her plan being to run back to the carriage if nobody came out and beg her father that she didn't want to get married. She'd rather live in the isolated quarters of the palace as a cursed Princess.
Just after she had made this mental resolve, Jacquelyn saw someone walk inside the castle without stopping to look at her.
"Hello! Look over here!" She waved, but the person didn't stop walking. Without wasting time, Jacquelyn ran after the figure, holding up her gown so she wouldn't trip. Getting to the main entrance, where two stone gargoyles flanked the entrance giving the castle a creepy aura.
Jacquelyn ran inside the house without wasting time. The hallway was lit by fire torches placed on each pillar giving the room a warm glow. As she entered the first room, Jacquelyn was amazed. The inside of the castle was completely different from the outside, and it was even more beautiful than she expected.
It was a clear definition of never judge a book by its cover. The person who had designed the interiors clearly had a refined taste of elegance and class.
"Wow. . ." Jacquelyn gaped, looking around the amazing artworks that were fixed at perfect spots, giving the room the antique elegance it needed.
While Jacquelyn was taking in the sights, two persons descended the stairs. The taller one walked behind, his shoulders raised in pride as if others were beneath him, even though literally, they were.
"Great Kael, the human bride has arrived," the shorter figure announced.
Jacquelyn fixed her veil again when she heard the voice, bowing her head deeply as she waited to meet her husband. Though she had many questions to ask about why the inside of the house looked different from the outside, she waited for the right time.
"Mortals. . ."
Jacquelyn gulped when she heard the deep male voice, there was something about it that made her want to raise her face and see the person. His voice was a blend of a gentle zephyr on a moonlit evening and the soft hum of a crackling fire. A voice that can be soothing, yet intense; calming, yet commanding.
"They bring their kind again... knowing what their fate would be." Kael hummed, speaking with a relaxed, laid-back tone. Getting to the last stair, his strides walked closer to the young human.
"You... do as you were instructed."
Jacquelyn pressed her lips, shuffling with the dagger given to her, then she raised it above her head.
"Husband, I present this as a gift to you, hoping to serve you as wife and also serve my kingdom..." Her voice trailed off, as she prayed earnestly in her mind for it to be the right thing written on the instructions she had failed to read.
"Hm. . . interesting," The baritone deep voice that was like gentle thunder spoke, "Raise your face little girl."
Jacquelyn inhaled deeply, wondering why her husband was calling her a little girl and even mortal as if he wasn't one. She moved her veil back, to reveal her face. There she met the golden eyes of the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life even though it was her first time seeing a man. She almost didn't recognize him until her eyes fell on the young boy standing beside him.
"H-human girl?" Ballister muttered, "You're alive? He kept you alive. . ."
Jacquelyn pointed at him, "Young boy. . .that means he must be the. . .father. . .?
Both surprised and shocked for different reasons turned to look at Kael who had a bored expression on his face.
Kael stifled a yawn, his eyes tiredly looking at them. With a voice exuding an air of nonchalance he said, "Oh joy, How. . . thrilling. You both know each other. Can we get to the interesting part now?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Pluma_W143
Pluma_W143 Dear readers! Thank you for following this novel until now. <3
Updates here might be on hold for a few days as I need sometime to stockpile for this work!
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