Maze was extremely excited for the day ahead. Naya and other slave girl were assigned to her at all times now.
Lucian said that as Maze has nothing and know no one, those two will be hers. He was surprised that she had asked a slave for her name but then again, she was a peasant. She didn't understand how it worked in a palace. Away from her own kingdom she didn't even know Tyran law.. let alone how to behave as a princess. Lucian organised a ma'am to teach her about certain things whilst he goes three various meetings.
Maze was sat under an apple tree where the ma'am told her about Tyran and how the law worked. Maze was too distracted by observing Lucian. He was sitting a couple dozen paces away in a large arm chair, in front of his desk. The day was beautiful and he wanted Maze out of the same room she was in for past two weeks.
"Pay attention! You'll have plenty of time to look at your husband later. If you want to remain his wife, you must act like a princess.... and straight your back child! You look like a camel." The woman was in her late 40s and Gods, she was exhausting with her remarks and her voice. She sounded like she had a broom stuck somewhere the sun doesn't shine.
"If you speak to my wife like that again, I'll have your head on a spike." Lucian appeared out of nowhere. The woman just bowed and kept her eyes on the floor. "Come Mazikeen, I'd like to walk with you." Maze was shocked he would protect her like that. She took his hand and walked.
"Thank you for taking me out of the room, your majesty. I haven't been outside in a long time." Maze's voice was always timid when she spoke to him when she finally gave in. She never sounded happy. Lucian led her to the gardens behind the tall hedges. Her breath was taken away. The garden stretched as far as she could see and there she saw more fruit trees than she could even name. Flowers of all kinds littered the whole grass. For the first time since she was captured, she smiled. Lucians eyes lit up when he saw her beautiful smile emerge. She was the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Her hair black as night, shining like silver in the sun. Eyes green as the grass beneath their feet. She was tall for a woman, but to him she was still as petite and as delicate as a sparrow. Maze's skin was slightly pink on her cheeks from the sun. He kept looking at her with awe. "I should surprise you more so that you keep smiling like you do." Lucian couldn't help himself. He took her in his arms and tucked her hair behind her ear. Her smile quickly disappeared and she kept her eyes low.
"Mazikeen, look at me. I will not hurt you." He felt a stab in his heart. Why wasn't she happy? He smelled the fear on her. He usually liked it when people feared him, but when it came to her it hurt. "I'm sorry to what happened to your mother and village." He took a step back. " The king of Haress.. he had to be stopped..." he tried to explain.
"There was no king in my village. No king in my house. My mother was not the king of Haress. I understand this is the way it is now and I accepted it as you wished. You don't need to explain, your majesty..." her voice monotone and low. "Stop calling me that!" He growled and her body stiffened. "Please, don't call me that. Call me Lucian." He came closer and took her hands in his. "Mazikeen, there is a lot you don't understand and even more you don't know about your king, the king of Tyran, me... but soon it will all make sense. I just need to know you are willing." Maze forced her eyes to look at the prince. He looked as if he was in pain when he spoke to her.
Maze was still torn between acceptance of her new fait and killing the prince.
"I know. I am willing. I am yours to do as you wish with. I am your wife and in Tyran a woman has no rights..." her voice the same, her face empty..
"If you say so. You don't want to play nice, we will try it my way. Then you will see how much I'm trying." The prince turned and rushed off. Guards surrounded her and she started to walk back inside.
"What is wrong with him?! One moment he is soft and gentle, the other he frightens me.. what is wrong with this man?" Maze was back in her rooms and Naya was helping her undress from the many layers of material women seemed to wear outside in this kingdom.
"My lady should be good to him. You can't take your country back if he is angry with you. The prince has never brought any wife, woman, man or even a whole into the castle. Some used to say that he has no drive for love as he has no heart. You think the crowd cheered because they accept you? No, my child. They see you as a witch who put a spell on the devil.." Naya shook her head side to side.
"Why would they call him the devil?"
"Because he's real father sent him here from underworld. When the King was still young, he's people hated him. He couldn't give them an heir. When civil war was round the corner, he called on the devil and promised his soul in return for a child with strength of thousands men and thirst for blood of those who would harm Tyran." Naya spoke and Maze listened with great interest. "As you can imagine, making a deal with the devil isn't as straightforward. Devil granted kings wishes but he didn't stop there. He gave his own son and gave his life for the prince to be born on earth. Devil had a plan for the prince to become the king of hell and earth... they say that only way to save earth is for the prince to fall in love. Others say that's when he will become stronger..." Naya continued and trailed off.
"Do you believe in this story?" Maze couldn't help but ask.
"Child, I was here when it happened. I was the one to take care of the prince. I can guarantee you, it is all true." Naya's words shook Maze to the core. Although most of her didn't believe the crazy story, deep down she knew it was true. When she was a child, her brothers used to scare her with a similar story and told her she was going to be eaten by the evil prince. She just never thought it was about the man she is married to now.
