The boutique Jayden took Mina was one of the best in Athea. Most young women from the upper class bought their clothes from 'Primrose Boutique.' Mina has been there before, not to purchase something for herself but to help Rosalyn find a dress for her engagement party. While Mina liked the dresses from that boutique, she didn't want Jayden to spend too much gold on her. The bracelet he got her had cost a lot, and she felt like one of those women that loved spending their husband's gold on clothes and jewelry.
Mina looked at some dresses while she touched the bracelet. "Don't you like it?" Jayden asked, starling her.
"I do," Mina said. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she owned. The only one she had.
When Mina's mother, the Dutchess Emlya, died, her uncle took all the jewelry from her parents' estate. Duke Tedric had told Mina that he put them in the bank for safekeeping and would give them to her on her wedding day. Unfortunately, her parents' estate had been sold. Her uncle claimed he didn't have money to maintain two estates.
"Then why aren't you happy, little lamb?" Jayden asked.
"We barely started our engagement, and you already have to spend so much with me," Mina said. "Besides, I don't need new clothes. I should go to my uncle's house and pack my things."
Jayden's blue eyes turned cold. "You are my future wife, little lamb. I want to buy everything you need. I have more money than you think!" Mina wondered if the late Baron had been very rich but decided not to ask. "And I told you already you are not going back to that house. Not after what that bastard did to you!"
A woman that worked in the boutique approached Mina and Jayden. Mina remembered the woman; she was the same that helped Rosalyn find the dress she wanted.
The woman looked at Mina and frowned. "Duchess Castex?"
Mina smiled. "Yes, but you can call me Mina. I am afraid I don't remember your name."
The woman smiled back. "Gisel. How can I help you?"
"I would like to see all the dresses that fit my betrothed," Jayden said.
It was almost dinner time when Jayden and Mina left the tailor shop.
"Jayden, I only need one or two," Mina said.
Despite Mina's protests, Jayden has purchased only the most expensive dresses and other things Mina needed. While Jayden was paying, an errand boy took the clothes to the house the Commander rented.
"Did you have a chance to look at the Ruxman Manor?" Mina asked while Jayden guided her to a carriage.
A group of men walked passed them, looking at Mina and Jayden as if they didn't have any business to be on Artisans Street.
Jayden muttered something that sounded like 'birthright' and 'far away from Athea.' "Yes," he said, turning his attention to Mina. "The East Wing is salvageable, and my men have started cleaning and repairing it. I hope it will be ready by the time we get married."
"Your men?" Mina asked.
"The ones that fought with me during the war with the Necromancer," Jayden explained. "Not all of them, just those that don't have wives."
Mina didn't know much about wars, but she was impressed with Jayden. "You must have been a good Commander if your men still follow you," Mina said. She wasn't referring only to his strategy skills.
"My men from the Wolf Division are loyal only to me," Jayden said.
Mina looked into Jayden's eyes and knew he was telling the truth. "Shouldn't they be loyal to the King?" she asked.
Jayden grinned. "They are loyal to those that have proven themselves."
The war with the Necromance lasted three years, but in that time, Jayden had not only proven his fighting and leadership skills but also gained his men's trust and loyalty. He was one of the youngest Commanders of the Kingdom of Nodor.
Mina put her hair behind her ear. "Can I know what you did, or is it a secret?"
The sun set, and the street lamp cast away the shadows. "I killed an Orc with my bare hands," Jayde said. His voice was calm.
A long time ago, from the Cold Empty Void, four Gods came out—Inoss, the Fire God; Addanos, the Water God; Beliar, the God of Darkness and Aylarra, the Goddess of peace. After some time, in an act of jealousy, Beliar killed Aylarra. When Inoss saw his sister's dead body, he cried for the first time. His tears transformed into planets and stars, so the Univers came to be. Inoss took Aylarra's body and made a planet out of it—the one he loved the most and had the same name as his beloved sister. The Fire God then made humans, Elves, and other creatures from the soil. But Beliar hated Inoss' creation and sought to destroy it. The Dark God created the Orcs—they were stronger and faster than humans and could only be killed with weapons made from magic ore. On the Zuvell continent, very few magic ore mines could be found.
Mina stopped walking and looked at Jayden. She frowned and folded her hands. "There's no way you could have killed an Orc with your bare hands! You need magic ore to do so!"
Jayden laughed. "If you promise not to tell anyone what I am about to say, I will let you know how I killed the Orc." Mina nodded. "On the day of my trial, I had to go up the Cursed Mountain without any weapons." Jayden took out a little dagger he had on his belt. "I found this in an abandoned mine."
"What were you doing in the mine?"
Jayden grinned. "Hiding from the Orc, of course! But once I had this dagger in my hands, I left the mine behind and fought the Orc. When I killed him, I dragged him all the way back to the Wolf Army camp. You should have seen the looks on my men's faces!"
The man Mina had before her was unlike the one that had been to her uncle's house the previous day. "Did you hit your head?"
Jayden's lips twitched. "Why?"
Mina resumed walking. "You are different from the man that came to my uncle's house yesterday. You were so angry and didn't care if the entire Kingdom found out about you and Rosalyn."
