Behind The Walls

Chapter 13 : Behave!

"Dinner is ready, your highness."

"I'll be down in a be down in a bit, Clara."

I was going to have dinner, have dinner with two criminals. I wept a while in my room before sweeping up the courage to face my situation; I wouldn't let it get the best of me. I'd see Hugo for the first time since our 'wedding night' and cringed at the stories Hugo must have told his father about it.

My feet slowly seesawed down the stairs, fingers pinching up the ankle-length, mustard dress I wore. My hair was plaited in a french braid with the front section curtaining around my face, still veiling my bruise. I looked like a village, school teacher going to a tea party.

"Ahhh, princess Adelaide, what a pleasure to see you again," King Phoebe phrased as though I only just came to visit.

I greeted him with a curtsy before sitting down to eat and endeavoured not to let anyone find out that knew more than I should've. The table was silent from any type of chatter, all that could be heard with the cutlery clinking onto the dinner plates, every time we grabbed a bite.

"How have you guys been getting along?" The king finally broke the silence.

Well... let me think. I don't know how to explain how we've been getting along because we haven't been getting along.

"We're married, how do you think we get along?"
Hugo abruptly answered with a question, swirling the contents of the glass in his right hand.

King Phoebe returned him with a patronising glare by which Hugo seemed unfazed. The awkward atmosphere proceeded for the rest of the dinner until their plates had been eaten up to the crumb.

I continued to push my food around the plate to the corners; I was far from having an appetite to eat anything.

The friction between the floor and chair created a screeching sound as Hugo tucked his chair back to get up; I flinched cowardly. This family of two scared me. Hugo excused himself and left without glancing back at me once; we hadn't spoken a word to each other today.

I was in my bedroom, or should I say windowless-servant-dungeon. My head was resting on my pillow as I gawked at my thoughts displayed on the ceiling, imagining every event that took place in my husbands diary.

All the pain Eugene had remained silent through, thought about him. I contemplated about Eugene, immensely. I had loathed him and his actions, whenever I read the adventurous stories written on Arcania; just like everyone had. I wanted to visit the cave, it seemed as though it was his comfort place.

I wanted to re-see all the captivating art he'd created on the cave walls. I would go. I would definitely go before attempting a escape. In fact, I was going now. I was going to re-visit the cave which had been the beginning to all my problems. Maybe it could solve them too.

I shoved my feet into my boots that i spent half an hour looking for as I hadn't unpacked my things yet. My suitcases lay, cluttering the floor; I jumped over them as if it were obstacle course before leaving the room and going downstairs.

The entrance gate was detained by a lock. 'Maybe a guard could unlock it for me' I thought, turning to look around for one. No castle guard was to be found but my eye caught Hugo, leaning his shoulder against a pillar with his arms crossed.

"It's locked." He explained to me as if I had no idea. "Really?" I sarcastically asked in an incredulous tone, "who would've thought a door with a fat lock on it, would be locked.."

"It's 1am, where are you trying to go?" He questioned in genuine curiosity.

"To the zoo."

I couldn't be bothered to provide him with actual answers but his stubborn nature seemed persuading enough.

"Answer my question at once!"

Who the hell did he think he was?

"Maybe stop sticking you're nose up where it doesn't belong!" My boldness struck. I let my temper get the best of me and I really thought I had nothing to loose.

He reached into his pocket, bringing out the keys to the gate and dangling them in the air with his brows raised. No way I was going to ask nicely for them.

"Give me the keys...now!"

"And tell me, why would I do that?"

There was no smile on his face but I could tell he was enjoying his time. That's when I completely lost it; I ran up to him and jolted my self at him trying to snatch off the keys. He took a step back, waving the keys higher in the air as if this were some sort of game.

I clung to to his arm trying to pull it down. My feeble strength was no match for his tall, wide and sturdy frame. As if throwing a tantrum like a child would, I started rapidly planting small punches on his chest. It had no impact. He grew angry as if I had just fuelled a fire with more wood.

"Behave!" He shouted, like an angry parent. He pulled my wrists off his chest, gripping them tightly and yanking them close to his face as the keys fell to the ground with a clink.

For a moment, we stood in that position, looking into each others eyes in detest; I wasn't afraid of him anymore. He let go of one of my wrists whilst hauling the other as he strode towards the staircas. My legs were hardly keeping up as he heaved me up the stairs and back to the direction of my bedroom, flinging me at my door.

My arm struck the closed door with much power and a loud thud; great, another injury. "Go to bed, I don't want to see you awake until tomorrow morning."
He marched away like an abusive father.

The second night of my marriage: also spent in tears before drifting off to sleep. Tomorrow would be different though, I just know it. This time I needed to construct an actual plan. I had to wait a couple days however as I overheard the servants outside my room discussing the occurrence of a raging tempest which had began this evening.

Of course, I was unaware of this due to the obvious reason of my room lacking the presence of a window.