Chapter 11

Ring...Ring...Ring

The sound of a telephone echoed throughout the hollow castle. It felt as if I was the only person occupying the place, which was a eerie feeling. I sat in the lounge, starting at the door where I assumed the sound was coming from. It was Aiden's Office. The phone had sounded a few times, spiking my anxieties for some odd reason.

I looked around with the idea of barging into Aiden's office without his approval, but I wasn't sure if I would get in some sort of trouble for that. I got up from the sofa, closing in on my decision regardless if it was considered rude or not. I stood before the door, praying for it to be unlocked. My hand successfully turned the knob, giving me full access to his office. The lights remained off so it wouldn't seem so obvious, but I closed the door just in case somebody happened to walk by. Aiden's office was full of many things. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and history books  lined the shelves. Papers were stacked high on his desk, most of them being legal requests and citizen reports. One thing I could tell by the condition of his office was the amount of time he spent here. Coffee stains were splattered on the desk, indents and scratches appeared on the leather chair, the trash was piled with crumpled paper, and I even found a small collection of sketches he had made on a sheet of scratch paper. In fact, the drawings were quite beautiful and impressive. That must be another thing about him; he's artistically talented.

The sound of the phone rang again, causing me to jump in surprise. I let out a breath and placed my hand around the phone handle, hesitant to pick it up. Before the last ring, I brought it up to my ear.

"Hello." I said with my heart jumping out of my chest. The line was quiet, but I sensed that someone was still there. "Hello, who is this?" I said more confidently.

"Taisa?" My ears filled with the sound of my father's voice.

"Father, is that you?" I exclaimed, holding the phone tighter.

"Why, yes it is! Oh dear, you have no idea how many times I have called this phone. I thought he had done something to you." My father cried. My heart sunk in my chest with sadness for him. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, father I am. Please don't worry." I pleaded to ease his mind. "I know you're worried about me, but I promise that I am alright. In fact, I believe that it's getting better." I said, unsure of my own words.

"Is that so? What is getting better exactly?" He tested.

"Aiden is showing better signs than he was before. I do see some kindness in him, father, I just have to get it out of him." I cringed at the fact that I was defending one of the men that I had despised the most within the past month.

"Oh... alright... that does sound a little promising. Taisa, I'm just asking you to be careful, please. Don't underestimate him, because he will catch you off guard." My father was firm and serious with his words. "I know this man, and he could destroy you if you get on his bad side, so please, play it safe." He begged. I nodded my head even though he couldn't see me.

"Okay. I will do whatever I need to, father. I promise that I will be safe." I said back.

"Thank you. I must go, but I am so glad that you are okay. If you can, please contact me again."

"Alright." I sighed, disappointed from our short  conversation.

"Bye, Sweetheart. I hope to see you soon. I love you." With that, the phone call ended. It felt hurried, which put me on edge a little bit. I tried to shake it off and put the phone back down. My thoughts now jumped around in my head, making my breath slightly shaky. I left the office, not wanting to think anymore. I came out of the office to see that the lounge was still empty, and that the castle still held no activity.

As I walked a while more, I heard voices of multiple people sounding through the marble walls. I recognized the hallway since it lead down to the bar which is where I went the second night I was here. I followed the familiar path, the voices becoming more clear. The bar came into my view, which three people sat.

Jeanette, Noah, and Samuel.

"Samuel?" I voiced, causing all of them to stop their conversations and turn to me. Maroon instantly got up from his seat and walked my way, his arms open.

"Princess! It's been some time!" He said, bringing me into a tight embrace. I patted his back as he squeezed the air out of my body. "How have you been?" My mouth was left open, since I was gathering words to say from the surprise of seeing him here.

"...umm, I am doing just fine. How long have you been here, and how did you get here? The storms have been absolutely brutal." I said, releasing myself from his deadly hug.

