Chapter 7: Say My Name, Dear Bride
Why else would he not make her his bride after he had been in search for a mate for a long time?
He walks straight to me. His perfectly tonned upper chest was picking out of his black robe. And his eyes was filled with lust. Lust?!
I didn't even bother to hide it. He is drop_ dead handsome. I studied Ares watch with hooded eyes and a slight amused tilt to his lips.
He was obviously relishing in how uncomfortable the situation was making me. He was so close, then he tilt his head to the side of my neck, drawing in a long deep breath as he continues to sniff me.
"What are you doing to me dear bride?" He asks, his lips on the crook of my neck. His voice sounded deep and sweet into my ear. It was then I released the breath I didn't know I have been holding.
He was doing things to me. And I was the one doing things to him?.
"Your highness" My voice coming out in a low tone. All this was too much. No man has ever touched me in this manner.
"Ares" he said not moving away. Instead his left hand started unknotting the rope in my front pink corset.
His right one in my hair. I am hot. The room is getting hot. I don't know how to feel. "Ares" I called out like a moan.
"Say my name" he whispers. "Ares" Why does he love for me to say his name.
Suddenly, he was gone. What just happened?.
"I love it when you say my name dear bride" he says,a sly grin on his face, his dimples obvious. As he walks into the closet. And leaving me standing in his room.
I can't bare to see him return again. No I need air. A fresh air.
So I just went outside of his room. Heading straight to the garden I had saw when Ares was dragging me into his room.
It is a very beautiful garden. Green grasses on the left side of the garden. Near the castle is a narrow road leading to where I don't know. I am going to find out anytime soon.
Afterall, I would be living here as his bride.
Walking around the garden without purpose, a maid walks up to me and ask.
"Do you need anything your highness. You seem lost." She said bowing her head. This maid is beautiful, she is dressed in a blue skirt and a cream top. Her hands in her skirt.
"Um_you do not have to bow your head. And for now I am not Are_the crown prince wife yet. The wedding holds tomorrow. So I think you can call me that after tomorrow. You can just call me my lady" I don't feel ready yet. I need to scheme my plans well, I need to make the maids like me, i must be nice to them so they would not see the true reason I came into the palace.
"Your highness is what I think I should call you. I am in no place to call you that. After all you will soon be the crown prince woman. So it is rightful that I respect you. More so I am just a mere maid. And I am assigned to for you by court lady Ylvia to tend to your needs with the crown prince permission"
She explained. There was no way I was going to change her. She would never call me what I ask her to call me. She is such a beautiful girl. She looks a little older than I am.
And she looks friendly too. It would not hurt to keep her by my side too.
"How long have you been in the palace?"
I asked her. "Since childhood. Why do you ask your highness?"
"No, just curious. Could you show me around the castle?. And we can talk while we take a look around the castle?. You know, since you would be my maid when I become his highness's woman"
I asked her. And she immediately accepts. "Yes your highness. I am honoured. You lead the way you highness" she said, still curtsying.
What was it with all this respects?. Well then, if I am going to survive here and if I am going to know who my enemy really is. I must knw about him. And this maid she had been here in the palace since child hood. Which means she would know something about him. all I have to do is just go with the flow.
"This is the garden the crown prince loves the most. He always stays here all night staring into the sky for long. I and Court lady Ylvia has been the only maids who dared to enter his highness's castle. He was just too dark. Some call him the devil's reincarnation".
"You can stop bowing your head. And tell me your name".
I said, as I become more interested in hearing about Ares from her.
Who knows she may know something about that mate of his?.
"Ah! My apologies your highness. How am I so stupid that I didn't tell you my name?" She quickly went to her knees. I didn't know why this maid is being so humble. I just did not like the over respectfull actions. It makes me uncomfortable.
"It's fine. It is just your name no big deal. Get up. " I urged her to rise.
"I am Penelope. Your highness. You are so kind. All maids are trained to respect whoever they serve." She is older than I am. I do not feel comfortable when she is bowing her head for me all in the name of respect.
" Do I need to repeat myself. Your heads up. It is fine if you let go of all this training whenever we are together. Perhaps you can do that outside whenever people are around.
Now Penelope can we continue with the tour?"
"Sure your highness." She answers. We walk past guards, and truthfully, there was no other female maiden in this castle. How am I to survive in here with men in armour?.
I quickly throw away the thoughts. There was Penelope. She is a female.
"I think we would continue this tour later. I am exhausted. The castle is so beautiful and too large. I can always continue some other time. Afterall I will be here all my life" That was when I realized it. I will be here all my life! I will be here all my life!!!.... Married to this heartless man. As his queen.
But no, I am here to destroy him. So I am not going to be here all my life.
"Okay your highness".
***
It is getting dark. I could hear the sound of birds chirping from the garden not too far from Ares room where I am sitting on his king sized bed.
The room too was getting dark, and Ares was no where to be found. And I have told Penelope to go fecth me my dinner, since Ares is not satisfied with the idea that I have dinner with his brothers.
I would not lie that the scent of vanilla mixed with pine wood was getting to my senses. I want to dwell in this scent forever.
It was tomorrow,I will get married to him to tomorrow. And tomorrow night?.
Oh by the blue moon, that thought sent chills down my spine.
I need to stop overthinking things, I must get busy before Penelope comes back.
I havihad anything since I left my father's house. My stomach started to grumble.
So I stood, walking towards his shelf. I skipped some books, they are supernatural books. Until I saw one that talked about witches.
"The beginning of sorcery"
"He reads about sorcery too?. I thought. He is so strange to me. Everytime I get to know more about him,the more he seems darker. It's only been today I arrived here, so why the rush?. I still have much time. That thought brought a light change in my mood.
The scene from the afternoon returns in my head. I felt my cheeks burn. It was the first time a man did that to me.
If Sawyer was alive, I would have told her this. She would have been the first to know. This thought made my hatred for Ares grow even more.
Until I heard a light knock on the door.
"Your highness?" It must be Penelope.
"Come on in" I answered.
And she didn't oblige. She open it slightly, peeking through it.
"I do not think it is proper that I am in his highness room. You are the first woman to ever enter his room."
"Oh he doesn't?" I asked completely surprised. "Yes, every one in the kingdom are surprised as to why the crown prince too so much liking in you"
"Even his mother?"
"No your highness. He only meets his mother in her chamber. And she was the closet woman to him"..
Surprised!.
Wow. Anything else I should know?