In the blink of an eye, it was already the morning before the wedding. At tomorrow's sunset, you'll be married to the person you liked least. By midnight, there will be a banquet thrown all throughout the capital in celebration of your union.
You were in your chamber fixing your bed and taking out clothes you'll wear for today as Siduri discusses with you the flow of events tomorrow. You asked her about the banquet and told her to have it open for everyone, even those living out of the capital. She gave a nod, taking note of your request.
By tonight, you'll have the final fitting of your dress to make sure that all is perfect. Tomorrow, around noon, your preparations shall start. Various servants would tend to you to get you ready for the big occasion.
Siduri went on even as you were already heading to the bathing chambers. Your whole day tomorrow is tightly packed and you had no time to go on your morning strolls with Enkidu. Instead, you'll have to greet and welcome the notable guests coming from all around Uruk and from the places beyond the capital.
You paid little attention to the rest of what she's saying as you're starting to feel a little overwhelmed. Before you reach the bathing chambers, one of the ziggurat's guards called for the High Priestess. It seemed like Gilgamesh is requesting her presence.
"Go ahead," you said when you saw her a bit hesitant, glancing from the guard to you. "I can handle myself." You gave her a reassuring smile to tell her that all will be well. She bowed and excused herself before making her way to the Royal Hall.
Silence has finally sunk at the moment you were left alone and you gave out a sigh. You carried on making your way towards the bathing chambers and as you arrived, you noticed you weren't alone. By the other end of the pool was a woman. Her drenched brown hair clung to her shoulder as she wipes herself dry.
Once she was dressed, she turned, eyes stumbling upon you and you knew exactly who she was. Her eyes turned sharp as her stare turned into a glare. "Well, well," she said, resting a hand upon her hips. "Who do we have here?"
Her tone was malicious and provoking, and getting yourself in an argument this early is the last thing that you wanted. You simply blinked before looking away as you made your way towards the pool. She walked forward to meet you halfway.
"Hello there, princess," she said, emphasizing the last word as she spits it out. "Hello, Shinaku," you said, finally glancing sideways to meet her eyes. It was masked in poison and an intent to get rid of you.
"What brings you here today?" You asked as calmly as you can as you were reminded that Gilgamesh wasn't the only person you disliked. "You mean, what brought me here last night?" She answered. "Well, of course, it's the king! Who else?"
"That shouldn't be something new to you anymore. After all, I am the one the king really wants and the only one who can satiate his thirst..." she started moving and walked in circles around you. Her virulent eyes examining you up and down.
She walked closer towards you from behind. "...And that is always how things here will be," she whispered, lips dangerously close to your ear. "You can marry him but you will never be his woman."
You couldn't hold yourself back much longer as you turned around to face her. "You know what? It's completely okay. Don't brag about it as if trying to make me jealous of your place here in the ziggurat because I will never be," you said.
"After all, I was here to be a queen, not Gilgamesh's slut," you continued. You could see the malice in her eyes turn to distress but before she could reply, you added, "And you know what? I'd rather bathe somewhere else than bathe in the same waters a whore bathed in."
You gave a fake smile. "Well then, I'd be taking my leave," you said. You were about to turn and walk away but Shinaku, as angry as she is, pushed you into the water. You let out a yelp as your fully clothed body sunk into the cold.
For a split second, you panicked. You didn't know how to swim but thankfully, the water level isn't something you'd drown in. As your torso rose up to the surface, you were met with a mad glare from Shinaku.
"You will pay for this!" She said, cursing you as she walked away. You stared at her leaving form with furrowed brows. How was she the one with the audacity to get offended when she was the one who started this all?
Once her presence was no longer around, you rolled your eyes and clicked your tongue. It was followed by laughter and you knew exactly from whom it came from. The blonde king walked in, having had witnessed the earlier commotion.
"My, my, that was amusing," Gilgamesh said. "What entertainment." He walked towards the edge of the pool and stared at you.
"Frankly, I don't care whatever your relationship is with that girl," you huffed in disgust. "But it only makes it clear why the ziggurat needs more women like me." You swam away from him towards the other end of the pool.
"I don't care, either so long as I have women to bed," he said. "Anyway, that is not what I came here for."
"What is it, then?" You asked as you stepped out of the pool. With every inch of your body that rises up, the fabric of your dress clings to your skin all the more, making it almost transparent and making you almost naked to Gil's eyes.
"I'm here to check on my future wife. Is there something wrong with it?" He said. His eyes never left your body. He could see through you and it takes every bit of his self-control to not take you right there and then.
"How thoughtful of you, dear husband," you replied sarcastically as you walked towards him. As you approached, he had his eyes glued to your chest where he could see your buds perked up from the cold.
You stood close to him on his side despite the rising sexual tension in the atmosphere. "Thanks," you said. "But I'd rather be addressed queen than be called your wife." Yet then again, when it comes to what goes in between you and Gilgamesh, your opinions didn't matter.
You walked away, leaving the king behind, He turned around to watch your leaving form where he had a perfect view of your ass and in his mind, he played out different scenes of where he is taking you in every way he likes.
He soon followed after. By the moment he reached the exit, he saw the ziggurat's guards all looking your way, eyes attached to your glorious figure. When they noticed the king's presence, their eyes went anywhere else but you and the king, their eyes afraid of meeting his deadly glare.
***
By the time you were done fitting your dress for the final time, you were so ready to get to bed. You waited until the servants were able to set your dress at a safe spot in your room before you jumped to your bed. The earlier commotions have weighed on you since then and all you wanted was a good night's rest.
You closed your eyes, your mind walking along the edge of sleeping being awake as your instinct tells you you forgot something. Little did you know, someone outside is intently waiting for your slumber. You felt a dangerous aura surround you but your mind was too hazy to focus.
You felt a presence loom in closer and closer to you yet your consciousness refused to take action. Your heartbeat fast, unsure of what will happen when you heard a voice call for you. "Princess? Princess?"
You forced your eyes open to see Enkidu standing by the side of your bed. "Enkidu? I— how did you get in here?" You asked, half asleep. "You left your barrier open, your highness," he answered.
"Oh," you said. You stood up and walked towards your doorway where Enkidu recently passed through. You held your hands out to activate the field. Once done, Enkidu wished you a good night's rest and excused himself.
As you head back to your bed, Enkidu dashed off to follow the shadowed figure that appeared in your room not long ago. Enkidu made it a habit to always check on you before he sleeps to make sure that your bounded field is up because once it's activated, he has nothing to worry about.
Earlier, he arrived at your room in panic as the presence of the field was not there. As soon as he went in, he saw a figure clad in shadow, concealed in magecraft to hide its identity. It loomed over you but at the moment he arrived, it dashed off.
Enkidu prioritized waking you up to activate the field before he dashed off to chase after the shadow. Whatever it was, he knew he had to be on guard all the more as the presence of ill-willed people has started showing up. He was able to follow the figure until the exit of the ziggurat but once out, the shadow has blended with the darkness of the night.
When he no longer sensed the ominous aura, he retreated back inside where he passed by your chamber one more time to make sure your field is up. Your magecraft is one of a kind as the field is able to repel everyone and everything out. The only problem was that he wondered who at this point, would've attempted to assassinate you a night before the wedding.