"Milady, I believe it is time for luncheon" Aslana said rising up from the settee she was sat on as they lounged in the library. Somehow she had a sixth sense for these things without looking at a clock, she could even sense when food is ready, when someone is at the door, and so on. How she could do all these things she couldn't explain, it just came naturally to her.
"Oh really?" Aseära asked over eagerly, already rising up to her feet as well, leaving the book she had been reading on her chair, which Torva smartly replaced on the shelf along with the other books they had been reading. "Let's get going then, it has been really nice reading with you ladies"
"Well, the sentiments go both ways, milady" Torva said as they walked out the library with Aslana closing the door behind them Susrette silent as usual.
As they got to the masters private dining hall, just outside the doors, Aseära suddenly remembered that she is yet to see the Darklord today, and as such she hadn't had the chance yet to see his reaction at her clothing of choice. The whole idea was to annoy him, frustrate him even and let him know that she didn't give a flying hoot about his week trial and what not, but if he doesn't get to see her today dressed as a maid what is the point.
Hoping he would be inside waiting for her already at the table, she pushed to the doors open and walked inside, her maids following behind her, only for her to be met with an empty dining hall.
"Would the Darklord not be dining with me today?" she asked no one in particular, "Or is he not in residence at the moment?"
When none gave her a speedy reply she turned to Aslana, surely she should know even if no one did. "Aslana?"
"Milady," Aslana started looking at the set table rather than her lady's face. Why her lady was suddenly so enthusiastic about dining with her husband she couldn't tell, something was up with her from choosing to wear one of her own maid's dress; one of the worst ones might she add, to this; asking about for the Darklord. Something was up but she just couldn't place her finger on it and one thing Aslana didn't like was not knowing, especially when it comes to on goings within the Darklord's castle.
"I believe the Lord is in residence and would be joining you for…" Aslana was saying when the second door at the other side of the room opened as the Darklord stalked in in all his regal dark glory.
"…dinner" Aslana silently finished as she and the other girls cast their gazes down as they bowed in greeting.
"My Lord, my lady" Aslana greeted the master and her lady on behalf of herself and Torva and Susrette as they quickly made their quiet exit leaving Aseära alone with the Darklord.
Aseära was suddenly breathing faster, she was nervous, despite all her put on bravado, she was somewhat scared of this beast of a man who is her husband. Well, no need to chicken out now, she told herself, she had a plan and would see it through. She took a seat at her place at the other end of the long dining table, though not as long as the one in the main dining hall of the castle, directly facing the Darklord who was already seated and had begun eating.
It is go time.
"Greetings, husband" she started with a sugary smile. Why she had chosen to start with something as dumb as greetings, she couldn't tell.
"Wife" came the one-word dry reply from the Darklord, without sparing her a glance.
That he refused to look at her still, irked her.
"Where have you been all day?" she asked, laying on the caring wife a bit too thickly, "I asked after you when I did not see you at breakfast and even afterwards"
No reply.
"I was just wondering where you went and if you had broken your fast, as a good wife would do" she continued, no reply.
"I suppose I missed your gloomy company" she added. Still, no reply, except this time she did at least get a reaction. He paused for a couple of seconds with a brow raised at her words then he resumed eating once again. Aseära looked at her plate, suddenly annoyed with the contents of the plate, surely the food could not be that good that it was more engaging than her, his gorgeous wife trying to hold a conversation with him.
Suddenly an idea sparked in her mind, if her attempts at conversation would not work, something else might.
She stood up and stretched across the table to reach the bowls and trays of food in the center of it, in a very unladylike manner. She already had food on her plate but she decided to overload it as she began munching on food very loudly, trying to eat everything at once. She wished the table was much shorter, at this moment, if only so she could raise her legs atop it as she ate.
"Oh my, oh my" she moaned loudly and rather callously between munches, her mouth wide open as she chewed on pheasant in one hand and pie in the other. "I" munch. "Have" munch. "Never" munch "Had" munch. "Pheasant" munch. "This" munch. "Good" munch.
She punctuated the end of her broken sentence with a very load unnecessary moan as she took a bite of the piece of pie in her hand.
This finally caught the Darklord's attention.
"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice clipped, his face blank.
"What does it look like, my dear husband? Of course, I am eating. Just as you" she replied as she dragged a careless hand dirtied by food across her mouth, before reaching for the golden, jewel embellished wine glass and gulping the entire glass down at once, before belching such a loud belch that would put the belch of a drunk giant to shame.
If the Darklord was disgusted, he didn't show it.
"No, you are eating nothing like me." He said as she returned to mercilessly devouring the remnant of the pheasant.
"Oh, I thought I was eating as you would like, my dear husband" she said belching again and finally dropping the pheasant as she cleaned her hands on her clothes. "Is this not how the wife of the Darklord is to eat? To show she has healthy appetite? I was sure I was getting it right" she looked completely clueless, as though she believed what she was saying. Her head inclined to the side as though mulling on what she had said.
"Whoever told you such?" the Darklord asked, then as though he just took in her attire, added, "And why are you dressed like a lowly maid?"
"Oh don't be mean now," she chided, "this belong to Aslana. She let me wear it today. Don't they become me?" she asked as she stood up and twirled so he could see her fully, knowing that she mostly looked like a country bumpkin in a burlap sack, a really worn out one might she add. She had purposely and consciously handpicked this one from the very bottom of Aslana's clothes, one of the ones she no longer wear. And she was right in picking it. If the Darklord's look right now was anything to go by, it was having the desired effect of displeasing him.
Quickly he righted his features to become a blank mask once again.
He looked straight into her eyes something flickered in his for a brief second before his eyes returned to their coldness, then he said, "Indeed wife, it becomes you. Now you do look more like your true self"
"My true self?" Aseära asked confused, not exactly following.
"Yes," the Darklord who was already to his feet said as he walked towards her. He came directly in front of her and fixed her his most demeaning look as he said, "Like a true country gnome from the nooks of Birek bidge"
Aseära gasped, his harsh words were not supposed to hit her so but they did for some reason. Rather than feeling insulted or close to tears, she was enraged.
"I am no gnome! How dare you?! You…" the Darklord stopped her halfway as he held the accusatory finger she had pointed at him above her head.
"Do away with whatever silly plan you have in your little head, wife, I have no time for games." He said, his voice dead serious.
"Let me go!" Aseära shouted at him as she tried and failed to remove her hands from his tight viselike grip.
Immediately he released her hand as he turned to leave, apparently done with lunch.
"Remember you are still on trial. Six days left, wife" he said before walking out and shutting the door behind him.
Aseära felt like screaming. She had worn this drab dress for no reason, ate like a starved troll for a reason, only for him to come and make her feel like a fool.
What is with this man that made her feeling deflated after every conversation with him? They were not married for up to a week and she is already tired of it all?
Why her father hates her so, she has no idea. Maybe she should just tell the Darklord she is ready to go back home now, no need waiting for a week. Neither of them wanted this union anyway.