••• Cinzel •••
'...The lust for power can be deadly; I took a prolonged period to realize that...'
There are things in your life you wish you never knew.
I didn't understand what night swallowed my radiance. A broken shrine of my reality I faced a few moments ago along with an aching betrayal for whom I left the world for.
'I came to you and look what you did, Zaniel...' I thought sorrowfully.
We were left alone. My harsh truth and Zaniel's true intentions towards me shattered my heart more terribly than one ever could.
Why was an ordinary life out of my grasp?
"If you are done crying, pack your things. We are leaving for Silvester Palace."
His stone-cold voice came, wearing a casual black buttoned shirt and trousers, taking his phone and sitting on the couch.
Growling at him, for acting facile towards my cursed shadows of evilness he silenced and now when it became a time bomb, gave it to me.
"That's why you married me, didn't you?" I hissed, looking up at him.
He glanced, arching a brow perfectly, "To take what Zaniel wanted. Both of you are the same. He manipulated me and you forced me but in the end you both hankered for Valencia's legacy."
Sighing he put his phone down and responded casually, "I have no interest in either claiming it myself or let you do."
I was baffled by his reply, "Then why did you marry me?"
"Because I want to ruin Zaniel's plan of using you like a ladder."
Scoffing, I closed my arms at my chest, his derisive talks are beyond my cognition.
"Why? Are you afraid he will surpass you?" I mocked with a dry smile.
"Because I promised my late Father that I won't let Valencia's darkness reach you. He said in his final moments and I quote 'We are in Valencia's debt, please keep her safe from everyone.' " He replied nonchalantly, getting up and walking to me.
My heart pounded his steady steps, drying my throat by apprehension that I might haven't spoken what I shouldn't. He still frightened me merely by existing.
Quivering when he sat beside me, I lowered my head, "Don't you think I have already blended in this world by being your wife?" To my whisper-like question he replied immediately, adjacent to my level, close enough to capture my eyes in his.
"That's why I married you... To keep you away from it." He whispered, taking a strand of my hair.
My heart skipped a beat, shivering in anticipation of his action, "That's ridiculous."
"No one knows your identity. To them, I have married my own nephew's lover just because I like her." He told me with a dry chuckle. I opened my mouth to ask something but he continued.
"You don't have to pretend you like me or anything, just stick with my story." He sighed, parting from me, allowing access to my halted breaths, suppressed in his presence.
"Is my.. Identity... that dangerous?" I asked timidly.
"Yeah, but also not you, but someone linked with you, if that person came to know about your existence, things will get messy." He told me softly, not removing his eyes from me.
"Who?"
"Just someone named Nathaniel. Make sure he never knows about you. Stay away from him, he is dangerous." He explained, licking my lips nervously, I nodded.
Getting up and taking a look at the crest which binds my life to those pernicious people I would never dare to cross paths with but turns out I could be their so-called princess in a snap.
Prince Sir noticed an empty smile on my lips and said, "Too much to bear, isn't it?"
"How would you feel after knowing your whole life is a lie... a deception someone controlled?" I taunted him.
Securing the necklace around my neck, it was long enough for me to hide so I tried to tie it around my neck but couldn't because Zaniel was the one who always ties them.
"Tsk, dammit."
Noticing my struggles he rose from his seat and began to secure it. My whole being turned motionless to the extent my breaths didn't dare to release themselves.
Glancing at him through the reflection, a shiver went down my spine when his finger brushed against my skin. Swallowing hard, my hands and feet turned cold.
After being done, he stared back at me and began to say, "Listen, Cinzel. The place where I am taking you now is toxic. We live in a joint family run by patriarchy and I am the head of the house meaning..."
He trailed off, leaning to my ear, holding my shoulder, making my breath hitch of his burning touch.
"Meaning I am Madam." I murmured breathlessly, hurriedly.
"Exactly." He whispered in my ears, tingling my bones with his warm breath grazing my skin.
"Don't expect anything from me. No need to fulfill your obligations. Just live your life as Mrs Prince, the way you want. I don't care. You don't even have to pretend in front of anyone but keep two things in your mind..."
His lethal eyes slowly made their way to me again, to control my soul on his command, flinching my body by the undesirable proximity.
"One, I won't let it slide if you disgraced me..."
His deep tempting resonance wrapped around my neck, evoking maddeningly uncooperative heartbeats and mixed aversion collected between my watery eyes.
His hand slid down from my shoulder to my hand as his other hand locked around my waist, pressing his hot body over my petite form.
"Second. There's a certain person in the palace you won't imply any negative impression on. For it, if we have to pretend, we will. I won't tolerate anything related to her."
"W-Who..?"
"You will see. But embed what I have told in your mind... Understood?" The intensity of being husky in his tone dragged me to the depth of destruction. I couldn't bear his closeness.
"Y..yes.. Sir."
My voice was like a whimper, compared to his dominant one. With a quiet laugh to leave the expression which will haunt me for the rest of my life and move away.
The door knocked and Mama's voice came, "Sir we have packed her stuff."
My eyes teared up as I ran and opened the door, hugging her, "I don't want to go, Mama.. Please take me away. Please. Please. I.. I am your daughter. Please." I begged her, holding her shoulder.
Tearing up at my desperation, she cupped my cheeks, "I wish I could. I love you." Her voice was inaudible so he wouldn't hear.
"Mama-"
Before I could call her, He gripped my arm harshly and began to drag me away with him. I kept on calling her but he took me away.
"Leave me! I don't want to go anywhere with you!" I shouted, trying to get away from his arms but my efforts were in vain.
"I suggest you seal those lips before I do." He snarled, getting irked by my resistance, stiffening my bones instantly by his one glare.