"There was a slight period where the weather cleared up and let me in. I got here just a few hours ago, and I have just been catching up with these two." He said, referring to his parents. "Where is your fiancé?"

"Aiden is sleeping. Unfortunately, he has caught a cold." I stated. Maroon frowned at the news.

"Is he alright? I remember getting those as a teenager. Absolutely horrid." Samuel expressed.

"Yes, I gave him medicine, which has allowed him to make up for the sleep he has lost within the past few nights."

"That's good. I hope he greets us soon. Come, have a seat with us." Maroon offered.

"I'm quite underdressed, should I go put something else on?" I asked, referring to the leggings and loose shirt that I was wearing.

"No, don't worry about that. It's quite late anyway." I followed him to the bar and sat in the spot next to Jeanette. She greeted me with a small kiss on the cheek, making me smile warmly at her. "So, how have you and Aiden been bonding within the last week?" Maroon questioned as he sat back down.

"Well, at first, it was a little challenging to get to know each other. I think that was because the stress and suddenness of the situation got in the way of us actually focusing on our relationship, but we are starting to get along just fine." I said, proud of my little story. Maroon and his parents seemed to be satisfied as well.

"How are you feeling about the engagement so far?" Maroon asked. I took a moment to gather what I was going to say.

"I won't lie, it has been a lot to handle. It would have been easier for the both of us if we were introduced some time before we were engaged. A courting phase would have been appreciated." I said honestly.

"Alright, I do understand that. I wish I could have considered that earlier." Maroon said, and I believed him. "Aiden came to me and asked to extend the engagement, which I granted. I will still give you more time, but I would like for you to be married soon." I quietly nodded, not knowing what to say, especially in front of Noah and Jeanette.

"Well look who found us!" Noah exclaimed. I snapped my head over to see Aiden standing at the entrance with a bed-head and wrinkled pajamas. Butterflies erupted in the pit of my stomach as I thought about our last moments together before he fell asleep. I was confused as to why I was getting nervous around him so suddenly.

"Aiden! Wow, look at you, well and alive." Maroon said. Aiden took notice of his presence in the room. His tired eyes widened in shock as he took a step back.

"Emperor Maroon, what a surprise!" Aiden greeted warmly with a sore voice.

"I'm sorry to hear about your cold, I hope it goes away soon so that you can fully enjoy your time with your fiancée." Maroon wished as Aiden walked towards us. They gave each other a quick 'man-hug' and exchanged a few words before Aiden made his way over to me. I could feel a slight blush form on my cheeks as he looked down at me with his classic lazy smirk. This time, Aiden's face was full of many emotions, but I could not fully understand what they were indicating. He bent down, kissing my temple to greet me. Aiden sat in the empty spot next to me and was quick to place his hand on my knee.

Yet again, I didn't have a will to push his hand away. After this afternoon, my feelings about Aiden seemed to show up at a turning point, but I was afraid of disappointment and that he would continue his harsh ways with me. I was angry that I seemed to be going against my own beliefs of my feelings for Aiden from a ten-minute conversation, but maybe it was for the best.

"How was your rest, Aiden?" Noah asked. Aiden too a moment to comb his fingers though his messy curls.

"It was good, I feel much better now that I got some sleep thanks to this one." Aiden replied, lightly squeezing my knee. I turned my head over to him, making him shoot a wink my way. He suddenly became aware of our lazy attire. "Emperor, my apologies. Would you like us to change? We look a bit out of place here."

"No, please, you're not feeling well and it's late in the evening. It is not necessary." Maroon confirmed once again. Aiden nodded at his request and relaxed in his seat, his hand still on my lower thigh. The feeling of his thumb forming circles on my skin distracted me from the conversations flying over my head. From the recent words from my father, my sudden, possible feelings for Aiden, questions about my engagement, and seeing Maroon's face once again, it was hard not to keep my thoughts in line.

