1 know I’m not welcome in this place. Everyone looks at me with hatred and treats me with contempt. I don’t want to be in a place like this. I prefer to be alone!
1 thought that had already been taken care of. I ordered them to be nice to you. Tell me who has been rude, and I will see to it that they are punished!
1 don’t want that. I just want to go back to my little house. Your Majesty promised that I could stay there until I got pregnant, but I’ve had to stay in the palace. I don’t want to be here
“You’ve been living as you please, but you must understand something. You are a princess. You cannot live as you wish!”
‘But Your Majesty promised.”
I’m sorry, but you must continue with your magic lessons and your wife’s education classes. I will not discuss this issue any further .
Abril’s eyes welled up the more. She lowered her head and whispered, ‘Liar. Your Majesty is a liar
Alessandro stood up, took her by the shoulders, and said, “Why are you always murmuring? Speak properly and look me in the face when you do!
Abril lifted her face and stared at him with tears in her eyes and said, ‘Liar. Your Majesty is a liar You haven’t kept your promise.”
“You’re a nuisance. You’ve lived without obligations for several years, but that’s over. You can do as you please in your free time, but you must fulfill your obligations.”
Abril continued crying. Alessandro was tired of her tears. He gave her a long, deep kiss that left her breathless and said, ‘Stop crying, or fill continue kissing you.”
“Why don’t you let me go? I’m a nuisance, aren’t I? Find another wife who will do everything Your Majesty needs. Someone who meets the requirements to be your wife.”
‘Princess, Alessandro called.
“Find someone else who can become your queen.” Abril said angrily.
Alessandro grabbed Abril’s left hand, where the marriage mark was, and said, “Look at this mark. This represents our union. Don’t think you can leave. That will never happen. You will be with me forever, until death do us part. So stop talking nonsense and go to bed.”
Alessandro let go of Abril and went to bed. It took her a long time to fall asleep that night. She stared at the marriage mark on her left hand. Until that day, she hadn’t thought much about it, but that mark was like a leash that would keep her tied down for the rest of her life. That day, she realized that she could never be free, that no matter how much she wished it, her destiny was to be a prisoner for life.
From that day forward, Abril did not complain again. She went to her magic lessons in the mornings, and in the afternoons, she received wifely education lessons, though she paid no attention to any of them.
Sirius went to look for Alessandro and said, “This isn’t working. The princess isn’t paying any attention to my classes. She just sits there listening like a doll.”
Alessandro understood perfectly what Sirius was referring to. From the day he had argued with her, Abril had stopped talking to him. Whenever he arrived at their chambers, she was already lying in bed, pretending to be asleep.
Sirius sighed heavily and said, “It’s easier to catch bees with honey than with vinegar.”
“And what does that mean?” He asked.
“If you want her to cooperate with you, wouldn’t it be better to be sweet and affectionate with her?”
Alessandro stared at him intently.
“What I mean is, if she falls in love with you, she’ll do whatever you ask. She might even agree to help us win the war.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“It’s just a suggestion. Think about what I’ve said.”
After lunch, Abril rushed to her small house, as she did every day, to feed the fox cub she was caring for. When she arrived, she opened the door and found Cassian there, feeding the little fox.
Seeing her so angry, he asked, “What’s wrong? I came to feed this little guy.” Cassian said as he petted the small fox.
“I think it would be better if you took him to the palace. It must be very tiring to come all the way here every day. I hear you’re very busy with your classes.”
“I am, but I don’t think His Majesty would like that.”
Cassian recalled that Alessandro wasn’t very fond of animals and said,
“I suppose you’re right.”
“If I could, I would set him free, but whenever I’ve left him in the forest, he ends up coming back.”
“He’s been living like a pet. I think this little one has no survival instincts. That’s why he prefers to be with you.”
“But there will be a day when I can’t return to this house. What will become of him? Who will feed him?”
“If you want, I’ll take care of him. If he’s in the palace, you can see him every day, and you won’t have to worry about him starving.”
“I would be very grateful if you did that.”
Abril lingered for a while, stroking the little fox with a sad expression on her face. As she did so, Cassian asked, “You’ve seemed sad lately. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just realized that…” Abril trailed off.
“I have to go. I’ll see you later.”
Abril walked towards the door. Before leaving, she said, “Take good care of him.”
“I will.”
Alessandro was in his office when Cassian appeared and asked, “Are you busy?”
“You know I’m never too busy for you, brother. Come in.”
Cassian sat in the chair facing his brother’s desk and asked, “the princess is acting strangely. Has something happened between you two?”
“Why would you think that?”
“It’s just that she’s usually always happy, but lately she seems sad, subdued. She spends her nights with you, so I asked.”
“She doesn’t want to take magic lessons. She’s upset that she has to spend all her time in the main palace.”
“She has never liked the main palace. I understand why she feels that way.”
“She’s a real nuisance.”
“Brother, she’s alone in a country where everyone hates her, where everyone blames her for the death of their loved ones on the battlefield. Don’t be so hard on her. Whatever the case, you are her husband. Try to be more gentle and kind to her.”
“I don’t know what has gotten into everyone today, asking me to be kind and loving to her.”
“Someone else asked you to?”
“Sirius,”
“Then you should do it.”
The king’s assistant knocked on the door, then poked his head in and said, “I apologize for interrupting, Your Majesty, but your meeting will begin shortly.”
Alessandro stood up and said, “I’ll see you at dinner, brother.”
“Until then.”
That night, when Alessandro went to his chambers, the princess was already in bed, pretending to be asleep. He took off his jacket and loosened his shirt, sat on the edge of the bed, and said, “Stop pretending to be asleep. I know you’re awake.”
Abril kept her eyes tightly shut, then Alessandro said, “If you don’t open your eyes, I think I should wake you up, and you might not like the way I do it.”
Abril opened her eyes and sat up, afraid of what the king might do to her.
“Finally, you open your eyes.”
“What does His Majesty desire?”
“I don’t like to be on bad terms with the woman I sleep with. I wouldn’t want you to kill me in the middle of the night for being upset with me.”
“I would never do such a thing!”
“I know I broke my word. I apologize for that. I was very rude to you.”
Abril stared at him, unable to believe he was apologizing, and said, “What exactly are you apologizing for?”
“For everything.”
Abril rested her head on the pillow, turned away, and said, “Is Your Majesty’s apology genuine?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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