Consummation
Where had the scald wound gone?As Rafael strode to answer the door, Elora examined the once scalded spot on her hand only to find it spotless, without the trace of the wound.It was as if the tea accident never happened. An ointment even would leave a tiny hint of injury and it seemed out of the world for her injury to heal with just a kiss from her vampire husband. Was it perhaps common? For both her pain and the scar to fade away with a kiss?“Yes, your highness.” She was yanked away from her thoughts by the voices at the door. “The imperial castle has its eyes on your estate, your highness. The wedding is only completed with consummation. Please use this.”Consummation? Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She’d forgotten. Being married meant that she’d get intimate with him and… At the thought, her hands immediately curled around herself.Her head lifted when the door clicked shut and Rafael began to make his way back to her. She swallowed. Her eyes trailed down to the tiny vial bottle in his hand.“Our marriage is not real,” she blurted out, her words sharp and sudden.He raised a brow and halted only an inch away from her. “What did you say?”She repeated. “Our marriage is not real.”“You’re mistaken, princess. This marriage is very much real.”Elora’s chest heaved up and down. “You…you promised not to touch me.”“That, I am honoring.”Casting her a glance, he walked past her to the bed, and with wide eyes, she watched as he opened the tiny bottle and poured its contents on the white sheets.It was blood.He strolled back to her. “If you are waiting for me to hurt you, it’s not happening. Get whatever anyone whispered to you out of your head. Now, go to bed.”She stood starstruck on the floor as he turned away and got to the wall by the far side of the room. Placing a hand over the wall, she gasped as it shifted and parted open. Once he was in, it closed, returning to its usual form.The next morning, Elora paced around the room in panic.The dagger was missing.“Did the prince already find it?” she questioned herself out loud, her voice tight with worry. Had her covers already been blown away? Where had she originally hidden it?Questions spiraled through her mind like a swarm of bees.After the prince had left the room the precious night, she had tried finding it to no avail.Dashing into the dressing room, she rummaged through the numerous dresses and shoes but still, the dagger remained a mystery.“Oh heavens,” she whined. If it were so that he’d found it, he would figure out her secret and he...She crouched down and held her head in her hands. There were a lot of thoughts making reign over her head. If anyone found the dagger before her, she’d be in trouble.Suddenly, a thought rang in her head like a bell and she sprang up. Holding up her chemise so she wouldn’t trip over it, Elora returned to the room, dashing toward the bed immediately. She fell on her knees, bent her entire body, and looked under the wooden bed.A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she found the silver sheathed dagger lying there. Stretching her hand under the bed, she touched the dagger and pulled it out.“Goodness,” she breathed.A soft knock on the door caused her to return the dagger to its position under the bed. The door soon pushed open and the servants hurried in.“My lady,” Lia stepped further into the room. She placed the dress she was holding on the bed and rushed to the princess. “My lady, are you okay? Why are you on your knees?” She helped her up.Elora nervously scratched the back of her neck and avoided Lia’s gaze.“I’m fine, Lia.”“Is your arm injury hurting? Do you need a physician?”“I told you I’m okay. I…I don’t need a physician.”A gasp from the side caused them both to pause and turn. “My lady,” Hula gasped, pointing toward the bed. Their gazes followed hers until they fell on the blood-stained sheets.“Congratulations, my lady,” the servants echoed. Hula slowly walked to the bed and gently pulled the sheets before passing them over to the head maid who had a smile on her face, lowered her knees, and announced.“I’ll take this to the imperial palace and announce the final sealing of her highness and his highness’s wedding.”With that, she turned around and exited the room, leaving Elora with the three servants.Lia stared around in confusion. Hula and Breda had small smiles on their faces and the princess had a guilty expression. She seemed to be the only one who didn’t have an idea of what was going on. There was blood on the sheets. Was the princess hurt?“Are you hurt, my lady?”Breda stepped closer and nudged her on the shoulder. “Her highness is perfectly fine. The blood is the proof of her highness and his highness’s consummation.”Lia’s mouth dropped. With wide eyes, she turned to Breda. “Con…con…consummation?” She gasped.Breda cast her a ‘stop acting annoying’ glance. “You do know what consummation means, right?”“Of course. But…but it’s impossible. Princess…”“What’s impossible? A man and a woman sleeping together?”“Breda.” Hula hushed. “Her highness is still here. Mind your words.”She lowered her head. “I’m sorry, my lady.”Elora gave a tiny nod. To hide her reddened face, she turned away from the maids and began to walk forward to the bathroom. “It’s fine.”“My lady, what would you love to do today?”“I want to take a tour of the mansion.”Hula agreed. “We can take you. It would calm your muscles too. Last night must’ve been exhausting for you.”Elora could feel her ears reddening even further. Could they already stop talking about last night and the non-existent intimacy that she had with the Prince?“It was.”