A glass of water was placed before me, snapping me out of my blank stare. I looked up at the waiter, looking for my approval. "Thank you, Sir." I said, happily taking the icy glass into my hand. I took a few sips, keeping my eyes low and also feeling as if everyone's words where just blending together. I felt his hand lightly squeeze my leg once more, catching my attention. Aiden moved his lips to my ear.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, his voice still grumbling. I nodded my head.

"Yes, I'm alright." I affirmed. "I was just thinking."

"What about?" His warm breath, his tired stare, all seemed to effect me differently now. I felt my heart pulse in my chest rapidly as he moved his body closer to mine. I was at least thankful that no one was paying any attention to us because they were lost in their own conversation.

"Nothing, really." I said, attempting to avoid talking about it. Aiden moved his head back slightly so that he could look at me, and I knew that he could tell that I was lying.

"Taisa..." he whined, but not loud enough for people to hear. "Would you like to talk about it later?" I shook my head.

"No, Aiden. There is nothing to talk about. I promise that it's nothing." I whispered desperately. Usually, Aiden would take me aside to lecture me about how I was talking to him, or make me sit on his lap, but he dropped it. He agreed to not go any further and moved away from my ear, leaving me completely confused about his strange behavior. I slowly turned around and engaged back into their conversation.

"...I will leave as soon as the weather allows it, but that may not be a while knowing the type of storms this region has." Maroon said.

"We have a room and an office area getting prepared for you now. You are welcome to stay as long as you'd like." Jeanette said with a toothy smile.

"I always love visiting your castle as you know, and it's a plus to see my favorite couple together while I'm here." Maroon sent a wink our way. I but a cheeky smile in display, hoping to get away with it. "I better go get some rest, I've had a long flight."

After Maroon stood to his feet, we copied his actions. "Alright, we will see you in the morning. Have a goodnight, Emperor." Noah said respectfully. Maroon thanked Noah and Jeanette before they parted from the room and strolled over to Aiden and I.

"Princess." Maroon took ahold of my hand and placed a simple kiss onto my skin. "It's always wonderful seeing you again. Maybe we can have a talk over tea tomorrow sometime. We need to discuss somethings." He informed to us both.

"Yes, we've been awaiting the time where we would get to have a meeting with you about our status." Aiden commented.

"Yes, we will find a perfect time for tomorrow. I will see you both in the morning." Maroon spoke before leaving the room. My hands tingled with nerves now that I was in the room alone with him, and I was ashamed of how much I was effected by him.

"Taisa." He said after a long, dramatic moment of silence. I peered up at him like a deer in the headlights. "What is up with you?"

"Can you stop asking me that?" I asked harshly, not meaning for it to come out that way. Aiden backed me up so that I was now leaning against the counter. His two arms trapped me in on each side as he gripped the table. My breath weakened as he lowered his head down.

"Ever since I entered the room you have been zoning out and acting different. I can see your hands shaking right now, so please tell me what's going on." He softly demanded, not wanting to scare me. "You're suddenly more nervous when I'm close to you, so obviously, it has something to do with me." He said bringing his hand up the side of my face and stopping at my jaw, proving his point when I shuttered.

"I'm just confused." I admitted, not wanting to hide my emotions anymore since I was already not doing so well.

"What are you confused about, dear?" He asked. I stood there for a moment, not sure how to say it to his face.

"I- um-" I fumbled as he moved his head to the side, planting a sweet kiss just below my ear. He painfully moved his lips down, stopping at my collar bone. At that point, I was positive he knew the answer to his own question. "Aiden, please." I begged breathlessly. He moved his face back up to that it was just parallel to mine. He scanned my face from my eyes to my lips, carefully studying me.

"Don't worry, Love. You'll learn to accept these feelings one day." Still breathless from his small action, I didn't reply. "You've never felt them before, so I understand..." He said, moving a stray hair behind my ear. I stood there, still unsure of what to say. "Do you have something else on your mind?"

