Victorian Nights: The Arranged Marriage

Ashamed 2

“You should be ashamed of yourself Vera” the queen says, her eyes filled with deep anger and hatred. I could see the emotions on her face clearly but yet I was not sure what I did to make her feel so much hate toward me.

“I am sorry” I say, I’m not sure what exactly I’m apologizing for but I apologized for what ever wrong I’ve done to her, both in the past that I didn’t know of or now at this moment.

The queen was still glaring, my apology didn’t seem to have any effect on her.

“I expected your mother to train you well considering the fact that you were given enough time to be perfected…” her eyes roamed across my body “But alas, no matter how well a person is trained be it five or in your case…ten years, a human will be a human”

I sigh, just because Celestials have gifts and power than us and just because they’re immortals doesn’t make them perfect.

All of the training my mother had given is going to be nonsense in the eyes of the queen or the Celestials no matter what I do.

Because a human…will be a human.

After I left the Queen’s quarters my heart was heavy, I could faintly hear the footsteps of Mia and Jess following behind me but yet I couldn’t bring myself to say a word or turn around to give them an order.

The initial hunger I was feeling had already faded away as my head kept playing the final conversation between the queen and I.

“I wonder why it had to be you…there is nothing good about you” she had said with so much hatred that my heart hurt.

“I wonder why he had to choose you…” she had said under her breath. I didn’t understand what she meant though but as I was dismissed by the queen, her words still rang in my head.

‘I wonder why he had to choose you…'

Who chose me?

I thought I was gifted to the Celestials by my mother not someone choosing to engage me with the prince. Is there more the story my mother told me?

Speaking of my mother…considering the fact that the three months period was over…she is definitely going to come looking for me and then she is going to add to my hurt and complicated feelings in this Palace. Could my life get any worse?

My legs moved sluggishly, I was discouraged by a lot of things and it seemed at that moment that there was no hope for me.

“Hey!”

Huh?

I turned my gaze to the direction of the voice, a white haired man stood there with a wide smile on his face. His blue eyes looked familiar yet at the same time I was sure I had never met him before. He was wearing a black suit with a black dress shirt, his suit had eight golden and silver stars on each of the shoulders and sleeves that signified nobility and respect…this isn’t just any ordinary man or rather Celestial.

 He was on the other end of the hall way, waving at me like he knew who I was or like we were old friends.

“Hi?”

His feet began to move as his smile widened, he made his way to where I was standing.

I turned around to ask Jess and Mia if they knew who the man was only to be met with the sight of them bowing deeply.

Ok….

“Princess Vera” I turned back to his direction. His blue eyes shone with excitement and he gave a small graceful bow. When he raised his head he offered me a friendly smile, the first I have seen in a while.

“Hello sir” I bow as well, it would be rude not to. Considering the fact that he was dressed like a noble and was also a Celestial.

I couldn’t help but feel that his smile reminds me of the queen and then at that moment it hit me.

“I didn’t know I had such a beautiful sister in-law, if I had known…” he chuckles “I would’ve been here since the wedding”

It took me a while to recover from his words, my cheeks burned and I was sure they were already pink from blushing.

“Prince Dane, it is an honor to finally meet you” I say with a polite smile.

“No need to be so formal with me” he puts his arm around my shoulder, his large figure dwarfing mine. My eyes widened at his actions, this…this isn’t how royalty is supposed to act…is it?

“Just call me Dane or ‘the sexy guy that lives in the opposite wing’, can’t be that hard” he says, he begins to move and I have no choice but to walk with him.

Mia and Jess seemed just as disturbed as I was at his actions and his words but all we could do was stay silent. I forced a smile at him just so I won’t seem rude or make him look like an i***t.

“So how’s life in the palace been?” He asks, he is speaking to me like we’re old friends who have known each other for a while

“It…it has been good” I say, I try to remove his arm from my shoulder but he uses the opportunity to pull me closer.

His white hair was unruly, very different from what his way of dressing told me or the way Marcus always keeps his hair perfectly combed and gelled.

“I think it is quite inappropriate for us to be walking in this manner” I say to him.

The prince smiles like I had just told him a joke “Are you afraid my brother will see us and get jealous?” he asks with a raised brow. He is so different from Marcus in every way, less and I mean way less broody, so full of energy and life and in a way, he was lifting my mood.

