Four walls

The maid departed after dropping off the tray on the bed beside Eva. She stared at the food, but didn't have the heart to eat it nor the energy. Seeing only four walls around her was making her numb with each passing second.

Her biggest priority was that she would always remain free and be her own master. She had promised herself that she would let no one control her and boss her around. That she wouldn't be trapped in a house all day long waiting for a man to arrive whom she could serve.

In the end, she thought to herself with a weak smile. In the end, she had ended up where she hadn't ever wanted to go.

A cage.

A prison.

Inside four walls.

She slid the tray away at a distance and hoped the Kingdom didn't waste food, just like Xandria didn't. It would be horrible and it would surely make her feel guilty if such good food went to waste and into the trash.

She hadn't seen the Queen anywhere in Gleana. People praised her and called her the beauty of Vermont, and Eva nodded along with them, not even knowing if the Queen was beautiful. Now that she was face to face with the Queen, she didn't know what to make of it.

A tall woman stood in her doorway, her maroon gown trailing behind her and showing her hips and curves off perfectly from every angle. Her face might have been called beautiful, only if she didn't have her lips in such a tight, thin line all the time. Her face was grim as she surveyed her from top to bottom and Eva slowly stood up to courtesy.

"Your Majesty."

"Take a seat," she ordered and ignored her greeting completely, not even acknowledging it with a nod or a reply of her own.

Oblivious to the fact that Diana worked under the Queen, Eva obeyed her commands respectfully. She took a seat on the bed while the Queen positioned herself on a nearby chair.

"I suppose that Alastor has already told you that I was going to meet you," she stated, and Eva nodded cautiously, wondering where she was going with this conversation.

"This might come as a shock, but I'm your legal guardian now. Diana might have told you that your biological parents are dead. Well, your mother was my elder sister before she had you and then fell sick. Alastor and Diana have been taking care of you on my behalf all this time."

Eva's chest fell as her hands started trembling again. She placed them on top of each other on her lap and tried to control her shock and anger.

She had no clue that Diana was working under the Queen's orders. Furthermore, she was baffled to think that the person who killed her family was her mother's sister, making the Queen her aunt. Making her a princess.

She realized that the Queen was the one who had ordered Diana to kill Vanessa and her mother. Her biological aunt had killed her family, and she felt like punching a wall and breaking her hand into pieces.

"You must know I did it for your own good, as I will continue to do so," stated Isabella negligently.

Eva heard her and it only added oil to her already burning flame.

"You killed my family for my own good?" she managed to grit out and tried not to raise her voice too much. "You took away my happiness for my own good?"

Isabella raised her head and narrowed her eyes at the girl who was brave enough to start an argument with her. "I am your family. And soon Alastor will be your family too. Happiness? Oh, you will be happy with him. What else could anyone want?" she asked and waved her hands around as if asking someone invisible the answer.

"I don't want to marry Alastor," she spoke, her tone getting defensive, and Eva twitched as the Queen glared at her through silver eyes.

"You will, and I won't hear another word against it. The wedding will be taking place in a week— "

At this, Eva abruptly stood up and backed away, shaking her head. No, this can't be happening. Her family was gone, and now she was being forced to marry someone!?

"I will not!" she spoke in a determined voice and watched the Queen stand up and take a step towards her.

"Oh, you will. If I have to force you, I will happily do so."