Victorian Nights: The Arranged Marriage

Lack Of Sleep

Once the sun was up, I decided to leave the bed.

Though my bones were weary and my eyes burned from the lack of sleep.

Once I left the comfort of the sheets, my eyes surveyed the room, I looked at the spot next to me and then at the door of the study. The room was empty, I remember hearing his footsteps across the room but everything was quite hazy so I wasn’t sure if he was leaving the room or just walking around.

I opened the curtains and welcomed the warmth of the sun on my face, the room was empty which means Marcus has probably left to where ever he goes to avoid me for the rest of the day.

I walked to the vanity mirror and observe my reflection. My skin looked pale, I looked sick as my eyes were sunken and had dark circles under them. I have never liked conflict and being in one has drained me both mentally and physically. I run my hand through my hair, it has always been longer than I want it to.

A woman, most especially the crown princess of the Celestials must have long, wavy and elegant hair. The idea of cutting my hair short to my shoulders was very tempting, the idea of going against what everyone expects of me and what everyone tell me to do.

…where are all these thoughts coming from?

I’ve only been in this palace a few months and it is already making me think out of character.

I left the vanity mirror and rang the bell next to the bed, soon Jess and Mia walk into the room. They both look as sharp as always in their usual attires and their actions that are always in sync.

Both of them bow politely and I nod, there was something different in the way they stared at me though.

“Did you sleep well your highness?” Mia asks, her eyes darting towards my exposed shoulders and then back to the ground.

I’m pretty sure she sees it on my face that last night was quite a rough one for me but yet she asks, I bite back the sarcastic reply that was in my head. A crown princess is never sarcastic.

Heavens…now even my thoughts sound like my mother.

“I did, thanks for asking Mia” I reply with the sweetest smile I could muster.

“My princess, it is my job to worry about you” she says. She is right, she only worries because it his her job, nothing else.

“The queen has said to summon you to her quarters once you are awake” Jess says. My breath catches in my throat. The queen…

She is the cause, the reason for all of this. The reason why Marcus almost burned me with those flames last night, why he bruised my shoulder and why he is still so angry at me.

The memory of those blue flames so close to my skin was now forever etched into my memory, the fear it had put in me.

The queen lied to her son, she made him hate me more and as much as I wanted to ask her why she did something so despicable, I could not help the fact that I was still very nervous to see her…to hear what she has to say

“Did she tell you why she wants to see me?” I ask Jess. Jess shakes her head.

“She did not your highness, she merely asked us to summon you once you were awake and done with your morning rituals”

I nod.

I don’t really have a choice in the matter, she is the queen and I cannot refuse an order from the queen.

After I took a bath, I chose one of the elegant dresses personally made for me by the royal tailor and let the girls help me wear it. It was a mixture grey and pink…I love how the colors clashes and then blends together…it is a unique dress that leaves a good impression, it didn’t show too much skin and it hugged my body perfectly.

It was like putting on an armor and preparing for battle, I had to dress up today…or else the queen would have something else to complain about today.

As I observe my reflection in the mirror I nod my head in satisfaction. Jess had worked on my hair while Mia made sure to cover all traces of tiredness on my face with her exquisite make up skills.

I looked way better than I did when first woke up or rather when I first came to the palace…less scrawny, less haunted and much more elegant.

There was a certain glow that I had, maybe it is from staying around Celestials too much.

“You look so beautiful your highness” Jess and Mia complimented. I smile at them and nod in appreciation.

“All thanks to you two” I reply. The both smile smile politely but don’t say a word. With a sigh, I raise my head up and fix my posture.

“Let’s go” I say. As I leave the room, Jess and Mia follow behind me. I am well aware of their presence but as we walk past the many hallways and gardens of the palace after leaving the west wing, my head is filled with thoughts of the kind of conversation the queen and I would have.

I tried to figure out what I would say to her that would convey my emotions properly without me angering her or insulting her unknowingly and getting punished or executed for it.

I sighed for the nth time. The palace is very big and it normally took me at least ten to fifteen minutes to walk to the queen’s quarters from the west wing.

My stomach was empty and I was sure that once my nerves calmed I would feel the hunger in full force.

When we finally arrived, I sighed again. Right now hunger is the least of my problems.

The King and Queen’s Wing was decorated grandly and there were guards stationed at every corner you look.