Jayden's eyes darkened. "When I went to your uncle's house, I expected to find Rosalyn. But when you and Hugo said she got married, I couldn't believe it. I wanted her to keep her promise to me; when I got to the Royal Palace, I said I was there to get my betrothed. But I started talking to Prince Liam, and he looked so happy with his wife and child. When you and Hugo came, I was about to leave. I hoped the Prince wouldn't say anything about my 'betrothed' but—" Jayden shrugged. "During lunch, Rosalyn wouldn't stop saying all those nasty comments about you, and I wanted to stop her. It wasn't my intention to say that I wanted to make you my wife, but it came out as it did, and I realized it was true—I want you as my wife. This has nothing to do with Rosalyn. It might be strange to want to be with the cousin of the woman I loved. I want you for you."
From his tone, Mina knew Jayden was telling her the truth. "What made you want me as your wife. There had been moments when you looked at me with angry eyes. It seemed as if you hated me."
As he walked, Jayden rubbed his chin. "Yesterday has been a shitty day. I directed my anger at you because—" he shook his head. "Doesn't matter."
"It does matter!" Mina said. "If you truly want me as your wife, I expect you to be honest with me. I can't lay in bed with a man I don't know."
Jayden was silent for a long time. They kept walking.
"Yesterday, when we had been on that bridge, and you tried to help that man, you didn't even flinch when he called you a half-breed," Jayden said. A soft breeze blew, and he stopped to tuck a strand of hair behind Mina's ear. His fingertips brushed the tip of her ear. "There's something about you, little lamb, that caught my attention and drove me crazy." He bent his head and said into her ear. "I was mad that you had that effect on me. But now I won't stop until I know what is so special about you, beautiful lamb. As for the other part, you and me in bed—" Jayden purred, but Mina interrupted him before he could finish.
"I will fulfill!" Mina said fast. She knew it was the husband's right to bed his wife whenever he wanted. She needed to find someone to explain to her what she had to do on her wedding night.
Jayden lifted his head and looked into Mina's eyes. "You think I want you to lay on your back, open your legs and fulfill each time I feel like it?"
"Then what do you want?" Mina asked.
"I want you to want me back!" Jayden said. His gaze darkened. "And I don't expect you to fulfill each time I want to fuck you! I expect you to say 'yes' or 'no'! Do you understand?" Mina nodded. "I need words, Mina!"
"Yes, Jayden! I will use my voice to say what I want or not!" Mina replied.
A chilly wind started, and Mina folded her arms. Nights in Athea could be cold, and the clothes she put on in the morning didn't protect her from the wind. Mina wished she had her shawl with her.
Jayden put an arm around Mina's shoulders, bringing her closer to him. She could feel the heat coming from his body, and her heart beat faster. Never had a man been so close, so intimate with her. Mina tried to put a little distance between them, but Jayden didn't let go of her.
"Why are you trying to run away from me?" Jayden asked. "Do you dislike my touch?"
Jayden didn't touch Mina with lust but with care. As if he truly wanted to protect her. She had never let someone so close before.
Mina snorted. "Don't be silly!"
"Perhaps you would want to be with another man?" Jayden asked. "A man such as Prince Liam?"
Mina's mouth went dry. "What did you say?"
"I have eyes, little lamb, and I have seen how you looked at him. This is why I don't believe in love anymore because men like Prince Liam choose women like Rosalyn for wives. And because women make promises to men like me, but instead they marry men with money and power."
"I don't know if you realized, but I am marrying you. Besides, there's nothing wrong with you," Mina said.
They reached the carriages, and Jayden opened to door of the first one. He helped Mina get in, and before entering, he gave the address to the coachman.
Jayden sat beside Mina, putting his arm around her shoulder again. "You agreed to marry me because you were scared I would tell Prince Liam the truth." Mina looked out the window. "Am I right, little lamb?"
"Yes," Mina said. "But even if Prince Liam only saw me as a sister, I didn't want him to suffer because of Rosalyn. He deserves to be happy."
"What about you? Don't you deserve to be happy? That much you love him?" Jayden snarled.
Mina looked at him. Her green eyes stared into his blue ones. "The moment you put the bracelet on my wrist, I became yours, Jayden. I won't deny that I love him, but he is not the one I will share my life with. Besides, you are in love with Rosalyn."
"Was," Jayden said. "The love I once felt turned into hatred when I saw how false she is. You are the only woman I am interested in."
Mina fiddled with her petticoat. "About our wedding, we should set a date, right?"
"I was thinking about the Litha festival. There's a tradition on Isyleon Island—it is important we keep it."
Isyleon Island, while big, was home only to a small village of fishermen. Mina didn't hear of any traditions that took place on the island.
"What tradition?" she asked.
"You will find out that day, little lamb!" Jaydan purred.
When the carriage stopped, Jayden helped her get out and paid the coachman while Mina looked at the rented house. It wasn't very big, just one floor, but it was enough for her, Jayden, and perhaps a woman to help her maintain it. She would have to talk to Jayden about it.
"Not what you expected?" Jayden asked.
Mina shook her head. "Just perfect!"
They were about to enter when Mina heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see Hugo.
"Thank Inoss I found you!" Hugo said in a relieved tone. "When my father said someone entered the house and took you by force, I feared the worse." Hugo glared at Jayden. The Commander snorted. "If you come close to her again, I will call the Royal Guards!"
Hugo reached his hand to grab Mina, but she moved closer to Jayden. "I am not returning home! If not for Jayden, I have no idea what would have happened this morning!"
"What do you mean?" Hugo asked. He looked confused.
"Your father slapped Mina so hard she hit her head on the coffee table. He was about to strike her again when I intervened," Jayden said. "Mina will never return to that estate!"