The Bastard's Bride Book II Knight

1.1 PRELUDE

London Palace 9:00 in the night

Myeong-dong to London 12 hours of travel

Ysabella, winced in pain as she felt her head was throbbing, she closed her eyes and again opened it, it was blurry at first, and then it was beginning to be more clearer. She gasps and suddenly holds her mouth, she roams her eyes around her slowly as if she is studying every detail of it, thinking she was a bit in delusions or something. 

"Where am I?" she softly asked herself while holding her temple and then suddenly she saw some bruises on her wrist and winced in pain as she touched the side of her head. It was painful indeed.

"What happened? Why do I have all of these bruises aw!" and then it hit her, she remembered everything in a snap. 

The boy.

What happened to the boy! Her eyes widened as she looked around, she was alone. She needs to find the boy. She was about to stand up from her bed when her eyes caught a red envelope near her bed. She was a bit hesitant to open it but there was someone telling her to do so and besides, she was all alone and maybe it was for her. She must hurry and find the boy and get back home, her parents may be worried sick about her now and she will not forgive herself if something happened to her parents because of her absence.

She slowly took the red envelope and carefully tore it, she was not used to tearing things apart because she is used to appreciating the time and effort of the person who prepared it, that is her every time she gets gifts from her parents. She opened the letter and she can't believe what she was reading.

Dear young lady,

              Do not be afraid, you are free to do whatever you want. Maybe the time you are reading this now gets you a lot of questions and I understand that. Please stay calm for I do not want you to be worried and panic. You are now far away from your home and please forgive me for taking you without your consent, you were unconscious that time by saving my little brother and I don't know where you live and no one can be asked since it was very late at night. I am willing to give you transportation back to your home if you wish but if you wish to stay I am glad to welcome you here since you saved my little brother. There are no words to tell you how thankful I am for saving him, you did not think twice about helping him even though they are men. And if you are wondering where you are now, you are here in London, here in our place, it is twelve hours of travel way back to your home dear. 

There is a butler outside of your room in case you need anything. 

                                                                                                                                                 Hades

She can't believe what she had just read, she must be going crazy. She was just selling in the market and helping a boy and then she was far far away from her home. She is in London! Godforsaken she is in London! She walks near the window and her mouth fell when she realized she was somehow in the top and she was looking in a trimmed greenfield and she can somehow see far away from her place the enormous gate. And there are also a lot of men outside and if she is not mistaken they are wearing soldier armored uniforms together with their swords and there are also a lot of old women in uniforms with a wooden tray in their hands. 

"I'm in London," she whispered herself.

"An enormous gate," she touches the window.

"Soldiers," she looks down.

"Maids?" She roamed her eyes in her room and found everything was elegant that it cost so much wealth to have this kind of room, this is just a room that is even more outside of this room. Whatever it is she can't imagine. Did she stumble a very big person that she somehow falls into this kind of place?

"Hades," what a cold name she thought.

She was startled from where she was standing when someone knocked at her door.

"Milady, are you awake? Can I come in?" an old male voice asked and she doesn't even know what to do even though she would just answer him. 

"Why am I always afraid of things? I hate this feeling," she muttered under her breath and gained some confidence to answer him.

"Yes, yes you may Sir," she softly answered him and she hoped he had heard it, she wanted to slap her face for not speaking louder at this kind of situation. How on earth he would hear her? She was about to open her mouth to repeat her answer when the door swung open and a tall man entered smiling warmly at her. She was still standing near the window and she was barefooted.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you but our prince ordered me to check if you are already awake or not. Are you somehow hungry Milady? I bet you are because you are sleeping for 12 in a half-hour and I think you should get eaten. It is not healthy if you skip dinner now even though it is already nine in the evening," he stated while looking at her warmly, she felt comfortable at his presence. She can see her grandfather on him.

"No, no it's okay did you say, prince? Could you tell me where am I? I know I'm in London because Hades wrote me a letter, he left it there at the table," she answered looking at him and he was somehow shocked but regained his composure.

"Yes, Prince Hades wants to have dinner with you."

"Yes, Prince Hades wants to have dinner with you," Ysabella, got frozen from where she was standing after hearing those words, a prince, Hades was all along with a prince, the one who wrote her a letter. She can't believe that a peasant girl like her would be now standing in a golden like palace and was written a letter coming from a prince.

"I am so sorry please forgive me for such being a disrespectful being and rude at addressing your prince, forgive me please I am so sorry it will not happen again," she was startled as she said those words, she bows her head and closing her eyes, she was such an i***t she wanted to smack herself for having such a clumsy mouth.

