Chapter Eight - Back
2205 Words
Venus was cupping her mouth the whole time while they were taking a stroll towards the enormous hallway.
She was laughing gracefully because Arthur kept on pushing his thoughts about the book they both read.
It was a story about a human that fell in love with a hybrid. One of the famous books among the lands of Flora.
Her mother used to read that book to her as a bedtime story, but she didn’t appreciate it that much before.
When she grew up and re-read the book again, she was astounded that the writer skillfully expressed his imagination with words. The story even made her cry.
“You have to believe me, Your Highness, the forbidden chapters were the best among the rest of the pages,” Arthur insisted again.
Venus laughed once more, “How many times do I have to tell you that I like the part when they met for the first time?”
He just grunted, so she almost snorted while shaking her head because she had never experienced that kind of fun before.
Venus didn’t know that someone’s mere presence could do that, “Well, that concludes our tour today, I hope you learned a lot,”
She turned to him, her feet hurting a little because she couldn't remember the last time she strolled around the palace.
Arthur smiled, “How could I not learn anything? My tour guide was very detailed and really knows what she was saying,”
She clutched her chest after hearing his statement. Venus frequently receives compliments, particularly from Hanna, but she wonders why it feels so different when it came from him.
Venus flinched when she realized that their distance from one another closed, he was inches away from her when he reached out toward her hands and kissed the back of them.
“It was certainly an honor for the princess to tour me around her kingdom,” Arthur raised his head after he said those words.
They stared at each other’s eyes and both of them could feel it, the bond that was faint, yet the tension forming around them was unbearable.
“Venus,” A warning yet the calm tone was to be heard. Both of them were pulled back to reality before turning their heads to Prince Louis, who looked like he was looking for her.
“P-Prince Louis,” She curtsied before closing her eyes. Venus feels like she did something wrong when in fact she didn’t do anything.
“I wasn’t informed that you arrived, I was just touring with Prince Arthur around the palace,” Venus informed him after she raised her head.
“I can see that,” He muttered before approaching them. Louis’s hands immediately wrapped around her tiny waist and harshly pulled her towards his side.
“Prince Arthur, I hope you know your place, she’s my wife, I don’t care what business you two have now with each other but I certainly don’t like to see you be around her often,” Louis firmly said.
Arthur looked like he was not a bit bothered by what he has said, “I believe that request of yours wouldn’t be considered, Your Highness,”
Louis felt like he lost control after he said those words, “Pardon? Are you saying you can’t stay away from my wife?”
“Louis,” Venus raised her tone before moving away from him, “I don’t understand why you’re acting this way,”
He didn’t mind her and instead, he just had his eyes set on Arthur who had this blank expression on his face.
Just hearing the word ‘my wife’ was enough to wake him up to not have such hopes of having Venus for himself.
After giving Venus a quick glance, Arthur bowed to them and said, “I think the princess will just have to inform you herself, I’ll be taking my leave,”
Venus and Louis watched him walk away from them, she bit her lower lip because the nervousness immediately crawled to her sleeves after she was left alone with him, the one who caused her too much pain and hardships from the past.
“Venus,” He called, his tone sounding like he was furious, “Why are you always with that good-for-nothing prince?”
She breathed calmly before facing him, “You left yesterday without saying goodbye, I could’ve informed you that my parents passed the proposal to me,”
“What do you mean?” He raised his eyebrows, his feet tapping the tiled ground as if he was impatiently waiting for her answer.
“This means I’ll be working with Prince Arthur from now on, the king and queen of Rose entrusted this project to me,” Venus proudly informed him.
“What?!” Louis sounded mortified, “You’re spending more time with that fallen Prince? That could ruin your reputation,”
“And I don't approve of this idea, Venus, you’re my wife, you should be spending more time with me,” He clenched his fists.
“We are, I’m doing the best I can to be around you whenever you’re out, can’t you see that?” Venus countered what he just said.
“That is not what I meant, ever since we got married, I have this feeling that you’re trying to distance yourself from me,” Louis claimed, so she got nervous for a moment.
“We didn’t have our supposed to be a blissful wedding night, the moment I’ve been waiting to do with you,” He held out her hands.
“I want to be with you, Venus, please come home to the kingdom with me tonight,” After he said those words, Venus started to have this mini attack inside of her heart.
She doesn’t want to go home with him, especially to have their wedding night she wouldn’t want to experience ever again.
But he would sense something was wrong if she kept on declining, “Alright, I’ll come home with you tonight,”
She thought that there might be a way for her to escape that night. Venus clenched her fists before excusing herself to go look for Hanna.
“Your Highness, I heard that you want to go back to the kingdom of Peony,” Hanna greeted after she arrived at her room.
Venus sighed deeply before nodding, “I am, he’s my husband after all by law, he wants me in his kingdom,” She whispered worriedly.
Hanna just looked at her intently, “Is there anything I could do to help?” She knew that her princess was troubled.
Hearing that statement almost comforted Venus' well-being, but she knew that she had to do this alone.
