*Kiara's POV*
I bowed graciously before the Valerian Queen. I only caught a small glimpse of her surprisingly healthy face before I curtsied. That kind face distracted my tingling nerves a bit. This was one of the reasons I felt Adriel should be here—to introduce me like a proper gentleman.Not leave me here high and dry like a fish on land.
"It is a pleasure to meet you,Your Majesty."
Her shoes had a systematic click as she walked towards me.I gulped down dry spit and prepared myself for the worst.
Her soft and concerningly cold fingers gently lifted my chin up to look her in the eye. Her green eyes scanned me discreetly, but I have a thing for looking into people's eyes, so I noticed.
"It's lovely finally seeing you" she said with a nerve-easing smile and I gestured that I stood up straight.
I arched my back straight and formed a small polite smile as her eyes scanned me yet again.
"You are just stunning."she praised cupping my face.
"Thank you, your majesty."I bowed again.
"Do not do that again,"she said, her tone turning repulsive.
"I'm sorry. I don't think I understand, "I said in a whisper.
The one thing I didn't want was a mother-in-law who didn't like me. I had seen instances of it, and such situations always ended up hurting the bride in fatal ways.
"Do not bow before me or call me Majesty; we are family and I will love that you call me Susannah."she said as she forwarded so we could exchange kisses on the cheek.
"Of course....." I replied,my voice trailing off as she entwined arms mine. I let out a small sigh of relief.
She must be the first kind Valerian I have seen,or perhaps she wasn't. Judging by my experience with Valerians,they were either bipolar or just evil. I shall keep myself alert,for observation's sake.
I gave a smaller bow and a staged smile to the younger Valerian brother,Hendrix.
"It's nice to see you again,your highness."
He nodded with a striking smile.
"Who would have thought we would be here under such circumstances?"
I noticed a ginger-haired lady standing a few feet away. She looked like royalty—not just any royalty. She was dressed in deep purple with a black fur coat over her shoulders. She was adorned with nothing but diamond jewelry. She looked refined and sophisticated, and it seemed she knew it by the way she stood. She must have been a part of the family, or perhaps a family friend, or else I have no idea who she was or why she was present.
I gave her a respectful smile to recognize her presence. And she, in turn, did an elegant, not too low, bow.
"Poor thing.. Did the journey exhaust you?" Lady Susannah asked as she guided me away from her.
"Not exactly. It was quite adventurous." I lied easily. My feet were cramped, and my back hurt. I needed a bath,a massage,and a good, undisturbed 8 hours of sleep.
"Tell me,where is Adriel?"
A knot grew and loosened in my stomach when I heard his name.
"I wouldn't know,Your Majesty. We parted ways a few hours ago. I thought he was here."
She sighed hopelessly. "Do I make you nervous?"
"No," I said breathlessly.
"Well,your shoulders are tense, and you still called me Majesty."
"I must admit,I am nervous, but it certainly is not your fault."
It's Adriel's fault.
"Good." Lady Susannah said she was stopping a junction leading to what seemed to be an entry to several other palaces. "Because I'm not the one you should fear."
I wanted to ask what she meant, but I bit my tongue and brushed it off.
She turned to a group of ladies in white and black uniforms stationed at the entrance of one of the palaces in a straight line. They each held a large bouquet of flowers and had the most staged smile I had seen in years. They bowed to us as we neared and welcomed us warmly.
"These are the staff of your ladies in waiting. Miss Virginia,please come forward."
A young lady came forward with a bouquet of lilies that she handed to me with a genuine smile. I accepted them from her and thanked her.
"Miss Virginia will be your head lady in waiting. She is one of the very few people whose loyalty has been sworn to you first,above everyone else in the royal family. And even after marriage,the king's commands to her will be null and void if they're not approved by you."
I raised my eyebrows but kept my lips pursed.
