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CHAPTER 6

"He…" Exhaling out loud, he lifted his eyes to behold the beauty of the one whose tears he wasn\'t worthy of looking at.

"Did he agree for us to see her before we leave tomorrow?"

"No, he wants us to leave now."

"What!"

Emerald could not believe her ears. How did things turn sour so soon?

At first, they had hoped that since the King seemed to be in good spirits and decided to try their luck and ask permission to stay a day extra.

She did not know what her husband must have told him to get him to make such decisions, regardless, it was too much.

They were the parents of his bride after all!

A small but sad smile appeared on her lips. She could not say anything. She knew he must have tried and considering who their in law was…

"Let\'s go. I would drop a letter for Era. I am sure she would understand. We do not want to make her sacrifice to be in vain and incur his wrath now, do we?"

Elrad could not bear the whole thing and was ready to burst out. "Who cares about his wrath. It is my daughter we are talking about here, you know."

"Exactly what I am saying. The very daughter you gave out. What were you thinking?"

Both of them turned to the side to see another king of one of the kingdoms Vidor had conquered.

"I do not think you are in a position to tell me that," Elrad countered.

"Pff. Well, as I said, just a word." Without uttering another word, he turned around and began leaving.

With a warm smile, Emerald looked at her husband. Even though she did so, her eyes held her pain. "It\'s okay, darling. Let\'s head back to our room, alright?"

"Yeah."

***

Just like that, everyone began to exit the hall and retire to their rooms and that included Vidor. The second the door pushed open, her heart skipped but she did not bother to turn to look at him.

Not saying anything, he took a quick glance of the living room before taking further steps inside.

Seated at a corner on the bed in their bed-chamber was one of the most beautiful ladies he had ever set eyes on in his life.

Her head held high, back turned to him, eyes closed as she ignored his obvious presence in the room.

He waited a few more minutes to see if she would say something but it was still the same. Not one single word was uttered. That singular act had simply angered the one king who always had everyone quiver at the sight of him.

"Little rabbit." His cold voice rang out, sending chills down her spine causing her eyelids to tighten, protecting her eyes from seeing the handsome young man who brought her into this.

"Little rabbit," he called again and still… No answer. His chest rose and fell with great effort. He was already beginning to get angry at her but decided to try and be calm.

\'Perhaps she is just lost in thoughts.\' Vidor thought inwardly.

It was as though he was trying to actually give himself hope based on her reaction so that his mood doesn\'t get soiled more than what her father had done to it.

\'Wait. Why am I bothering to calm myself? U should take it out on her. Hmm.\'

"Little rabbit." He called out for the third time and got the same kind of response.

That was it. He was done being patient.

Taking heavy steps towards her, only to come to a stop in front of his now queen, Vidor inhaled deeply and exhaled sharply, flaring his nostrils in return at her.

"Did your parents not teach you a simple manner on how to greet your husband, Lord and King?"

His words had hurt her. How dare he say that about her parents? But even though it did, that was his goal all along. He hurt her just as she had hurt his pride just now.

Slowly her eyelids pried open and the first being she saw, which she wished she didn\'t was the face of the man who would turn her world into a nightmare If he hadn\'t already done that.

The second their eyes met, he was taken aback a bit but quickly masked his shock.

Residing deep within her eyes was a pain he never thought he had seen. Yes, he saw fright and sorrow in people\'s eyes, especially before killing them but… this was different.

Yes, it was sadness and pain or whatever but something about seeing it in her eyes struck a chord within him.

Almost instantly, he turned his eyes away, looking elsewhere rather than casting his gaze on her.

"Shouldn\'t you be about your duties as my wife?"

"Is that how you address your wife and queen? Little rabbit?"

Though shaky, Era\'s voice still held that authority and boldness in them as the look in her eyes turned from that of pain to one of irritation and irk.

"Is that how you address your king?" He asked, staring at her through his lashes to further show her where her place was. "Hmmm, it is like you are forgetting that this whole marriage was just in the favour of that sorry place you call a kingdom. You should be grateful I am even bothering to talk to you."

"If not I, then who?"

0_0

"You said?"

\'Shouldn\'t you still be grateful a lady thought it okay to wed you? I also did you a favour.\' Era said in her mind.

She had really wished she said that out loud but this was just a few hours into their wedding. The last thing she wanted was for her parents to learn of her death the very next morning.

It would not just kill her mother but break her father.

Taking in a deep breath, with her eyelid falling, Era counted up to three within her before opening her eyes and looking at him.

"Welcome."