Chapter 111
I returned to my chambers, my mind spinning with the conversations, the warnings, and the weight of everything that was happening. It felt like everything was closing in on me, everything was happening all at once and I didn’t know how to stop it or put an end to it. I had no choice but to act quickly, but I wasn't sure where to begin. What do I do? Do I inform Rowan? What do I tell him? That I was having his child? About Lucian and his plans for me? Where would I even begin?
The sound of soft footsteps behind me drew my attention. I turned to find the servants arranging the furniture, moving things around in a way that made my stomach churn.
"Why are you rearranging my room?" I asked, my voice calm but curious, despite the unease bubbling inside me.
One of the servants, a young girl, paused in her task, bowing her head as she spoke. "It's for Prince Lucian, my lady. They're preparing the room for his transfer from the royal infirmary. He's to be moved back here once his recovery is complete. He asked us to prepare his chambers.”
The words stung. This was it—the moment when I would lose the last bit of my freedom, when I would be forced back into that shared space with Lucian, unable to make a move without his scrutiny.
I nodded stiffly, trying to push away the panic rising in my chest. Was there anything I could do to stop this? Anything at all?
I turned and headed for the door, hoping that a walk in the garden would clear my head, but as I stepped into the hallway, I was quickly stopped by two guards, their eyes stern as they blocked my path.
"Princess Arin, I’m sorry but you cannot pass," one of them said, his tone final.
"Excuse me?" I blinked, a surge of frustration and anger rushing to the surface. "I'm going out for a moment. I have urgent matters to attend to. Let me pass.”
"We've been given orders, your highness," the other guard said. "We cannot let you leave your room unless we’re allowed to.”
Orders. I clenched my jaw, the reality of the situation hitting me hard. Lucian had done this. He was punishing me for defying his mother in front of the court ladies. For embarrassing her in a story fi way. This was his way of reminding me that I was not free to act as I wished, that I was bound by his control. That I was his wife.
I tried to step around them, my heart pounding as I spoke firmly. "Let me pass. I have every right to leave. You cannot do this to me. I am a princess of this kingdom!”
The guards didn't move. Their expressions didn't change. "No, Princess Arin. We cannot let you out. We are just following your husband’s orders.”
A flash of desperation surged through me, but I knew I was trapped. They wouldn't budge. The power they held was too strong, and I was too weak to fight it. I stepped back, deflated, and returned to my room, my heart heavy with defeat.
Inside, Beatrice was still there, her watchful eyes never leaving me. She had been instructed to stay by my side, and no matter how much I told her to leave me be, she remained.
"You needn't stay here," I told her, trying to keep my tone as even as possible despite the bitterness in my words. "You're not my guard."
She didn't respond, simply watching me with those unsettling, unblinking eyes. Her silence only made the weight of the room heavier. I could feel her judgment, her loyalty to Lucian hanging in the air like a shroud.
The door creaked open, and in walked Elana, the Royal Concubine. Her lips curled into a tight smile, though there was no warmth in it.
"Well, well," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "It seems there are consequences for your actions, Princess Arin. I’m sure you’re starting to regret your actions now.”
I didn't say a word. I couldn't. My heart pounded in my chest, and all I could do was stand there and let her gloat.
"You really thought you could challenge us, didn't you?" Elana continued, stepping further into the room as she scanned it with a look of superiority. "But now, I see you're finally learning your place.”
Her words felt like daggers, each one more poisonous than the last.
"From now on," she said, her voice cold, "your movements will be closely monitored. You won't be able to leave your chambers unless we say so. You'll be watched constantly, and if you want any semblance of freedom, you'll have to do exactly as we say. Is that understood?”
I couldn't bring myself to respond. The weight of it all—Lucian's control, the fear of Elana, the looming sense of doom that followed me everywhere I went—was suffocating.
Elana tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she watched me. "Are you listening to me, Arin? I don't want to hear any more defiance from you. You've been warned."
I said nothing, unable to speak, my mind racing, my body frozen.
After a moment, Elana seemed satisfied with my silence. She smirked one last time before turning on her heel and leaving the room, her steps echoing down the hall.
The door clicked shut, and the silence that followed felt deafening.
I collapsed onto the bed, the tears that I had been holding back finally spilling over. Exhaustion gripped me in a way it never had before. It wasn't just physical exhaustion—it was the weight of everything, the constant manipulation, the fear, the dread. I had no control over my life anymore. My every move was dictated by others.
And yet, I couldn't give up. I couldn't. But right now, all I could do was cry, letting the tears fall unchecked as I lay there in the darkness of my room.
Beatrice didn't say anything, but I could feel her eyes on me, watching me as if waiting for something. I didn't care anymore. I had no fight left in me.
The exhaustion overtook me, and I finally closed my eyes, hoping for a moment of peace, even if it was fleeting.
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