Kiss of the Devil

Chapter 6

Genevieve was quickly getting into a good routine at the castle. She woke up early every morning to Sarah's knock on the door. She spent her mornings helping Sarah tidy the room while getting herself ready. She became accustomed to the corsets and fancy dresses. In the afternoons, Archard had started schooling under Genevieve's constant supervision.

Having no schooling herself, besides the ability to read and write taught to her by her mother, Elizabet and Vladimir hired a teacher to help her. In the evenings, after Archard went to sleep, Alaric would often come to her room. They'd wander the castle late into the night, talking and getting to know one another.

One particular night he'd set up a picnic in the garden under the tree where she often sat. She remembered how surprised she was. They sat there for hours, talking about everything and nothing at all. She nibbled a honey cake while he watched her. The more he got to know this young woman, the more he fell in love with her. He wondered if she felt the same for him. She looked up and blushed before looking back down. He could envision their wedding, huge and grand, the children they would eventually have. He knew she would be a fantastic mother, having seen how she took such dutiful care of her brother. He couldn't have made a more perfect choice.

"What are you staring at, my prince?" she asked shyly after a short while.

Alaric leaned back, placing his hands in the dirt behind him. "I'm just admiring the beautiful creature before me," he said smoothly.

This caused her blush to turn bright red. She looked down and fiddled with her fingers. Alaric leaned back forward and took her hand in his. He kissed it gently, sending cold chills to run through her. Just as she was to say something in protest at him calling her beautiful, her mind went blank. She hated how he had such an effect on her. It made it so hard to try to resist his advances. She was still bitter that she had no other choice but to marry him, though she had a feeling that all she had to do was ask, and the wedding would be off.

"Alaric, may I ask you something?" she finally asked as she ran her thumb over his cold fingers.

"Of course, my Genevieve," he cooed.

She blushed furiously and looked away from his face. "Why did you choose me?" she queried.

The question startled him, for it seemed so obvious. "My Genevieve, you don't know?" he asked seriously.

She shook her head, refusing to look at him. "Well, my dear, I chose you because you are beautiful-"

"You chose me on my looks alone?" she cried, outraged.

"Listen, Genevieve," he seriously said. He moved, so he knelt on his knees, getting as close to her as he dared. He took her other hand in his so that he held both of them. "I chose you because you were level-headed. The day we met, and you refused to answer me, you showed me that you were tenacious. You dared to defy me even though you were scared. You showed courage. That day in the courtyard, when I played with Archard, you watched with such kindness while you read. You are so protective over that sweet boy, and he has blossomed under your care, proving to me that you will be a compassionate mother. After I chose you, this was further confirmed when you made friends with Sarah. You could have been incredibly rude to her. I know the other women would have. Instead, you..." His voice droned on as Genevieve lifted her gaze to his. He kept singing her praises until he finally finished with, "for all these reasons, I knew you would make an excellent queen and wife. I didn't want a shallow person. I wanted someone who was my equal, someone I could love."

Tears pricked her eyes. "Do you?" she asked breathlessly as she stared into those ocean blue eyes.

"Do I... what?" he asked.