Around the Shady Palace.

The inside was more beautiful than Naria.

Raziah's uninterested eyes took everything she came across, soaking them into her memory since this would become her new home. She noticed the way some guards and maids she came across gave her an awkward look, their brows creasing as she walked past them. Some of them even gasped, and Raziah felt uneasy around them.

She walked around the place, searching for the kitchen.

"And I don't really mind," A feminine voice said from a room with an open door, and Raziah's feet stopped.

She turned to her right to see two women inside. Both of them were dressed with expensive attires from head to toe, but the one currently speaking had this bold difference in terms of her clothing and the way she moved. She had jewelry hanging from her left leg, and it was only her left ear that was pierced. Her skin was a little darker than the rest too, and she had a face that could blow your mind away.

She suddenly turned to Raziah, eyes blazing, "I thought I told you to leave it in front of my chambers?!"

Raziah blinked. Was she referring to her? "I'm just passing by," she replied.

"Huh? What do you..." The woman's voice trailed off when her eyes took in Raziah completely, and her brown eyes dilated, "You, what do you think you're doing?"

"What do you mean?"

The woman faced Raziah and stepped closer to her. The clothes she was putting on were incredibly thin and tight, displaying her body curves. She stopped right in front of her, and in an instant Raziah had been jacked up by the collar harshly, "How dare you put on his Majesty's clothes?"

Raziah didn't even blink, "He asked me to. Who are you?"

"He asked you to? Who are you to his Majesty? I've never seen you in this palace before!!" She gripped her harder, and it was beginning to hurt. Raziah noted that the woman was stronger than others because she was gripping her so hard that Raziah was now standing on the tip of her toes.

"I just arrived this morning. I'm his guest" Raziah replied, then her hands came up and tapped the woman's fists softly, "Let me go, you're squeezing me a little too much." Raziah was utterly calm about everything, which infuriated the other woman.

But then, she let go of her "His guest you say? He didn't tell me he was having a guest who had the audacity to put on his attire."

"If you think I'm lying, let's find him and ask. But for now, do you mind telling me where the kitchen is? I have to return the dishes." Raziah asked.

"No. I'm not following someone I do not know."

Raziah shrugged uncaringly, then continued her journey to find the kitchen. As soon as she was out of sight, the woman's fists unclenched, and a small smile touched her face.

"Don't tell me you're already taking a liking for her," The one behind her stated, her inky eyes dimming.

"Why not?"

"Acacia, you don't even know her."

"Oh!" Acacia exclaimed with a smug, "Are you trying to advise me? Are you actually worried, Tati?"

"Why would I advise someone like you who knows better? Anyways I don't have anything else to say to you. Have fun with his majesty's guest."

"Look at you, putting up an act. You've always been like this, Tati. Looking so uninterested at first, but what you and I know is..." Acacia chuckled softly, her brown eyes gleaming, "Should I say it out loud?"

Tati didn't mind her and walked up to the door, "Stay away from me, Acacia. You don't know me." She warned.

"Thanks for the advice, but no thanks."

.

.

.

Meanwhile, Raziah had finally found the kitchen after several attempts. She must have circled the whole castle about three times because she always found herself in the same familiar corridor over and over again, and the reason why she had even found it this time was that the aroma had wafted around her nose, making her understand she was close.

She pushed the plates inside to find several compartments. Everything looked so organized, and she walked up to the first door and knocked softly.

"Yes?"

"Dishes from his majesty's chamber." She said.

After a few seconds, the door burst open a woman stepped out with a scowl on her face, "Huh?? This isn't..." She paused when she gave Raziah a once over, "Who...are you?"

"His Majesty's guest. Are you responsible for making his food?"

Raziah wanted to know if everyone referred to the prince as 'his Majesty' and if he was the only one that went with the name.

"No, I make the sorceress's meal. His Majesty's chef is at the last compartment," She replied, before yelling "Curly eyelashes, someone needs your attention now!"

The sorceress's chef looked at Raziah again, "He should be out in a second."

"Long-tongue, don't disturb my afternoon nap!" A masculine voice shouted from inside the compartment she has pointed at.

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

"You took the words right out of my mouth, long-tongue."

"Ugh! Will you come out? The dishes are here!"

The voice grunted before he stepped out of the room with an ugly frown on his face. Raziah had taken notice that all the men she had come across so far had short loose hair, apart from her husband while the women either had long hair was fell down their back or were even touching their buttom like that bold one she had come across before getting here.

"Are you the one that prepared this food?"

"Ah, well yes. Sort of. Hehe," he replied, his eyes flying away from hers.