"No, no I don't." I said, hoping to convince him. Although I wasn't the best actress, I managed to get him to remove his arms from my sides, setting by back free from the counter. Aiden held out his hand for me.

"I suppose you need to get some sleep as well." I responded by giving him my hand. We began talking a silent walk out of the bar, and through the maze of empty hallways.

"Do you need any more medicine?" I asked, breaking the silence. I heard a soft chuckle escape his lips.

"I might sleep in till dinner tomorrow if I have any more of that." He joked. "But, I'm sorry I was such an ass about it earlier." I cocked my brow at the fact that I heard an apology come out of his mouth.

Is he drunk?

"You seem to be acting different as well." I pointed out. "Is there something on your mind that you have yet to share with me?" He presses his lips together in thought as we leisurely strolled through the hallways.

"I just would like to say that I appreciated you staying with me this afternoon after I fell asleep. It was quite nice of you." It felt good to know that my small gesture was appreciated by him.

"Oh..yeah." I blushed

"Why did you stay?"

"The way you looked reminded me of how my father looked when he was ill for a good period of time when I was smaller. He had a very poor immune system, and since my mother wasn't very attentive, I was there to help him whenever he was sick, which was often." I told him. "He is doing much better now that I convinced him to speak with a doctor a few years ago, but I understand how miserable something as mild as a cold can be. You just looked like you needed some help."

"How come I don't hear you talk about your mother as often?" I but the inside of my cheek at the question, unsure of how to answer it. "I sense that you have more negative feelings for her, correct?"

"I don't really know when it started, but we had just never gotten along very well. I care for her, I do, she's my mother, but it's just disappointing that I never got to view her as someone to look up to. She never bothered to take the time to teach me how to braid my hair, tie my shoes, or read. I had to learn everything by myself, Emperor Maroon, or from my father." I saw Aiden displayed a flicker of sadness and guilt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Love. I will say, you seemed to have carried yourself well. Other than that little attitude of yours, I think you turned out to be a fine young lady." His subtle joke made me scrunch my nose which was followed by a giggle.

"Thank you." I felt a rush of pride in my veins from his words. Even the smallest compliment from him gave me a glimmer of hope that there was a good person somewhere in him, and all I had to do was find it. I caught him looking down at me with complete adoration. I had realized that we had gradually brought our walking to a halt as we randomly stood in an isolated living area. A small, crackling Fire was the only thing lighting the space around us, setting a calming and quiet mood for us both.

"Shall we?" He asked, still staring down at me. I nodded my head, letting him guide me to the sofa in front of the dull fire. He sat down next to me, making sure to keep his body close. My eyes were captivated by the relaxing fire as we sat in comfortable silence. Embers would occasionally lift up into the air and fade away, releasing the soothings sounds of the cracking wood. "I've never actually sat in front of this fire with company." Aiden spoke. I quickly became aware of how lonely see seemed here. "I guess you could say that this is the place you'd find me if I wasn't in my office."

"You don't like to stay around your parents much, do you?" I asked.

"It's a similar situation to yours. I love my family dearly, but they sure do get in the way sometimes." He said.

"You said your family... do you have siblings?" I saw his expression turn mournful from the question.

"I used to have one, my younger sister, Chloe." Aiden answered.

"May I ask what happened?" I asked respectfully, not wanting to get too personal if he was not comfortable with it.

"Of course, you should know things like this since you will become apart of my family soon." I nodded my head, waiting for him to continue. "She went missing when I was ten years old, she was six. We don't know how we lost her, but we had search multiple search teams look for her for around 2 years. Still to this day, we don't know where she is, what she looks like, wether if she is dead or not..." my heart went heavy at the sound of his story. I've never had an actual sibling, but I tried to imagine if that were to happen to Serene.

"Aiden, I'm so sorry. You don't have to talk about that right now if you don't want to." I said.