“I’ll be fine, Hanna, I can call you if I need some help if we arrive there,” Venus gave her a small smile.
Her lady-in-waiting wasn’t convinced by what she just said, but she had already given him her word, now all she needs to do is prepare her things.
“If that’s what you wish, then I’ll be taking my leave to prepare the carriages and your things, milady,” Hanna bowed before leaving the room.
Venus just heaved a deep long sigh before she decided to prepare herself since she was going to leave that evening.
After she wore her hood, her feet brought her to the main entrance where she saw Louis, who had this bright look on his face.
“I’m glad you’re coming home with me,” Louis giddily approached her before kissing the back of her hands.
She was disgusted with what he did, she didn’t say anything but gave him a small smile before glancing at Hanna.
“Is everything prepared, Hanna?” Venus curiously asked, so her lady-in-waiting just bowed her head.
“Everything is prepared, milady, we can leave now at your given signal,” Hanna solemnly replied.
She was about to nod her head when she heard someone speaking in the back, “You’re leaving, Your Highness?” Arthur suddenly appeared out of nowhere, making everyone glance at him.
Venus just curtsied, “Yes, but I’ll be back tomorrow, Prince Arthur, we still have matters to discuss,” She informed him anxiously.
Arthur roamed his eyes around their group and noticed the sly grin forming on Louis’s lips, “I see, I wish you well on your trip, Your Highness,”
He carefully approached her before kissing the back of her hands, “I’ll be waiting for your return,” Arthur squeezed her hands, and that somehow comforted her well-being.
“Let’s go, my wife,” Louis approached them before taking her hand. Venus then just looked at Arthur from behind, she wanted him to help her, but that’s not possible.
This was her life and she had to make the move all on her own. She shrugged off Louis’ hands gently as she turned her back on Arthur before mounting the carriage.
Numerous maids gathered at the main entrance and wished her a safe trip, that’s what some servants do whenever she or her parents leaves the palace.
Horses started neighing, the galloping and the harsh blow of the winds was the only thing Venus heard as they embarked on their journey towards the kingdom of Peony.
She could feel her heart pounding so rapidly against her chest as her mind was full of thoughts and fear about that kingdom.
Peony wasn't that far from Flora's lands; in fact, they are somewhat close to every event because they are on the centered-south side.
Her hair was being blown away because of the harsh winds that were entering the small window of the carriage, which somehow calmed her well-being.
“We’re almost arriving, Your Highnesses,” Hanna informed them, so they both just looked at her nodding.
She flinched when Louis held on to her hands, forcing her to look at him while raising her eyebrows.
“You’re too quiet, my wife, is there any problem that you want to tell me?” He asked. Venus couldn’t tell if he was worried or just curious.
She wanted to tell him, ‘Yes, especially now that I’m back in the kingdom where I died,’ Venus thought, but that’s not possible.
“I’m sure that everything’s well, Prince Louis, we’re back at the kingdom of Peony safely, what problems do we might have?” Venus calmly answered him.
Louis just solemnly looked at her before nodding, After the horses were put to halt, he accompanied her down the carriage.
“You, bring my wife’s things to my room, it’s located in this part of the castle,” Louis harshly ordered Hanna.
“Forgive me, Your Highness, but I only take words from my princess,” She casually replied before bowing her head.
Louis thought that she was being impolite, which Venus noticed so she immediately approached her lady-in-waiting before squeezing her hands.
“Bring my things to his room, okay?” Venus gave her a reassuring smile, “I’ll be fine, we’ll be going there first,”
Hanna deeply sighed as if she was worried, “Do you want me to prepare your bath for tonight, milady?”
Venus slowly nodded her head, “Alright, don’t hesitate to approach me after you’re down preparing, I’ll just settle down inside of the room,”
After she said those words, she paced toward the huge hallways of the kingdom of Peony. Venus thought that she had already memorized everything about that place.
Nothing has changed one bit, so she couldn’t shake the anxious feeling off her body, “You have to change your lady-in-waiting,”
Venus almost flinched when she heard Louis speak on her side. She couldn’t even remember that she was walking with him.
“I don’t see any reason why I have to change my lady-in-waiting, Your Highness,” Venus firmly said as she secretly clenched her fists.
She couldn’t remember that a scenario like this happened in the past, did something change? She thought.
Louis was silent for a minute as if he was trying to find the right words he needed to say, “Now that I’m your husband, she must also answer my requests,”
Venus looked at him and saw that he was starting to get livid. She bit her lower lip because she also swore that she would protect Hanna no matter what costs she might face.
“Hanna’s been with me ever since I was just starting to learn how to read, she’s like a little sister to me, give her a break because she’s still trying to adapt to the new relationship that I have,” Venus told him.
He didn’t say anything until he reached out to her hands before kissing the back of them, “Whatever, what happens tonight is the only thing that matters to me,”
Venus almost gulped at what he just said, she couldn’t think of anything else aside from her plans of escaping their wedding night.
She clenched her fists as her thoughts were filled with numerous plans just to escape the nightmare she was about to greet from her past.
To be continued…
- Writer
