Lucrezia's eyes fluttered open when the carriage came to a halt. It wasn't until a faint sound of the lively atmosphere caught her senses did she fully woke.
And her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. They're here.
Her eyes shot open when the heat from the sun seeped into the carriage and she quickly shifted the curtains, expecting to be greeted by bloody moonlight, manor built in bones, ashes, and ruins, ghost in red sweeping the surface, demons curling the depths of the ground, and heat from flames that carried no source.
But it was unexpectedly… beautiful.
Lucrezia quickly drew the curtains close when she heard approaching footsteps and it was at that moment that she realized that beside her was empty.
H-He was gone. How long has she been asleep?
Before she could recover, the door suddenly opened, revealing a man and a young woman—girl, perhaps—whom she assumed to be servants, dressed in an odd-looking fashion. The maid wore a faded gray dress and apron, her sleeves rolled and hands rough from labor. Still, the indigo sash at her waist, the glint of a raven-feather brooch, and a trace of silvery silk beneath her skirt.
And as for the man, he wore the sturdy garb of a Northman knight; a worn leather jerkin over chainmail, dark trousers tucked into scuffed boots, and a heavy cloak fastened at the shoulder.
And they looked… humanic.
Not demons. Not ghosts. Not soul-sucking creatures but… humans?
"Welcome, Milady. We've been expecting you," The man, tall and good-looking with a well-defined face outline, smiled politely afterward. His warm brown eyes glistened against the sunlight and she wondered how such a… man, could look this way. "Please," he motioned.
Lucrezia took a deep breath, holding her skirt as she stepped down from the carriage, using his hand for support.
The moment her feet touched the earth, a calm and soothing gust of wind brushed her skin, evoking a sense of serenity yet something dark still lingered, one she didn't want to find out. Yet.
Her eyes wandered around the courtyard, noticing the beautiful view of nature. The pine trees, the green landscape, the perfectness of everything in general, leaving no length and breadth untouched with its magic.
The estate sprawled across a rolling green land. She'd never seen anything like it; even the castle and definitely the Red Keep couldn't compare. It was veiled in roses and ivy, with patios and balconies and staircases sprouting from its alabaster sides. The grounds were encased by woods, but stretched so far that Lucrezia could barely see the distant line of the forest. So much color, so much sunlight and movement and texture ... She could hardly drink it in fast enough. To paint it would be useless, would never do it justice.
Massive towers rose from below, shaped in an old yet ancient fashion, carrying the sense of something sweet and ruinous, like rot dressed in flowers. The windows were left bare without curtains, revealing the emptiness within, but no matter how void it appeared, its beauty couldn't be overshadowed.
Because it looked… perfect.
"Let me take you to your room, Milady. His Reign would be back soon," A sweet and kind voice reached her ears before her and Lucrezia turned, meeting those callow eyes weighing the depth of something deeper than she'll ever know.
Her short ink-black hair was let loose, framing the small shape of her face. Her lashes were unusually long, complementing the almond shape of her eyes, and her delicate figurine.
Her heart clenched as it reminded her of someone.
And with that, Lucrezia moved her feet, following their lead into the manor, leaving the guards taking care of the trunks.
Her awe might have subdued her fear had the place not been so wholly empty and silent. Even the garden through which she walked, following a gravel path to the main doors of the house, seemed hushed and sleeping. Above the array of amethyst irises and butter-yellow daffodils swaying in the balmy breeze, the faint stench of metal tickled her nostrils.
Of course, it would be magic, because it was spring here. What wretched power did they possess to make their lands so different from theirs, to control the seasons and weather as if they owned them? Sweat trickled down her spine as her layers of clothes turned suffocating.
As soon as she stepped inside, a gasp escaped from her throat before she could prevent it. Inside, it was even more opulent. Black-and-white checkered marble shone at her feet, flowing to countless doors and a sweeping staircase. A long hall stretched ahead to the giant glass doors at the other end of the house, its wide range able to fit hundreds and thousands of people alone leaving a few inches untouched, and through them she glimpsed a second garden, grander than the one out front.
It looked exactly like a castle, far better than a castle rather, its beauty unmatched and her eyes wandered around. Chandeliers sparkled with crystals, tapestries depicting several intricate drawings, and paintings too historic, too plain, yet too immaculate.
Out of curiosity, "W-What are those?" Her voice broke the silence and halted their footsteps in the long corridors. She turned toward the walls as she pointed at the paintings. Never had she seen such a thing, and if she did, she wouldn't have known what they were.
During her visiting days, Lucrezia spent more time in the privy pit than in any other part of the castle. She was more of a servant than noble blood, deprived of learning, of beauty, and of the simple knowledge of the world beyond the tower. All she grew up knowing was the curse running in her marrow and the poison in her veins.
"That, Milady?" The short-haired girl asked, pointing at the painting, and Lucrezia quietly nodded, drawing her lips into a thin line.
The maid exchanged glances, expressing their surprise in unspoken words. Even the short-haired seemed surprised but she replied the next second.
"Those are paintings, Milady," She said softly, drawing closer to the nearest frame. "From the old masters who once served this house, and the artist who painted them. Each one holds a memory and history on its own."
