The door to the princess's chambers closed with a muffled sound, finally cutting her off from the turmoil of the festivities. The moment she was alone, shielded from the scrutinizing eyes of the nobility, a trembling breath escaped her lips.
She was free… but only for a few hours. Away from the throne room, away from the hollow laughter and the clinking of goblets raised in her honor. She could finally release the illusion she had carefully maintained all evening. But now that the tension was draining from her shoulders, she felt hollow, exhausted to the depths of her being.
She took a few steps into the room, the rustling of her gown echoing in the oppressive silence. The chamber, bathed in the flickering light of the chandeliers, felt more suffocating than usual. Normally, this space offered her a semblance of refuge. But tonight, everything here reminded her of the gilded cage in which she was imprisoned.
A discreet presence caught her attention. She turned slightly, her gaze falling on Anna, her handmaid, who stood near the large mirror. Her hands were clasped before her, her face closed off by an unease she no longer bothered to conceal. She had waited for the princess's return, as always, but tonight, her eyes were more insistent, more anxious.
The young blonde woman didn't have the strength to offer her a reassuring smile. She had no strength left.
— Anna: "Let me help you, Your Highness." she murmured as she approached, her voice gentle.
The princess with golden hair gave a slow, weary nod. She let herself be tended to, like a lifeless doll, as her servant busied herself undoing the clasps of her gown. The fabric slid slowly from her shoulders, revealing skin marked by the hours spent trapped in that cage of silk and embroidery.
When the corset was finally loosened, a deep sigh escaped her lips. She could breathe at last. But the relief was short-lived.
As Anna knelt to remove her shoes, her fingers brushed against the bare skin of Elena's wrist. She froze, her gaze locking onto a faint reddish mark.
— Anna: "Your Highness! What is…?"
Elena lowered her eyes and saw the mark. A subtle burn, left by the insistent grip of Prince Adrian when he had seized her during their dance.
Her stomach clenched. She wanted to ignore it, to pretend that touch had never happened. But the mark was there, a silent testament to what had transpired.
She quickly averted her gaze and grabbed the linen nightgown Anna handed her. That simple, flowing garment was a deliverance after the constraint of her ceremonial attire. She put it on hastily, seeking to cover her skin, as if that could erase the lingering shudder of disgust.
A heavy silence settled in the room. Anna straightened slowly but did not move, simply watching the princess with a pained intensity.
Then, in a hushed voice, she asked:
— Anna: "Was it so terrible?"*
Elena closed her eyes for a moment. "Terrible." Such a feeble word for what she felt.
She sat on the edge of the bed, running a nervous hand through her loosened hair. She wanted to answer immediately, to pour out everything she had been forced to keep inside. But the words were lodged in her throat, forming a painful knot.
At last, in a near-whisper, she murmured:
— Elena: "He touched me."
Anna froze.
— Anna: "What?"* she breathed, eyes widening in horror.
Elena clenched her fists over the fabric of her nightgown, struggling to contain the tremors threatening to overtake her.
— Elena: "During the dance… he didn't just lead me. He… he let his hand linger on me, as if I already belonged to him."
She inhaled deeply, then added in a bitter whisper:
— Elena: "And again, at the table. He brushed my wrist… gently, as if it were a simple courtesy. But I felt it."
She lifted her head abruptly, her steel-blue eyes meeting Anna's.
— Elena: "He knows, Anna. He knows I can't do anything. That I'm trapped."
The young servant recoiled slightly, as if the words had physically wounded her. Then, in a surge of rage, she knelt before Elena and took her hands in hers.
— Anna: "He has no right! You are not yet married, he cannot behave this way!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking.
Elena gave her a sorrowful smile before replying:
— Elena: "And who will stop him?" she asked softly, with cruel clarity.
Anna opened her mouth, but no words came. Because they both knew the answer.
No one would. Not the court, not the king, not even Queen Isabella.
Silence fell again, heavy and suffocating. Anna, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, tightened her grip on the princess's hands.
— Anna: "You must find a way… There has to be a way out." she whispered.
The young woman held her servant's gaze for a long moment, reading in her eyes all the anguish she herself did not dare to express.
She had thought of escape. She knew she couldn't flee now. But she had to prepare something. Then, with measured slowness, she withdrew her hands from Anna's and gently placed one on her shoulder.
— Elena: "Don't worry about me." she murmured.
The servant simply nodded, then stood and moved to extinguish the candles, slowly plunging the room into darkness.
Lying on her bed, the young woman stared at the ceiling without truly seeing it, her mind still haunted by the voice of Prince Adrian, by his touch she could not forget.
She knew she would not sleep tonight. The night was well advanced, wrapping the palace in an almost unreal silence.
Lying on her bed, Elena stared at the ceiling, unable to find sleep. Rest eluded her, just like everything else. Her body remained motionless beneath the silk sheets, but her mind kept turning in circles, searching for an invisible escape from this gilded prison.
