Felix rushed into the gallery hurriedly and stopped in relief when he saw Darius by the window.
"I saw her highness breeze out of here and thought she had snuck in without permission."
"Apparently not." Darius was gripping his tea cup although it had long been emptied.
Felix walked to him in distress. "It's that expression. Don't tell me you are starting to grow fond of her."
"Grow fond of a descendant of a demon? Are you out of your mind?" Darius scoffed at the accusation and left Felix standing by the window on his own.
The latter didn't look convinced. "Since you say so, I'll assume your mood has nothing to do with her. Now that we are on the topic, when do you plan to make a move on Ivrasea?"
Darius studied the maps on the wall absently. "In seven days."
His eyes darkened. In seven days, the kingdom that should never have existed will finally cease to exist.
_____
Ylvia had always said that Delaney's intuition was terrifyingly accurate and she was right.
On her way out of the gallery, Delaney had nearly bumped into Felix. The king's advisor ignored her but she slowed down. She didn't think it would make sense for her to eavesdrop on every conversation the king made, but maybe listening in on a few would let her know what to expect.
The heavy door shut as soon as Felix was in but thanks to her impeccable hearing which she must have inherited form her demon ancestors, she could hear them when she tried to listen.
"Seven days." She mumbled in response to Darius's words. Why was he doing it so soon?
Was it too late to persuade him? When she thought back to the only thing she would have to do to convince him, a shiver ran down her spine.
He was probably only going to use her and lie to her. She was not a fool to believe that a king could change his mind about a war just because his wife warmed his bed.
Her tour of the castle lead her to a frozen lake. She wouldn't have known it existed if she didn't see the map in the gallery earlier but she was glad that it did. Part of her reason for walking to this side of the castle was to find out whether that was an actual map or a painting out of the artist's imagination.
"It's even more beautiful than in the painting." She took a deep, appreciative breath and undid her braid to let the calming breeze flutter her hair.
"My Lady!" Jessica was shocked by her action and even more flabbergasted when Delaney bent down to take off her shoes and let her feet touch the grass.
"My Lady, you could get injured. Please put your shoes back on."
"I'll be careful." She promised and found a large rock to sit on by the lake. She dipped a toe onto the stretch of glacier and retracted it with a laugh. That was way cooler than she wanted. However, she had never felt this carefree in her life.
"Jessica, you can go back to the castle. I want to be alone."
Jessica was unwilling but she could only do as she was told.
On the other hand, Delaney was not in the slightest bit worried of anything. She knew that the castle and the parts around it were heavily guarded, and that included this frozen lake.
"Why is it frozen, though? The weather isn't that cold." She wondered aloud.
"Because the goddess keeps it that way."
She jumped and almost fell into the lake, turning around to face the woman who had spoken out of the blue. She was sitting beside her on the rock as though they knew each other.
"You scared me! Who are you?"
She felt for her sword but it was unnecessary.
"I'm sorry I frightened you. I'm Kyrah." The woman introduced herself.
"Well, Kyrah, I do not wish to get to know you." She dismissed the woman immediately. Itrusians openly hated her and she was not going to pretend to love them either.
"That's a shame. Seeing that you are sitting in my spot, I thought we could be friends at least." Kyrah shrugged with a smile.
"Your spot? My apologies. I didn't know this rock was taken." She made to leave, only for Kyrah to stop her.
"You can stay. I don't mind."
So she did. It was probably the most comfortable since it was the flattest around, and Kyrah didn't strike her as a spy or a bad person. Besides, she was wearing very thin clothes that couldn't possibly hide a weapon.
Delaney couldn't stop herself from studying her different clothing style. "Are you Itrusian?"
"Not anymore." She sighed. "My husband was. He died."
"Oh, I'm…"
"No." Kyrah stopped her. "I got married to him even while knowing that he would eventually die. I don't regret a thing. Those years I got to spend with him were the most beautiful years of my life."
So there were actually women who married men they were in love with. She looked happy, so Delaney offered her a kind smile.
"What about you?" Asked Kyrah.
"Mine is great." She laughed awkwardly, unwilling to divulge so much detail to a stranger.
"The king doesn't treat you well, does he?" Kyrah guessed.
"How did you…"
"Your scarf." Kyrah pointed at the purple silk scarf around her neck. "It has the Ivrasean emblem on it. Everyone knows that the only Ivrasean to ever set foot in this kingdom is the princess who our king married."
"Oh." She didn't try to hide the scarf. While it gave away her identity too fast, Ylvia made it for her when she was a little girl and it had become the most important clothing item to her over the years.
She slid off the rock and found her shoes.
"Are you leaving? The sun is just starting to set. It looks so beautiful reflected in the lake." Kyrah tried to persuade her to stay longer.
"Yeah, I'm sure it looks amazing. I have to go back before my husband notices I'm missing." She forced a smile.
Kyrah thought for a while and winked. "I know a way to make him crazy about you. If you order him to give you the whole kingdom, he will do exactly that and conquer the neighboring kingdoms for you as well."
