Chapter 19
Nicholas thought it best we took a walk around his garden as I clearly needed some fresh air after my ordeal. We were quiet for the first few minutes of our walk. He kept his hands behind his back as I walked a few steps in front of him, looking around the garden before me.
Beautiful moon flowers, night jasmine and evening primroses bloomed all around us. The garden had an ever-changing scent with each step. The moon, a crescent shape, cascaded her light down towards us, while evening gas light lamps lit the pathway.
Turning around, I could make out the sheer size of the castle up against the night starlit sky. It seemed to be towering over everything. I was eager to see what this garden looked like during the daylight hours.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were a…eh…king?” I asked, finally breaking the silence between us. Now looking at him, I waited for his answer while brushing my fingertips against a moon flower.
“Would it have changed your answer?” He said coyly, giving me a dazzling smile as he strode on by.
“No. I still needed you to heal my brother. I hope you have done so.”
“Once we are married, then he will be healed,” he said casually.
I stood upright as I realised the severity of his words. I assumed he would take my word as binding. As the promise it was, and heal Norok already. How long would it take for us to be wed and then for him to heal Norok? Would Norok know where I disappeared to? Perhaps Mother and Father were already out searching for me.
“And wh-when will that be?” I asked, my voice shaking.
He took a few more steps away and sat down by a large fountain. It seemed very similar to the one in the city square of the Goddess of Light. This one, however, had a man, who climbed up her, clinging to her waist as she cupped one side of his face, while her other hand reached outwards, towards the skies. Both their expressions were tortured—sad. As if there were some heart-breaking love story behind them both.
“Shall we say, in four week’s time?”
“You wish to wait that long? Here I thought you were desperate for me,” I teased as I sat next to him.
He was sure to keep some space between us as he shifted a little away and swallowed hard. My hands rested on my lap while I took in everything else I could see. I knew this would be the place I would run to when I wished to escape. Along with the library, I would use these two places to hide away from the world and all of the court”s eyes. Feeling lighter on my shoulders, now that the marriage to Dorian was no longer looming over my head.
“Did you think I would marry you right away? Ornella, I have many things in mind for you. But first, I must woo you into submission,” he said calmly.
“Submission?” I demanded a little harsher than I’d intended.
He turned towards me, resting one knee up onto the fountain and with both hands, he pulled me close, closing the gap between us. The gap he only just created. As his hands trailed down my waist, my hips then to my thighs I felt a sudden flutter of butterflies in the pit of my stomach along with a heat rise between my legs.
He leaned his face closer to mine, bending down to brush his nose against my cheek. His breath was warm against my skin. My heart raced behind my ribcage. I released a shaky breath and swallowed hard.
“When I am done with you, you will only know my name as I make you reach points within your mind and body you didn’t know existed.”
My mouth watered as he whispered in my ear, his hands gripping my thighs. He shifted again, bringing both his legs to straddle either side of the fountain. He pulled me even closer, bringing me until I was almost sitting in his lap.
“When you are my wife, I will show you things no other woman has even seen before. I meant when I said I’d devour you in every way possible.”
His lips brushed against the nape of my neck with his whispered promises. His lips trailed down my jawline, causing me to suck in a breath of cold night air. I was sure to become undone by him in that moment if he hadn’t let go of me.
“We will now attend the dinner I have prepared for you, in celebration of your arrival. You will meet with my sisters and then tomorrow, your training will begin. There is much history you must learn of my lands before we are to marry.”
He stood suddenly then, holding out his hand to me and pulling me up to link my arm into his. The sudden coldness where his hands left my thighs sunk deep into my body. How was he able to make me feel these things? My mind flashed to Lord Cole’s face when we had been so close in the carriage ride, to this moment with Nicholas. I wanted his lips on me. I needed them.
We headed back into the castle to a grand hall where many were already chatting and waiting to be seated. Where the court waited for their king.
Sitting at the head of the rather large dining table that was much larger than the one back home, my nerves refused to settle. Instead of eating, I watched others eat around me. Including Nicholas.
No one addressed their questions to me, all seemingly to stay quiet. Some would talk amongst themselves, while others would avoid Nicholas’s eye contact completely. He threatened his sister right in front of everyone earlier and I pondered more on that.
How comfortable was he to do that in front of someone new to his court? What did she even mean about starting a war? Surely, this was out of my own choice and my family would see and understand that. Plus, when we were married, they couldn’t do anything about it as lawfully I would be wed in the eyes of the Goddess.
“How is your food?” Nicholas whispered in my ear.