Beyond the slightly open window, the night sky stretched endlessly, deep and unfathomable, scattered with trembling stars. They remained there, frozen above the world, powerless witnesses to the fate of men. A pale moon watched over the sleeping city, casting silver shadows over the palace gardens. Everything seemed peaceful... Too peaceful.
The night breeze gently drifted through the silk curtains, lifting the delicate veils that framed the princess's bed. Yet, despite the pleasant coolness of the night, she felt an oppressive heat weighing upon her.
As she lay in bed, a faint, almost imperceptible sound caught her attention. Three knocks, discreet but insistent, resonated against the massive wooden door.
She sat up slowly, her heart suddenly pounding harder. Who would come to see her at this hour? Anna was surely asleep by now, and no one dared disturb a princess's rest in the middle of the night.
A strange apprehension tightened her throat. She rose cautiously, her bare feet brushing against the thick carpet. The flickering glow of a candle left burning cast shifting shadows on the walls, making the room seem more menacing than it truly was.
She hesitated. Then, with the tips of her fingers, she unlocked the latch and cracked open the door, just enough to see the intruder.
Her blood ran cold instantly.
Standing in the darkness of the corridor was the old man who would haunt her existence until her last breath. What could he possibly want from her at this hour? She regretted opening the door. She should have pretended not to hear.
One of his hands rested against the doorframe, the other casually placed on the belt of his doublet. The torchlight from the corridor cast harsh shadows across his face, accentuating his heavy features, worn by age and the intoxication of the evening.
He was smiling. A pleasant, almost benevolent smile, but something in his gaze made Elena profoundly uneasy.
— Prince Adrian: "My dear princess, you are awake. I feared you might already be lost in dreams and that I would disturb your sleep." he murmured, his voice too soft to be sincere.
She discreetly tightened her grip on the door handle, resisting the instinctive urge to shut it immediately.
— Elena: "I... I was having trouble sleeping." she replied, carefully measuring her words.
The prince's smile widened slightly.
— Prince Adrian: "What a fortunate coincidence. So was I."
An awkward silence stretched between them. She felt uneasy.
— Prince Adrian: "Perhaps it is the excitement of such a beautiful day. After all, we have just made our union official…" he continued lightly, as if that justified this late-night visit.
She forced a polite smile, silently praying for the conversation to end quickly.
— Elena: "It is late, Your Highness. I should try to rest."
She moved to close the door, but before she could, the prince's hand suddenly blocked it. A shiver of panic ran down her spine.
— Prince Adrian: "Come now, come now…" he said, pressing lightly against the wood to prevent the door from closing. "We should get to know each other, shouldn't we? After all, we will soon be husband and wife."
His tone remained courteous, but there was a growing insistence in his gaze, something unsettling.
Elena tightened her grip on the handle, but he was stronger than her.
— Elena: "Tomorrow will be a more suitable time for that." she replied with carefully controlled coldness, trying to keep her composure.
But the old man did not step back. On the contrary, he moved forward. And before she could stop him, he pushed the door open and entered the room.
He invaded her space without invitation, without permission. As if this place, as if she already belonged to him.
Instinctively, she stepped back, her heart hammering against her ribs.
He closed the door behind him with a calm gesture, then let his gaze wander across the room, as if assessing it, as if settling into a space that was rightfully his.
Then, he looked at her. A gaze that chilled her to the bone.
— Prince Adrian: "You have no reason to be afraid, my dear.' he said, stepping slightly closer. "I simply wish to speak with you. To get to know you. After all, we have a long life to share…"
A long life. The weight of those words hit her like a blow.
A lifetime beside this man. Enduring his presence. Bearing his stares, his smiles, his hands that would touch her with that same entitlement. She swallowed her fear, lifting her chin slightly to conceal the trembling of her lips.
— Elena: "It is late, Your Highness. This is neither the time nor the place." she declared firmly.
Adrian raised an eyebrow, as if surprised that she still dared to resist him. Then, slowly, he advanced.
Elena did not move, but her breath caught when he stopped just inches from her. She could smell the wine he had consumed in abundance at the banquet. She could hear the steady breathing of a man sure of himself, sure of his power, sure that nothing and no one could oppose him.
He traced the tip of his fingers lightly over one of the ribbons on her nightgown. A calculated gesture.
— Prince Adrian: "You look lovely in this attire." he murmured.
A cold shiver ran down her spine. But she did not step back. She held his gaze, her blue eyes breaking through the prince's unyielding stare. And in a voice sharper than she thought possible, she declared:
— Elena: "Leave my chambers. Now. You have no right to be here, and even less so without my permission."
A heavy silence fell over the room. She was alone with this old man who has clearly no good intention. His eyes are filled with something malicious and bad. Her heart was beating fast, but she tried to not show it. She can't let him see the fear in her eyes. She had to show him that he can't intimated her. She's not gonna be that kind of woman who is afraid of a man.
So they stood there, locked in a tense standoff, each anticipating the other's next move.