5

"We lost fifty soldiers," Spencer sighed as he ate.

"That's okay," Adrian shrugged.

  Spencer glared at him without looking surprised.

"By the way, aren't you going to get married?" 

   "Why? Now that you're married, you feel superior? Don't kid yourself, I'm always a better choice than you are."

   Adrian chuckled lightly and pointed at Spencer.

"You do not like women, do you?"

  "What do you mean?" Spencer asked with a dramatic eye roll.

"I've never seen you with a woman. Isn't that weird?"

"I have never seen you with a woman either," he snorted.

"That is because I go to war often."

"I accompany you every time," Spencer hissed. "I like women, the right one just hasn't come along."

  "When will she come?" Adrian teased further. "When you are about to die?"

"Hey!" Spencer banged his fist on the table. "Are you drunk already? You got married while I was clearing up the mess that was made at war. You do not have any right to tease me. It is not like you were gonna get married if you weren't forced to. Do you even like her?"

   

   "Who?" Adrian's expression changed. "Princess Isabelle?" Spencer nodded.

"I told her I was going to give her the respect she deserves. Isn't that enough?" He shrugged. "Besides, she was sold here. The least she can do is know her place."

  "You are not attracted to her at all?" Spencer asked again.

"I'm not."

  "Why? Are you waiting for Juno?" He poked fun at Adrian again.

"She is coming back this winter."

  

        They heard footsteps as Isabelle joined them at the table. She was beautiful. Her white satin gown was flowing. Her wet hair was brushed slightly to the side. She had also taken care of her wound. The table was silent as the two men stared at her. She didn't utter a word as she started eating. They two men exchanged looks and Spencer winked at Adrian.

  It was awkward for everyone. Isabelle finished eating and placed her cutlery loudly on the table.

"I wasn't sold here," she broke the silence. "I was arranged to marry you," she faced Adrian. "It upsets me as much as it upsets you. You can't even measure the rage I'm feeling inside. Ever since I arrived, I've been trying to be a good partner but I realize that you can't be loved."

  "What?" Adrian stood up furiously.

"I'll accept your offer." She also stood up. "A marriage of respect. It sounds good."

   "Your Highness," Spencer tried to calm Isabelle down. 

"I've heard about you," Isabelle walked towards Adrian haughtily. "You're a warrior, a general. You're cold. It doesn't matter to me. Honestly, I was going to try to befriend you."

"Princess Isabelle, that is no way to speak to your husband!"

"I have no husband," she glared at him and left, thumping with every step.

    "She heard us," Spencer sank into his chair.

"I do not care," Adrian left the table.

    Was that too extreme? Isabelle thought as she walked down the hallway. She didn't mean to be harsh but Adrian needs to see the reality. Some court ladies bowed and Isabelle stopped them.

   "Is there any place I can be relaxed?" She asked them pleadingly.

"The stable or the fountain is a good choice. Would you like me to escort you?" A court lady offered.

     "It's okay, I'll find my way."

       She could not find her way. That residence was huge. She had circled the building twice and still could not figure out where the stable was. She took a chance and went deeper behind the castle. She found it. She walked in and the torches were lit. There were five horses in there. A white one, eating that carrots in its shed. A black one, resting in its abode and the three others were brown. She went to the white one and pet its mouth. The horse neighed and she smiled.

   "You're frustrated? I'm here because I'm frustrated too. I guess you don't have a partner that doesn't look at you with love in his eyes. It's not my fault either, I just wanted him to know that."

    She picked a carrot and fed it to the horse directly. "I'm in my youthful years, when life is supposed to be interesting. I won't let it be snatched away," she made a fist and chuckled as the horse neighed as if it was in support of what she just said.

   "It was nice talking to you," she rubbed him one last time and exited the stable.

   Spencer was standing by the door when she emerged. She bowed slightly and continued walking to the castle.

"Your Highness!" Spencer ran after her. "Please protect your marriage," he held her hands.

   She looked at him again. Why does he keep acting intimate with her? She snatched her hands away from him.

"Why do you keep touching me?"

"Here in Deira, a divorced queen has to live in isolation for the rest of her life. You don't want that, do you?"

  "I never mentioned a divorce. I just got married a few days ago, why would I get a divorce?" She shrugged and continued walking.

  "You should also try to make your marriage work. If you two keep going like this, you won't have a child and that'll prove fatal for you."

  "Why?" Isabelle was curious.

"Traditions are strict here in Deira. A married woman has to produce an offspring during the first three years of her marriage. Inability to do that will make her known as barren. Honestly, I don't think you both can ever get close to the extent where you get intimate. At least, try to make him get in bed with you at times. It is for your sake."

     "I have to beg him to sleep with me?" She scoffed. "You're unbelievable Captain."

  "Do you have any other idea?"

"If I don't conceive, it's his loss too. He would be the impotent prince!" She yelled. 

