The wedding passed in a blur for Aila; the only thing she remembered was saying the "I do" and sealing her entire fate to a man that just threatened her before coming out to say yes.
And now she was seated in the middle of the room with haunting whispers from maids and guards entering,
Is she the bride?
Why is she sitting alone?
Does she think she'll be accepted?
She could feel everything: their pointed hands, harsh glare burning to her back, and she could hear every single word, not that they tried to hide it. And the more they talked, the chiller fear crawled down her spine. She managed to tune them out, keeping her eyes to the ground with her hand clawing on each other as she waited…waited for them to take her in.
To her husband.
Hurt twisted deep in her stomach as her mind went through the day, Akila's betrayal burning wildly again.
Akila had tricked her. Her parents had left immediately after the wedding. The man she married, who in turn was now her husband, was a wicked, soulless, mad man who didn't care about her and left her outside in the cold without any provision. Aila opened her eyes, raw rage filling her veins.
Who does that?
Who leaves a bride all alone to herself without no provision?
Angrily, she stood up from the chair she had been on for the past hours, marching towards the big tower door. Every head in the room snapped towards her, their gaze following her towards the door with no one to stop her.
She was so close to opening the door when it opened, freezing the rest of her steps as a guard walked in, followed by a pair of eyes that she didn't think she would see anytime soon.
Darya walked in, her heels clicking the floor as she stopped before her, their eyes matching each other. "I didn't expect that you would go through with the marriage. Seems like someone is hungry for fame and attention."
Aila rolled her eyes into her head, another sigh escaping her lips. She didn't want to see this lady now. Not even ever.
"I would like to speak to the King immediately." She managed to say, gulping down fearfully.
Darya scoffed as she looked at the vermin before her, anger rattling her slowly. She hated this girl already. She hated her brown curls, her long lashes, and her perfect body, which made her look like a goddess. But that was not what she hated the most. She hated her new position. It was supposed to be hers. Not this vermin right here.
Her eyes roamed the entire room, the eager eyes of the servants before settling back on Aila.
"Everybody out!" She commanded.
Feet scraped the floor, the door opening as they trooped out, leaving the both of them with Darya's guard in the room.
Aila's heart quickened, hiding her fear as she matched Darya's gaze.
"Do you think you have the right to see him? Why would he want to see someone like you?" Darya continued.
Aila clenched her jaw hard as she stared into Darya's eyes again. "Because I'm married to him. And I need somewhere to stay. I've been sitting here all alone, waiting for someone to take me in, but no one has attended to me yet. I'm his wife now, not his..
Before she could finish her sentence, Darya grabbed her chin, raw and pure anger oozing from her green eyes,
"You are not his wife! You would never be his wife! I am his wife! I am his own! You are just a replacement for the people!" She yelled into Aila's face, the words echoing through the hallways.
She gulped down as she finished, releasing Aila's jaw and stepping two feet back.
Aila stared at her in stunned silence, her heart far gone from her yells.
This lady was mad.
No..no.. She was truly mad.
"I am to be your guide in the kingdom. I would teach you everything you need to know about the palace and prepare you for the reveal. You're to wake up at 7 o'clock every morning without any complications. You're not to eat in the morning before coming, not to drink, not to take anything. I would feed you when I want and give you water if you deserve it."
Aila just stared at her, her mind in a whirlwind of everything that had just happened and the words that were leaving her mouth,
"Take her to her room, Dimitri," she said before turning to face Aila again, the disgust evident in both her eyes and her tone. "I will see you tomorrow without fail. If you keep me late for just one minute, I will starve you for the entire day. Are we clear?"
Aila reprocessed everything Darya had just said. No…No…She wasn't a bride. She wasn't even a human.
She was a slave.
A maid.
"Are we clear?" Darya yelled out, making Aila jolt on her feet, flinching.
She swallowed, nodding slowly back at Darya with terror clawing through her skin.
"Now, go."
Her feet scurried as she walked past Darya and behind the guard who led her out of the room. Every step towards the stairs made her heart thump crazily in her chest, Darya's words reverberating in her head, together with the mad king's.
