Chapter4

#Chapter4

Arianna is waiting, lying on her bed. Her hair are spread out on the silks. In two days she is gonna marry the new Emperor. She isn’t sure how to take this. She doesn’t feel so afraid, as she did before.

The Kingdom is still in dispersal as this is the first time Zhen is being conquered. Keiran has to take care the city itself but also the outer lands that belongs to it. Arianna doesn’t bother herself with this, but today it’s a different day. A communication was established with her Kingdom, saying that they would like to keep the alliance. So, today her father and brother will arrive, once more.

She is still mad for the fact that they left her. But for tonight, she will behave. The maids enter the room, telling her that the Emperor would like to dine with her. This is the first time that he asks to see her since that day.

They prepared a long green dress with sewn a golden dragon. They grab her red hair in a high ponytail, leaving the bangs hanging. They color her pink eyes with a gold eyeshadow, and apply red lipstick on her lips.

She finally makes it into the dining room, seeing him waiting there. He is wearing a black shirt that shows a part of his chest and ties around his waist. His pants are also black. on his back is sewn with golden thread a dragon, just like Arianna’s.

‘We are matching’.

/"Hello Arianna/" his voice was soothing.

Even though he has killed, conquered and said he is a brutal man, she can’t help but feel safe around him.

She smiles at him. /"Emperor Keiran/" she tries to sound respectful. He raises her hand to stop her.

/"It’s Keiran/" he insisted.

/"Alright, Keiran/" she says with a gentle voice. He offers he a seat and then sits across her. The servants start bringing the food and the wine.

Keiran raises his glass and she does the same.

/"Do you enjoy the food?/" he asks her.

/"Yes, it’s really good/" she answers politely.

/"What do you think of me?/" this came out so casually that Arianna almost choked on her food.

/"I believe you are wise and strong and you will do wonderful as the new Emperor/" she tried to sound nice and formal. Keiran’s face becomes sour.

/"I expected something better to be honest. I thought you were not the one that would pretend. I looked you more when I first found you/" his words were sharp like knives.

‘He isn’t wrong’ she thinks in regret.

/"Are you afraid I’m gonna kill you, hit you?/" he asks trying to find out.

/"Not really, I don’t think you will/" this came out true and without thinking, making him goggle at her.

/"Then, speak out your mind/" he insists.

/"I’m not good at this and not sure what you want to hear from me. No one really asked my opinion, until now, so I have trouble finding the right words/" she starts feeling awkward.

/"Aria, no words can be wrong. I just wanna know your opinion. From now on, what you say matters/".

This statement was everything to her.

/"Alright Keiran. I believe you are cocky and always get what you want. But this isn’t a bad thing. I thought you lack manners, but this isn’t entirely true. You are intimidating and nice at the same time. The truth is I feel safer with a murderer like you/".

These words came out pouring with no stopping. Soon after she realized she might have taken it too far. He goggles at her, and she is afraid that she shouldn’t have done that.

‘Was this a trap to have a reason to kill me?’.

Keiran cracks a big smile, laughing, almost howling. Arianna is left there gawking, not sure what just happened.

/"Oh my, that was good. Thank you. Picking you was a good choice/".

‘Picking me? You didn’t’.

They continued on their meal till a messenger arrived with a piece of paper. He gives it to Keiran to read it.

/"Your family is gonna arrive in three hours, are you ready to greet them?/" he asks her.

She swallows a big chunk of meat and stops to think. /"I’ll be fine/" she says with a reassuring voice.

/"Alright. Let's hope business is gonna be good/". Arianna thinks about it. ‘What if they won’t be?’. She gathers her strength to ask the question.

/"What will happen if they don’t agree?/" she says hesitantly.

/"You mean, what will happen to you?/". She puts down her fork and knife and nods at the question.

/"I’ll marry you, deal or not. But I don’t know how your family will end up if they decide to betray me. Where will your allegiance lie, I wonder/".

Arianna wonders that herself too. She loves her family, but also faced so many hardships after she lost her mother. Her father used her for his bidding, and her brother is just another pawn that grew distanced.

A woman enters the room. Black long hair with a pair of amber eyes. She is really tall and masculine. Not the feminine type, but pretty. Black liner emphasize her big eyes. She wears tight clothes that are a bit revealing.

/"Eve/" Keiran’s voice is cool.

/"Keiran, we need you outside. I guess it’s time to make a statement/".

The woman looks at Arianna. Her gaze is ice cold, showing that she isn’t welcomed.

‘What’s her problem?’.

/"Alright, I’ll get to it/" he says and wipes his mouth with a towel. He stands up and Arianna does the same.

/"Aria, I need to go. I will see you on dinner/" and like that he disappeared.

She is standing there not sure what’s next for her to do. She feels empty now that she is alone. A maid approaches and taps her on the shoulder.

/"Miss Arianna, are you alright?/" she says with a gentle voice. Arianna nods and quickly stands up. She doesn’t want to go back to her room but she knows she can’t appear to the public yet.

When the alliance with her Kingdom is done, Keiran will announce to the people his and Arianna’s marriage. Till then she won’t appear, or it will look like she is captive.

Arianna decides to take a walk inside the castle. As she walks, she remembers herself running with blood all over her body. She sees the window in which she saw her family leave that day.

She tries to take a peak and finds Keiran standing next to Eve. They are talking and seem to care for each other.

Eve bends closer to Keiran and looks him in the eyes. She grabs the back of his head and brushes her lips onto his.

Arianna is in shock of what she just witnessed. Keiran senses someone is looking and turns to Arianna’s way.

Immediately, she dives so he won’t see her.

She is panting, not knowing how to feel about this. She isn’t jealous, as she has no feelings for him but still, she feels a little awkward.

‘What did just happen?’.