Chapter 2: New life
Atarah woke up to see, Ylvia, her handmaiden back when she was still in Erlea. She sat down and stretched her back, ignoring Ylvia's presence because she thought she was hallucinating.
"It's me, your highness," Ylvia spoke.
Emotions flooded Atarah's eyes upon hearing the voice of her closest friend, a friend she thought was long gone ever since she agreed to marry the devil who ruined her life.
"Y-Ylvia..." She was still in doubt and had to hug Ylvia before being sure that she wasn't just a fraction of her imagination.
The once-quiet room was filled with nothing but the cries of the two reuniting women.
"H-how are you here?... I thought I'd lost you." Atarah asked, hiccuping in between sentences.
"It was the King, he sent for me before he left Erlea. Both you and your brother were greatly ill and required attention and luckily for us, that is my job...You were asleep for one week, your Highness, and the King did not fail to visit you at that time."
Atarah clenched her fists in anger as she began recollecting the previous events. "That monster!" She spitted out, unable to believe that the man who coldheartedly killed her father and took her prisoner could care about her wellbeing.
Before she could utter any more curses against Sebian, she suddenly remembered her brother, "Riel! Where is he? Is he alright?"
Panicked gripped her being and she jumped out of bed, worried for her brother's wellbeing. Being unconscious for a week, her body wasn't strong enough and she lost her balance soon after standing but just as she was about to land on the ground, a pair of strong arms protectively gripped her small waist.
"Your brother is fine, he is also recovering as you should be, princess."
Atarh turned her head and was met by Sebian's hypnotizing stare, his dark eyes looking into hers like she was his prey.
"Let go of me," Atarah muttered, feeling afraid to be in his arms.
Ylvia felt the tension between them and decided to leave the room. As soon as she left, Sebian picked up Atarah and carried her back to the bed.
"You are not allowed to harm yourself in any way before our wedding, do you understand?" He spoke in the most demanding yet soothing tone ever leaving Atarah confused as to whether he was bothered about her well-being or not.
She simply nodded and stared at her pale hands, too frightened to look him in the eye. "Say it with your mouth, princess." He raised her chin roughly, demanding a vocal answer from her.
"I-I understand, your highness."
"What an obedient little princess you are." He traced his fingertips along the outline of her lips before continuing, "We'll be getting married soon but do not mistake this as a marriage of love, it is simply a marriage of convenience where you get to keep your head attached to your neck and I get what I want...Now, I have a few conditions for you to follow, you are not allowed to fall for me princess, that would be the worst mistake of your life. You are not allowed to fall in love with another man because I own you and lastly, you are not allowed to demand love and affection from me."
"I understand." Her knees felt weak even in her seating position, each word he uttered crushed her more and more but in her mind she spat at him.
'I would never fall for a devil like you. Ever.'
"Good. In the meantime, you are not allowed to leave your chambers until the wedding ceremony, all you need will be provided for you."Sebian said, standing up in a hurry.
"Wait!" She grabbed his arm, "My brother, when can I see him?"
Sebian simply shook her hand off and walked toward the door, pausing before saying, "You'll see him when I say so."
Atarah stared at the door, unable to do anything. All she could do was grip the sheets as she silently watched her life end before it began. She'd always dreamt of falling in love with someone who cherished her, someone she could start a family with but that was nothing but a dream as reality was much crueler to her.
She couldn't even cry at that moment, all the life she had in her vanished as she became nothing but a shell of her past life. There was only one person she blamed for her misfortune, her father.
"Why!"
"Why?"
"Why!"
Her screams echoed in the room as she threw everything around her, she couldn't handle the pressure anymore. Ylvia who was just outside the door got in as soon as Sebian left the room.
"Your Highness, please calm down. Your body has not yet fully recovered."
Ylvia grabbed Atarah's hands, preventing her from further throwing anything else. She felt pity for her, and after overhearing the conversation she had with Sebian, her anger toward him increased.
"Riel...he won't let me see Riel," Atarah complained to a comforting Ylvia who stroked her back as tears escaped her now puffy eyes.
***
"Why did you do it?" William asked the moment he barged into Sebian's bedroom.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Sebian acted oblivious to his question as he nonchalantly bit into an apple.
"Don't act dumb, Sebian. Why did you spare the girl? you know how risky that is, not just for you but for all of us....or is she perhaps the one"
"If she was the one, how is that any of your business? I can choose to spare whoever I want. I'm the king after all." Sebian smirked.
William clenched his fists, he hated it whenever Sebian disregarded his opinions just because he was the king. "What do you intend on doing with her then?" He walked toward the window side, waiting for a reply from Sebian.
"I'll marry her and make her mine of course." Sebian had not thought about what he would do with Atarah, all that was on his mind was to marry her and make her his.
"This is a dangerous game you're playing here. What if you end up falling in love with that human girl? All it takes to drive a man mad is one woman Sebian, one woman. If you're not careful, you might bring doom to this kingdom, to us all...you might as well end up becoming--"
"Becoming what?" Sebian cut him off, his dark energy slowly filling the room., "Weak? Powerless? Is that what you think would happen?.... A mere human isn't capable of affecting me in such a way William, I am incapable of ever loving someone, or did you forget? She's simply a new toy I'm interested in. If you ever question my ability to rule again, I'll make sure you beg for mercy at hell's gate."
William left there as fast as he could, he knew he wasn't strong enough to handle an upset Sebian.
"I just know you feel something for her you blockhead, no matter how much you deny it. Speaking of the girl...I wonder where he's hiding her." William said to himself once he was out of harm's way. He whistled as he walked down the halls, with mischief evident in his eyes, looking for a sign of where Sebian might have kept Atarah.
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