Ragnar entered his bedchamber. It was a huge rectangle room with a massive four poster bed on the left that was flanked by two side tables and a large gilded mirror. To the right sat a set of chairs that bracketed the fireplace and his wall weapons.
The room was sparse, but it was the way he liked it. It wasn't as if he really stayed here.
The far end of the room was open to the outdoors, only supported by large marble columns. Sheer white curtains hung from the ceiling that gave the impression of privacy. It was a farce. Ragnar never could sleep a wink in the room. It was too exposed.
He passed through the room and pushed through the gauzy curtains, entering the courtyard filled with leafy plants. Ragnar shoved them aside until he reached the heated bathing pool in the middle. Casilo and Gonan stood beside the pool waiting for him.
Gonan—the normally jovial redhead—stared at him with pity. While Casilo was Ragnar's second in command, Gonan had been Ragnar's companion since childhood.
Ragnar held his hand up before his friend could utter a word. "There's nothing to be done about it."
Gonan scowled and crossed his arms. "Another wife?"
Ragnar glared at his friend. "How could I refuse? The queen has already made up her mind and the king is indulging her. She knew I did not wish to wed again which is exactly why she made the announcement in public."
" Do you think she knows what we're up to?" Casilo asked.
"It's hard to know." Ragnar pushed his hair back from his face. "I've done all that the king asked of me. My father is arrogant enough to believe that I worship the ground he walks on but intelligent enough to know that I could also pose a threat if not checked."
They were silent for a while.
"The wild lass from Westeria is how he plans to control you," his second in command said.
Gonan snorted. "That's if the princess lives long enough."
Ragnar shot a glare at his friend.
Gonan scowled and held his hands up. "Everyone was thinking it, but I was just the only one brave enough to say it out loud. The princess has a target painted on her back now and she doesn't even know it."
"That woman knows she's deep in the enemy's lair. She's not stupid, but she is a liability. I wouldn't put it past her to try and kill you, Ragnar." Said Casilo.
Ragnar couldn't control the smile that stretched his lips at the thought of Circe holding a weapon over him. His smile disappeared when the reality of their situation crashed into him.
" The king has granted me power whether he intended to do so or not. By making me wed the princess, he has given me partial control over the land and its resources. The Westerian isles control the steel trade, and bronze."
"The people of Westeria won't take kindly to your rulership, not after what you did to their nobility." Casilo advised.
"True, but if I were to return with the heir…it may work to our favor."
Gonan scrubbed a hand over his beard. "Hypothetically, that could work, but only if she's not assassinated. At this moment, she could have someone coming for her."
"I placed trustworthy men over her. She doesn't move a step in any direction without me hearing about it." Ragnar replied. "No one will get to her tonight, but she will need constant protection."
"Invisible protection," Casilo added. "Any special treatment toward her will be noticed and stir more trouble. You can't show her any favor."
Ragnar chuckled. " Having affections for a woman has never been a problem. I have one goal."
Casilo studied him and nodded. "Then we're in agreement. I will arrange for invisible protectors to follow the girl. No one will know they are there." He strode to Ragnar's side and clasped his shoulder. "I know you don't want this, but it is in our favor."
He nodded as his second disappeared through the plants.
Gonan pulled a flask from his vest and held it out to him. "Shall we celebrate your last night as an unmarried man?"
Ragnar took it from him and uncapped the liquor. "To my second marriage. May it not end in bloodshed and guilt."
****
Once again, Circe was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of pounding knocks on her bedroom door. She sprung to her feet and took a few steps back. Her stomach sank.
She knew exactly what today held in store for her, hence her hesitation to unlock the door.
In truth, Circe didn't really need to. After it was clear that she wasn't going to let the people on the other side of the door inside the bedroom, they changed tactics. They went from banging on the door to trying to break it down. It flew off its hinges on the fourth try and three guards rushed inside.
" The queen has ordered us to deliver you to where you will be made presentable for the wedding ceremony." One of the guards said. " Your petulance will not be tolerated."
It brought her immense comfort to know her brother hadn't cowered at the sound of the commotion. It meant he was growing braver by the day.
Another guard stepped forward. "Don't make this more difficult than it already is. The wedding is going to happen, whether you like it or not."
"In what world would I like it to happen?" Circe bit back, snarling and jerking away when one of them clammed a hand over her wrist. She took a step back and then another, forcing the guards to come farther into the room.
"You should be honored to wed Prince Ragnar!" another of the guards spat out, his green eyes snapping with anger. "You're just a wild piece of filth. You don't deserve him."
How ridiculous. Prince Ragnar was the monster who invaded neighboring kingdoms and laid waste to all that he saw.
"I was under the impression that he was ill-begotten," she quipped. "Surely, his station is lower than mine…"
The guard grunted and stepped closer. Before she knew what was happening, she was being subdued and carried out into the halls. She writhed and struggled in their clutches but their grip was as fierce as her father's strongest metal chains.
Finally, the guards came upon a door which lay open in wait for them. They tossed her inside as if they could hardly bear to touch her, then slammed the door shut behind her without another word. She slipped on the stone floor and caught herself against the left wall.
Circe winced against the sunlight streaming in through huge, floor-to-ceiling windows, which were surrounded on all sides by all manner of plants. Dizziness overtook her from the prolonged lack of sleep, and she took a staggering step into the opulent room. It took all the strength from within her not to collapse to her knees and pass out.
Four women instantly surrounded her. She didn't have any strength left to struggle as they began tugging off her clothes one after the other until she stood completely bare before them.
Circe should have felt exposed with the eyes of people she considered her enemies on her skin but she didn't. Nudity wasn't something her people considered taboo. They pulled her towards a large bathtub at the center of the room and plopped her into it without a word. Warm water slushed over her skin. Her limbs were pulled and prodded as two of the women cleaned her thoroughly.
Right when she thought they were finished with her, a jug filled with water was dumped over her head. Circe coughed and spluttered. Fingers dug into her mane of hair, rubbing her scalp as the strands were lathered with a floral scenting shampoo.
She was pulled out of the tub moments later and was patted down with a soft towel. Strange creams and oils were rubbed into her skin and face, then a cotton robe was draped over her shoulders and Circe quickly tied the belts closed.
The tallest of the women ran a brush through the strands of her dark brown hair before fashioning it up into a style Circe had noticed was popular among the ladies of the court. Kohl lined her eyes and her lips were stained with dark rouge. She sat in front of a large mirror as she watched as the woman concealed more and more of her Westerian facial features as they attempted to make her appeal to Lamorian beauty standards.
The face powder they used on her skin was two shades lighter than her complexion. Her hair was weighed down with copious amounts of jewels and hairpins. Her neck was adorned with a massive gleaming gem piece that flashed anytime the jewels caught the light. It was so unlike her own people's culture where weddings were usually a simple affair between close family and friends.
Circe wasn't used to such extravagance. Before she could voice the thought, the door was pushed open and the person that strolled in wasn't someone she expected to see.