"No, it really is alright. I was so young, so I don't remember much about her, but I do think about if she is live and well almost every day. I hope she is." I placed my leg over his thigh, in a way to comfort him. He took note of my small action and placed his hand on top of mine.

"My guess is that she's alive, possibly somewhere in a different kingdom. It could have been someone who believed that you have done them wrong and took your sister to prove something, but I don't think they would be foolish enough to kill her." I said. Aiden took account of what I had said, when I noticed his eyes light up a bit.

"Maybe she is okay." He said to himself with a little hopeful smile. I grinned at his positive words and looked down at my nails to occupy the second wave of silence we encountered. Aiden silently ordered me to lay down and place my head on his lap by nudging the side of my shoulder. I followed through and rested my head on his thigh. I then felt Aiden relax back in the sofa and bring his hand up to my hair, combing his fingers through the strands. "Can I play with your hair?" He asked. Knowing Aiden's character, I didn't expect this kind of question to leave his mouth, but I wasn't complaining.

"You already are." I mentioned, unsure of what he was wanting me to do. Aiden took my legs and swung them so that I laid across the sofa with my head rested on his lap. My hair sprawled out on his legs, giving him full access to my, most likely, tangled hair. As I gazed up at him, I had a moment to admire his features. Aiden definitely could intimidate anyone with his sharp looks. At first, I didn't want to think of him as handsome or charming in any sort of way, but I even believe my own father couldn't deny his handsomeness.

"You're such a pretty one." He said whilst he looked down at me. "And I'm not just saying that because I was arranged to be with you. I actually mean that." Aiden promised.

"Im not the only pretty one here...You're parents have flawless genes." I lightly laughed. "I have never seen a woman more beautiful than your mother." I observed Aiden's reaction as he beamed a toothy smile, exposing his dimples. "You have dimples." I pointed out adoringly, poking one with my finger.

"Yes I do. You can thank my mother for those." Aiden continued to run his fingers through my thick locks of hair, making my eyes feel heavy. "You must really like it when people play with your hair, it puts you right to sleep."

"Yeah..." I mumbled, still enjoying myself. "It just something I've always enjoyed." We both sat there, genuinely cherishing each other's company in silence. These last two days have felt like a dream since Aiden and I spontaneously started getting along. I had a feeling that he had a good heart, but the toxicity of the Royal system got in the way of it. I would know, because I have seen it happen to so many good people.

After a few moments of Aiden simply playing with my hair, I eventually found myself giving into my tiredness, falling asleep on Aiden's lap.

______________________________

The cool breeze from the small crack in the window struck my exposed skin, waking my body up from a deep slumber. I opened my eyes to see that I was in the my designated room alone. My mind raced through what happened last night between Aiden and I. Although it was an innocent, small moment we shared, it felt like the biggest form of progress I had ever experienced. My lips barely curled into a smile as I felt his phantom hands running through the locks of my hair.

Snapping myself out of my thoughts, I climbed out of my warm covers. My eyes landed on a dress hanging on a rack with a note attached to it. I ran my fingers along the beautiful patterns of the fabric.

~

Emperor Maroon asked me to pick your dress for today. Meet me in my office when you are finished getting ready.

This is also a special occasion since we will be meeting with the Emperor today. Please wear what has been set out for you on your dresser.

See you soon x

A.

~

I peered over to my dresser to find what I was hoping I wouldn't.

A collar.

I rolled my eyes and picked it up, carefully examining the material. It was different than the wore last time, but the concept of wearing it made me cringe. I tossed it back to wear I found it and picked up the dress, quickly heading to the bathroom.

After I had gotten ready, I made sure that my attire was appropriate for Maroon today. I caked my makeup on to perfection, styled my hair and slicked the dress perfectly over my body. Another thing about Aiden that I had put together was his unique and neat sense for fashion. His parents, himself, and even his staff have a specific tone of style which I find fascinating.

