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02| A Sudden Engagement
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2022-05-11 20:51:32"She may not agree. I can't—"
Her brother, Anton, cut in, "You never put her consideration into this matter when you offered her to the Orions. Now that they need their dept repaid, why are you hesitating?""We just need time… persuade her."Anton scoffed. Mel could imagine him flinging a hand at the air, one of his annoying gestures. "Persuade? I know what you're thinking, old mad! She's passing twenty-two soon. Which man here in the kingdom would be interested in wedding a woman past her prime? Drag this out any further and not only might we incur their wrath, but your daughter would also be unable to find a suitable spouse for the rest of her life!"Mel stepped away from the doors silently, dumbfounded as she tried to process the ongoing conversation. What did all of this mean? She had lived most of her life in the castle and its surroundings. It hadn't dawned on her that there was a certain age girls were supposed to be wed. Was that why all of her friends were with husbands? From the way her brother spoke, was she even a girl anymore? 'No. No. This cannot be true,' she thought.She shook her head and ran away from the hallway, certain her brother and father could hear her departing footprints. She had to find her mother. She always knew what to say and how to comfort her. Surely, she had to know that her father was planning to send her to the Orions? This was news she would have fully accepted in the past but it felt sudden, too sudden."Mother!" Mel burst through the glass double doors and into the manor's greenhouse. Her mother stood wearing transparent gloves as she watched the gardeners tend to her plants."Mel!" the woman exclaimed, surprised as her daughter ran to her and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hold. This wasn't unusual on Mel's part, but the frantic tone of her voice and her tight hold on her mother disturbed the woman."I want to talk to you," Mel spoke, stepping back, but holding her mother by the hand. "Alone," she added. Her mother, Harriett, looked at her daughter, her forehead wrinkled with a puzzling gaze. The lady of the castle then waved away the servants, and they left the mother and daughter alone in the quiet greenhouse."Father and brother speak of sending me to the Orions! Have you heard any of this?!"She grabbed her mother's arms and the woman stiffened in her grasp, her confused look shifting to that of shock."Where did you hear this?" she softly asked, her dark eyes widening as a slow fear crept up to them, dispensing the shock.Mel paused, sensing something strange with her mother's tone. It then dawned on her and her eyes widened. "You knew?!"Harriett straightened. "No—Mel—I didn't know it would be this sudden—Mel!"Mel tore away from her mother and rushed out of the greenhouse, making her way past curious servants and castle staff as she made her way back to her room, where her two chambermaids were waiting, tired from the chase and half expecting her return.They stood at alert at Mel's presence and let out relieved breaths."My lady," one of them spoke up, rushing towards Mel just in case the young woman would run from them again. "You ought to have been dressed for the day!""Mel." Anton burst into the chamber, pausing to see Mel in front of her poster bed and take in the startled state of the chambermaids. He sighed and adjusted the folds of his golden tunic, darting an apologetic glance his sister's way. "Pardon my intrusion.""What do you want?" Mel snapped at him, her hands fisting at her sides. She stood still, waiting for her brother to speak. A slight fear grew within her as she knew just what her brother was here for. Rarely did he just come into her room as he pleased.He frowned slightly and narrowed his eyes. "It was you," he whispered.Mel returned the frown with a suspicious glare of her own. "And what is that supposed to mean?"Anton's features eased and he shook his head, running a hand through his fair hair. "I happened to hear someone running in the passages of our father's hall, but never mind that." He ignored Mel and faced her chambermaids. "Get rid of whatever dressing arrangements you've made for your mistress this morning. She will be wearing something else. Something fit for travel."Mel's heart skipped a beat and her brows knitted into a hardened frown. She marched up to Anton, pointing a finger at his chest. "These are my maids, you cannot tell them what to do!""Mel." Anton looked down at her. "At the end of the