They are married.
Evangeline is still in utter disbelief as she sits next to Clover at the reception of their wedding. Everyone else is drinking and speaking but Evangeline and Clover sit in silence next to each other.
Tense silence.
The days leading up to the wedding have been awkward to say the least, Evangeline has been avoiding Clover like her life depends on it which was difficult because Clover tried getting closer to her. She needed to keep him at arms length as she tried to dig up the secrets that his parents hid but unfortunately she didn't find anything. She had done the virtue test and Clover had gotten flowers for her but he never came so far as to actually give it to her, because he overheard her speaking to Prince Edward about not wanting to marry him. Clover thought that they had gotten past their conflict but it seems not and he doesn't understand how they got back to square one when they clearly made progress.
He glances at her from the corner of his eyes to find her downing her wine and he murmurs "You might want to tone down a bit on the alcohol, I would hate to carry you out of here"
"I can hold my liquor just fine. Thank you very much"
He licks his lips "The last time you had liquor in your system, you were pressed up against a tree with your tongue down my throat"
She gasps in outrage and looks around to make sure no one heard him before turning to face him, ignoring the smug look on his face "Can you stop being so loud? And your tongue was down my throat"
His eyes search hers "Do you regret it?"
She pauses but before she can answer, her eyes fall on her brother across the room who seems to be signaling for her and she notices he looks rather drunk. Her parents had been on this weird high ever since they got back from Dunstead and she can't help but feel like they know something she doesn't. Edward catches her eyes before heading out of the venue and she turns to Clover "Excuse me for a moment"
His eyes narrow in suspension but says nonetheless "Very well then"
She nods before standing up and heading in the direction her brother went, finding him in one of the other vacant rooms "Ed."
"Eva" he watches her with a slight frown before saying "You look very beautiful"
She smiles "Thank you." her eyes roam over him and she can see something's on his mind "Are you quite alright?"
His face pulls in the familiar way it does when they were kids and he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to "Honestly? No. I'm not okay, Evangeline"
She steps closer to him "Talk to me"
He rubs a hand down his face before saying "Mother and Father found me a wife."
She blinks about a thousand times "So soon? I thought you were only to wed once you become King of Dunstead"
"That was the plan but father is rearranging the whole fucking plan and this time he's keeping you and I in the dark."
She doesn't like this.
"Do you know who she is? The girl you're supposed to marry."
Edward's eyes narrow like he's trying to remember "Helena Frost."
Frost. She rakes her brain for anything regarding the last name but comes up blank "I don't think I ever heard of her or her family"
"That makes two of us. But according to father, she's a Duke's daughter." He takes a seat on one of the chairs "I'm pretty sure he said from the West."
She makes a strangled sound before coughing awkwardly "Why is he marrying you off to a Duke's daughter? You're a future king, you should be with a princess."
"That's what I said. But you know once he has his mind set on something then there's no changing it. And besides, it's a done deal. I am to wed Helena"
She watches him as he loosens the top button of his shirt as her mind races. Why is King Lucien so eager to let Edward get married? The plan was for her to marry Prince Clover and work from the inside out to get the Clarke throne.
"Was that the issue you needed to take care of before my engagement party? I thought it had something to do with Dunstead or it's people"
He nods "It was that. Mother thought it was better if we didn't tell you before the wedding and technically it's after the wedding right now. I didn't mean to ruin your day, I just needed to tell someone, Eva"
"That's okay" she takes a seat next to him "I'm glad you told me"
Edward lets out a soft groan as he drops his head to her shoulder "I may have drank way too much"
She lets out a soft laugh as she drops her head to his "Indeed."
He's quiet for a moment before saying "It won't always be like this, you know that right?"
"What?"
"Me running to you whenever I have a problem. You running to me whenever you needed safety, even though I could hardly protect you from our own father" He lets out a bitter scoff and she grabs his hand as he continues "You're married now so you'll stay here in Harmpton where your priority will now be Prince Clover and I'll have to go back to Dunstead with mother and father. And wed Helena"
His words leave a bitter taste in her mouth, she knew ultimately that is what would happen but hearing him say it made a pit form in her stomach. Edward is two years younger than her but he would always act like the oldest, probably because he is the male heir to the Evans throne but right now she's reminded that he's her eighteen year old brother.
Little brother.
She swallows before laughing as she tries to lighten the mood, which is something she never does. She's usually perfectly okay with sitting in an uncomfortable atmosphere. "Do you remember the Fortress of Forgiveness?"
He lets out a chuckle and squeezes her hand "How could I forget? That was the highlight of my childhood. The cushions, the company but mostly the stolen snacks"
She smiles and lets out a small sigh "Mine too"
He lifts his head from her shoulder and his eyes is a little unfocused because of the alcohol "Prince Clover is not that bad of a man, Eva"
She rolls her eyes "He beds the maid, Edward"
"I know but at least he doesn't hit you like father does mother"
She stiffens and glances at the door but relax slightly when she sees it's still closed "You don't know Prince Clover and quite frankly neither do I. He might be a psychopath who will murder me in my sleep if I don't bare an heir"
Edward's body goes rigid at that "I'll kill him myself if he even lays a hand on your head."