I felt eyes drift towards me, watching our encounter closely.
“Lovely, thank you.”
He nodded in acceptance and went back to finish his last mouthful. When he did, everyone around us seemed to stop eating. A footman ushered towards the table, stopping as Nicholas raised his hand.
“My guest has not finished her food. So until then, we are not to clear the table.”
All eyes turned to me, making my nerves go even more crazy under my skin. There was no way I would be able to eat while everyone watched. Laughing it off, I finished my mouthful and put my cutlery down, even if my plate was half full, I had lost my appetite.
“That’s quite alright, thank you.”
Nicholas nodded again and the footman came back, clearing the table quickly. Many looked to Nicholas to see what he would do next, while soft murmuring broke out amongst themselves. The court was speculating on what Nicholas’ next move would be. Was he really to marry me? What was so special about me? What were they to gain from this odd arrangement? What bargain did Nicholas make? Standing, he raised his glass, and the room fell silent.
“Thank you all for coming here at such short notice. As I stated earlier, Princess Ornella has agreed to marry me in exchange for helping her with something important. And as customary to our laws, once a deal is made and sealed with a kiss, it cannot be unbroken. In fact the only way is death.”
“Wait, what?” I uttered lowering my glass, this was news to me.
“Yes, my dear, in agreeing to and sealing my offer of marriage, and in exchange for helping you, our lives became bound together as one. If one of us dies, so does the other, we are bound together for life.”
My heartbeat loudly in my chest as panic took over, is that why he kissed me as quickly as he did? Before Mother managed to intervene and stop us? Did she know what was happening and how foolish I was being? Nicholas looked almost smug as I put the pieces together.
I wanted to throw my drink over him for just having that look on his face. My face flushed red and hot, annoyed and angry at myself for being so stupid and rash. I was foolish for not knowing what I was getting myself into.
He”d already mentioned how he wanted me. How he had ideas for what to do with me. Then the accident with Norok happened. My mind raced with all the possibilities of it being planned, even if he said it was a simple accident as he wanted to win. Did he want to win something else?
It clicked then. He mind controlled Kathlyn to leave us alone on the balcony earlier. Did he do that same trick to Norok so he would forfeit the match?
“I have set the date for four weeks’ time, in that time Princess Ornella will learn more of our city, our culture and our history. My sisters, April, Vanessa, and Morgana will help guide her.”
April? My eyes widened as I looked down at the table and saw three women stand up. Vanessa, one I had not met before whom I guessed to be Morgana and April, my maid, who clearly was not a maid.
The family clearly liked to use illusions and lie about who they really were. What else were they lying about?
Morgana, I presumed, raised her glass and smiled softly at me. Her blonde hair cut short, just below her ears and she wore a more concealing dress in violet. April stood next to her in blue. Vanessa stood on the end, lowering her eyes from both her brother and me.
“Welcome, princess, we are lucky to have you here with us. I am sure we will become great friends,” Morgana spoke politely and strongly. While I had no reason to believe her—I did. With her kind words, everyone else raised their glasses and said welcome together.
I was still gathering as many pieces of my mind as I could, dizzy from the sudden information. Worry clouded my eyes. There was so much I didn”t know or understand yet. I tried to cover the tension in my shoulders by smiling. I watched Nicholas sit back down and finish his glass of sparkling wine. He kept his eyes forward, watching his court intently.
“You have a lot more explaining to do.” I thought, hoping he’d hear me, and the corners of his mouth picked up in a small smile.
“I expected as much. We will talk in the morning. You must be exhausted. I will send a maid to take you to your chamber.”
“Will this maid also be your sister?”
He laughed a little under his breath and placed a hand on top of mine. The grey sparkles appeared once again in his blue eyes, dazzling me a little.
“No, a real maid this time. I promise,” he said.
“When were you going to tell me about how the deal is pretty much unbreakable?” I asked, my brows pressed together.
“I couldn”t risk you saying no. I was planning on telling you about it this evening in private, but I may have gotten carried away announcing your arrival earlier.”
He rubbed his thumb against my knuckles which sent another load of shivers down my spine. What was that? He’d held my hand before and I didn’t turn into jelly then, so why now?
As he clicked his fingers, a maid appeared from beside the throne room pillars, a smile plastered to her face as she curtsied towards us both.
“Take her highness to her chambers. She is tired from her trip.”
Kissing my hand, he bid me goodnight, before I was whisked back to the room I was in before. It seemed to be my room. Once the maid made the bed and provided me with night clothes, she left me. Settling on the bed, I was unable to sleep as I thought about today’s events.