3.Trapped
1312 Words
|| Selene's POV ||
I woke up to the knock on the door. I squeezed my eyes tightly, ignoring the headache.
Slowly my vision became stable and I found the beautifully engraved ceiling. And then I found myself on the soft bed, tugged under the blanket.
I sat up straight, quickly. The images of last night came back rushing. Rowan's vile words, his hatred and my marriage that collapsed on the very first night.
When did I fall asleep? I couldn’t remember. Blinking twice, I looked around. There was no doubt. I was in Rowan's bedroom. And the last thing I remembered was that I was trying to find a way out of this marriage. And I certainly wasn't on the bed. Then how did I end up here?
I looked down. And then rubbed my eyes. Then I looked down again. I was wearing some men's clothing. My hand pulled the t-shirt to my nose and undoubtedly it was Rowan's. That classic minty scent I would recognize anywhere in the world.
What the hell! How come I was wearing this?
An absurd image came to my mind. Rowan might have... changed me? And might have… carried me to the bed and then tucked under his blanket.
I laughed out loud. How could I even think of such an image! After last night, he would do anything only to hurt me and this didn't fall in the category of hurting me.
“Selene! Why are you laughing?” A voice came from outside, making me realise that the knock I heard a few minutes ago that woke me up, came from there.
“I am coming in!” I heard her again before the door opened. And Elysia, my sister-in-law, walked in. Ideally she should have gone back after the reception but since she was the Princess of Arkandale, she probably stayed an extra day here.
“Elysia! Why are you here so early?” I asked, rubbing my temples.
“Early? It's past noon. I was worried you would end up spending your first day as luna queen sleeping.” She teased me with a smile as she opened the huge curtains.
“Past noon?” I mumbled.
I never slept that late. I had always lived a disciplined life back in the North.
“Yeah!” She smiled again, as she walked back to the bed. Sunlight streamed through the long windows making the house warmer.
Everything was warmer here with respect to the frozen North. Elysia continued, “but no one is blaming you! After all, it's natural for you to be exhausted on the wedding night!”
“Huh?” My eyes widened for a second. I knew what she meant. But we didn't actually consummate.
Forget about consummating. I need to talk to my brother about annualing this marriage. Maybe I could even tell her. She had been my rock since Snow was gone.
Suddenly I found her hand squeezing mine as she said, “I know you didn't consummate the marriage yet.”
I looked up, straight to her eyes as I asked, “what? How did you know?”
“I saw Rowan leaving in half lycan form last night.” Elysia let out a sigh. “Since that war, his lycan is still unstable. He probably was scared that his lycan may hurt you once he loses control and that's why he left.”
She wasn't only my sister-in-law, she was also Rowan's sister and the eldest child of the last Lycan King. I could clearly see regret in her eyes… the kind a sister would have not been able to protect her little brother.
“Only if I arrived faster that day… I dragged him to the war and caused him this pain!” She sighed again.
“It's no one's fault, Ely!” I looked at my lap too. That cursed night changed so many things in our lives.
Elra died in the hands of Micheal, one of the most esteemed court members of North who turned out to be a traitor. He learned to cast dark rituals that cost me my lycan and Rowan's lycan went half feral.
Micheal flew off to nowhere. The rogue activities had been reduced since then but still both the empires were shaken.
Did I really cause her death? I had no memory of that day! Why was I even at that cliff?
“Yeah, neither it's yours.” Elysia said. “I know you are still thinking of Lady Elra.”
I looked at her again. When she first came to the North to marry my brother, I certainly didn't welcome her well. I even tried every means possible to get rid of her whereas she was doing the opposite.
“Actually I have something for you.” Elysia smiled as she handed me over a small wooden box. “Here.”
“What is this?” I asked.
“Open it!” She said.
I opened the box and my eyes widened. My hands brushed on the copper token that laid inside the box and the symbol on the middle of it was certain.
“This… this is from the Moore Castle!” I gasped.
“Yes, General Moore couldn't join the wedding. So he sent it to you.” Elysia nodded.
General Moore? Elra's father? I never spoke with him after that day… I thought he would always blame me for Elra. I didn’t have courage to face him either. He was a rock to the Northern defense and as the princess of the North, I failed him.
Guilt built up in my heart again. “Why? Why would he send me this?”
“He said, it was the token to control the guards that were assigned to protect Lady Elra. Now she is blessed to be with the moon herself. Hence he wanted this token to be carried by another daughter of North who was going far from home. He said, he would pray to the moon for your prosperous life.” Elysia said and I couldn’t hold back my tears.
“It's been more than three years, Selene. He even has moved past it. Don't hold it in your heart anymore. It wasn’t your fault.” She added.
“I honestly don't remember what happened back then…” I whispered.
“It's time to start a new life. Forget the past. It took so much from all of us!” Elysia sighed. “And honestly I wanted to thank you for saying yes to my brother's proposal.”
“Thank me?” I asked.
“Yes. The North still doesn't have much faith in me, Selene. I became the Luna Queen there by force. But your marriage to my brother is different. Both the royal courts accepted it. It will strengthen the bond between both the empires. Your influence on the Northern court will change the minds of those orthodoxes about the Arkandale alliance.” Elysia said. “And we need all of their support right now more than anything.”
“What do you mean? The rogues are gone, right?” I gulped. I wasn't planning to stay married in this hell hole.
Elysia sighed again, “we found some rogue activities in the mountains. And some traces of Micheal.”
“What! Why hasn't Dominic said anything to me?” I almost jumped off the bed.
“Because he didn't want to burden you, his little sister.” Elysia admitted. “But now with this marriage, the kingdom's unity will rise again. The rogue hunt will be more effective.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell her the truth… that I couldn’t stay here with her lunatic brother on toe. But looking at her eyes, I couldn't.
Goddess… could I really stay married in this hellhole?
- Writer
