1.10

"Good morning, my lady."

The maid swings open the heavy curtains, letting light shine into the room. Blearily, Liliana blinks at the bright light and at the shadow of a figure now standing in front of it.

"Hello..." Liliana trails off as the maid before her curtsies. "I am Kendall, my lady."

"Sorry, I didn't know," Liliana nervously laughs and the petite redhead shakes her head. Liliana looks the girl up and down. The girl was quite plain, save for the freckles covering her body which lead down to a thin silver ring flashing on the maid's left ring finger.

"Do not worry, it is an honor to serve you today," Kendall responds. "I know you've been given a rotation of maids until a permanent choice was to be found, and here I am."

Liliana nods and sits up. "Well, thank you," she yawns out. Kendall smiles softly at Liliana.

"I'm very happy to serve you, my lady. Now, I shall help you prepare for breakfast."

It's been a few weeks since Liliana has arrived at the castle back in Terria and things have been hectic. On the day she had arrived at the castle, Reginald called for the wedding to be on the Spring Solstice that was seven weeks away at the time. Today, it was a little less than a month away. Liliana was very involved with the ceremony and had the guest list filled with the highest nobles to the common duke in the country. All had already RSVPed within the first week.

After all, no one wished to be on the King's bad side.

And that's what made Liliana all the more nervous. Shortly after she had arrived at the castle, and by shortly she means the very next day, the King had been murdered by an assassin, leaving the Fourth Prince to become King. All the other brothers were already dead or had fled the country and left behind only one prince, the sole heir: Reginald. The new King ensured Liliana that he'd still have enough time for her and visit her every night before bed. The two always dined for breakfast, lunch, and dinner together as well, but most of the time Liliana had to visit his office to dine with him because he 'kindly' asked her to visit there every day.

Liliana also wrote home to her mother and father and ensured them she was fine. The two had come back home from traveling after they found out their daughter was missing, and Liliana would see them again upon her wedding day.

Liliana wrote to Amelia too, ensuring her that she was fine after being kidnapped and not to worry. Amelia's whole response letter was filled with questions about the 'kidnapping,' which Liliana answered to her heart's content. Liliana didn't send an invitation to Amelia to keep her safe.

Kendall quickly helps Liliana dress for the morning before escorting the future Queen to Reginald's office. Today's outfit was a long sleeved plum dress that covered her from her neck to her wrist to her toes, which is a bit unusual for Terrian normal fashion standards. In fact, Liliana's entire closet was very conservative. Usually, dresses were lower cut or had shorter sleeves, especially so close to Spring when it was getting hotter out.

Liliana enters the office, seeing him standing by the table, waiting. Liliana doesn't know for how long he has been waiting, but he's always like that when she enters.

"Hello, dear," Reginald greets, stepping forward to give Liliana a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello," she smiles back as he pulls out the chair for her. Liliana sits down and Reginald piles lots of food onto her plate.

"Don't forget to eat it all, you should gain back all the weight you lost," he advises and Liliana gives a small smile. "You're too caring, Reginald."

He is way too caring, in fact.

Reginald sits down and begins to ask Liliana about life and how her day is going. She responds with a generic answer, then asks him in turn about work.

This was how it was at every meal. Reginald didn't see a problem with it, so Liliana didn't change anything about how generic and bland the format was.

Reginald's eyes widen suddenly. "Oh! I nearly forgot. We have dinner with my mother tonight before she leaves."

His mother was smart to inform Reginald of her leave. After the King's death, the mother had grown more 'depressed' and said that it'd be best for her to go to the countryside to mourn in solitude. Reginald accepted, even telling her to not even show up to the wedding. This meal was to serve as a Last Supper of sorts.

Of course, based on how Reginald's mother acts around her own son, it was something more than mourning that was forcing her to leave. But, that's just my own theory.

"I'm glad we can have one last dinner with her," Liliana says as she calmly sips her water. "Is your mother already prepared for her journey?"

"Yes, she's heading down South to the oceanside to her family's estate. She's the sole heir but hasn't been there in years, so I'm sending some maids and a chef to accompany her."

"You're too kind," Liliana flatters as his cheeks turn red. He quickly clears his throat.

"So, what do you plan to do today, dear?" Reginald asks as he begins eating himself.

"Possibly visit the gardens, maybe do some reading," Liliana replies as Reginald gives a soft smile. "The garden's roses are in full bloom, now. It's the perfect time to visit."

"I've noticed them around the palace," Liliana adds as her mind flashes to all the red roses. As much as she had begun to despise their heavy scent, they were the most beautiful roses she had ever seen. Their deep red color and fully extended petals were glorious, which must've been a trademark of this world.

Or maybe it was merely a trademark of having a team of gardeners that know everything there is to know about the land and flowers.

"Roses are your favorite, right?" Reginald asks. Liliana nods. "Yes, quite so," Liliana lies. A lie would be better than dealing with the aftermath. Once, Reginald had asked her if she liked the orange juice they had at breakfast, and when Liliana responded she disliked orange juice she never saw a single orange in the palace again. She had asked a butler about it and the butler said all oranges had been banned from the country, forcing some farmers to lose their main source of income.

