The castle was nothing like I imagined.
Outside, it stood stoic and quiet, with its thick stone walls covered in climbing vines and shrouded by clouds. But inside it was alive.
I couldn't tell if it was the warm lighting, the glimmering chandeliers, or the detailed paintings that lined the walls, but something made the castle feel... alive. Each portrait seemed to be watching, whispering secrets as I passed by. Perhaps it was the maids too, moving quickly yet gracefully, carrying warmth into the hollow silence.
I followed the butler up the grand staircase. He didn't speak again, nor did I. He led me to the highest floor strange, I thought, since royals normally didn't reside this high. Where were the others? Bellflower had no reigning king, but surely there were other princes, princesses, nobles... yet the entire castle felt eerily empty.
The butler stopped at a large darkwood door and bowed.
"My lady," he said gently. "This is your room. Yours and His Highness'."
I hesitated before nodding. "Thank you."
He bowed again. "The maids will arrive soon to prepare your bath."
I nodded once more and stepped inside.
The room was... cold.
Lit candles gave the illusion of warmth, but they couldn't reach the chill in the air. The walls were dark, the curtains heavy, and the four-poster bed in the center stood like a throne untouched and intimidating.
I stepped toward it, running my hand over the silken covers. A strange chill ran through me again. Was it the room? Or was it just the idea that this room belonged to him?
To us?
Before I could think too much, there was a knock on the door.
"Mi'lady?" a soft voice called.
"Come in," I said.
Three maids entered, all bowing gracefully. Their presence lifted the heaviness of the room just a little.
"I want to prepare your bath, Your Highness," one said politely.
I nodded and glanced around. My fingers unconsciously touched the hairpins still on my head. I was still dressed in the ceremonial red, still holding onto the day.
"It's ready," one of the girls said after a moment.
I stepped into the adjoining bath chamber, undressing slowly as one maid held a soft towel and the others waited with quiet professionalism. Rose petals floated in the water, and warm steam curled in the air. The scents of lavender and sandalwood clung to my skin.
I sank into the bath.
They began to rub scented oils over my arms and legs, soft and careful.
"You have beautiful skin, my lady," one of them said gently.
I gave a small smile. "Thank you."
Then, realizing I knew nothing about them, I asked, "Can I know your names?"
The girl who had complimented me smiled back. "I'm Lydia. This is Kate, and that's Peace."
"It's nice to meet you," I said. "I'm Lisa."
The three of them smiled. A warm kind of smile. The kind that made me feel just a little at home.
"If you don't mind me asking..." Kate began, her voice laced with curiosity. "Are you ready for tonight?"
I blinked. "What's happening tonight?"
They exchanged knowing looks.
"The wedding consummation," Lydia replied quietly.
My stomach dropped.
Of course.
I had been so overwhelmed by the ceremony, the move, the new castle... I had forgotten what tonight would mean. My hands tensed under the water.
I was a virgin. No man had ever touched me. And now... he would see me. All of me.
My heart raced.
Was I ready?
I wasn't sure.
"It's normal to be nervous," Peace added quickly, "but it's nothing to fear. It's part of being married."
They spoke with such calmness, as though it was a rite of passage I should accept without question. Maybe for them, it was.
But I wasn't calm.
I was terrified.
⸻
Later that evening, I lay in the center of the grand bed, my skin glistening with the fragrant oils they'd applied. The sheets were soft beneath me, scattered with rose petals, a symbol of bridal purity and passion.
I wore a red nightdress thin and elegant, hugging me in all the ways that made me feel even more vulnerable. My heart wouldn't stop racing.
The candles flickered softly.
Then, a sudden breeze swept through the room.
The flames dimmed. My breath caught.
He was here.
I turned my head sharply.
"Leonard," I breathed.
His figure stood tall in the shadows. "I see you're getting used to saying my name," he replied, the corner of his mouth lifting ever so slightly.
Was that... a smirk?
And suddenly, I remembered.
The consummation.
He stepped closer to the bed, and my chest tightened.
He sat down beside me and leaned back, eyes staring at the ceiling. "Don't worry," he said, his voice cool. "I won't touch you."
Wait... he wouldn't?
I should have been relieved. But instead, my stomach twisted in an emotion I didn't understand.
Disappointment?
Why? Why did I feel rejected?
He laid beside me, fully clothed, not sparing me another glance. My heart sank.
Did he not find me attractive?
I turned to face the opposite side, hiding my expression. I didn't say a word. Neither did he.
Eventually, I drifted into sleep with a restless mind.
⸻
When I woke the next morning, he was gone.
No sound. No scent. No warmth.
It was as if he had never been there at all.
A knock came at the door, and the three maids from last night entered.
"Good morning, Your Highness," they chorused.
"Morning," I replied, sitting up.
They prepared another bath and helped me undress. I sat quietly in the tub as they moved around, brushing my hair and folding yesterday's dress away.
"Where's His Highness?" I asked.
"Gone out for the day," Lydia answered. "We've been assigned as your personal maids from now on."
Kate leaned closer, giggling. "How was last night, Mi'lady?"
I smiled faintly. "It was fine."
They giggled even more. "You must've had fun," Peace teased.
If only they knew.
"I have a question," I said suddenly, remembering something that hadn't sat right with me.
"Hmm?" Lydia looked up.
"Does His Highness have no siblings?"
Their expressions shifted. Nervous smiles. Quick glances between one another.
Finally, Lydia spoke.
"Mi'lady... a few years ago, there was a massacre in the castle. Many were killed. The royal family the king, queen, and two princes were murdered in one night. It was blamed on witches. The story goes that witches infiltrated the castle and slaughtered them all."
My eyes widened.
Lydia continued. "Leonard survived. He wasn't officially acknowledged at the time. He's the illegitimate son of the late king. His mother was a noblewoman promised marriage, but the king was already wed to his cousin, the queen. Leonard's mother died a few years ago."
I couldn't breathe.
So he was the only one left?
"Princess Hadley survived too," Peace added. "But she was married off soon after. Losing your entire family in a night... it changed her."
"Has a new king been crowned?" I asked.
Kate shook her head. "No. The government's still trying to find the witches behind the attack. But... many think Leonard will be crowned soon. He's the last bloodline."
So that's why he was cold.
That's why he was called ruthless.
He had lived through tragedy. He was born in scandal. Survived a massacre. Raised in silence.
I wondered... did my father know all this?
Did he know what kind of world he was sending me into?
Suddenly, the castle's silence made sense.
It was mourning.
And I was now part of it.