TEN

KIARA

 "What do you mean by brides?" I asked, clutching at the fabric of my loose night dress. 

Estella shrugged, flipping her hair over her left shoulder.

"It's just as I said. Denzel has made it his habit to murder his brides on the night before their wedding. Terrible, isn't it?" She said, chuckling darkly.

"Tell me more," I choked out, tears blurring my vision. 

"Not yet. Once I'm sure that you're on my side, I'll tell you. For now, I'll leave." 

She winked at me and turned away from me.

"Wait-"

"I'll come to see you soon. In the meantime, you should find out as much as you can. Bye," she said. 

Right after this statement, she snapped her fingers and vanished into thin air alongside her bodyguard. 

My eyes widened when I realised that the room had also changed. I was back in my room in Denzel's palace. This meant I'd never left the room in the first place. Estella had simply created an illusion of a different room. However, I had no idea how she'd entered the palace without being noticed.

For the remaining hours preceding dawn, terrifying thoughts filled my mind. The more I thought about it, the deeper I sank into despair. 

Morning soon arrived and I went about my morning routine in a daze. I was brushing my hair in my room when I heard the knock on the door. 

Letting out a sigh, I approached the door and opened it. There was a young maid standing there. One I'd never seen before.

"Can I help you?" I asked slowly. 

She smiled at me and bowed briefly.

"My lady has been invited to the dining room to have breakfast with his majesty" she announced.

I gulped, wringing my hands together. I was not ready to face him yet. Especially not after everything I'd heard from Estella. 

"I'd rather not" I breathed, wincing at the maid. 

Her face fell.

"But-"

I cut her off with my brows furrowed.

"I don't have much of an appetite," I said.

She parted her lips and stared at me for a few seconds. 

"Have you perhaps been feeling sick? Do you need the royal healers to attend to you, my lady?" She asked, her brows slightly furrowed. 

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. 

I had to figure out how to send her away without drawing unnecessary attention to myself. But, this was proving to be difficult. 

"My lady?" She cocked her head, her eyes filled with concern.

Right then, nausea swept over me, bile rising up my throat. Clamping a hand over my mouth, my eyes bulged in their sockets as I rushed towards the bathroom. 

In a blur, I found myself puking my guts out. 

I was vaguely aware of the maid joining me in the bathroom. 

My nausea was so bad that I didn't notice Cassy's presence until she spoke. 

"Oh dear. Your morning sickness is finally hitting you" she sighed, holding my hair away from my face. 

I desired to give her a snarky response but at the same time, I just wanted to curl into a ball.

Eventually, the pleasant scent of roses flooded my senses, alleviating my misery. 

I didn't think. I instinctively reached out for the source of this scent, wrapping my arms around this person. 

"I'm here now. You're going to be fine," a familiar voice said, bringing tears of relief to my eyes. 

He stroked my hair as I rested my head on his thigh, clutching at his clothes. When I buried my face against his chest, he rubbed my back in circles to comfort me. 

Slowly, I regained awareness of my immediate surroundings. Then, I realized that all along, I'd been curled up in Denzel's arms. Cassy and the maid were no longer with me. 

Embarrassed, I sat up. I could feel him watch my every movement. 

"Are you feeling better?" He asked and I nodded, rising to my feet. 

"Have you been suffering from this before now?" He probed further as he rose to his feet, watching me as I opted for a mouth wash, rinsed my mouth and spat in the sink. 

"No, not really" I mumbled, lowering my head. 

"If you ever feel like that, please reach out to me through our mind link. My scent seems to help with your sickness" He said. 

I nodded, unable to look him in the eye. 

"What's wrong?" He suddenly asked. I stiffened. 

How would he react if he knew that his sister had paid me a visit?

Would he tell me the truth if I confronted him?

At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder if it was okay to doubt this man because all he'd ever done was show me kindness. 

"Kiara?" the sound of his voice snapped me out of my thoughts. The instant our gazes met, I felt my face heat up.

"Do you need anything else? You seem distant. Is there something you would like to talk to me about?" Denzel said.