Oh… Lucrezia's lips parted in acknowledgment. Paintings, she thought, wondering what kind of memory or history it held.
She could stand the whole day admiring its magnificence, but unfortunately, it seemed this wasn't the right time.
Lucrezia took a deep breath, following after the servant who had been joined by others. They led her through halls of gold and silver until they came to a lavish bedroom on the second level. Lucrezia will admit she didn't fight that hard when the short ink-black haired girl and two other servants bathed her, cut her hair, and then plucked her until she felt like a chicken being prepared for dinner. For all she knew, she might very well be the next meal.
Lucrezia came to realize that she had to await her husband, His Reign, as instructed. Her heart thundered wildly against her chest, dreading the impossibility of happening, but no matter how many words of survival she chanted couldn't wash away the trepidation buried deep within her bones.
Bundled in her robe, Lucrezia sat for minute after minute, the chattering of small birds in the garden beyond the windows the only sounds. No screaming, no clashing weapons, no hint of any slaughter or torture.
The bedroom was larger than half of some of the rooms in House Bathory. Its walls were pale green, delicately sketched with patterns of gold, and the moldings were golden as well. She might have thought it tacky had the ivory furniture and rugs not complemented it so well.
The gigantic bed was of a similar color scheme, and the curtains that hung from the towering headboard drifted in the faint breeze from the open windows. Her dressing gown was of the finest silk, edged with lace—simple and exquisite enough that she ran a finger along the lapels.
Her wedding gown lay somewhere in the room she had been too carried away to figure out its exact location.
The few stories she'd heard had been wrong—or a century of separation had muddled them. Sins lived accordingly, perhaps in a more unusual pattern, however, what she'd seen so far, everything was different. Not in the ugliness of their style, but flawlessly exquisite.
Gigantic towers rising from gloom, shaped from obsidian and bone, their windows lit with flickers of gold flame, and a bridge stretched out ahead — arched and lined with silent statues with faces hooded or broken where below it, there was no river. Those were what she read, what was described about them. However, it depended on which Sin.
For a while, Lucrezia was carried away by her thoughts, half-attentive to the birds chirping softly and half-conscious as well.
Her stomach groaned in exhaustion and hunger, and she ignored the impatient dins. Earlier, she refused the meal brought to her as per one of the instructions.
Lucrezia preferred to remain starved rather than consume what could be poison. Who knows, it could be a trap, after all, she was bartered in exchange for freedom, being a slave in collars behind silk dresses.
And as for the exhaustion, she wondered how long she overslept in the carriage when they arrived at the estate. How tired and deeply in slumber not nig notice his absence. Perhaps he thought not to disturb her, she thought, but that belief only lasted for a second.
The journey was supposed to last for two or more days but it was measured in just a few hours that felt like mere minutes.
A yawn fell off her lips as her eyes fluttered, her body beckoning for a peaceful rest but Lucrezia was too alarmed to shut her eyelids in fear she might never wake.
At this point, she wasn't pursuing her death journey but currently existed in it where beneath its perfection lay the cunning eyes of Lucifer.
Thankfully, the door opened, revealing the familiar servant with ink-black hair carrying a set of clean bedsheets in her arms.
Carefully shutting the door behind her, she meandered ahead, her footsteps soft and futile against the floor.
After she was done replacing the sheets with the clean ones, she turned, ready to leave.
"W-When would he… His Reign… return?" Lucrezia asked as her pulse throbbed at the mention of his name.
"Soon, Milady,"
With a deep breath, she nodded, looking away. How soon? She wanted to ask, but she couldn't bring herself to look desperate for answers. That wasn't her first impression.
Deep down, she wished never to see him but that was beyond impossible. She was married to him now, but the thought of having to witness his presence until her last days evoked a prickling sense of dread through her.
A price she had to pay for her mother's sake, driving her motivation against the haze of darkness and impossibility. Being a spy is one thing, but pretending was another, and amid everything, all Lucrezia saw was a path she was willing to take to save her.
Five months or not, she was going to save her mother, and nothing, or no one was going to stop her.
"Do you need anything else, Milady?" She asked, still standing as she had last seen her, head lowered as she awaited further instructions.
Lucrezia was tempted to ask certain questions, but she held back. "N-No," She said meekly. "You can leave,"
And the girl nodded, walking away in the same manner she arrived, carefully closing the door behind her.
As soon as the door closed, Lucrezia plunged her weight onto the enormous bed, and her thoughts wandered.
Today happened to be their wedding, and he was coming soon… was he coming to consummate the marriage?
A shiver ran down her spine. Lucrezia wanted to vehemently believe their ways were distinct. She was married as punishment to Vladoryn not his… bride truly. Would he follow the ways of those he was to decry?
Realizing how stupid the justification sounded, a shaky sigh escaped her lips. She existed as his bride now, the punishment of Veximoor, but the only difference was the marriage binding them.
The only difference was consummating a wedding with no living being but a Sin and for the nth time, that thought sent a tremendous wave of anxiety coursing through her veins.