Chapter 5: Vaxwald Castle
ASIDE from the scuffle at the border, the rest of our journey was fairly uneventful. Occasionally I would spot curious Dragonkin peering at us from the side of the road, but they made no attempt to approach us; either they weren’t opposed to the marriage, or perhaps they just weren’t brave enough to say so in Prince Dario’s presence. Either way, we arrived safely at the Vaxwald castle without delay.
The castle proper was a majestic sight to behold. Built with dull gray slate, it also served as a fortress—quite the stark departure from our charming little white castle back home. One look and I knew I was bound to get lost at some point.
“Nnnn... Everyone in the castle hates my guts, I just know it...” Patricia whimpered. She’d managed to put on a brave face in front of Dario, but evidently it still weighed heavily on her.
“Now, now, don’t be silly. I’m sure they’re all happy and excited that you’re going to be part of the royal family! See?”
As our carriage passed through the castle gates, I pointed outside the window at the crowds, where dozens upon dozens of people were smiling and applauding. Clearly not everyone had bought into the rumors.
The two of us stepped out of the carriage and followed Prince Dario into the castle. Our destination: Patricia’s personal quarters.
“Here we are. This will be your sitting room,” he explained as we arrived. “It may seem dark now, but that’s just because the sun has set. Tomorrow morning, you’ll see that it’s rather light and airy. Now, if the summer sun gets a bit too hot for you, you can open the door to the balcony to get some air circulation.”
In sharp contrast to the austere aesthetic of the castle exterior, the interior design of Patricia’s sitting room was downright adorable, with flower-print wallpaper, shag carpet, and brightly colored furniture. When Prince Dario explained that he had customized it to suit her tastes, she looked positively over the moon.
“Next door we have your bedroom; I figure we ought to sleep separately for the next month or so until our wedding night. Oh, and your dressing room is over here, across the hall. Beyond that, we have plenty of other spare rooms, and you’re welcome to use them as you see fit.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“I imagine you must be exhausted from the long journey. I’ll have my servants cook you a meal. Then, after you eat, feel free to get some rest. We can introduce you to my parents tomorrow.”
The servants got to work at once, preparing food and carrying Patricia’s many personal belongings into their proper rooms. One of them tapped me on the shoulder and led me to where I would be staying. Unlike the other servants, who all slept in a dormitory together, I had been assigned a room of my very own, presumably as a courtesy to the Princess. Fortunately, my room wasn’t that far from hers, so I didn’t have to worry about getting lost in the castle.
“You’ll be eating all your meals in the servants’ canteen. It’s in the North Wing, first floor. We don’t have set mealtimes, so you can visit at any time, but be warned that they might not have anything left if you turn up late at night. The bath is right near there, too.”
“Thank you.”
Having finished her spiel, the servant handed me a candelabra replete with candles, then turned and left. I glanced around the room; it was by no means large, but it was furnished with a loveseat and a writing desk, and the bed was freshly made. All in all, I was grateful.
That said, the closet was (obviously) barren. I needed to go and fetch my—
“This luggage is yours, right?”
A sudden voice behind me nearly made me jump out of my skin. I whirled around to find Ray standing in the doorway, carrying two leather trunks and one large satchel. Behind him in the hallway sat a pile of familiar boxes.
In the dark of the night, his golden hair and eyes were illuminated only by the light of the candelabra.
“How did you know that...?” I asked.
He merely shrugged.
“Well, thank you.”
Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly comfortable being alone with him in the same room, and yet for some reason he lingered, examining everything from the windows to the carpet to the fireplace.
“What are you doing?”
He didn’t answer. But when he started poking around my bed, well, that was where I drew the line.
“Can you leave now?” I asked with a frown.
At this, Ray finally turned and acknowledged my presence. “Do you plan to stay in Vaxwald permanently?”
“No, not permanently. Just until Her Highness has adjusted to her new life here.”
“And when will that be, exactly?”
“I couldn’t tell you. We were thinking a year or so, but it’s really up to her.”
“A year?”
He scowled. I scowled back. Maybe he wasn’t excited at the prospect of spending the next year with me, but I wasn’t exactly excited to be around someone who hated my guts, either. Regardless, we both needed to suck it up and do our jobs.
“Just leave, would you?” With a sigh, I turned my face away and reached out to give him a little shove—but before I laid a finger on his armor, he seized me by the wrist.
“No, you’re going to leave,” he growled, taking a step toward me.
Startled by this sudden close proximity, I tried to take a step back, but couldn’t wrest myself free of his grip.
“Get out of Vaxwald, Mayna.” The candelabra’s scarlet flame danced in his eyes. “A year is far too long. Even six months would be too long. No, you’re going to leave in one month—just as soon as the wedding ceremony is over.”
“Why should—”
“One month. Got that?” And with that, he released his grip on my wrist and stormed out of the room.
Once he was gone, I grabbed the first thing I thought of—my satchel—then thought better of it. Instead, I walked to the bed, grabbed a pillow... and flung it full-force at the door.
“Who died and made you the boss of me?!”