"Virginia will show you around your palace and make sure you are well fed and comfortable. You will have a busy night tomorrow; there is a welcome ball in your honor, and I will show you off, so prepare to be an excellent hostess."
"Of course,I will be prepared."
"Now,let me leave you so you can rest. You will need it." She smiled, and we exchanged kisses again.
Virginia and the other maids led me into the palace; they gave me a small tour and introduced me to the rest of the staff as the future queen. Virginia seemed a bit more giddy than I expected. She was not as stiff as she appeared before; on the contrary, she was a burst of life. She spoke freely with me, and we got along surprising fast. She didn't do things according to protocol; in fact, she begged me to call her Vivi instead,and when she saw the exhaustion in my walk, She led me to my room and coaxed me into allowing her to give me a massage.
She was good at it. She gave me foot, back, and shoulder massages, all the while chitchatting with me about the palace.
She went to prepare my bath, and I suddenly remembered Carlotta. Carlotta liked to do it, I have been away from her for some time now.
"Where do you think my entourage will be?"
"There are visitor chambers,my lady. Do you want me to get someone for you?" She asked as she pressed the muscles on my shoulder.
"Yes please... Could you go there and get me a Carlotta, please?"
"Of course,"she replied sweetly, and she checked the bathroom. "Your bath is ready,my lady."
"Thank You." I said, taking in the scenery from outside the window. There was a beautiful fountain below. It was shooting from the mouth of a statue of a bird, and it fell into a bowl that seemed to be decorated in the shape of a nest.
I was in silent awe,For people rumored to be into so much warfare and a bland lifestyle, they were pretty aesthetic with their designs. But perhaps it was true—everything that shone with redolence had the Queen's delicate touch written all over it. And she wasn't exactly a full-blood Valerian. She had married into the family; perhaps the saying was true only with the true bloods.Adriel and his brother didn't look like types who were interested in art.
I took a relaxing bath in a bathtub that was unnecessarily big and gold. Not that I mind, but a bathroom wasn't exactly the most thoughtful place to show wealth.
The bath robe was pure cotton,long and incredibly soft. Now that was necessary. I tried to wet my hair in a towel and headed back into my bedroom for lotion I had forgot to bring.
I gasped a bit when I saw Hendrix sitting on my bed.
"What is God's name Are you doing in my bedroom?!" I half-screamed.
I wasn't sure I wanted to spend my first day giving people the idea of a forbidden brother-in-law romance gossip topic.
"Calm down, lady. I just want to talk,"he said, raising his hands as if to surrender.
"And of all the places in this huge palace,you chose my bed room for the task."
"I don't see anything wrong with it,"he smirked. A filthy, repelling sight.
"Well,I do. And I definitely won't encourage this behavior in the future." I said I was folding my hands.
"Oh,are you worried there will be a scandal and Adriel will be pissed?" He laughed dryly. The sound churned in my stomach, and I fought the feeling of nausea that washed over me.
"I can tell you know Kiara,"he continued,still on my bed. "He doesn't give a fuck and is probably fucking some other whore as we speak."
I frowned as a sting of jealousy hit me. Knowing there was a possibility made me angry. I could redirect this anger on him....Not now. I couldn't let my tongue get loose now.
"What do you want?"
"Sit,"he ordered, like I was a dog and should readily execute his commands.
"No." I snapped with a frown. "I prefer to stand; I'm sure you will be quick."
"I said sit,"he repeated menacingly.
"Hendrix, you are a prince, and I am a princess. We are on the same level, and if you can't tame your tone or learn your manners,leave."
I could swear his eyes were red; they were not green. They glowed red like blood. I swallowed and tried to leave the room, but before I knew what was going on,I had been slammed against the wall and held up by my throat.
"Hendrix.."I gasped for air as my vision got blurry and my lungs strained. I scratched his hands, trying to make him release me, but it was like a dead end. Literally, it was as if he were a whole other person and out of his senses.
I tried to scream,to plead, but my tongue could produce no sound.