Married To The Masked King

If only one could choose whom they marry, and if only one were not born into a royal family where marriage had to be for political gain.



This was how Dalia was set to marry a man from a faraway land, a man rumored to be a monster who always wore a mask to cover his ugly face.









*EXCERPT*



He looked away from me, his gaze traveling towards the lifeless wolf on the ground. "Look at that."





I followed his gaze, fear gripping me the minute I caught sight of the beast that had almost torn me apart.





"Do you think you could have escaped it or other hideous animals in this forest?" he looked back at me.





I was still staring at the beast but I could feel his gaze on me. What was the difference between the forest and his home? This beast here in the forest might be hideous, but the one at his home was even worse; for the gods' sake, he was a human killer. How was I safe with him?





"Princess, or perhaps, dear wife."





I shot him a long look, my eyes widening. Please, I do not have to be reminded that I am his wife. I hate the reality.





"Very good, look at me and remember that I am now your husband."





His whole posture was facing me now. He stood regally, his hand behind his back. "All the rumors you must have heard about me were perhaps the reason why you ventured into the forest rather than sitting put in your room."





I did not nod. I do not need to answer. He already knew; of course, there was no need to answer.





"It will be pointless explaining anything about those rumors to you now because I know you will not listen." His gaze traveled to the moonlight pouring onto his masked face now, the wind swayed his long black hair slightly.





I wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't for the wind; the other day, he had been wearing a crown that covered it, but today, it was just the mask covering his face, leaving his hair visible. I had never seen any man with such long hair that almost reached his shoulder. Everyone's hair was almost trimmed.





"I made a promise to your family not to hurt you, so you are perfectly safe with me," he looked back at me, his deep brown eyes seeming to be piercing into my soul, like he knew me so well. "But if next you try to escape and find yourself in any possible danger, please, with my permission, do well to save yourself."