day, they all belong to Father. You will have your own when you become the lady of your own house."Mel was about to spit out a retort when three maids rushed into her chambers, casting apologetic gazes at Mel and going deeper into the chamber to run her bath and prepare her clothes from her dressing room. Mel's chamber maidens stood still, mirroring the shock their lady had on her face."I must go," Anton said and turned away."Wait" Mel lashed out and grabbed his sleeve. He stopped and looked back at her, a pained expression on his face. "You can't do this to me," she continued, a hand on her chest. "It's too sudden.""I'm sorry you had to overhear us and learn of it this way, Mel." He squeezed his eyes shut. "We have no choice."Related chapters
Eat Me Alive 03| Preparation
"Choice? No choice?" Mel froze. There was something about her brother's demeanour that rooted her to the spot. "Please, at least tell me so I can understand," she whispered.Anton's jaw shifted as he ground his teeth. He cast a quick glance around the chamber.Mel swallowed the lump in her throat and let go of Anton. Taking a step back, she turned around to face the busy servants and she clapped her hands twice, catching their attention. "Excuse us."At her words, the maid stopped what they were doing and scrambled out of the chamber, shutting the heavy doors behind them and leaving the two siblings alone.Mel crossed her arms across her chest and shifted on her feet, eyeing Anton in expectation. "Go on." She nudged her shoulder in his direction. "Speak!""We received a missive from the North, the Orions." He watched her, monitoring her pensive mood closely. "When, Anton, when?" Mel pressed, digging her nails through the sleeves of her light dress into the flesh of her arms. Anton's
Last Updated : 2022-05-11Eat Me Alive 04| Preparation II
"You all must not like me much for me to be hearing of this just now."Harriett started, nearly jumping out of her own skin. "No. No. That isn't true. I… I didn't want you to worry—""Well done, you've achieved what you wanted. Now I'm set to leave, unprepared for what I'm to expect. You must be happy now.""Mel—""Just leave. I don't want to talk to anyone." Mel turned away, giving her mother the cold shoulder.Harriett remained standing still, devastated. Her lips quivered once more and she covered her lips with a thin hand. "I understand."Mel watched her mother leave the room and her heart sank. She remained sitting in a daze, staring off into space as more servants came in scuttling about and running in and out of her dressing room with folds of fabrics in hand as they packed her things and set out the garments she was to wear."My lady," Anna, the older of her two chambermaids whispered at Mel's ear, snapping the young woman out of her reverie.Mel looked around the mess that wa
Last Updated : 2022-05-11Eat Me Alive 05| Orion Vessel
The Sprite kingdom was the only nation in the whole realm with people born without a connection to spirit animals. They were more in tune with nature itself rather than the beasts of nature. Their lands were the most fertile out of all lands in the realm and the Sprite kingdom was not just the largest nation, it was among the most powerful. They were very good gardeners, and a variety of plantations grew bountifully on their lands.Just like other nations, there were several regions or clans within, which were headed by a clan leader each. The only thing that other nations had was their ability to use attributes belonging to powerful creatures. These were their spirit connections. The strongest clans with the tightest spirit connection were able to transform into their creatures, partially or fully. This, however, didn't stop Sprite from being one of the reigning nations, as they had control over plant life, and this was something the strongest Sprite clans could manipulate at their f
Last Updated : 2022-05-11Eat Me Alive 06| Departure
Eustace had apparently turned out to be Mel's mother-in-law and this panicked her to some extent. But the old woman's good graces, soft countenance, and charisma set Mel and her whole family at ease. Although her brother, Enmel, was somewhat aloof, he didn't have much of a presence. The castle received the guests from Orion with morbid curiosity. While Eustace and Enmel were tall and slender-figured, some of the Orions that came to rest in the castle were huge.This left Mel questioning what her husband would look like, but she was too shy to ask the old woman, and Eustace didn't say much about her son. The reason they had taken such a long time to get in contact with Urn in regards to the union was that they had encountered a few inconveniences on their end. That aside from the fact that some of their men had to go deep into the woods to hunt for rare creatures and materials that only appeared during a certain time frame within the span of every few decades.Eustace apologized for t