Delaney laughed. "You don't expect me to believe that, do you?"
"You can try. What will you lose if it doesn't work?"
She would lose nothing, so she inched closer to listen to Kyrah's idea. Her face reddened when she heard it.
"Thank you, but I'm definitely not doing that." Embarrassment washed over her when she thought about it. The only reason she would ever consider trying to please Darius was not even to gain his favor. All she wanted was to save her kingdom. But was it worth it going to such an extent?
That evening, Darius didn't have dinner at the dining table so she ate on her own in her room. Luckily, there was no rule restricting that. She tried to find him later in vain, and he didn't even seem to spend the night in his chamber. At least she didn't hear any voices by the time she got ready for bed.
She wanted to offer him a deal and it couldn't wait for too long as the war was going to start soon and she needed a second plan in case he rejected her. However, that could wait until morning. As long as she didn't hear the squeaks of his mistresses coming from his room in the dead of the night.
That was far from what she heard. The door creaked. Her eyes flew open but she didn't move, wanting to find out who was coming into her room so late at night. She planned out her next move in her head and was yet to execute it when the incomer spoke.
"Are you asleep?"
It was Darius. Oh no… was he here because his concubines rejected him?
She shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep, letting out slow, shallow breaths.
The man climbed onto her bed behind her and wrapped an arm around her. Her body froze.
"Your Majesty, this is not Bernadette's bed." She protested against his touch.
"I know." He bit her ear gently. "I don't want to be in Bernadette's bed. I want to be in yours."
"I don't want you in my bed." She pulled herself away from him, only to be trapped in his arms.
"Your Majesty!" She snapped in annoyance.
"What's wrong?" He asked in all seriousness and she wanted nothing but to chop him into pieces. He knew exactly what he was doing.
"I may be your wife but I'm not going to let myself be touched by hands that have been on two hundred other women." She grabbed his hand and pushed it away from her waist. The man shamelessly slid it around her again before she could slide away, this time tightening it.
"My hands have not been on two hundred women." He denied her accusation.
"It doesn't matter. Get out of my room." She knew he would only tell her that he owned the room, so she jabbed him in the stomach and used the distraction to get off the bed. She didn't dare to glance at him. She knew that he must be boiling in anger.
She retreated to the door, preparing to dash out if she needed to. "Since you are here, we can talk about my offer." She tried not to stutter.
"We can do that with you beside me. Come here." He beckoned her over, making fear wash over her entire being. He wouldn't do anything to her, would he?
She steadied herself and walked over, feigning confidence. She glanced at the candle stand and decided the moonlight was bright enough.
"Your Majesty?" She grabbed her wrist and pulled her right beside him. His arm was around her shoulders before she could slip away.
"This is how newlyweds discuss. So, tell me about your offer, wife."
There was nothing peculiar about what he had just called her but her face flushed crimson at the sound of it.
She cleared her throat and tried her best to ignore his hand that was rubbing against her neck. "There is a weakness in the border separating Itrusia from one of the neighboring kingdoms. If you promise to cancel the attack against Ivrasea, I will tell you all about the weakness and how to strengthen it." She looked up at him to add, "It would be tragic if the neighboring kingdoms caught wind of it and decided to invade."
His hand paused and he looked down at her for a while. He was probably trying to figure out whether she was telling the truth or lying. In the end, his lips twitched.
"What's the weakness?" He asked.
She shook her head. "I will not state a single word about it before I get your written promise with the royal seal of Itrusia."
"There is nothing wrong with the Itrusian border. It's strong enough." He dismissed her words.
"No. I'm certain…" She bit down on her lip to stop herself from talking. He was provoking her to spill the weakness without promising anything. Nice try.
He stood up and headed for the door. She rushed after him. "Are you leaving?"
He stopped without turning to face her. "I only fall asleep in my bed. But if you want me to stay here instead, I can make an exception for you."
Her face heated when she realized exactly what he was implying by that. "No. Have a good night, Your Majesty."
"Dream of me." He whispered before leaving her room and closing the doors behind him.
She exhaled a tired sigh. That didn't go as she thought. Which king would say no to a chance to strengthen his kingdom? He was probably going to investigate the borders on his own and wouldn't need her help anymore.
Was stealing the royal signet ring her only option?
She was horrified just thinking about it. The best that could happen was him being compelled by the seal to stop his planned attack. However, there was also a high chance that she would be caught and beheaded. She didn't mind dying if her people would be safe but he might just be able to nullify the decree. Besides, the ring was always on his finger. Was there a way to steal it aside from sleeping with him?
"Never." She muttered. It was already bad enough that she was going to dream of him like she always did every time he told her to.
____
In the morning, Jessica woke her up jovially.
"My Lady, His Majesty would like you to join him for breakfast.
She grunted but let the maid help her bathe her and then glanced at all the gowns she had to choose from in confusion.
