Aliria

III

"This is where you and Tristan will stay when you get married."

The door was large to the room Evan shows me as we come to a final stop of our tour. I've found out many things.

One, they still keep Reema's room the exact same way it was before my people had attacked as a shrine to her and her life.

Two, Evan is currently 20 and would have been heir if he has come from a marriage of the King and his mother whom was a handmaiden.

Three, Evan and Tristan are, contrary to my original belief, very close and tell each other everything meaning he knows about the illicit affair he's currently having with Lady Lysa which I'm yet to ask about.

Four, when Tristan and I get married it is expected for a child to be conceived a year into the marriage otherwise it is deemed not consummated and thus allowing the people to remarry.

Alirian men have been known to take more than one wife in a life time but that's not the Highland way. We marry once and once only. The only way to dissolve a marriage is death.

Tracing my fingers over the large door I look at Evan, "No one comes in?"

"Not even if they hear screaming." Evan confirms, "Apparently, the late King mother was quite the screamer whilst in the midst of ... relations."

I'm glad my dark skin hid the blush that would have appeared on my face. Well I doubt Tristan and I would ever get to that position any time soon.

"Tell me, have you ever wanted to be king?" I ask as we start to walk away from the door.

"It's never been my destiny." Evan says and I look into his eyes to see he's telling the truth, "Too much responsibility, having to take others best interest above your own. I could never do it but I'm sure you're use to it being the Princess of the Highlands." I hum in response acknowledging what he said but not giving it too much light so he can gloss over it. "I've never been anywhere other than Aliria."

"That's a shame, Evan." I reply with a frown, "I'm sure you'll love Highland. Our gardens are beautiful we have fruits of every kind and the birds sing none stop during the summer."

"I just want to see the snow." He admits with a little blush on his face which makes me smile widely

"Oh the snow is the best, you can build snow castles and throw snowballs. Killian and I do it every winter, it's tradition."

We rounded a corner and saw Tristan with Lady Lysa, kissing of all things, out here in the public. Evan looked down at me to gage my reaction and I simply cleared my throat causing them to stop what they were doing.

Lysa bowed in front of me turning quite red as she did so. "Princess."

Tristan looked at me with an unbothered look in his eyes which annoyed me.

"Well isn't this a lovely surprise." I say clasping my hands together in front of me.

"We were just-"

"You don't have to explain anything to her, Lysa." Tristan interrupts her, "It's not like she can do anything about it."

"Actually," I start, "I can get her removed from court, your Majesty."

"She didn't do anything to warrant that." Tristan argues with the same cocky look on his face

I smile at him devilishly, I wasn't supposed to show this side of me so early on but if Tristan wants to play, we can plan.

I blink twice recalling a painful memory and letting a tear drop from my eye, "She just slapped me out of no where your majesty, I was simply commenting on how I liked her dress but she must have taken it the wrong way because she just snapped and said such horrible things to me." I pretend, letting more tears drop, "I would love to say that I can move on but once someone harms my person it's quite hard for me to look at them again, she has to be removed." I wipe the fake tear off my face whilst looking at her shocked face and smile once again, "See how easy it was for me to do it on the spot? Imagine what would happen if I actually want to get rid of her."

"You can't do that." Lysa begged, "My father would kill me, he worked so hard to get where he's at now."

"That sounds like a personal problem, sweetheart." I reply before looking at Tristan, "If you want to start this game we can, just know I'll win every time." I wrap my arm around Evan's forearm, "Now come on, Evan. Let's go down to the kitchens, I'm famished."

*
I heard my door open which confused me because there's always two guards in front of my door at all times.

I sit up on my bed to see Tristan walking towards me, "Why hello, your majesty. What can I do for you at this time?"

He looked even more dangerous in the darker light. He had said nothing to me all day after my little performance in the morning and he chooses now to come and give me a visit?

"You sound very proud of yourself." He utters as he stands at the feet of my bed, holding the posts and leaning towards me

"I don't know what you're talking about, your majesty."

"Your little stunt today." He reminds me, "Lysa is too afraid to even go near me."

"Well that was the plan, your grace." I reply, "I can't have my betrothed embarrassing me by sleeping with my ladies so it either you stop or she leaves, really it's your choice."

"You forget, I'm not marrying you." He says sternly, "I can never marry the spawn of the man that ordered for my sister to be killed."

I raise my eyebrow, "And I'm supposed to marry the spawn of the man that ordered for my mother to be killed?" I put my hand over my naked chest so the covers don't fall and expose me as I sit up, "We've both lost someone in this war, Tristan."

His eyes flicker to my body before making it back to my eyes, was he just looking at me?

"It's your grace to you." He corrects, "And how am I supposed to know you're not sleeping with my brother?"

"Evan? I just met him today. Do you take me for a whore?" I ask looking into his eyes

"I don't care what you do with your body cause I'm never going to claim your body." He tells me, "Threaten Lysa again and there will be consequences."

"So you want to play?" I ask with a smirk on my face, "Like you said before, your grace, I'm very good at games."

"It's not a game, Cassandra." He whispers to me

"Fight it all you want Tristan but we're still supposed to get married in a fortnight." I remind him whilst scratching my head forgetting I was using it to hold to covers over my body and exposing myself. Like any other male his eyes looked down at breasts and I gather my sheets to cover myself once more.

"You sleep naked?" He questions making me hold onto my covers once more and I see his hands tightening around the bed post.

"It's too hot here." I reply honestly before laying back down, "I want to get some rest before tomorrow, please see yourself out."