Last Updated : 2022-05-11Eat Me Alive 07| A New Land
Mel groggily woke up, her head slightly aching. She shifted on the cushioned surface and slowly opened her heavy eyes.She surveyed her surroundings and realised she had been covered with a blanket while sleeping. Her head was apparently resting on Anna's lap too. She looked up at the sleeping face of her servant and immediately sat up, worried the woman's laps would be sore by now. Anna kept on sleeping, and Mel surveyed the room once more. Eustace was nowhere to be seen and Mel properly sat up, leaning back against the divan. She took off the blanket and wrapped it around Anna.Mel's throat itched and her mouth felt dry. She made her way to the door, about to open it and ask for water when it vibrated with a soft knock and was pushed open."Oh." She stepped back with a start as Enmel stood before her.Her future uncle-in-law regarded her with his usual stoic expression. He closed his eyes and gave Mel a short nod. "My apologies for barging in," he said, his voice low and deep. The
Last Updated : 2022-05-24Eat Me Alive 08| A New Land II
For a swift moment, Eustace was dazed, taken aback by the question. Mel couldn't fail to notice it and she paled, wondering if she had offended the woman.Eustace immediately shook her head, an odd expression Mel couldn't place on her features. Whether it was pity, relief, or surprise, the young woman couldn't tell."I don't know if I should be pleased or relieved about the fact that you do not know the answer to that question," Eustace eventually said. Mel relaxed a bit, but still puzzled, she asked, "What do you mean?" "Mel. I am afraid I am not in a position to answer that. Even if I did, I am not certain I would still tell you." She took Mel's hand in her slightly wrinkled one and gave her a soft, gentle squeeze. "It is not a mental burden you should carry. Just know that we won't blame you for the sins of your father."Mel watched Eustace's hand. "But I am… I could have married someone else…" Eustace sighed and averted her gaze. "It saddens me but you're right. My brother and
Last Updated : 2022-05-24Eat Me Alive 09| Bjorn Beowulf
The sky had been cloudy the morning they set for Orion, the late afternoon they arrived, and the early evening she set foot on the wide streets of the Grime clan. This led to Mel wondering if the sun ever rose in this part of Orion.Mel was faced with a large domed concrete structure and she faltered behind Eustace. Anna was standing at the closed entrance of the building and her mood visibly brightened when she caught sight of Mel.Other servants moved around, carrying whatever luggage from the caravan into the building. From the corner of her eyes, Mel could catch sight of the peeping masses through the surrounding homes, along with passers-by bold enough to linger out in the streets and stare at Mel with rapt attention and excitement.Mel blushed, not used to all the attention at a go. Anna hugged Mel to her side and gingerly urged her into the building. Eustace walked in after them and paused almost immediately. From the floor to the walls, to the spiralling staircase leading upst
Last Updated : 2022-05-25Eat Me Alive 10| The Bride-To-Be
Mel went to bed early that evening, not just exhausted from the trip, but disrupted by an entirely new feeling. She never saw Bjorn again for the rest of that evening, but she could clearly recall the shivers that ravaged her whole being at the sound of his voice. A light shiver coursed every surface of her skin and she tightened the covers around her. The fur of the bed covers did little to nothing to alleviate the strange sensation. She could remember the silken white strands of his hair, cut short at the nape of his neck. They hadn't seemed that impressive until he had stood before her. The way his eyes studied her made her giddy. The memory of his deep, rich voice enveloped her with a vague warmth. Her heart ached. She had maybe expected her future husband to be fair-looking, but not this… Mel sat upright, unable to sleep from her burning cheeks. What was wrong with her? She had to get a hold of herself! She slapped her hands to her cheeks and winced at the stinging pain in b
Last Updated : 2022-05-27
Latest chapter
Eat Me Alive 28| Rosy Cheeks