We made our way to the west wing still in the same position, once we reached the outer door to Marcus’ study my feet stopped moving, I stared at the door…my heart pounding as I remembered the events of last night.

Marcus wouldn’t want me in there in front of him or even anywhere around him.

“Why did we stop? I haven’t seen my brother since I got back” Dane tries to pull me toward the door “Come on, let’s go say hello”

“I…I’d rather not…” I decline. I can’t go in there and face the man who tried to burn my face off last night and also the man who hurt my shoulders…he hurt me and as much as I am angry at him…I am also afraid of what he will do when he sees me just hours after he has warned me to stay out of his business or anything that has to do with him.

“Why not?” Dane seems confused at my reply, he probably to know why a wife wouldn’t want to see her husband.

“I…I…” I struggled to think of an excuse that wouldn’t expose the farce Marcus and I have been playing.

“The princess has not had her breakfast yet, so we will have to take our leave now your highness” I hear Mia say, her head is bowed and she spoke with so much respect but yet left no room for argument.

“That’s quite a shame, I would’ve joined you but I will have to see big headed Marcus first as I have some important matters to discuss with him” Dane says, disappointed at the fact that he could not longer drag me along like a new doll he just developed a liking to.

“Maybe next time your highness” I assure him. He smiles brightly, his disappointment completely wiped away.

“Yeah, we could have breakfast tomorrow morning together…what do you say sis in law?’

Oh heavens…what have I done?

“I…” I turn to Mia to see if she would have anything to say that would save me from having breakfast with the young prince but her eyes stay down…she’s run out of ideas as well.

“I look forward to it” I finally reply with a small curtsey. Dane bows as well before opening the door to the study and walking in, he didn’t even bother to know but then again…Marcus is his brother and he won’t be treated as I am.

As I walked back to the room, my mind was a bit calmer than it was before I met Dane.

“What would you like to have for breakfast your highness”

I hear Jess’ voice, she sounds concerned, well it’s because it is her job but still, it is a much better feeling than back home when I would be forced to eat or made to eat so little even when I did not have an appetite.

“I’m fine but thanks for asking Jess”

My stomach was not in the mood at that moment, all I wanted to do was stand under the shower and let the cold water wash away my tiredness and maybe make my life better in the process, well that’s impossible but a girl can dream can’t she?

“Are you sure your highness?” Mia asks “You haven’t eaten anything since day break”

I shook my head, she stayed quiet and didn’t ask me anything anymore.

Once I stepped into the room I headed for the bathroom, I wanted to feel the cold water on my skin and maybe just maybe it could wash away the thoughts of my conversation with the queen.

“Vera!”

I heard his voice and I stopped in my tracks, he did not sound angry but that does not mean I was not afraid if him at that moment, the sound of his voice alone gave me chills.

I turned around to look at him and I was not sure I had ever seen such a normal expression on his face before but yet the way he called me made me think otherwise.

“What did you tell my brother about your life in the palace?” he asks, his eyes looked cam but yet it seemed like the calm before the storm.

My heat pounded harder as I began to imagine what Dane must’ve said to him that would make him ask me this sort of question.

“I…I told him that life in the palace is okay” I tell Marcus, he doesn’t seem to be convinced by my words though.

“Don’t say anything stupid to my stupid brother” he sounds tired, his fingers massages his temples as he speaks. I was tempted to ask him what was wrong, what was bothering him because I could feel it through the bond…his exhaustion and his worries.

He has told me to stay out of his business because it is already very obvious that he has been staying out of mine. He can’t say to me that he does not feel the loneliness and the sadness I have been feeling…I have already given up on him reacting or caring about me but still…

“Understood your highness” I say, he seems a bit taken aback by my reply but he stays silent and nods instead.

“And Vera…” just when I thought he wouldn’t say anything and I was already heading to the bathroom he called out, I fought back a groan of frustration and turned around to look at him.

“Stay away from my brother, I don’t like the sight of you two together”

After saying those words, he leaves me standing there strung at his retreating back. I was slightly shocked and confused by his words but also angry. He wants me to stay out of his business so what makes him think he can tell me what and who to talk to?

I glared at his retreating figure but quickly schooled my expression realizing just how much it was out of character.

This isn’t me…this anger and this sudden hatred that was now growing in my heart for a few people in this palace…this is not how I was raised, this is not who I was told to be.

I took in a deep breath, swallowed and stayed silent, just like I have always been taught.