The Lonely Warrior Queen

{Chapter 10}

Catheline's POV:

Four days had passed since that night.

The night when my husband both shattered my heart and mended it. Maybe somewhat mended, I was not sure. But I was still affected by what he said. He had a point. An unconsummated marriage could be broken.

But that was not the only thing that was stuck in my head. He also assured me that he would spend time with me. Though I did not find him outside my door again, he did talk to me in the mornings. We simply discussed the things we had a common interest in. I had never seen him so communicating. Before, I thought that he lived to be silent.

My upset expression did not go unnoticed, as the very next morning, Lady Daraa called to talk with me. When I told her what had happened, she went so angry that I worried she might faint. She must have scolded Xander that very night.

And again this morning, she saw both of us and ignored Xander completely. I asked her why she did that and she answered that she would not tolerate that sort of behaviour. She told me to punish Xander in any way I could but I knew that he was doing that to himself for both of us.

At this moment, I was in my chambers, looking out at the gardens. The chilling breeze was very much needed because I was currently having a headache. A sudden knock on the door made me turn around.

"Enter,"

Thankfully, it was just Karra. Out of all the people, she was the most upset at what happened. She was sadder than me if being truthful.

"This is to calm your nerves, Your Grace," she held a small bowl, filled with some green liquid. "Lady Daraa had it made especially for you,"

I never asked for it but was thankful for it. But the deep color of the soup made me hesitate. I had never been an admirer of medicine. When I took a sip, the strong minty taste almost made me gag.

"Save it for later," I returned it to her hands while turning back to the window. The cool breeze was much more pleasant and helpful.

The nasty taste in my mouth lingered, which made me even angrier. After a few moments, I felt a small nudge on the arm. When I looked back, I saw Karra holding a small cake. That was my favorite, blueberry muffin.  

"I could never be more grateful to you, Karra," I uttered and quickly snatched away the muffin.

When I tasted it, I felt life returning to me. Karra was a good baker. She kept on smiling as I continued eating it.

"It is finally nice to see you in a pleasant mood, Your Grace," she told me. "I hope that you can be joyful again,"

Joyful. Yes, that was what I was before all this fiasco. I would like to be happy again. I looked back at the garden, glistening in the light of the full moon. After I finished the little snack, I decided on something.

"Get my cloak, Karra,"

She, who was preparing the bed, looked up. "Are you going somewhere?"

"To the garden," I replied and fixed my hair with my fingers. "And I would like to go alone,"
.................................................................

The silence that prevailed was something I enjoyed. This time, the wind rippled through my hair, igniting a pleasant cooling effect on my head. The gardens seemed devoid of humans and the only sounds I heard were the crickets and some other nightly creatures. I pulled the cloak closer around myself and continued walking, looking all around the dark scenery.

Back in my kingdom, I enjoyed taking secret walks in the garden at night. I used to not inform anyone, even my father, so I could enjoy some quiet time in the castle and its suffocating atmosphere.