"Oh no Milady, I completely understand and besides we are the only people here so no need to worry about that, and please don't bow into me," he chuckled and waves his hands.

"And Milady if you would please excuse me, the prince is waiting for you outside he wishes to have dinner within this kind of late-night if you would not mind to please grant his wish because he was waiting for you to wake up for hours," he said leaving my mouth hanging, I can't believe this is happening to me now, a prince was waiting for her outside, how could a prince wait for her? She was just a peasant and nothing more.

"Yes, yes it is a great honor to have dinner with the prince," she softly said and nervousness was evident in her voice and she was sure that he felt it.

"Do not be nervous Milady, you're perfectly fine. There are two young ladies now outside of this room will come to you after I exit, they will be the one who will dress you and prepare you for your dinner, I'm sorry if this surprise you but this is how it has done," he said and I don't know what to answer, I was just looking at him with wide eyes.

"They will undress me?" I was shocked that I blurted it out that was supposed to be just in my mind and then again he laughed, this old man was used to laughing she guessed.

"You amused me Milady and yes they will undress you but if you're not comfortable you can tell them and they just fix your hair and everything that is to be done. I should be going now so they can prepare you, Milady," he said and turned his heels and grabbed the doorknob and opened it. As soon as he was gone in my sight, two old women entered, one of them was holding a nude dress she thought and the one was holding a big wooden box.

"Good evening Milady, we have come to prepare you now," an old woman greeted as she shows me her warm smile when I returned the gesture.

"My name is Melinda and this is Nerrisa, my cousin," she added.

"It was nice to meet you Ma'am Melinda and Ma'am Nerrisa," she said, which makes them amused by her.

"Please do not call us ma'am for we are just servants in this palace, call us by our names if you please," Melinda said which makes her look at them.

"Then if that is the case then do not call me Milady, call me Ysabella for I am just a peasant passing by in this castle, I am just a normal girl selling cabbages in the market, that would make us fair," she softly answered which makes the two old woman smile at her kindness and such a braveness to tell her status of life, she was indeed a humble person.

"Such a sweet daughter of you, I am sure that your parents are so proud to have you for a daughter," Melinda said, which makes them smile at each other.

"Now come, let us prepare you, this will be so fast because you are already a beautiful young lady," they praise her with such an amusement that she was not used to.

After how many minutes she was then ready, the dress that they had brought her was completely leaving her gorgeous, it fit like a glove, it hugs her body beautifully that even the two women gasped in awe.

"You are now a ready child, the prince is waiting outside, you can do it, don't be nervous," they say trying to cheer her up but Ysabella just gives her nod to them telling her thanks and smiles. She inhaled a deep breath and walked outside.

As she was walking by herself downstairs she can't help but admire her surroundings, all floors were marble, what else would they be? All stair rails were ornate mahogany, carved, and polished so that it shined. Family portraits were painted in oils and hung in gold frames. Furniture was all handmade. She was sure that she had a little bit of knowledge about the furniture she had read about it in books. Nothing ever got dirty, she didn't even see a speck of dust, and along the way a red carpet was welcoming her. The air was scented with fresh flowers which cause her to take outside and there she saw an elegant statue along with crystal water fountain, a splendid garden that is full of beautiful flowers this was living for a fantasy, she looks in amusement and in awe it was indeed beautiful that she could stare it forever if she wishes, she will not forget this night not even in her whole life she would forget this thing, she would treasure this in her heart. It was a graceful and enchanting night for her.

"What is more beautiful than this?" she softly said in the thin air, her face was struck by the light of the moon which compelled her complexion with such a beautiful goddess if whoever sees her and there, prince Hades was standing in the corner looking at her.

He was looking at her glass face that he would die to touch that luscious body of hers that he was dying to put his hands into. It was painful for him to see those, it was a torture he would tell but he can't help but look at her. From the first time he met her that night, she had captivated his heart and he would be gone crazy if this young lady in front of him would go away.

"Nothing is more beautiful than you Milady," a deep masculine voice sated which caused her to gasp on where she was standing, she roamed her eyes looking for the person who said those words. Her eyes slowly landed on those piercing eyes who were already looking at her, she doesn't even know if he was there all the time. 

She can't see him.

He slowly came out from the dark corner and by the help of the light of the moon she slowly saw him. A tall, masculine, white as a vampire she could tell, and he was wearing a half mask.