Love

The feast in the palace went on for hours. The newly wed couple were side by side with each other receiving gifts from everyone.

The day going great for a last minute wedding that was not planned. The two were all smiles as they received their gifts from the guests.

The queen had gifted the two a summer house where they would spend their honeymoon. She didn't want to look pushy but she couldn't wait to have grandchildren running around in the palace.

The message that she was trying to pass was very clear to the daughter who grimaced at the thought of having a honeymoon. Her husband wasn't as excited either to spend a whole week away with a heartless girl like her.

Just the thought of Ariadne made him recall the beating that she had given that man servant. Instead of just talking to him like a mature person she put on a display of her cruelty for him to see.

Yes, he was intimidated by a lady who doesn't blink while inflicting would on someone else. It only showed him how unlucky he was that he had to marry her of all people.

If only he had refused his mother and not gone shopping that very morning then his life would still be the same. He wouldn't have met the princess at the market and given her a reason to make him a part of her life.

The ceremony ended after they had received all the gifts. It was time to call it a night, a couple of servants were instructed by the queen to get him ready for the night. The woman's desire to have the two of them consummate their marriage was oozing out of her.

He went with, he had seen what the daughter does to servants when he wasn't cooperative. He didn't want to find out what the queen was capable of on his first day in the palace.

They had gone through the back door of the princess's palace. He didn't want to bump into the witch on his way in and have his night ruined. He was hoping in his heart that the girl would arrange for him to sleep elsewhere.

He would not mind sleeping even on the corridors as long they didn't sleep together in the same room.

"Sorry Ashrak," he heard and stopped. That was the name of the servant that Ariadne had beat up because of him and he wanted to go and apologise to him.

He had not gotten the chance earlier with all that was going on. "I need to make a quick stop," he informed the servants and started walking in the direction of the voice.

"Don't embarrass me like that," he heard.

He got close and saw the princess and the servant together by the water fountain.

"But I must apologise. I shouldn't have hit you like that, I just wanted to scare that fool," she said to him.

"Seriously princess, don't apologise," the male uttered to her. "What I don't get is why you married him is you dislike him," the male added.

Ariadne looked up with a long sigh. Her reasons for marrying Draxan were all foolish and she didn't want Ashrak to laugh at her for it.

"Love, I fell in love with him the minute I saw him but I'm afraid he doesn't feel the same as for me," she lied through her teeth.

Draxan who was listening on their conversation was shocked on what she was going on about. He had no idea that she felt like that about him.

"What?!" Ashrak asked holding back a laugh. He was filled with disbelief over what she was saying. For as long as he knew she hates the word love and having to feel it so what changed that she is speaking of it.

"I know it isn't like me to say the words love but it's how I feel for him," she said to him.

Ariadne felt like running to the bathroom and washing away at the nerve of her life to utter such things. Her lies were making her feel uneasy and uncomfortable.

"But if you love him then why do something so stupid. You know he us going to judge you on today's display," he told to her.

The thought of that made her happy. She didn't want to build a relationship with the man so the furthest he stayed away from her the better.

"It was stupid I know but what could I have done. The way that he had behaved with me in front of everyone was not right," she said to him. "If it was in private then I wouldn't have minded."

She felt like cutting her tongue out after saying that. In private or in public the last she needed was him being close to her.

She would rather die than let him come close to her again. It was a one time thing that she never wished to happen again.

"That was stupid but anyway you can still make it up to him tonight. But first I am going to need a house from you," Ashrak uttered. "My back hurts so much that only a new house can heal me," he added shamelessly.

"You thief, in only hit you and you are asking for a house?" she questioned to him.

"Either I get my house or your husband finds out that you love him," he threatened.

Ariadne's jaw dropped at his threat. "You are lucky that I don't despise you. You will get your house," she said and walked away.

She didn't notice Draxan who had been watching them for a while. Seeing the way that the princess spoke to the servant he was confused about her.

The words she spoke confused him even more, he had no idea how to react to the fact that Ariadne was in love with him.

He walked away to head to their room with his mind full of questions as to what was going on.