The tall guard in front of the door announced our arrival as we stepped in.

Once we were inside the queen’s room, the girls stood by the door and I continued to walk to the queen’s study table. There she was, her glasses sitting low on her nose. I was sure she didn’t need them but it added to her beauty.

She sat behind her desk with a book in hand and a glass wine in the other.

“Good morning, your majesty”

My greeting is met with silence.

She looked otherworldly, like a painting…unfortunately my nerves brushed away the inspiration. She pretended to not hear me as I bowed and greeted her.

“Good morning my Queen” I say for the second time, this time she reacts. She raises a finger, signifying me stay quiet and not say another word.

She puts down the glass of wine elegantly on the table and then turns the page of the book she’s reading. I stand there and just observe her actions. Her lips curled into a lazy smile as her eyes were fully focused on the book.

“Princess Vera…” she says in a low voice “Always a pleasure”

She then raises her eyes to finally look at me, I didn’t realize I was holding in a breath when her eyes met mine. I quickly averted my gaze and tried to control my breathing.

“Trust you had a wonderful night” she asks. There was like a hidden meaning in her words and her smile, she looked like she knew something that I should.

“I did, My queen” I say with a bow.

“Wonderful!” she puts down the novel she was reading and downed the rest of thee wine in the glass.

“I’ve already told you countless times, call me mother”

That is something I know I will never be able to do and of course the queen has made sure of it.

“It will take a bit of getting used to” I reply with the same excuse I have been using for the past three months. I wasn’t even trying or making an effort, it just would not feel right calling her mother.

The queen smiles “Please sit, why are you still standing?” she points at the seat opposite her. I sit in it, unable to relax my body still in full tension.

“Your posture is better, it seems I have been teaching you well” she nods in approval. Her chest was pushed forward and head raised high as well but yet she made it look so natural…or maybe that’s just how she was born.

“Yes my queen” I simply reply. I won’t really agree that she thought me anything because all she ever does is talk down at me and scold me every single time and complain and insult every single thing about me. She wants me to become a completely different person.

A compliant fool that would do everything she wants me to.

No matter how silent my mother has trained me to be, I will not be anyone’s fool.

“I asked the maids to call you because we have something important to discuss” she suddenly looks serious.

I nod, I also have something I want to discuss with her but my heart was pounding so fast and my lips were shaky just at the thought of saying those words to her.

Breathe Vera…

“It is now officially three months since you got married to my son” she says.

Is it? I really wasn’t counting to be honest, I didn’t realize that it was already three months since I came into the land of the Celestials for a better life but yet…here I am, much worse than before.

“I think Marcus has already given you a faint idea of what I want to talk about…”

“Yes…a..about that my queen”

“Sshh…don’t try to interrupt me when I’m speaking” she has that strict look in her eyes again. Almost like a glare, it was filled with disdain…I still can’t figure out what I’ve ever done to her that has displeased her so much.

“I’m sorry…” I apologize, my eyes down. I was staring at my fingers, playing with them nervously, trying to calm myself under the scrutiny of the queen.

“I said shut up!” she hit her palm hard on the table and the sound made me flinch away in fear. I nodded and sealed my lips, I refused to say a word…not now that the queen was suddenly angry.

“As I was saying…you have not shown any early signs of pregnancy, my son needs an heir before his father decides to step down so what’s taking so long?” I knew it was a question but I chose to stay quiet because I was not even sure how to answer her. Marcus already warned me about telling anyone about how our relationship really is.

Everyone sees us as newlyweds who can’t get enough of each other but in reality…

“I got pregnant for the king in the first month after my marriage…that is because we Celestials are very potent…you on the other hand” she looks at me with eyes that said she was higher than me in every way.

“Even if you’re just a lowly human you should at least be with child by now…except if you and Marcus haven’t consummated your marriage…”

I shake my head, not wanting her thoughts to go in that direction.

“Or…” her brows raise “Have we been duped by the humans? Have they given us a barren woman to be crowned queen?!!”

What?...Of course not!

“That’s not it my queen!”

“Did I ask you to speak?” She asks coldly, I close my eyes and try to stop myself from having a panic attack. My heart was pounding so fast I was finding it hard breathe. Our meetings were always like this. She would speak all through and won’t let me say a word.

She was looking at me angrily, I really hoped she didn’t believe all that nonsense she just said.

“You should be ashamed Vera”