Fear gnawed at her chest.
Her hand curling beside her in turmoil.
"I would feed you when I want and make you drink when I want."
"..and if I need you, you'll come to me and do exactly as you're told."
She shook her head as she walked, a chill running down her spine.
This was not a place.
This was hell—a hell designated for just her.
They had lied that they needed a bride when all they wanted was a slave.
No..
No…
She had to get out of here. She had to find a way and run for her life.
She didn't mind her father's belt. She didn't care again.
Home was far much better than this hell.
Her eyes took in the guard in front of her, gulping down at how big and muscular he was.
They got to the front of a door, and the guard opened the door, ushering her in with his hand.
"Goodnight," she muttered as she entered the room, getting no reply from him as the door closed behind her.
She turned the lock, resting her back on the door as she stared at the dark, hollow room with just a little candle burning beside the bed. Exhaustion caught up with her the moment her eyes met the big bed.
No matter what it would take her, she had to leave here.
But for tonight, she would lie down and sleep, rest her eyes.
Tomorrow, she would find her way and run as fast away from this damned hell.
**************************************************************
Meanwhile, Darya knocked on Ahsan's door, a sweet smile on her face as she opened it and entered. Just like always, he was on his chair, his head buried in paperwork of different things. Her eyes glanced at the paper in his hand, briefly catching an image of her nemesis, the girl she hated most.
She clenched her fist behind her back, stretching her lips into a more extraordinary smile.
"Don't you think you need to rest after a long day? You've been awake since morning trying to ensure the guests are satisfied. Don't…
"Did she like the room?" Ahsan cut her off, not lifting his head from the paper.
Darya clenched her jaw hard, her smile faltering. The main reason why they left that bitch outside was because the King was preparing her room, all by himself.
The thought of it angered Darya to her bones. He had given that bitch the room she used to occupy whenever she slept in the palace as it was the biggest compared to his. And he had thoroughly handpicked every single item in the room—something he had never done before.
"Yes, of course. Why won't she? Who won't like what you specifically picked out? I've known you all my life, and you have great taste…
Ahsan finally lifted his head from the paper, his sharp eyes meeting hers and making her gulp. Even though her father took him in and raised him, and she has known him all her life, his cold eyes never stopped scaring her.
It was lifeless without any effort to make it be.
"Did she tell you?" He asked.
"I didn't bother to ask her. She has to like it." Darya scoffed in response.
"I asked you specifically to make sure she likes it and ask her if she likes it. What if..
"Why are you bothering yourself with a commoner like her, Ahsan? She's nothing. She's just a fake bride for you to please the people. She's not…
"She's now my wife, Darya!" Ahsan cut her off, his tone with a dread of finality and warning. "She's now my wife," he repeated softly.
He heaved a sigh, his lips stretched out in an attempt to smile, one that never came out well, "You're my favorite, Darya. You know I adore you..
Darya's lips etched into a big smile as he said that. She knew she was his favorite. He tried the most for her. He tried to smile and be more alive. It was how she knew they were destined, they were soulmates,
"But she's my wife now, and you must treat her respectfully. Get along with her."
…Until that bitch came in to ruin everything for her.
"Just teach her the basics and make sure she doesn't ruin anything for the kingdom."
"Of course, Ahsan. I adore you just as much as you adore me."
He nodded at her before returning to his paperwork, the same one he had been reading when she had entered. His face was now back to normal, devoid and detached of anything.
"Goodnight, Ahsan." She said.
He nodded again at her without looking, forcing her to leave the room without any more word from him.
She gritted her teeth in anger. He always tells her goodnight and walks her to her room, no matter how busy he is. He also never raised his voice at her. Yet everything was now changing because of that bitch, because of the stupid arrangement.
Seventeen years ago, when her father brought him into their house to care for him, she made a pact to belong to him. She was going to be his, and he was going to be hers alone. And she would not let an ordinary, middle average girl steal that from her now.
Not in this lifetime, and not in any other lifetime.