After looking over myself for the last time, I left my room and went on my way to find Aiden's office. I noticed that today, the castle seemed a bit more lively today with more light coming through the clouds and voices echoing around the castle. I finally made my way to Aiden's office and approached the large door. My knuckles softly hit the door, making the most pathetic knocking sound in the world.

"Come in." I heard him say. I opened the door to see him sitting down, writing a few things down on paper. He kept his eyes on the paper until he heard the door shut behind me. His gaze met mine, instantly making my heart skip a beat just by his expression. It was unreadable. I kept my back against the door, not moving a muscle as I was unsure of why there was tension in the room. Aiden slowly got up from his chair, exposing his full outfit which appeared to have a similar design as my gown.

I gulped nervously as he took steady strides towards me, staying completely silent as he did so. When he reached me, he brought his hand up to me face, cupping my jaw into his palm. "You look so beautiful." He said just above a whisper. His hand then slid down my jaw, stopping at the side of my neck. "However..." he continued as he stepped closer, pushing me completely against the door and his chest. "I'm not seeing the necklace I had laid out for you. Why is that?" His soft but evil tone made my blood feel cold, but I kept a neutral face.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied. He put on a subtle smirk and backed away from me. I watched him as he walked over to a shelf hanging on the wall, which was held dozens of the collars. Aiden admired all each of the necklaces, deciding one for me to wear. He picked up a necklace which he found perfect and walked back over to me. "Why must I wear it, Aiden?" I asked.

"Move your hair for me." He said, ignoring my question. Not wanting to start a dispute, I obeyed him and pulled my hair up as he clasped it behind the back of my neck. Once he finished putting it on, he leaned down to place a kiss just below my jaw. "There we go." I kept my eyes locked with his once he looked down at me. "You're such a pretty thing." Aiden's voice held a psychotic tone.

"What's wrong with you today?" I snapped. Unprepared for my attitude, he tilted his head.

"What are you on about?" He asked.

"Just last night, you were sweet to me, and now you are trying to intimidate and scare me because I didn't put one of your collars on."

"Necklace. It's a necklace." He corrected me, totally dismissing everything else I said. I stood there in utter disbelief of his behavior.

"Aiden, you know damn well that it's the same thi-" his hand gripped the base of my neck, making me smack the back of my head against the wall.

"No, we are not going to do this today. Your Emperor is here with the intention to meet with us and talk about our relationship, and you are to be completely respectful when that time comes. I will not have you curse at me like you continue to do anymore." He demanded. "I can be sweet to you, but you will only receive that if you just listen and respect me. I already have had a stressful morning, and for you to walk into my office without the necklace I kindly asked you to put on completely pissed me off." By the end of his rant, his grip intensified enough to make me struggle.

"As if I care about how pissed you are with me. Get off!" I shouted, shoving him off of me. I pushed him hard enough to cause his back to hit the bookshelf, knocking the books to the ground. His eyes slowly lifted from the ground to me. "...Aiden, don't." I pleaded. As if he didn't hear my command, he stomped over to me.

Aiden lifted his hand, colliding his hand with my cheek. I stood there in complete shock from the impact, debating with myself wether or not that was real. I brought my hand up to the sore skin, wincing as it stung the moment I touched it. Never in my life I have ever cried before a man, but I felt my eyes swell up with tears. I kept my eyes on the ground for a moment, refusing to let them fall. My eyes eventually met his, and I saw the rage. I saw the evil in him.

"We are going to walk out of this room and meet Emperor Maroon in the dining room for breakfast. You are going to cut the attitude and start treating me with respect from now on, especially with the Emperor present. He brought us together to form a relationship and I expect you to take that seriously. I will take it as far as punishment if that is what it takes for me to put you in your place. And your place will be my wife soon, and I will be demanding the most respect out of you , because you'll be

under me." My hands shook at my sides from his harsh tone. "We wouldn't be having these arguments all of time, and you wouldn't be in this position right now if you just listened to me. So next time, be sure to put on the damn necklace."