She huffs and pats his head affectionately "I do believe you." she stands up and straightens her dress "We should head back to the party"
He shakes his head "You go. I'm going to call it a night"
"Very well then" she presses a kiss to his cheek before heading back out.
Evangeline was speaking with her cousin, Daisy when she saw Clover leave the venue and she knows a good wife would mind her business but it's a good thing she never said she was a good wife.
"Excuse me" she uses her hands to sign the words to her cousin who smiles and waves her off, Evangeline really hopes that Daisy and Oscar at least speak tonight.
She heads out of the venue and she walks smack into another body "Shit. I mean I'm sorr-"
She cuts herself off when she looks up at Clover's smug look "I know you were keeping your eyes on me. You weren't fooling anyone"
She scowls, mad at herself for being so obvious and mad at him for noticing. She half expected to find him out here with Mia but she hasn't seen them together in days, although she has been making it her mission not to see them.
Why the girl is still working at the castle is beyond her.
"I do not know what you speak of" she says stubbornly as she crosses her arms over her chest "I just want to inform you that I am not looking forward to bedding you in a few hours"
A lazy grin makes its way to his lips as his eyes trail over body and she resists the urge to shiver at the look in his eyes "Come on, Evangeline. Admit that you secretly crave my touch"
She does.
Evangeline lets out a scoff "The only thing I crave is shoving a cactus up your ass"
He lets out a surprised bark of laughter so loud that it seems to be bouncing off the walls and she can feel her own laugh bubbling to the surface "Ah, there she is. I was wondering whatever happened to the mouthy princess"
"She never left."
"Good." he says gruffly "I don't ever want her to leave."
She twists her engagement ring around her finger which is now joined by her wedding band and she figues she might as well lay it bare to him "Can we talk? Somewhere private."
He frowns at the change of topic but nods "Of course. Follow me"
She follows him into the drawing room and he closes the door behind them before giving her his full attention. She thinks of a way to word her next sentence before settling on "You can continue seeing Mia."
His head pulls back in surprise and mild shock "Pardon me?"
"You heard me. Mia is important to you, right? So I won't try and keep the two of you from each other."
He is absolutely dumbfounded "Where is all of this coming from?"
Probably from the fact that her brother said he may bed the maid but at least he doesn't hit her and she wants to keep it that way. But she doesn't tell him that though, she says "I've seen the way you are with her and I'm not a fool to think you and I will have a happy marriage when it's clearly her that you want…so let's make a deal."
His mouth is suddenly dry and he tries swallowing before clearing his throat, he is curious to see where she is going with this. "I'm listening."
She nods once "You can see Mia whenever you please as long as you are discreet about it, the situation is embarrassing enough I do not need people talking about it too." he opens his mouth to talk but she raises a hand which makes him shut up as she continues "The sole purpose of this marriage is to provide you with an heir, that being said you and I will notshare a bedchamber and will bed when only necessary."
He doesn't like it.
On one hand he is eager to continue seeing Mia but on another hand he is annoyed at only having to bed Evangeline when he needs to. Fuck it, call him selfish but he wants both woman. "And if I refuse this little deal of yours?"
"Why would you refuse?" She tilts her head slightly to the side "How exactly did you expect this marriage to work? I get you on weeknights and Mia gets you on the weekends?" his cheeks heat up slightly in embarrassment, because he may have thought it but she's not done talking "And if she becomes with child, will her kids be raised like ours? But then again they can't, because her child would be a bastard and mine would be royalty. This is not a fairytale, this is reality where not every fucking thing goes your way."
His hands clenched into fists at his side and a muscle in his jaw ticks, this is the Ice Princess everyone was talking about huh? The one who doesn't sugar coat anything "Thank you for that in detail description that was not needed."
"No it clearly was needed, because nobody seems to put you in your place and that's why you think you can do whatever you please."
He scoffs "You're one to talk, you thrive on the misery of others"
"And you thrive on bedding people you're not supposed to. Your point?"
He growls before wrapping a hand around her throat, adding enough pressure to scare her but not enough to actually hurt her "I'm going to have so much fun putting you in your place, wife"
He roughly kisses her and she hates her torturer's body for immediately melting and kissing him back. He uses the hold on her throat to push her up against the wall and whispers in her ears "I have a feeling you get turned the fuck on by our arguments" she swallows a sharp retort and he asks "Are you wet right now?"
Her eyes narrow "Why don't you see for yourself?"
His eyes narrow right back at her before kissing her again and reaching a hand under her wedding dress, between her legs.