I liked oranges a lot, too, just not orange juice... sigh, what a shame...

"I'm glad that you like them," Reginald smiles as he reaches across the table, squeezing Liliana's hand as a glimmer flashes through his eyes. "I'll personally ensure the roses are their most stunning for my most stunning, then."

=

Hours passed, and soon, it was time for dinner.

"Your Majesty," Liliana curtsies as the woman shakes her head.

"Call me Elena," the woman responds, giving a tight smile. While here, Liliana had only seen Elena twice, and it was almost surreal; as if a phantom of a woman had haunted this castle. Elena's white-blonde hair was pulled tightly black under a black diadem, contrasting deeply with sickly pale skin. Watery blue eyes seemed to bug out as if they were squeezed out by her tightly fitting corset. Black cloth stretched down a long neck all the way to her toes, with black sleeves draping over her feeble wrists.

"Has my son arrived yet?" Elena asks, eyes darting around the empty dining room.

"No, he hasn't. He's probably on his way," Liliana responds as Elena's aged hands quickly grip Liliana's, tremors running up and down brittle bones.

"You still have time," Elena hastily whispers, looking deeply into Liliana's arctic eyes. "Please, reconsider all of this."

"Why, if it isn't my two favorite girls!" A voice calls out, and the two women turn around to see Reginald slowly walk down the stairs, dressed in glossy reds and blacks. "I hope you're not gossipping about me too much."

"Only good things, I promise," Liliana laughs lightly as she slips her hands out of Elena's. "Your mother was just about to tell me an embarrassing childhood story of yours."

Reginald smiles softly, kissing Liliana on the cheek. "There's plenty of mishaps from my childhood to pick from."

"I was just about to tell her the boat story," Elena adds on, appearing normal once more. Reginald barks out a short laugh.

"Of course," Reginald says, a twinkle in his blue eyes. "You can tell it once we're seated."

The three quickly sit down, Reginald at the head with Elena at the other end. In the middle of the table sat Liliana, facing an empty chair.

The servers rushed out, quickly pouring wine and offering a fancy-fish appetizer that Liliana slowly picked at. Elena delved into how Reginald accidentally snuck onto a merchant's ship and was gone for three weeks, and upon returning he was talking like a sailor. By the time the story was finished, dinner came and replaced the appetizers.

Liliana stared down at the thick piece of meat drenched in red sauce, green basil hastily thrown on it. It looked delicious, of course, but who knew what the people outside the palace were eating?

Liliana cuts off a thick slab and takes a bite. Huh, didn't taste like the normal boar back at the Marzinal family mansion. Maybe it was a different cut...?

"My lady," Kendall bows to Liliana. "Would you care for more wine to accompany your boar?"

"Of course, thank you," Liliana nods. Kendall quickly walks to the back table and grabs the bottle of wine, and turns to walk back to Liliana.

What happened next passed in the blink of an eye. The end of Kendall's heel caught into the back of the carpet, enabling her to trip onto her long uniform. Kendall waved her arms frantically as she smashed the glass bottle into the table, shards flying everywhere. Kendall tilted to her left, attempting to grab onto Liliana for safety, but only pushing her master to the ground with the hand that held the bottle;  falling on top of Liliana in the end.

Liliana was shell shocked for a moment until she heard a large yell of frustration. Large hands quickly yanked Kendall off of Liliana, before scooping up Liliana and setting her on the table. Red wine dripped from Liliana's locks onto the white tablecloth. Liliana sat dazed for a moment before she realized what had happened.

"Dear, are you alright?" Reginald rushes out quickly as Liliana nods. "Of course, of course," Liliana responds, attempting to soothe her fiancee's rage.

Reginald turns to Kendall, glaring daggers. "You..." Reginald stomped towards the cowering maid, brandishing a raised fist.

"Dear, it was only a little mistake," Liliana calls out, and Reginald turns back, fist lowering only slightly. "This insolent worm needs to be punished!" he demands and Liliana sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It was only a bit of wine on me. Baths exist and clothes can be washed," Liliana adds on as Reginald's eyes lower to her arm, stepping forward.

"She tore the cloth of your dress," he mutters with concern, holding her arm up to the light. He wriggles a finger over to the hole cut into it, revealing a scratch on Liliana's arm.

"And cut you..." Reginald mutters as his eyes widen. "And cut you!" he repeats, angrily astonished at this outcome. Liliana resists the urge to roll her eyes.

"It's only a scrape!" Liliana reasons as he facepalms. "Liliana! It's never so simple! Those who dare hurt you need to face punishment! If we forgive this one time, every idiotic bastard would try to harm you, then!"

"Reginald, dear..." Liliana trails off as she places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "You needn't worry about this, it's only a minor matter in the grand scheme of things. It won't leave a permanent mark, it's like a little papercut."

Reginald's cobalt blue eyes softened, relaxing under his fiancee's hold. "You're right, you're right," he sighs before looking up at her with puppy dog eyes. "And since I'll always be by your side, I wouldn't allow this to happen again. This is just a one-time thing, right?"