"I'm fine. I didn't sleep well last night, that's all" I sighed, rubbing my right eye. 

Denzel's hand settled around my waist as he led me out of the bathroom and into my room. He made me sit on the bed, taking care to be gentle with me. 

He glanced around the room, a frown creasing his brows. I watched him, hoping that he couldn't sense the remnants of Estella's presence.

"Something feels..." His voice trailed off as he refocused his gaze on me.

"Never mind," he mumbled under his breath. 

Brushing my hair away from my face, his palm rested on the side of my face. 

"Do you have my answer ready?" He questioned. 

My stomach tightened. 

I had a feeling he was referring to our mating ceremony. 

"Are you willing to proceed with our mating ceremony?" He asked, gazing at me with hooded eyes.

I remained silent. 

There was so much to consider. 

My breath caught in my throat when Denzel suddenly leaned closer to me, his lips barely a few inches from mine. 

His eyes had darkened, lust clouding them. His pleasant scent saturated my senses and I found myself reaching out for him. 

When my hands rested on his hard chest, I felt the heat seeping through the barrier of his black button down shirt. 

My toes curled in anticipation. 

Was he going to kiss me? 

Regardless of this, why did I find myself patiently awaiting a kiss from him? 

It had to be an effect of the mating bond. 

It was a lie. 

But, this was the best excuse I could come up with.

"You should come to the garden after you feel like you've gotten enough rest. The fresh air will make you feel better" he said, pulling away and straightening.

I was distracted by the sudden paleness of his face.

Something was wrong.

Denzel strode towards the door. He seemed unsteady. At the door, he halted, bringing a trembling hand to his temple. 

I parted my lips to ask him if he was alright. However, before I could say anything, he'd opened the door and left my room. 

I couldn't help but wonder if he had an affliction. One I wasn't aware of.

Blowing out a breath, I rubbed my temples. Denzel was ready to partake in a mating ceremony with me. But, was I ready? I wasn't so sure about it. 

The door opened and Cassy walked in, carrying a food tray. 

"I brought you some porridge. You should at least eat something," she said, placing the bowl of porridge in my hands. 

Letting out a groan, I grimaced at the sight of the steaming hot white semi-liquid in the bowl. 

"By the way, what's with the tension between you and Denzel? Did something happen? Something I'm unaware of?" Cassy asked. 

Gripping the metal spoon, I scooped up some porridge, bringing it to my mouth. 

The taste of the porridge was quite bland. 

"Come to think of it, you told me you were going to tell me everything. You seem to have forgotten about that," Cassy frowned, folding her arms across her chest. 

One look at the annoyance painted on her face made me aware of the fact that I needed to come clean to her. So, I did. 

After my lengthy discussion with Cassy, I decided to make use of Denzel's suggestion. 

....

I strolled out of my room and headed to the garden. On arriving at my destination, I took a deep breath, the pleasant fragrance of the flowers soothing my senses. 

Lowering myself onto the metallic bench in the garden, I tilted my head backwards and closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. 

All of a sudden, I heard a loud thud. My eyes snapped open. Then, I saw it. 

A few feet away, lay a woman in a blue dress. She was covered in blood. This woman seemed to have dropped down from the roof.

With my limbs trembling, I rose to my feet.

A sickening feeling rattled me when I caught a glimpse of the face of the woman.

It was Melissa. 

Instinctively, I threw my head backwards to glance at the roof. 

My eyes widened when my gaze clashed with the eyes of the dark clothed figure standing on the roof. 

Estella's previous words flooded my mind, causing my heart to ache.

'Oh, darling. You're so clueless. Having Denzel in your life is one of the worst things that can ever happen to you. He's a monster.'

"No, it can't be. He couldn't have" I croaked, moisture filling my eyes. I shook my head, a tear crawling down my cheek.

He didn't move. 

His eyes were obsidian. They were vacant, devoid of emotions. Just like that night.

"D-Denzel," I gasped, my breath catching in my throat.