A Lurid Eternity

Chapter 2

Aleiya and Sullivan sat in a quiet silence as their wedding reception dragged on. Neither cared for the loud music and even louder patrons that had come to offer the two, but mostly Sullivan, their congratulations. They cared very little for Aleiya for she was seen as an outsider here, a usurper of sorts that had come and stolen one of the last and most prominent members of this ancient house that has ruled their lands with an iron fist for many years. She could not begin to imagine the loathing she had attracted amongst the noble women that must have had their eyes upon her new husband for much longer than she had even been there.

This is not what she had wanted at all. This is not what she had ever planned to do. Laying low was her primary objective to staying within the Drakovich territory. She didn't want to stir up trouble. She didn't want people to acknowledge her existence. She had hoped she could just fade into the background of this unfamiliar land. She became an invisible bystander within the crowd, watching and waiting until her mother finally allowed her to come back home. It had been seven years already, seven long unremarkable years of being a political hostage in a far away land with only her progeny to keep her company.

However, now that her mother is gone and Aleiya has married into the Drakovich household, she has become a prisoner of circumstance. There was no going home. There was no begging her mother for forgiveness, asking and pleading to go back to her room. She could no longer pretend that she didn't exist and allow the world to pass by outside her window. All she had now was the ball and chain that shackled her to Sullivan, and there was nothing she could do to escape.

Such a dark, foreboding presence he held. His demeanor normally calm and collected, a statue of refinement and dignity. However, since his proposal, or should we say, his winning proposal for Aleiya's hand, he seemed rather agitated and hostile. Aleiya knew he didn't actually want to be tied to someone such as her. He seemed more of an aloof bachelor type than a settled man. But who was Aleiya to judge? She knew nothing about him.

She dared a glance over to her new husband, his face a wall of boredom as he watched the dancers and drinkers. His head rested against the palm of one hand whilst the other strummed atop the wooden table. She could see the slight twitch of annoyance within his brow, the caustic sneer that marred his chiseled features for only a moment before it disappeared to show only the emotions of a statue. It was a mask her mother had tried and failed at teaching her to wear, or she should say, Aleiya had tried and failed at learning.

She was always told that if she was going to spoil the look of her face, it had better be with a smile, because then she'll still be decent enough to look at.

Such memories saddened her, and though she thought she was able to hide it, the sudden droop of her shoulders alerted her astute husband to her discomfort. His hand curled around one of hers, swallowing it up, bringing the knuckles to his face as he leaned in closer so only she could hear his next words.

"If you cannot even bring yourself to at least pretend this is your happiest day for my flock, then perhaps you should excuse yourself from the festivities." His voice was needle sharp as venom dripped from every word.

She felt the stab like a cut to her throat as it clenched shut. She was choking on the harshness of his tone as she tried her best to compose herself once again, straightening her back and lifting her shoulders to attention. She was grateful she was able to change clothes after the procession. Aleiya didn't think she would be able to keep herself together if she was forced to wear the wet bridal gown any longer, especially after such a biting remark.

She thought he would give her hand back once she had composed herself, but instead, Sullivan held on tight, placing their joined hands onto the table, unwilling to let go for any reason. He delicately ran his thumb over her knuckles, over and over again as if she herself was a worry stone to whittle away. To any outsider, it would've looked as if Sullivan had only wanted the comfort of his newly wedded bride by his side to take the edge off of a long day, but she knew better. She knew he hated her. She knew that until recently, he had wanted her gone from his sight and his home, but allowed her to stay only because it gave him an edge over her mother. Or so he thought. She didn't know why he suddenly decided he wanted to marry her.