The Usurper's Queen | COMPLETED

27 | the new winterbourne

"Married? When?" I gasped in shock, unable to believe my ears. I only asked him to go check on her and bring her food-how on Earth did they go on to get married? At first I suspected that they were joking, but Gilbert was stiff faced and serious, and Cecily was painfully silent.

"Three days ago, in a village parish to boot!" he chuckled while sitting down on the armchair, but Cecily did not follow suit. She stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, her small face pale and her eyes swollen. "The little princess here decided to run away from her palace and hide in the forest. I found her and we went to a local tavern to spend the night, and some old crone said that we were having a premarital affair! So, little Princess Cecily had to get married inside a small local parish rather than a royal cordesane."

Cecily looked down at the floor and her eyes began to water. Her hands gripped on the hem of her skirt tightly, and her lips trembled slightly. I assumed she did not intend for this to happen, and Gilbert's passive aggressive ways certainly would have made her feel even worse.

"Come with me, Your Highness. Let's get you cleaned up," I spoke while ushering her upstairs to my room. She was quiet and obedient, not uttering a single word as we went up the stairs.

I ordered my maids to fill the bathtub with hot water, and I picked out one of my older dresses so that it fitted Cecily better. Her hair was awfully matted, so I took the initiative to comb it myself.

"I'm sorry," she murmured as I brushed her hair, and from her reflection in the mirror, I could tell that she was trying not to cry. "I shouldn't have ran away and troubled everyone. Now my father will become very mad at me."

"It is not your fault, Your Highness-"

"Just call me Cecily. I am no longer a princess, and you clearly outrank me, Lady Anne."

I let out a sigh and said, "Well, Cecily, I do not blame you for what has happened, but I cannot promise that my father and mother will do the same. Gilbert does blame you; I can tell. But Cecily, what happened during those few days? Why did you run away?"

By this time, I already untangled all the coils and knots in her hair, and I smoothed it down gently. Although Cecily was called the deformed, ugly princess, her hair was very beautiful, I had to admit.

The locks that cascaded down her shoulders were so pale that they might as well be silver, and it was so soft that it felt as if they would fall apart in my hands. Pale skin, pale hair and pale eyes were incredibly valued in my kingdom, and Cecily possessed all of them, but she was called ugly despite having them.

"My father said that I was to live at Almswood Castle so that I shall know how to handle a household after I am wedded. But I am never allowed to leave my room, and several maids would wait in my room all day. It was suffocating, Lady Anne, and I simply could not handle it.

So, I snuck out through the window, and all I brought with me was the dress I wore and several gold coins. I thought that I could easily get to town, but Almswood Castle is surrounded by a thick, impenetrable forest, and after running to evade the guards, I lost my way. I had no food, no water, and no warmth. I thought that I would be torn apart by the wolves that night, but then I came across Lord Gilbert," she explained, and at this moment, her thin lips curled into a sweet smile.

"He gave me food and water, and he offered to bring me back to the castle, but I begged him not to. So, he decided to bring me to you, but we had to find a place to spend the night. We went to a tavern at the edge of the Merrisay Forest, and we had to choose between sleeping in a communal hostel or sleeping in the same room together, as there were no rooms left.