Page 19 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

Aella

T he same servant who handled our marriage documents led us to nearby chambers without anyone seeing us along the way.

Inside, I found a large and beautifully appointed room with a massive, canopied bed on the far end.

The color scheme was primarily burgundy and gold, with the curtains, furnishings, and décor all giving the space a dark, romantic atmosphere.

To my left, a well-tended fireplace roared with flames.

Darrow led me to the sitting area in the middle, where a small feast waited for us.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, pouring each of us a glass of wine.

I took mine from him and sipped it, finding the flavor rich and sweet. “A little.”

He took a much longer drink. “We should eat some of this, considering the effort they put into the meal.”

“I’m surprised they bothered this late at night,” I said, thinking there was enough for five people on the table.

Darrow took hold of a chicken leg. “Perhaps the king thought we’d bond further over food.”

“Doubtful,” I muttered, sipping my wine again. The wedding band on my finger glinted and reminded me of another issue. “You know I’ll need to take the ring off before I go home, right?”

He shook his head. “I had it spelled so no one can see it except those who know we’re married. You’ll also find it exceedingly difficult to remove.”

That explained why the magic emanating from it felt too strong to be a simple sizing spell alone. He’d layered something else into it without consulting me. I set my glass down and pulled on the band, but it wouldn’t budge. The bastard .

“Why?” I asked, glaring at him. We’d barely been married twenty minutes, and he was already making me question our nuptials.

Darrow gave me a sardonic smile. “So you won’t forget about me during our times apart, dear wife. Why else?”

Dear wife? The term of endearment must be some sick joke to him, a mockery.

I gave him a scathing look. “Trust me. Being married to an arrogant ass who is also my enemy will always be at the top of my mind. I won’t forget about you.”

He finished his chicken and leaned back. “Tell me three things my spies wouldn’t have uncovered about you.”

Was he kidding?

I nearly had whiplash at his change of subject, but fine, I’d figure out the ring situation later. “Tell me who your spies are, and I’ll better understand what they wouldn’t know.”

He laughed. “Nice try. Tell me something you hate.”

“Besides you?” I asked, lifting a brow. “The color yellow.”

“Hmm, why?”

“For one, most shades of it wash out my skin. For two, it’s my uncle’s favorite.” It was on our banners and much of the upholstered furniture around the castle. Whenever we had a celebration, he insisted we all wear it, and it always ruined some of my enjoyment.

“Interesting.” He studied me. “Then what is your favorite color?”

“Plum,” I replied, grabbing a roll to try. “Your turn. One thing you hate and one thing you like.”

“I prefer black above all other colors,” he said, glancing down at his riding outfit, which was the aforementioned color.

I finished chewing. “Why does that not surprise me?”

“It’s probably not much of a secret, but shockingly, we can agree on the worst color,” he said with a wry smile. “Nothing annoys me more than seeing your yellow banner waving on the battlefield or when the king forces us all together for something or another. ”

“Why are you asking these questions?” Curious as to why he bothered when we’d go our separate ways in the morning as if we hadn’t just gotten married. I took a bite of roasted potato while I awaited his answer.

Darrow served himself a slice of meat pie.

“To ease the tension, and because I don’t want to be completely ignorant of how my new wife’s mind works.

Ever since we last met, I’ve found it difficult to understand the dichotomy of you.

Obeying your uncle on some things yet secretly defying him in others.

I can’t figure out if you’re loyal to him or not. ”

“I’m loyal to my land and family,” I said, sighing. “I also don’t enjoy drawing my uncle’s ire, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have a daring nature.”

“Such as marrying me and your penchant for hopping around the world with your portals while he has no idea,” Darrow observed.

I gave him an annoyed look. “It’s not like I do that all the time.

He doles out the holmium dust I need like it’s more precious than gold.

I can only hold a little back for my personal travels.

Speaking of which, tonight’s adventure has taken most of what I have left.

If you want my services in the future, you’ll have to provide me with more. ”

“Of course,” he agreed readily.

We chatted about innocuous things for a few more minutes until we were both full.

There was still a lot of food left. I hurried to the washroom to clean up, grateful to find a toiletry kit provided for us.

Taking my time, I cleaned my face, brushed my hair, and brushed my teeth.

All that was left was the matter of my dress.

Sleeping in it would be uncomfortable, but the shift I wore underneath was thin.

It seemed stupid to agonize over my “husband” seeing me in my undergarments on our wedding night, but these were unusual circumstances.

We’d mostly been polite with each other this evening.

Despite that, we were entering the most awkward part.

Then I considered that hundreds of people had seen me completely naked for the last dozen or so summer solstices when we drank heavily, danced, and let our inhibitions go.

It wouldn’t be a big deal if Darrow saw me in my shift.

I took the dress off. Examining myself in the mirror, I could see the faint outline of my nipples and the dusting of hair between my thighs, but it was only if I looked closely. Why should I be ashamed anyway? He’d likely seen many women’s bodies, considering his reputation.

When I stepped out of the washroom, I found all the food cleared away and Darrow lying on the bed with his shirt and boots off.

