Alicia’s gaze turned downcast. Whenever Ivan called her name with slightly raised lips, a sort of welling sadness formed in her caged heart.He rarely called her by her name, if ever…“I want you to call me by my name too, Alicia. Ivan. Call me that. Is this okay with you?”Tears had fallen, almost. His carefree smile brought her back to their first meeting. The painful memories had been wiped out and only the memory of that boy in the garden remained. She hoped this could last.“Yes,” Alicia bit her lips and answered.“Alicia, I know you’re in a difficult position and I can’t imagine how you feel, but I’d like to make it clear to you that I’ve no intention of treating you like a hostage. You’re my wife. I’ll protect you from any danger. Don’t be nervous, please…”His voice was gentle.Alicia nodded her head. It would have been nice if he was like this in their past life, but she was satisfied. This, too, was enough.She never had any thoughts of getting back at him when given a secon
My wife doesn’t love me.This was the only thing I know.***“Your Majesty, where are you? Your Majesty, the Queen is looking for you.”The servant was looking for me. I had no intention to be seen and so, I hid behind the tall pillars and kept quiet. Troublesome and uncomfortable things await me; this I know well.“Your Majesty! Oh… Your Majesty! I know you’re listening to me. Your Majesty…!”Watching the servant’s movement, I slowly walked toward the opposite direction and arrived in the deserted garden. I laid there, resting, for the time being, hoping to avoid that slow-witted but determined servant.I sighed and looked up the blue sky, staring relentlessly at the glaring sun and the drifting clouds. But as somber thoughts came to mind, I covered my eyes with my arms and bit my lips tightly.“The throne was originally mine.”Mother used to hold onto me… I’d sit on her lap while she whispered words I never understood. Each time she said those words, the guilt that I’d taken away he
The book reverts back to third person.“…..I need to be stronger…” Ivan said, his heart bitter and disheartened. Greed had never controlled him. He hoped to be a king neither horrid nor incompetent but a king able to manage his kingdom well and to live a happy life with his wife, one whom he could respect as a human being, if not love.But… did he hope for too much?A soft hiccup snapped Ivan from his whimsical thoughts. He turned his head and saw a little girl. Tears fell from her cheek and she wiped it roughly with her sleeves. She looked distracted, thus failing to take notice of his presence.Ivan moved, not wanting to have his presence known. Though he unconsciously watched her from afar. She was pleasant to look at, cute like a doll. She had porcelain skin too puerile and silver hair too innocent. She was younger than Ivan, it looked like. Her beauty could not be disguised from the pearl-shaped tears rolling down her cheeks from her wide luminous eyes.“…..Huh?”Ivan followed he
Ivan clenched his fist and eventually, he climbed up the trunk in one fell swoop. He’d rather save the bird’s demise than to watch those falling tears helplessly. As he climbed, the cat was ready to pounce on the bird and bite its neck. He needed to hurry else the bird would end up someone’s food.Chirp, chirp!Swoosh!“Ahhhh!”Boom!He fell to the ground with the small bird wrapped safely in his hand. Fortunately, he had not injured himself as he had used a landing technique he learned during fencing. But it did hurt like hell like his bones would break in pieces.‘What am I doing…?’“Are you all right?”Ivan looked at her with fiery eyes and wanted to say, “No, it’s not okay!” but he held it in. It was best he checks the bird’s status first. As he opened his hand, the girl held the bird. At that moment, the bird screeched, flapped its wings, and soared into the deep, blue sky.“Ah…”While the girl looked up, eyes expressing unknown admiration, Ivan patted his sore shoulder and back
“Your Majesty, you were with my daughter… perhaps Alicia’s caused you trouble.” The lady, a countess, greeted Ivan hurriedly while the girl hid behind her with a look of embarrassment as she realized his true identity.“….It’s been a long time, Countess Kenboe.”“Ivan, Alicia, I had plans for you two to meet someday, but this is great too. What were you two doing?”“It’s nothing, I was just talking to this child,” Ivan said lowly and continued, “I was just free and bored. I unknowingly rolled on the floor by myself. It’s no big deal. No need to bother about it, Mother.”Ivan felt a sense of shame hearing his mother’s pleased voice. The thought that he had been caught and trapped in her wicked plan upset him. He did not want to play with her games, so he hurried away and hoped to never see the girl again.However, his mother had other plans. She had marked the girl as her target as the next Queen of Ehrlich and called her to the royal palace now and then. Every time he saw her, she was
Ivan’s brows tightened and he scoffed. He wished his mother would reveal her true intentions. Maybe he’ll not despise her this much. He despised it so, despised the false image she gave – a mother who refused evil and gave up her throne so her son could live. This was her image. But it was false. It was her ambition. The world was her theatre and she the main lead in the play.Ivan and the woman he’s to marry would become prey in the palm of her hands.“Are you satisfied, mother? You’ve managed to keep my limbs, my hands, and feet all tied down. Are you musing in your own enjoyment?”“What do you mean? Alicia is a good girl. She’s the best match for you, Ivan. I don’t know why you keep distorting my words.”“That’s exactly what I thought my mother would say.”Ivan scoffed and clicked his tongue, swiveling his feet and walking toward the door. And then he saw her… he saw Alicia standing at the front door, her face a pale white. He surmised that she had heard their conversation and he w
Ivan realized then that she was real, that he liked her. No matter what others will think of her, she would be his wife and he would protect her, They’d become two people sharing their bodies and minds their whole lives.They did not have the best start as a couple, but he’s sure that they could spend the rest of their life amending their mistakes, right? What does it matter that she came here under his mother’s own malevolent strings? She only needs to choose him, not the queen. Ivan thought she would too, but… to think she’d chosen a life of antagonizing her husband… that, he never saw coming.Suddenly, he remembered that they’d never kissed properly. Their only shared kisses were the formal kiss during the wedding ceremony. So he leaned in closer, but she coldly turned away from him. He saw no excitement to consummate their marriage on her face. Rather, her expression was close to displeasure as she shed tears.He was rejected.At that moment, Ivan came to his senses while the trut
Ivan warned her that he’d not sit idle should she cross a certain line. But inwardly, he thought of letting go of her clumsy spying. If only she stood by his side instead of his mother, he’d have protected her at all cost, but this was not the case…‘…..Why does it hurt so much?’Ivan did not know the sort of expression she made at his remark. He gave her one last look before turning to the other side, falling asleep thereafter with a heavy heart.Their cold relationship continued, never to be amended. After their first night, guiltiness struck his heart recalling her painful face. He felt terrible… like he had raped her. No, he did…What had he done…?‘…..Is this what marriage is like?’But when he looked at Basil, his servant, it was not like that. After years of marriage with his wife, he remained true and devoted. He was the happiest man in the world whenever he spoke about his lover.Ivan’s mind wandered back to his wife, wondering if she would neglect her duty to bear him a seco