Eric's POV
I was accurate about my assumption. She is a gold-digger who puts an act of playing hard.
But, somewhere in my heart, I was disappointed too. I assumed she might be different from the others. But in the end, money attracts all.
"Well then, shall we start?" I asked as I wanted to see how further could she could lose her honour for money.
She nodded slightly, smiling at me. She started walking towards my chair. I shifted my chair a bit from the desk to have a better enjoyable view of her being intimate with me.
She came close to me stood still like a mountain. I sat with my fingers brushing each other while being curious about her next move.
She bent and her face was only inches apart from mine and her heart-shaped small lips being close to me. She was just a millimetre away.
Unexpectedly she shifted her mouth to my ears and whispered," If you try to check my limits I won't mind letting this hair clip going into your neck."
I felt the sharp edge of her pointy clip being pummeled on my neck. She was threatening me. What does she think she is to jeopardise me?
I didn't move and curled my lips into a laugh and gazed at her with my stiff look." You have some guts for me to admire. You do think this tiny pin of yours could make me plead you for my life?"
" I may assure you that I don't have a slight intention of killing you in my heart but if you push me to my limits I won't hesitate to take a step."
" I never pulled you to any limits of yours. I never touch you nor do I invade your privacy at the palace. I just merely asked you to stay in the palace cause it is safe."
I felt as if she understood my words as her clip slightly moved a bit from my neck. She asked," Safe, is that the only reason you deny me of my freedom?" She had a depressing look encircling her face.
I nodded barely and said," Do you think that people would accept you as their Queen when you are just from a third-rated family."
" And even if people accept you no house would receive you as their Queen on your coronation but more likely to murder you in those filthy alleys you love so much. They would kill you if you went out of the palace. I will let you go, but first, let your coronation end. "
She merely nodded towards me with a dry look as her face went pale. I guess she understood how much danger has shrouded her after marrying me.
She might be the Queen but if all the houses stood together and decided to eliminate her for there on satisfactory then I won't be able to stop them.
First or second-rated houses always believe that no other houses lesser ranked than there's are suitable to be able to enter the royal family. They think it is a disgrace not only to them but also to their country to have a Queen with the blood of the lower cast.
" A young King like you made those giant walls to keep his Queen safe from intruders. But, how would he save her from the beast that lies within him?"
" Even if I am safe from the outsiders, am I safe from you?" She rubs her neck where I probably bite her yesterday. With a disappointed look, she glared at me for a while. We both were tight-lipped doing nothing but piercing into each other's eye.
She sighed and said," I will stay disciplined as long as you let me live my way. I will even take care of you, not as a wife obviously but as a friend or"
I instantly said," or as a companion or my sleeping partner." I snickered at her. She
Isabelle got angry and stood up," You. ., Anyways remember two things about me, first I am way too curious so don't do anything suspicious around me or I won't standstill blinding your scandals. And secondly, don't you dare try to hurt me again or I won't let you go unscathed." Her eyes were dreadful and she stood stealthily like a tiger. She started walking oppositely.
I gazed at her from the back considering that she is something to stand in front of me with eye contact. I smiled as she left assuming it would be interesting to be around her. She might be some sort of amusement to me in a strange way.
I became interested in her by a slight increase of affection towards her especially when she said the last line. Even though it was clearly meant to threaten me. I wanted to see how further she could survive in this palace entire of her hostiles. Would she be able to learn all the fraud or perish in the end like my mother?
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Isabella's POV
I went out of the room walking all almighty from the back but I was nervous from the front. I wanted to breathe the fresh air. I felt like a prisoner in a heavenly paradise.
As soon as I departed the room I took a deep breath and untied my first button for me to breathe. I have been claustrophobic since childhood.
Have I lost my sanity? When did I have the nerve to coerce the king? Did I become dumber in just half a day of my stay at the palace? What was I thinking when I said those words? What would I do if he took them seriously and did?..gosh, what should I do now?
As I stood straight I saw the old woman with my new PA Daisy. She said to her," Please follow me, your highness." I nodded and followed her lead.