Someone’s gentle touch roused Mel from her deep slumber and she twisted and turned, a frown forming on her face when the hands wouldn’t stop shaking her. She wanted to swipe her hand at whoever was disturbing her when a voice that wasn’t Annie or any of her maids filtered into her ears.“Mel?”‘Oh…’Mel’s eyes, already glued shut, took great effort to open and when she did, she blinked, the blurriness fading as her eyes came into focus, looking at the young girl she had feasted with last night.‘Ah. Now I remember. I followed them for the hunt.’Nora’s lips twitched with an apologetic smile, sorry for waking Mel up because the young woman was clearly displeased.Mel sat up and rubbed her eyes, a little groggy. “Morning,” she greeted Nora.Nora smiled with a slight nod, returning the greeting, “Good morning, my Lady.”Mel instinctively glanced at the side of the makeshift bed to find the bowl and towel gone.“Ah. I spread it outside on the tent roof to dry,” Nora shifted from her knel
Eat Me Alive 27| Keep Your Eyes To Yourself
He sighed. “I’ll join you later.” He nodded at the tent entrance. “Make yourself comfortable.”The tipsiness left Mel and it felt as if she had been brought back down to Earth. She shifted towards the entrance and then stopped. She whirled around to face Bjorn. He had stepped away only to pause when he noticed Mel’s sudden movement.“Where are you going?” she asked.“For a short walk,” he answered and then his brows lightly furrowed. “Why do you ask?”“Oh, that’s good.” She mellowed and rubbed her arm, looking down to shuffle her shoes against the grass. She drew in a sharp intake of breath and glanced up to meet his eyes. “Do you know of a river nearby? I would like to wash up before I lie down to sleep.”“You can do that the following morning,” he said deadpanned and Mel blinked, astounded. “What is it?” he asked, annoyance seeping into his tone at her reaction.“I’m sweaty. You want me to lie down in this state?” She swayed her arms around herself, demonstrating the light patches o
Eat Me Alive 26| Camping Ground
The forest-bound journey went on for quite a while, and far longer than even Mel had expected. Night fell and while Mel wondered how they could all move comfortably in the near-darkness, but Bjorn assured her that the part of the woods they were still in was safe since it was the closest part of their territory. Soon, the clouds drifted away to expose the beautiful sheen of the two white moons that glimmered high in the sky.Some of the moonlight filtered in through the trees, providing a subtle white light that made the forest ghostly beautiful. Lori kept Mel company throughout their journey, taking the young woman’s attention away from her brooding husband. Mel had mentioned at one point that she was hoping to assist with the hunt using her knowledge and relationship with plants but Lori subtly put down her recommendation, letting her know that some people may feel otherwise since this was something they had been doing for years and there may not really be anything new Mel could he
Eat Me Alive 25| Wear It For Me
Bjorn stood still, stunned. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "What?" She didn't know how to wear basic clothing? Regardless of their cultural differences, he was sure they had something akin to pants and trousers, though not as loose as what was worn here in Grime.Then again, had she really asked him to dress her up?As if reading the confusing thoughts on his face, Mel spoke up, "We were not to wear men's clothing back at home, so I'm unfamiliar with how this works." Her voice grew quieter as she talked and then she looked away and frowned. Why was she even telling him this? And to ask him to dress her… he must think she was asking him to perform servant duties. 'I keep acting out one thing and then deciding another thing. Embarrassing!'Understanding crept onto Bjorn's features and he sighed, rubbing his face with a palm. "You can forget about such nonsensical rule. That isn't just for men, you can wear it too. It's more convenient than wearing a dress when going out
Eat Me Alive 24| Take Off Your Clothes
“That should be all,” Mel huffed with a triumphant smile and wrapped her hands around herself, giving the small bag with her clothes a second glance.“I hope this isn’t too much?” Annie meekly asked, her hand poised at the bag opening, ready to add or remove any more clothing. She faced Mel but subtly glanced at Bjorn, awaiting his approval too. The maid wished the two could agree on things.Bjorn turned away from his open wardrobe and his eyes narrowed at what Annie had packed. He sighed and rubbed at his temple, trying as much as possible to ease his features. His frown lessened and he turned to Mel. “That’s too much,” he said.Mel frowned. “How is it too much? We’ll be gone for over a week or two, won’t we?”“We’re going into the woods, not to a neighbouring city. You won’t need all those clothes.”“What if it gets dirty? I’ll need a change of clothing to wear and—”“They can be washed and worn repeatedly,” Bjorn countered, a little peeved at having to explain such an obvious reas
