Consummate wedding vows

Arvcan couldn't believe his eyes. The girl was folded comfortably on the floor. Sleeping so soundly like a baby.

Wasn't she just tearing her eyes out a few seconds ago? How could she be in a deep slumber now? She wasn't even loyal to her apology. Hmph!

He wanted so much as to pick her up and toss her out but just couldn't find the courage to. He hated her. He was sure of that but the clarification of the mutual feeling of imprisonment they both had, made him understand her helplessness. Somehow it also left him feeling angry too.

Begrudgingly. He went ahead and picked her up from the floor—princess style— then callously dumped her on the King sized bed. The girl groaned, rolled and resumed her sleep.

Arvcan wasn't going to mind her anymore. He had other things to do so he turned and walked away.

★★★

The next morning...

A panging headache and a drenched throat was Gwendolyn wake up call. The burning rays from the morning sun shining directly on her face did no good to her headache too.

She opened her eyes and shut it back. The blinding light was too much to look upon, it prickled her eyes. Using her hand to shield her eyes, she sat up, gradually opened her eyes and was slapped with reality.

This... This was not her room.

She dropped the hand. Frantically she looked around the room. The looked nothing like the room she was used to waking up in for the past months. The walls had that familiar colour but the furnitures as well as the room arrangements was nothing like her room. A realisation came to her mind bringing in a pang of Horror too. The Horror settled in on her face, then also appeared in reality few seconds later.

The Bathroom door opens and a half naked Arvcan walked out. A fully packed abs on a Caucasian white skin, both with droplets of water rolling down, He clearly just got out of the showers. It was a sight to behold especially with the rays of the early morning sun highlighting his figure. Even if Gwen would want to drool over this scenery, it was not with the stone cold look on his face.

He spared her a glance. An angry glint flashed past his eyes then he looked away and walked to the closet.

"Um..." Gwen tried to speak but no words came out. She didn't know what to say. Apart from the memories of gulping down his Nime wine to relieve her allergies and them starting to bicker, she couldn't remember what else happened last night. She couldn't even remember exactly what they argued about it how the argument ended. Was she supposed to apologise for barging into his room the previous night? Or should she ask what happened during the night?. The red patch of blood on the bedsheets continuously piqued her curiosity.

Did something happen between them?

"Did_" she started but was interrupted.

Arvcan hissed "Do you need a special notice to get lost!" He was angry. Didn't even bother to look at her.

Gwendolyn swallowed every question she had wanted to ask. "No, I'm leaving. sorry" she scurried off the bed and out of the room. Whatever might have happened in the night would stay in the night, there was no way he would be kind enough to tell her after all so she would pretend like it never happened. Not that she even remembered any of it in the first place.

When she got to her room. She was greeted by a ton of servants. Following the orders of Amelia, they were helping to pack up her stuffs for her movement to Rylica. They each gave her curious looks. They didn't dare to ask but their expression spoke of the questions they were wanting to ask. Each of their faces showed they were wanting to hear some gossip.

Immediately Amelia saw her, she drew her to the side curiously. "Princess What happened? You were gone all the night?" She asked concerned in whispers. The last time she saw Gwendolyn was when she suddenly stormed off and went to the Prince Chambers, she had waited and waited only to be informed by one of the Prince men that she shouldn't wait any longer.

"Is it true? Did...Did you and the Prince consummate your wedding vows?"

How fast rumors fly even in the palace.

The Palace had woken up with news that the princess had spent the night in the Prince room and the newly wedded couple had consummated their marriage vows. Some certain servants even had evidence to tell of the night's tedious activity.

Gwen's eyes shot open when she heard Amelia's questions. She almost did a spit take out of shock.

Con... Consummate? What nonsense was that? Why would people_

Even Gwendolyn couldn't finish that thought when she remembered the red patch of blood on the bedsheet. Could that be what it was? If it is, why doesn't she feel anything? Shouldn't she feel different after consummating the so-called vows? nothing could have happened...it couldn't be right?

She shook her head. She doesn't even want to think about it. Even if she was too drunk and ended up jumping the prince, there was no way that stone hearted prince would sleep with her. There must be an explanation to yesterday night, it's only that she couldn't ask him. Sigh. What an inconvenience.

"When do we leave?" Gwen asked a question of her own.

"a few minutes now. I've picked out your outfits, the bath is also ready for you to take your bath. I have also ordered a light breakfast for you, pickle egg, bacon and a bowl of eggplant soup. It'll be here by the time you finish bathing"

Gwen nodded "I'll take my bath then."

Few minutes later she was done dressing up. Thankfully the dress this time around was comfortable unlike the ball gown. Followed by an entourage of servants, she made her way to the out Palace, where the prince and his carriages were supposedly waiting for her.

Fortunately for Gwen she didn't have to see his face as she was given a different carriage to ride in. Without Dilly dallying, their journey started.

People watched as the married Princess left to go live with her newly wedded husband. Something that seemed impossible had finally come true. The wedding people thought would no happen had not only come but had come and gone all the same.

...

Arvcan sat in his carriages, his head plopped on his palm and his eyes closed. Darian and Alex who were sitting across him had their eyes fixed on him. Even them had been fed with the rumors that came with the rising of the sun, their eyes showed how much they wanted to ask about the rumors they had heared but Arvcan's mood was odd, it was obvious from the slightly furrowed brows.

"What happened to your arm? The last time I remember, you didn't have any injury when we left you?" Alex started by asking this. He was merely taking a stroll round his real intention. This was just a means to an end. All the same, seeing the two plasters, one across his arm and the other on his palm, piqued their curiosity.

Did he wrestle with a beast at night?

Arvcan opened his eyes slowly and stared at the pale brown plaster used to cover up the wounds on his arm. Wounds left behind by a certain princess. First it was when she was drunk, then next even in her sleep. The dumb girl had slept with a piece of glass in her grip only to end up slicing him in her sleep. It was really annoying to look at them.

"Go straight to the point." Arvcan chided agitatedly.

Alex chuckled guiltily "actually the whole Palace thinks you and the princess consummated your wedding vows. I was just curious to know if it was true?"

He noticed Arvcan's glare, so he changed his words "of course I know it's not true, I just wanted to know why you let her sleep in your room, you must have a reason right?"

"I didn't. She let herself in" Arvcan answered then closed his eyes and resumed resting his head on his palm. Even if Alex wanted to ask something else, he could only swallow his questions and quench his curiosity. Plus what else was there to ask? What they discussed about?

While Arvcan slept peacefully, Gwendolyn could not close her eyes for even a second. How was life married to the prince going to be? What would become of her once she gets to Rylica? Would her plan to escape succeed? Can she ever get out alive or was it going to be like the prince said– in her death?

She couldn't stop thinking about these, every minute that rolled on the journey brought her close to finding their answer. Gwen didn't know if she really wanted to know what the answer to these questions are. She could only hope they turned out to be positive.