I followed the old lady who led the way. We went through the corners where drawings of Queens were hanged. From 1708's Queen Ashlin till the last Queen Cecily. She was Eric's mother.
The old woman opened the entrance of a room with a comfortable royal sofa with golden mirrors with diamond night lamps.
Ahead there was a small accessible way to reach the massive old room with a modern and royal decoration. The whole room was covered with white and lilac pink. A portrait hanging in front of the massive bed with curtains surrounding it.
It was again Queen Cecily's picture with his son. It has been my dream to meet Eric's mother since I was three. She was Princess Diana of Skyare who ended up being killed by intruders when I was 5 years old.
The old lady sat down on the chair in front of the bed facing the previous Queen's portrait and said," I loved her when she was still breathing. Only she had the power to control both the present and prior king. She wasn't only beautiful but also kind and amiable that even a demon fell in love with her. She made him the human he was but when she died he become the worst lucifer the world ever saw."
"She was perfect in every way and would take any shape like water if you pour her into vessels." She laid a hair clip with pink rose petals and diamonds on the adjoining table.
"She knew wearing this would only bring mourning and death to her but she still wore it every single day as she devoted herself to it. She wanted this clip to be passed on to the next Queen. It was one of her last wishes."
"She also requested that the succeeding Queen should be given her bedroom if she would endorse it."
I nodded my head. It was like a fantasy for me to rest on the bed where my idol once yawned. I wondered if she spent her last hours in this room.
There was a change in her voice when she talked about Queen Cecily like she was her mother who missed her daughter.
Judging from her words, I understood that my responsibility wasn't only to take the vigilance of Eric but also to be the queen that not only be acknowledged but also be beloved and recognised by the people. I felt a load of responsibility on my shoulders.
Being the Queen had more demerits than merits. It was like a headache to me. Not only I have to condone that bastard king but I also have to impress the houses for them to honour me and not assassinate me.
"I would gladly accept the gift." My heart raced and ailed a lot. I had to stand for myself who wants to survive in my new surroundings.
" I understand that it is a huge responsibility to be the queen but I am still astonished by this marriage and I noticed you don't like me. But still, I would appreciate it if I would be given further instructions on how to become a decent queen."
The old lady interrogated," And why should I help you? No queen before you ever asked for it. They all knew the fire they were to play with." She was right I should know what was I to prevail or going to.
I replied politely," I know old la. I mean ma'am that I shouldn't be saying this, but we live in the 21st century and I reckon that all the queens before me were predestined or at least wanted to become one but I never wished nor was I destined to be one."
The lady sighed and replied," Fine only one month you will be given before your coronation. No more no less time will be given. And you may call me lady Yuna."
Lady Yuna stood up. I asked her," Do you see me as a threat to the king? Except for Eric only you see me with those cold and scared eyes. Do you think I will harm him by any chance?" She looked straight into Yuna's minty green eyes with her courteous expression.
She replied with no expression," I am not sure if you are a threat or danger to his majesty, but I am sure that you have to accept the new rules as the new queen." Pointing towards the drawer, she left the room with a strange atmosphere.
I opened the drawer to look at what was she pointing at and found a tiny fragile book named ' New rules for New Queen'.
I started examining the book by straddling on the bed. It had more than 100 pages. Many rules and regulations were given from sitting postures to make up tips to advice about orations. They even gave examples of those Queen who broke the rules.
The book seemed quite old but it was handwritten in 1976 by Queen Amberly. She was Eric's grandmother. She even wrote quotes about the condition of the kingdom and even the upper houses in a sarcastically yet civilized way.
She inscribed the don't and do's in a parallel way. That made my work easy to read and understand. From the way she described being the Queen, it appeared to be an exquisite yet fatiguing job.
Queen Amberley even mentioned lady Yuna in her book by calling her natural beauty and elegance. She was faithful and loyal towards her master. But cunning in nature and occasionally pessimistic. I wondered whether she was my enemy or friend in this palace.