"And here comes his stupidity. You should have checked first before you decided to blare your mouth open," Long-tongue teased with a small laugh.

Curly eyelashes ignored her, "Let me have them," he came over and took it from Raziah.

"So, you're his majesty's chef?"

Curly eyelashes took a few seconds to reply, his eyes roaming the ceiling, "Yes, I suppose."

"And you were the one who made these?"

He nodded again.

"What do they call you? Apart from what she just did." Raziah gestured at the woman.

"Uariel, Uariel Aeneas"

"I ate the food, and I liked it. Can I ask you to make my meals from now on? I'm mostly interested in meat, and some vegetables. I don't take alcohol, something simple and fit for the meal. "

Now Uariel was confused a bit. The woman was talking as if she would be living in the palace from now on after he had overheard her telling long-tongue Rossa that she was just a guest.

"Goodbye, then." Raziah whisked around and walked out of the kitchen.

She wondered when her husband would Introduce her to everyone so she would stop claiming that she was just it guest, because the whole arrival and putting on his clothes charade felt like he made zero preparations for her coming. Raziah had long concluded that it was probably because of the nature of her skin that everyone kept staring at her, plus her short hair which was unbefitting for a woman in this age - worse, a princess.

She continued her sightseeing around the castle, ignoring the whispers that accompanied her every step. Her eyes wandered about and met the eyes of a guard who had the shadiest eyes she's ever seen. It wasn't just him, there was something corrupt and dubious about everyone around her.

She couldn't quite explain it well, and her fingers kept on rubbing the wristband.

She finally stepped out to the palace compound and saw someone she recognized. His Majesty was speaking with someone else, that annoying wicked smile perched upon his face. His hair was a bit drier now, and the wind was dancing with it as it passed by him.

Then, he abruptly stopped, then turned to her.

She walked up to him, and bowed, "Your Majesty."

Then, she turned to the man he was currently talking to. Somehow, she felt like she had seen him somewhere, but she couldn't recognize him. Though his clothes told her he was royalty, and the emblem on his left shoulder wasn't the same as the one on the carriage they had arrived here with, he wasn't from this kingdom.

"Princess Raziah, it's a pleasure seeing you again." The prince bowed a little, and she returned the gesture appropriately.

She heard her husband chuckle beside her.

"How are you enjoying your first day in the palace?" Prince Edward asked.

She nodded, "Suffocating, but a little nice" she replied.

"Suffocating?"

"The castle is too big. It's a little hard finding your way around its walls" she answered.

"oh, I see. Don't worry, you'll get used to it. I hope his Majesty treats you nice"

Raziah's eyes glanced at the man beside her, then she looked at Edward, " So far, so good."

She didn't see when Aragon pulled up a brow in question.

Edward looked at Aragon again, the question also in his eyes, "Your Majesty..." He drawled.

Aragon chuckled softly again, "Don't ask me, I don't know what is going on here."

"You ought to. Her highness is..."

Before Edward could spill the beans, Aragon had effectively cut off his words, "Leave. Now."

Edward was stubborn, "You didn't come to the grand castle prepared for marriage, you were simply passing by, sighted me, and decided to tease me the whole night if I ended up not leaving with a bride, and then you..." Edward abruptly stopped his ranting, biting his lip.

Raziah noticed the slight change in the air, but she didn't know what was causing it.

"Ignore the idiot," Aragon said, breaking the silence as he took Raziah's hand, "Let's go back to the room."

His strong hands gripped her small ones and he took her back into the mansion. They were both quiet as he head her back to the room, and she wanted to ask him why he wasn't saying anything about introducing her to the palace attendants and everyone else...

"Your Majesty."

They both paused, turning to see Tati walking up to the both of them. She stopped in front of Aragon and bowed graciously, her whole body lowering as if she was about to go down on both knees, then she pulled back up to her full length again.

"Tatiana," He called back.

"I didn't know you were back."

"I am. How are things going on your end?"

"I'm glad you're back. I have something urgent you need to hear. Acacia already knows about it, very urgent, your Majesty." As she said that with an intense tone, her eyes moved to Raziah, then she stared down at where he was holding her hands.

Something ran past Tati's eyes, but it was too fast for Raziah to say what it was exactly.

"I'll be with you in a minute." He said and was about to walk away when he stopped again. Everything he was doing at that time seemed so sudden, "Raziah, this is Tatiana...my enchantress."

Enchantress? Raziah thought.

"And Anna, Meet my guest from a faraway kingdom, Raziah."

Raziah's body Froze. Did he just call her his...guest?