"Why are they all blue?"
"His Majesty requires all the ladies in the castle to wear blue gowns on the fourth day of the fourth month." Jessica explained.
Delaney studied her brown clothes with interest. "You are not wearing a blue gown yourself."
"That's because I'm a maid, My Lady."
Delaney walked to the wardrobe and pulled out a red gown. "Why should I be expected to follow a tradition of the Itrusian Castle which I know nothing about?"
Jessica was horrified but she couldn't defy her lady, so she helped her dress up in the red gown.
By the time Delaney showed up in the dining room, she had already heard enough gasps of shock from maids and concubines who saw her. Even so, she held her head high and walked to the table, bowing her head slightly.
"Good morning, Your Majesty."
He nodded while staring at her gown and everyone waited for her to be dragged out of the dining room and barred from showing up before the king.
She ignored his gaze and sat down three chairs away from him. She was displeased by the presence of other women at the table, who must be his most favored concubines. Alas, there was nothing she could do about them aside from accepting that they were now part of her life. A man in high power couldn't possibly be with only one woman and Darius was no different.
"Do you have something to say, Bernadette?" Darius asked the woman who looked smug.
She raised her head. "If I may speak, Your Majesty, Princess Delaney should not be allowed in the royal dining room for lack of decorum. Not only did she ignore us, but she is also wearing a red gown on the fourth day of the fourth month."
Darius rested his head on his hand to glance at Delaney. "She looks good in red, don't you think?"
Bernadette and the other concubines were shocked. Did he just compliment her for disrespecting his rule?
She quickly composed herself and switched tactics. "She disrespected you, Your Majesty."
Darius didn't tear his gaze away from Delaney as he dismissed her words. "Forget about it. My wife is upset that I did not give in to her last night. Later, write down everything a man can do to please his wife and bring it to me."
Bernadette wanted to explode in anger and jealousy while Delaney wished she was close enough to kick his feet. He was pretending to side with her while in real sense, he was creating enemies for her. Bernadette wouldn't hesitate to stab her if she ever had a chance. In fact, all his concubines would henceforth look at her with hate.
Breakfast felt like torture with all the women glaring daggers at her. When it was finally over, she waited for Darius to leave and rushed to find Felix.
"Lord Harcourt, wait!" She caught up with him in the hallway.
"Princess Delaney?" He turned when he heard her voice. He reflexively wanted to leave as soon as he realized it was her, but Darius had become unpredictable. There was no telling what would happen if he ignored his wife.
"Lord Harcourt, I need your help." She spoke and looked around at all the guards. They all worked for Darius and it would be troublesome if they told him all about their conversation.
"Would you like to take a walk in the garden?" She asked and led the way out before he could respond.
She let out the breath she had been holding when she heard his footsteps behind her, following her out.
She slowed down when they were out for him to catch up.
"I would like to talk about the invasion." She started, then waited for him to react.
He pretended not to understand what she was going on about.
She plucked a leaf from a nearby tree. "I heard everything. You don't need to lie to me."
Felix slowed down. "Even if you heard everything, you know who I answer to."
She turned around to face him, crunching the leaf in her hand to mask her distress. "I know. Which is why I would like to offer you a deal."
"That's…"
She felt something was wrong with his reaction and was about to ask when she felt a strong presence looming over her. Darius had arrived too soon.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing here?" She squeezed the side of her skirt between her fingers nervously.
A hand wrapped around her waist, making her nearly jump.
"If I didn't come, how would I know that my wife is trying to lure another man?"
"I wasn't…"
She saved her strength. He knew what was happening and was only making fun of her.
"May I be included in this conversation?" He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Go ahead. Tell Felix what you were about to offer him."
"If I was going to tell him something behind your back, why would I say it in your presence?" She grabbed his hand to pull it off her waist but was unsuccessful.
"Your Majesty, please excuse me." Felix left as soon as she could, leaving her to face Darius on her own.
He turned her around as soon as they were alone. "When you said you were a smart princess, I thought you would know what you need to do to stay out of trouble."
"It is not my wish to start any trouble." She countered.
"Clearly." He scoffed. He couldn't keep count of the number of times she had defied him in just a day.
"Your governess has a lot to say about your ability to create trouble, don't you think?" He smiled, infuriating her. She hated talking about Eugenia. He seemed to know this, because he continued bringing her former governess up.
"What was it you did that landed you in the dungeon? Oh, defying your father. You seem to have a knack for breaking rules."
"Don't you bring that up!" She growled. That was the time she had angered the most potential suitor and she couldn't live it down.
"Why not? Is it because of what happened in the dungeon?" He found it amusing until her palm landed on his cheek.
Você também pode gostar
Comentário de parágrafo
O comentário de parágrafo agora está disponível na Web! Passe o mouse sobre qualquer parágrafo e clique no ícone para adicionar seu comentário.
Além disso, você sempre pode desativá-lo/ativá-lo em Configurações.
Entendi