I allowed myself exactly one second to appreciate his corded muscles before meeting his gaze.

It was unreadable. I doubted he even studied me in my shift since his gaze stayed on my face.

No matter how large the bed was, I wouldn’t sleep there with him. I laid my dress across a chair and grabbed a throw to settle on the couch before the fire. It wasn’t very comfortable with the stiff cushions, but I could make do for one night.

I barely heard Darrow’s soft footsteps as he walked to the washroom, but he finished in there much faster than me.

Through all this, I watched the fire, wishing I could ignore him entirely instead of being hyper-aware of his presence.

When he returned to the bed, there was a slight creak, and the rustle of blankets.

“I’m not going to let you sleep on a hard couch, Aella,” he said, sounding mildly amused.

Though he couldn’t see my face, I still rolled my eyes. “It’s my choice where I sleep, and it’s not going to be with you.”

“Worried I’ll seduce you?” he asked.

Yes, and that I’d be foolish and give into it. As long as Darrow wasn’t touching me, I could resist him. “No.”

He chuckled. “Everything that happened earlier was for the king’s benefit and had no meaning behind it. I’m not going to touch you, dear wife.”

There he went with that term again, as if he had to remind me I belonged to him now.

I shifted uncomfortably. “Let me be, Darrow.”

In the next moment, a weightless sensation took over my body, and I squealed as he lifted me into the air and guided me toward the bed.

He watched my face with amusement as I struggled against his invisible hold.

There was nothing I could do to get free.

His powers were too strong, and using wind against him would only destroy the beautiful room.

Considering we were in the king’s palace, I could hardly do that .

A moment later, he settled me gently on the opposite side of the bed. I glared at him as the throw blanket flew to the floor with his invisible power, and the duvet came over the top of my body. He still hadn’t freed me, so I was immobile and vulnerable.

“You can call me ‘Dare’ now that we’re married,” he said with a satisfied expression.

“Let me go.”

He propped his head on his hand, lying on his side.

The blanket only covered up to his stomach, giving me an up-close view of his impressive upper chest. A few jagged scars ran across the corded muscle, surprising me.

I forced my gaze away from him. “I’ll call you an overbearing jerk before I call you anything else. ”

“I’m ensuring we can at least say we slept together, should anyone ask,” he replied. Then, a couple of the extra pillows moved to settle between us. “But have no fear. I won’t fill you with my cock tonight or any night until you beg me for it.”

“Do you have to be so graphic?” I asked, hating myself for visualizing him plunging inside me. He was the enemy and callous. I would not give in to temptation. Even now, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill my people, and I couldn’t forget that.

He chuckled. “Do you deny the thought hasn’t crossed your mind?”

“Yes,” I lied. “If you never touch me again, it won’t be long enough.”

“You overestimate your ability to resist me.” An invisible hand pulled the hair from my face. “But I look forward to the day that your will crumbles and you submit your body to mine.”

His hold on me eased, and I rolled to my side away from him.

“I thought you weren’t interested in sex at all with me,” I said as that invisible hand continued to play with my hair. Why wouldn’t Darrow leave me alone? Was this another game of his to see how far he could push me and then mock me for any desire I showed for him?

The bed creaked a little as he adjusted his position. “That was before I dreamed about you on your knees like you were a few days ago, except this time, you used your mouth for more pleasant activities. ”

I rolled over, grabbed one of the center pillows, and flung it toward his head. He blocked it, laughing. It was then I noticed his black and brown hair was free to frame his face. If I thought he looked good before, he definitely drew the eye now.

“Just shut up and let me sleep,” I demanded.

He lifted his brows. “Not until you call me, Dare.”

“No.”

“Would you like me to detail my dream about you further?” he asked, leaning a little closer. “Because I have a very vivid imagination and would love to describe every little nuance for you.”

The man was infuriating! “Goodnight, Dare .”

“That was too easy,” he said with a sigh.

The next morning, I woke before dawn. We were both still far apart from each other on the bed. I was grateful neither of us had rolled past the pillow wall between us to create an awkward situation. To my surprise, though, I’d slept deeply despite him being a mere few feet away.

We dressed silently, ate a few bites of the breakfast delivered to our room, and Darrow kindly offered to let me leave first. One thing we could both agree on was not being seen together as we departed the palace.

He sat lazily in a chair with his legs splayed, sipping tea as I headed for the door. “Take care, Aella. I’ll be seeing you soon.”

“How soon?” I asked, pausing with my hand on the door latch.

“A week or so—long enough to miss me, I’m sure.”

I turned to glare at him. “There is no way I’m going to miss you.”

“We’ll see,” he said with a smug grin.

Perhaps his other goal with our marriage was to annoy me for the rest of my life as some sort of demented long-term revenge.

Without another word, I fled the room and then the palace.

I kept my cloak grasped tightly around me through the city to the portal ring, thankfully reaching it early enough that the first channeler of the day hadn’t arrived yet.

It was strange returning to Therress as a married woman—even if it was a secret.

My life had drastically changed, but the world around me remained the same.