Free Web NovelChapter 356: Chapter 356
The head maid finished securing Elka’s gown and stepped back, lowering into a deep bow before him.
Elka mirrored the gesture, offering a tight, controlled smile as she straightened. Her mind raced. What was he doing here?
"Good morning, Your Highness," she said politely. "I am afraid Prince Hairan is not here at the moment."
Azul’s lips curved into an easy smile. He was dressed impeccably, as though he were preparing to depart on some important engagement.
"But he is not who I am here for," Azul replied calmly.
"Oh?" Her brow furrowed slightly. She glanced around the bedchamber, unease creeping up her spine. Even with the maid still present, something about this felt improper. "I do not believe this is appropriate," she added carefully. "For you to be here with me in your brother’s chambers."
Azul’s smile did not falter.
"Nothing about your situation is particularly appropriate, is it?" A spark of irritation flared in her chest, but before she could respond, he continued, his tone softening.
"I did not have the opportunity to speak with you at the wedding. I wished to rectify that by escorting you to the dining hall for breakfast. You are now a member of this family. It is the least I can do."
Elka studied him for a moment, searching for any hidden intent. She found none.
"Very well," she said at last.
Azul stepped aside and held the door open for her. She passed through first, keeping her posture straight despite the faint pull of pain at her back. He fell into step beside her as they walked down the long corridor, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished marble floors.
"Congratulations on your nuptials," he said lightly. "I always imagined that our first conversation would take place before the wedding, not after."
Elka did not know how to respond. He was her brother-in-law now, yet he remained a stranger, one with sharp eyes that seemed to miss very little.
"Thank you," she answered automatically, though the words felt hollow even to her own ears. free𝑤ebnovel.com
"Yet you do not appear particularly thrilled by your situation," Azul observed.
She kept her gaze fixed ahead, focusing on the tall windows that lined the corridor. Pale morning light spilled across the floor in long, golden strips.
"My marriage to Prince Hairan is an arrangement between our families," she said evenly. "It ensures mutual political gain. It was never meant to be a union of love or any other sentimental indulgence. I do not believe anyone expects me to be ecstatic."
The bluntness of her reply startled even herself. Her mother would have struck her for speaking so plainly. She should have smiled, denied his implication, and assured him of her happiness. That was what was expected of her.
But it was too late now. She could feel Azul’s gaze on her, intent and assessing.
"From that answer alone," he said with a faint smirk, "I suspect the woman before me is very different from the one I have been hearing about for weeks." His eyes flickered with interest. "I would like to know you as you truly are. Consider me an older brother, if you wish."
If only he understood what he was asking.
"I do not speak to my older brother," she replied before she could stop herself.
The words hung in the air between them.
She cleared her throat quickly. "We have very little in common. Our interests differ greatly. There is hardly anything for us to discuss."
Azul stopped walking so abruptly that she was forced to halt as well. The corridor stretched empty in both directions.
He leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice so that it would not carry beyond them.
"I think you and I will understand each other quite well," he murmured. "And if you intend to survive in this palace, then I have some advice for you. Stay far away from the king. Nothing good ever happens to the women he gets close to. Hairan might be your husband now, but you don’t have to chase his affection and I guarantee it would be a waste of your time. Lastly, get as close as you can to my mother. Don’t just be her friend; make her dependent on you and what you have to offer her, whether it is a listening ear for her troubles or a skill you are particularly good at. She hardly ever gets rid of people she deems valuable."
Just then, Prince Jayran walked past them without so much as a pause, not stopping to glance in their direction. He strode by as though they were invisible, his expression unreadable.
Azul offered Elka a small, knowing smile before turning on his heel and continuing down the corridor, and Elka followed after him in silence, her thoughts tangled and heavy.
They reached the dining hall moments later. The space was already alive with quiet movement. Azul immediately pulled out a chair for himself with casual ease and sat down. Elka, however, remained standing, her fingers curling slightly at her sides as she scanned the long table.
There was an empty chair beside Hairan.
Her gaze lingered there for only a heartbeat before she looked away. She highly doubted he wanted her seated at his side. The memory of the night before still clung to her like a shadow she could not shake away.
"Elka, dear, come and sit beside me."
The queen’s voice cut through her uncertainty.
Elka released a small sigh of relief and crossed the room to where Nheera sat at the head of the table. At least she would no longer have to stand awkwardly in a corner, uncertain of her place in a household that was now supposed to be her own.
As she lowered herself into the chair beside the queen, servants continued flitting around the table, pouring tea and arranging dishes with practiced movements.
"Your family sent someone to drop off the rest of your belongings this morning. The chests mostly contained your old dresses," Nheera said lightly, lifting her teacup as though discussing the weather. "I sent them all back."
Elka’s eyes widened before she could stop herself. Her lips parted in surprise, but the queen continued speaking before she had the chance to respond.
"I will call for my seamstress. She will come over and take your measurements for new dresses. You are a princess, Elka and soon you will be a queen. You need to begin preparing for that role as soon as possible, starting with something as simple as the way you dress and carry yourself."
Her tone carried the softness of motherly advice, yet beneath it lay something firmer, an expectation that could not be ignored.
"The nobles at court are brutal," Nheera went on. "They will do their best to find fault in you, even where none exists. You are a woman, and that alone makes you their preferred target. Hairan may be king, but their scrutiny will fall on you most of the time. Every gesture, every word, every expression—you will be judged for all of it."
"I understand," Elka replied quietly, lowering her gaze to the polished surface of the table. She had not even been married for a full day, and already the queen was reshaping her.
Yet Elka found that she was not particularly troubled by it. The person she had been until now had never been entirely real. That version of herself had been crafted carefully to appease her mother, to survive beneath her father’s expectations. Perhaps shedding that skin would not be as painful as it should have been. Now she would have shed the old one and wear a new skin to appease the queen.
The queen’s next words drew the attention of everyone seated at the table.
"Oh, before I forget," Nheera said, placing her cup down calmly, "I received news that your brother and father were attacked on their way home late last night." frёewebηovel.cѳm
The dining hall seemed to grow quieter as the clatter of dishes faded.
"Both of them were injured," Nheera continued, her voice almost detached, as though she were discussing a minor inconvenience rather than the near loss of two lives. "Your brother’s wounds, however, are far more severe. Would you like to visit and see how they are faring?"
Elka’s heart lurched painfully against her ribs.
For a fleeting, irrational moment, Elka’s mind leapt to Hairan. Had he confronted her father after what he had witnessed? Had his anger driven him to retaliation?
The thought was so absurd that she nearly laughed at herself. Why would he risk anything for her? The memory of his cold eyes and cutting words returned swiftly, shattering that fragile illusion.
"I should," she answered at last, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.
In truth, she did not have the strength to face her family again so soon, not after everything that had happened. Even with the supposed tragedy, she felt no sympathy for her brother and father, not after all they put her through. But refusing to go would raise some questions she didn’t want to answer.