Eat Me Alive 23| The Hunt
Mel begrudgingly followed an excited Lori back towards the manor above ground, her thoughts in shambles. What might have been minutes or hours ago, the manor, along with the whole settlement had been quiet and peaceful. But now, it was the complete opposite and Mel was frankly quite alarmed as to what was happening, and she dreaded asking Lori why.Since Lori seemed a little happy, it didn’t seem like they were under attack. But on the other hand, if they were preparing for a festivity or something, Mel felt like she was going to lose her mind. Would she be executed if she ended up burning the clan down?‘No. What am I thinking? Everything should be fine. I have Annie by my side,’ Mel thought, trying her best to relax.A lot of people stopped what they were doing to greet Mel in a swift curtsey as she passed and this made her feel conscious. She strapped the vase to her chest.“Lori. Tell me what is happening,” Mel asked, unable to take the suspense anymore. They were all excited for
Eat Me Alive 22| Confrontation II
Mel stepped aside as Bjorn closed the door to the study shut behind her. He paused, his back facing her as he straightened to his full height and sighed. She glanced around the spacious room, toying with her fingers, and was half surprised to find that the head of the Grime clan seemed intellectual enough. Except for her brother, not even her father had this many books in his own private office. “I do not appreciate you sharing intimate details of our relationship with other people,” he said as he turned to face her, breaking the silence in the room.Mel winced, immediately tearing her eyes from Bjorn’s pointed gaze. He had heard them.“But she’s my friend,” Mel let out in a disgruntled whisper. Bjorn’s eyes narrowed. “She’s not your friend.” He shook his head and walked to his work desk. “She can’t be your friend.”“Excuse me?” Mel looked up at him, a disturbed frown working its way to her face. “How can you even say that?”Bjorn’s jaw twitched and he sat on the edge of the table,
Eat Me Alive 21| A Gloomy Family History
Lori walked into the room, leaving the door open behind her.“Ah…” Mel sighed in relief, her hand on her chest as she tried to calm her rapid-beating heart. “You scared me.”Lori chuckled, her arms crossed across her chest. “There is nothing to be afraid of. It’s alright.”Mel smiled, unsure why she had been scared in the first place. This chamber was unlocked so there was nothing wrong with going through the rooms in her own house. But a part of her had been worried Bjorn had been the one walking in. It then occurred to her that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to confront him about the night before.Lori inspected the portraits and Mel broke the silence. “How did you know I was here?”Mel considered the underground manor was big, and she was very certain she had walked around for quite a long time even if it had sometimes been in circles. There were also occasions where she had gotten lost before she wound up here. But for Lori to pinpoint where she was…“Oh! It’s nothing much,” Lori a
Eat Me Alive 20| Confrontation
“My lady, how was your nigh…” Annie faltered, walking in to meet a sulking Mel.“Horrible!” Mel snapped, flinging her arms up and dropping them with a slap at her thighs. “Just horrible.”Annie paled, dreading the worst. She looked around the room, from the rumpled bed to her lady’s unruly appearance. What had gone wrong?“Mel—”“Where is he?” Mel marched towards Annie. “I want to speak with him.”Annie stood, dumbfounded. She didn’t know what to make of this as she noticed the hurt expression on Mel’s face shift to fury.“He didn’t do anything! He didn’t touch me. He wasn’t even here!” Mel grabbed her head.Annie’s eyes widened like saucers, understanding dawning on her. “But—but as I… A while after I left, I…” Annie lowered her eyes. “I am ashamed of myself. The helpers had gone and after roaming the chambers and halls I could walk through, I went to my room and then came back to hear or see how you were doing. I was worried and I wanted to be sure you were alright…” Annie rambled,