   They didn't notice Adrian standing by the entrance of the castle.

"He won't. Princes are really privileged. If he requests for a consort, it shall be granted."

  "This kingdom is hell," she sniffled.

"Are you crying?" He offered her a piece of cloth.

  "Do you know that he has never treated me as his wife since he brought me here?" She wiped her tears as another rolled down her cheeks. "I understand him. He's a private being. He doesn't want his privacy to be invaded. He knew this was coming didn't he? He knew he had to get married one day! Unluckily for us, we were arranged together. I didn't want this too! But I was willing to try so how dare he say I was sold here? What right does he have?"

      She sobbed and went on her knees. Spencer went down with her as he patted her back to relieve her. She really wanted to do her best but the universe wasn't working in her favor. Adrian retreated slowly into the castle.

   A loud bell rang through the entire castle. Everyone was retiring into their abode.

"We have to go inside," Spencer pulled her up.

"You live in there too?" She sniffled.

"Yes."

     They walked in slowly and he escorted her to her bedroom door. She took a deep breath and wiped her face neat. 

"He shouldn't know that I cried," she said confidently. "He needs to suffer."

"Really?" Spencer chuckled softly at her swollen eyes. "Do you want to take another bath?"

"Why? Do I look horrible?" She grabbed his shoulders.

   Spencer's face turned beet red at their close proximity.

"No, excuse me," he bowed and hurried down the hall.

     She took another deep breath and opened the door. Adrian was lying upward looking at the ceiling in silence. She took off her outer wear and retired to bed. They were on opposite sides with an obvious space between them. 

  Adrian rose to a sitting position and rested his back against the head rest.

"Can we talk?" He sighed.

"About what?" She asked without moving.

"This situation?" He said with an obvious face.

  She also sat down but their eyes didn't meet.

"I didn't mean to say that you were sold here."

"I know, I just had to take out my anger."

   "I told you little things annoy me. We don't know anything about each other. As I said before, this will be a marriage of respect. You maintain your privacy, I maintain mine. We won't interfere in each other's problems. We shall lay together on the second day of every month until you conceive."

     Isabelle coughed awkwardly as she glared at him. He's choosing a date for their intimacy? He must be crazy.

   "You're crazy," Isabelle said without fearing the consequences.

"What?" He asked as if he lost his hearing.

  "I suggest you see the royal physician. You're not in your right mind," she laid down and pulled the covers over herself.

   "I was not done talking," He said and tried to pull the covers off her.

"This conversation is over Prince Adrian," she collected her covers back. "How dare you pick a date for our intimacy?"

"Would you like to do it instead?" He offered.

"No! You don't pick a date! It happens naturally when the two bodies and mind are in union with each other."

   "You didn't have to shout," he shrugged.

"Little things annoy me!" She yelled back.

     He laid down and looked at the woman in front of him. She was laying on the farthest corner of the bed, he thought she was going to fall off. She was right. She was his wife whether he liked it or not. He just couldn't like her. He has never learnt to love someone.

   She was innocent. If only she knew that her kingdom was about to be ruined. If only she knew the tragedy Angbotain was about to face. He was right. Her parents sold her off. Since the king didn't have an heir, Isabelle had to be sent to safety before the war arrived. They wanted her to be safe first so that the war wouldn't affect her. They thought that was the only way to protect their precious daughter.

   He remembered the conversation he had with King Claudius.

"Prince Adrian," Claudius called softly.

"Yes your Majesty."

   "Take care of my daughter," he took him hand in a firm clasp. "She's the only one I have. No harm must come in her way. Protect her with your life. Treat her with respect and honor. Your father has told me a lot about you. Don't behave that way with Isabelle. Show her all the love you can. If she ever cries because of you, I'll kill you myself."

    If Claudius found out that Isabelle cried that evening, Adrian would probably be dead, right?

  He looked at her back and moved closer to her. 

"What's wrong with choosing a date to be intimate? Is that wrong?" He muttered and touched her hair out of curiosity. 

   He wasn't going to lie. She amused him. She seems surprised by every event. It was a new world and a new life to her. He couldn't blame her. He was supposed to guide her through everything but he wasn't interested in that. 

  She made him weak but he hadn't realized that. Something in him bounces for joy whenever she smiles. He wanted to do his best but it was impossible. He moved closer to her and could hear her peaceful breathing. 

   They just had a fight, how could she be napping that quietly? He chuckled as she started snoring. She must have been so exhausted from the day's activities. He didn't even think about all that before picking a fight with her. Was she really mad at him? Was she really going to ignore his actions like he had pleaded? Why did he defend her in front of Queen Indira? She was his wife so she deserved that much from him. Was that really it? Was there really nothing else attached? 

    His hormones were acting on their own. They were stimulated. It was understandable. All those years of loneliness must have come back for revenge.