Liliana had no idea what that meant but nodded anyway. "A one-time thing," she repeats back at him, hoping her reassurance would get him to take a much-needed chill pill.

Reginald smiles. "Alright. I'll...I'll just give the maid a minor punishment, just to save face. Maybe it'll be cleaning out the stables for a couple of days. In the meantime, someone can sub in for you as a maid."

Liliana sighs in relief. At least it wasn't as intense...who knows what he would've done if I hadn't stepped in?

"Alright."

"How about my mother escort you to the nurse's office? Then, we can have a later dinner in your room, unless you're too tired-"

"I'm quite exhausted, actually," Liliana yawns out, hoping she didn't sound too forceful. "I'll just see you in the morning, alright?"

Reginald does a small side-smile, glad to see his lover was doing fine. "Alright. Goodnight, dear."

Liliana stands up from the table, giving Reginald a slight kiss close to the mouth, before following behind Elena to the nurse's office. Liliana is quickly patched up with a bandage and arrives at her room with Elena.

"This may be our last time meeting," Liliana says to Elena. "I hope you have a wonderful trip to your estate."

"I'm not going," the old woman shakes her head as Liliana's brows furrow.

What in the world was this old coot up to?

"How about you come in?" Liliana offers as she holds open the door. "I'd like to have a.. .girl talk before you leave."

Elena's lips tighten, yet she walks on in regardless. Liliana walks in her room and closes the door behind her.

"Speak," Liliana demands, crossing her arms. All formalities had disappeared between the two nobles.

"My leave would've been a deathtrap," Elena quickly reasons, a frightened look appearing on her wrinkly face. "I'd die before I reach the next city over. Reginald doesn't want any bloodline left to take over in case of anything happening."

"That's a bad move," Liliana mutters and Elena nods.

"This is a whole mess," Elena rants, voice breaking. "And I want no part of this...this...this freakshow! I'm leaving tonight with Octavia, my servant. And you... you can come as well."

Liliana remains silent as she watches Elena silently plead for her to come. "Why?"

"Because you're young. You don't want to spend your life in this prison with Reginald," Elena says, frail voice rising with every word. Elena falls silent for a moment. "I can tell you don't love him," she accuses in a harsh whisper.

"Did you love your husband?" Liliana retorts before tightening her own lips. That's a bit too touchy...but I need to keep this act together!

Elena chuckles at this. "I can see your reasoning with this scenario; yet, my husband was different. He wouldn't do all of this," Elena pauses to wildly gesture at the room, before pointing at herself, "for me. I loved the strength and power he held over himself, yet I wasn't in love." Her gaze sharpened. "And I can tell you are not much different than I. However, Reginald doesn't have the self-control my husband did."

Liliana pauses before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but it must be done. I have to marry Reginald."

Elena shakes her head. "At least in good conscious, I'll know I've tried." Elena steps back forward and squeezes Liliana's shoulder, looking past her and out at the night sky.

"Good luck, you'll most certainly need it."

With that, Elena opened the door and quickly left, closing it softly behind her. Liliana remained silent, internally wondering if there was anything left to be done.

But, there was nothing she could do. So, Liliana dressed for bed and quickly fell asleep.

Soon, she awoke to find her arm throbbing. Groaning, Liliana sat up in bed and drew aside the curtains, seeing the moon still high in the sky.

Groggily, she unlocked the glass doors, allowing fresh air to enter in from the balcony. Grabbing her silk robe, she slipped it on and drew it around herself as she stepped forward into the night.

Liliana gazed forward over the rose garden and felt knicks in her joints. Maybe a stroll wouldn't hurt...

She quickly bound down the stairs from her balcony, stepping into the garden. Fireflies floated above deep reds and maroons, crisscrossing over cobble-stoned pathways.

"Liliana? Dear? What are you doing out so late at night?" a nervous laugh sounds. Liliana turns to face Reginald among the roses a few rows over.

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided a stroll may help," Liliana lies as she walks towards him. His suit was dirtied, and a dark smudge of dirt anointed his nose.

"When you promised to tend to the garden, I didn't know you'd be burning the midnight candle to do so," Liliana jokes as she wipes the dirt from his nose. "You don't have to overexert yourself for me."

"I want to, dear," Reginald says as he shovels more dirt into a hole. "It's quite a stress-reliever if I do say so myself."

"What're you digging?" Liliana asks as he looks back at her, a boyish smile coming onto his face. "I'm actually burying, tonight. New rose plants, in fact."

"Is the secret to beautiful flowers to plant them under the moon?" Liliana sarcastically asks, causing Reginald to chuckle.

"I'm not superstitious, but it quite possibly is the reason. Now," Reginald side-steps right and turns Liliana around, "you, my dear, should be off to bed. You should be well-rested always."

"Alright," Liliana sighs as she plants her feet, extending her arms in a hug. "Goodnight, Reginald."

"I'll get you dirty-"

"It's fine," she responds, going on her toes and looking over Reginald's shoulder as she hugs him tightly. Emerging like a rosebud from the ground was a stiff freckled hand, a faint glimmer of a silver ring twinkling in the moonlight.

=

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