Ride home

Getting into the marriage had been simple. The groom chose her she had to be the bride. Maintaining the marriage was going to be difficult because she could at least decide it would be. The ride back home was filled with silence and heavy tension.

She had had to ride back with Prince Adrion while his mother took another carriage and the maids scrambled into one. Of course since they were twelve maids, the third carriage was jam-packed. She wasn't sure what to expect in the marriage. But it was obvious from the disgusted look she had gotten from Adonis that the marriage would not be filled with anything love.

"Oh well," she thought. "What did she need love for? She just needed to find out where they hoped to throw her into and diverse a plan to get out of the situation."

After two days of grim, tiresome traveling with her back aching consistently due to the uncomfortable sitting position she had been subjected to, the carriage finally stopped at a ridiculously large and definitely archaic but beautiful mansion.

Though there had been different interesting buildings on the way, this was by far the best.

It was far larger than she expected because the landscape of the village was definitely too small to accommodate that big a palace.

Stepping down, she saw the queen watching her, giving her apprehensive looks. Immediately, Verity realised the queen was expecting her to praise the palace.

With a smug look on her face, she walked over to her majestically.

"Your highness, this is such a wonderful building." Verity praised, sarcastically.

"Of course," the queen grabbed it immediately, "this place is a very important place in history. This was the first place the Numenas arrived when they came to earth and they have never departed the place. Even when they hunted for food or had to look for another place to stay for safety when hunted, they always came back. This of course lead to the change in the color of the sand." she explained waving her hands towards the dark red soil.

"Turning towards her," Verity looked on giving her full attention.

"The Numena's?"

"Oh that, they were once living in this world, before even you were born. They are of the Triassic period hunted till they went into extinction," she paused before adding, "Rumor has it that only when the final five Sired awakes can they come back to life would the creatures of the earth become complete once more. But we all know that something has to have life from the beginning to exist."

Sighing, Verity thought; how in the world did she get to meet all these gullible people?

She asked what is a Numena and the queen is explaining it using another foreign term.

With that said, she fanned herself with her hands making Verity look at her mockingly. The whole place was totally humid. Why was she then fanning herself?

Shrugging, she eyed the area. "Pardon me though, it seems that the palace is rather too big for a kingdom as small as this, don't you think so?" Her tongue just couldn't hold itself

Not trying to hide the look of contempt and irritation, the queen glared at her. "I would have you know that this kingdom is inhabited by only five hundred families.

We make sure to hold a census every year to ensure of it."

"That gives them at least one hundred plots of land to use. The palace, holds at least five families. the size should not be a problem. With that said, she looked over at the maids and servants who had journeyed with them and urged them into the palace ignoring a dumbfounded Verity.

She watched the prince back, noticing how he managed to ignore her through out the journey.

Was this what her marriage would be like?

Only filled with the need to fulfil the required duties

The queen apparently remembered her before entering so she turned and faced her. "The prince would tell you about the place. You would need it."

It held a subtle note of warning in it.

***

Prince Adonis massaged a lady who was sprawled on his bed as she twisted involuntarily.

After six hours of non stop violent bed activities, she was practically wasted.

"You just got a new wife still you come to me?" The lady who was actually one of his concubines, purred.

Suddenly, the pressure on her back increased making her feel like it was breaking.

His glaring eyes seemed to have the ability to burn hers so she looked down "Do not question me," he snarled giving her stares that could actually melt anyone on the spot.

She shivered, but it wasn't from pleasure.

Choked whispers came out. "I am so sorry."

"You should be." He growled, getting up. After dusting his trouser and putting on his shirt, he looked at her. "Get out. Your work here is over. And he grabbed her chin in between his tough palms. Holding it with his fingers he pinched aggressively, digging marks appeared when he removed them. "You would not tell anybody about this."

She nodded, trying frantically to get to her feet.

Why would the prince want her not to say anything about it. Surely, his mother still planned on getting them married once the girl cured the king?

The lady who's name was actually Madonna thought not noticing that Adrion was on his own different planet.

He was angry with his mother from preventing him from having anything to do with his wife. She believed it would be easier to walk away after the damage they were going to do if they had no physical pr emotional attachment.

For Adrion, the emotional part was not a problem since he was only using her to get the throne. He only wanted to get laid.

His father had promised that, whoever could find a means to expel the demon who had continually tormented him for six years, would be made the crown prince.

Adrion had then commenced working with his mother for the past four years to find a cure. It was only two years ago his mother found out that the most powerful high priestess ever whom she and Catherine, Verity's mother, had connived against and had had murdered was the only one who could have been able to successfully expel such demon.

She had planned to have the king and find a way to remove the other opponents but hadn't succeeded that was when she stumbled on a book that spoke about reincarnation of very powerful witches.

Any powerful witch who had been reincarnated had only one sign to show their origin. Their flaming eyes.

The only thing they didn't know was that Verity wasn't named Verity for no reason.