"Everyone is waiting for you, Young Lord." Garry said. Humming, he threw me inside the car and took me with him.
"I hate you!"
"I don't care." His heedless voice came, taking me with him. I sniffed and wiped my tears.
Looking at my hands with a scowl plastered over my face. The fate written by blood on my core trapped me; in his jail.
"Keep what I have told you in mind."
He told me as we reached the Silvester Palace, massively lavishing, larger than the castle I used to dream, embellished elegantly just in the entrance.
He parked the car as we began to walk. Two statues of angels were set up to knock upon the arena of the devil made me feel bubbly.
We entered, my wobbly legs almost gave up on me to think I am going to live here as Madam. The intensity of tension made my heart race.
Contemplating my ravishing surroundings, I bit my lips. 'Does Zaniel also live here?'
We entered, my eyes fell upon Zaniel and his parents- 'he does'. Oh my God. He lives here as well.
Sending daggers at Prince Sir, another woman around Sir's age smiled at us nervously. Before I could comprehend their faces, especially the detest making me almost faint, a screeching voice came.
I looked up and saw a six year old girl with long blonde hair and glimmering sky-blue eyes, adorably running in our direction.
"Papa!" She yawped.
The constant grimace of Prince Sir's face faded and curled into a grin, bending on one knee and holding his hands out with an exhilaration as if he had found holy grail.
"Sky!" He called her happily and picked her up.
She is his daughter!
My eyes widened in disbelief, only watching him picking his daughter and kissing her forehead.
The soft impression on his face was something I have never seen, a genuine smile.
"How's my princess?" He asked, kissing her hands.
"Where were you!? I missed you so much!" She chirped, hugging him.
"Well, sorry. But Papa is here now and he is going to make up for the lost time. Deal?"
Grinning, she made a bump fist with him, "Deal."
"Great." The man in front of me was not the ominous Mafia leader I met, who devastated me.
He was just a father that time. Then that means, his wife must be here as well. This thought alone sends cold shudders to my core.
"She is my new Mama?" The girl, Sky, asked, looking at me.
"Princess, why do you think anyone can take Mom's place?" He asked, arching a brow playfully at her.
"She is your wife." She replied, tilting her head.
"Well, she is. Her name is Cinzel. Say hello to her." He smiled, taking her hand in his and waving at me.
"Hey Cinzel." She grinned.
I forced out a smile and waved back weakly, "H-Hey..." I feel stupid for thinking he was single.
"Sky, Papa has something to do first, why don't you go and play with Amanda till I come?" He smiled, putting her down.
"Oh, okay. Be back soon or else I won't talk to you." She ordered him, running back to her caretaker.
"I will, Ma'am." He chuckled and the moment she was out of his sight his assertiveness came back, taking my freezing hand and walking up to Zaniel, motioning them to follow him.
We walked down a hallway and reached upon a patio, away from everyone. All of his family was present there, making me feel startled but not as much as his grip on my hand did.
I held an almost crying face, holding the hem of my dress.
"The expression on her face clearly tells her that her consent wasn't involved in this marriage." Mr Ayle said firmly with a frown.
"So what? I liked her." He replied coldly.
"Why doesn't it have to be my Son's fiancée?" Mrs Ayle asked sadly.
"I had my eyes on her when I saw her in High School."
"What?! Highschool?!"
"Yeah and I want all of you to keep it in your mind, she is my wife from now on. Astrid, make sure she doesn't have any problem."
He ordered while my eyes couldn't remove themselves from Zaniel who was looking down with contrite.
"Yes, Brother."
"This is unacceptable, just because she was young and beautiful, you stole her away from my son." Penelope argued, holding her forehead, barely holding herself back from grabbing anything and throwing it at him.
"You all should never forget."
His voice came exasperated, turning to look at me with a dark smirk, dooming my sense fixated upon me.
"I simply explore other means to get what I desire."
My heart stopped for a second when he said it and turned to them. I began to shake, not knowing how to react other than displaying fright.
"You're scaring her..." Zaniel whispered.
"She has to bear it until she learns to bear my very presence." He retorted.
"Prince-"
"Penelope, do not question me." He enunciated, shutting everyone and took me with him. My heart rate was abnormal, even hitting my chest by consternation.
When my eyes fell upon Zaniel, I wanted to cry, curse him for playing with me, for showing me a fervent life and then break it miserably. Giving irrecoverable scars to my heart. I tried so hard still a tear rolled down my cheek.
He climbed the stairs, opened the front giant door, leading to a long hallway and took a turn as by the end of it, we ended up in his unimaginably enormous room, adorned with beauty I couldn't fathom but the strangest things was even the vases here were empty and still no picture of anyone. A chandelier hung in the middle to complete the grace of his room.
I watched around in faze and turned to him.
"My younger Sister Astrid will take care of you. I acted in front of her saying that I love you for a while. So if she tries to induce any funny thoughts in your mind, better annihilate it." He explained, I only gave him a nod.
"Um.. Is it your room?" I asked hesitantly. He raised a brow, walking to me, lifting my chin.
"Darling, it's our room." He smirked, making my heart swing.
I suddenly felt light-headed just by the thought of sharing a room with him or what could possibly happen behind closed doors.
"Then what a-about your wife? T-That girl's mother?" I stuttered, feeling dreadful in his presence.
My question faltered all his amusement, removing his hands from me, he moved away and left before saying.
"I am going to be with Sky for the rest of the day so don't bother me."
After he left, I sat on the bed, hiding my face in my hands, heartbroken at the point where life left me.
I'd be ruined if I had to live here with Zaniel as his Aunt because each time my eyes would pair with his all I could peruse was raze where I loved him all my life but he fragmented my feelings by his cruelty.
'How am I going to survive here?'