Slipping Off

As Lund said, Gaelin was waiting for her outside the palace, leaning against the carriage, looking in the distance. As she climbed down the stairs, Iris followed Gaelin's line of sight just enough so that it would go unnoticed. He was eyeing the same maid that Lund had looked at earlier in her chamber.

One of the guards waiting alongside Gaelin bowed " Your Grace!" the guard greeted piously.

Gaelin finally turned his attention onto her with the same discreet smile and bowed " You look lovely, my beloved!" he took her hand in his and kissed the back of her hand.

Iris swallowed and smiled, trying to contain the content of her stomach that rose to her throat when he touched her. Although she knew their marriage was arranged and she shouldn't expect any less. Gaelin didn't have the slightest desire to hide his dirty affairs, such as bedding the young maid. He looked twice her age.

" Good morning, husband!" the last word came so strained that she thought her tongue would fall off when she said it.

She bearly mustered enough strength to keep smiling at him, although she only wanted to sever his head and feed it to the wolves. She didn't know if they were any in Zandar, but she was sure that she would be able to find a beast that would feast on his head.

" You look ravishing!" Gaelin praised, his eyes raked from head to toe, and he wasn't hiding his expressions. He was undressing her with his eyes.

" Green suits you well! I made sure to choose a dress that matches your eyes!" Gaelin opened the carriage door and helped her inside.

" I appreciate it! It is a lovely dress!" Iris's smile stayed and feigned to be flustered. The goal was to find a way out of Zandar, and this little outing would probably provide sufficient information.

Gaelin climbed in the carriage himself and sat opposite her. His eyes settled on her bosom and stayed there for a while. The dress he had chosen for her was pretty revealing and didn't leave much room for imagination.

" It is indeed!" Gaelin muttered without taking his eyes off her breasts.

He switched seats and sat next to her. He looked at her breasts again and banged on the wooden panel.

The carriage moved, and so did Gaelin's hand, which travelled up her leg underneath her cloak. He squeezed her thigh and buried his face in her neck.

" You look so exquisite, my beloved! I don't think I can't wait for one moon to make you mine!" Gaelin said against her neck. His hand moved between her legs, and she was ready to bang his head against the carriage door. The feel of his touch gave her the chills, and the skin-crawling, unsettling feeling returned.

Iris cleared her throat and gently pushed his hand away " Please, not here! " she kept the same smile and tried to remain calm at his advances. Even though, on the inside, she was feeling revulsed by his touch and words. She cringed internally, while on the outside, she remained courteous.

Gaelin raised his head and leaned against the carriage, and grunted.

" Us, You might not know this, but we have a very" Gaelin paused for a moment " intense desires!" he polished his words, trying to sound polite, but she understood what he meant.

" I was made aware by my father!" Iris said with a small smile.

" Good!" Gaelin took her hand in his. He hadn't taken his eyes off her " I will make you happy, my beloved!" Gaelin smiled and kissed the back of her hand.

" How? Bedding the maid! Is that your way of making me happy?" Iris amusedly said, letting go of his hand and placing it in her lap.

Gaelin rolled his eyes " It was our wedding night. I needed to loosen up! It had been an intense day! If it helps, I thought of you while I drilled the maid! I considered it a little gift. The maid was a virgin! Something you won't be able to offer me since you already gave yourself to that low life!" Gaelin said through gritted teeth, clenching his fists.

The mask had fallen off, and Gaelin was showing his true colours. Even if she tried to make this union work, it never would. She wouldn't be able to share a bed with someone disrespecting her for something she had no clue she had done wrong.

Iris took a deep breath" I must apologise for depriving you of such an opportunity, but I cannot turn back time. I most certainly would if I could!" she sweetly smiled at him, gathering all her strength to abstain from punching him.

Gaelin narrowed his eyes at her and opened his mouth to speak, but the carriage stopped, and he closed his mouth and looked out the carriage window.

" We are here! This is Sondern Port!" Gaelin informed with a sigh and pushed the carriage door open.

He reached his hand for her to take and stepped out of the carriage into the port. The port was beautifully designed. The ships anchored in were huge, and the wood had a lustre on them as if they were brand new.

The market was in full swing, teeming with people going about their daily lives.

" It's beautiful! Isn't it?!" Gaelin exclaimed, shutting the carriage door behind her.

People bowed as they walked through the crowd and mumbled greetings. They looked happy, and they didn't seem to lack anything. The clothing that the villagers wore looked in good condition, and she concluded that, indeed, life in Zandar was abundant.

" Yes, it is!" Iris breathed out as her eyes roamed everywhere in the port.

" Ti's your home, my Queen!" Gaelin said, and she almost collapsed to the ground when he uttered the words my Queen but caught her footing and, thankfully, had gone unnoticed.

" The portals? Aren't there any in the port?" Iris causally asked, hoping that the question won't spark any suspicion.

" There are a few at the edge of the port, but they are heavily guarded to keep unwanted beasts and creatures crossing into this realm!" Gaelin informed, but it sounded more like a warning as he halted before a stall with beautiful precious stones.

" So we are safe!" Iris played the damsel card looking at Gaelin big-eyed, fearful.

Gaelin nodded " Yes! You have nothing to worry about, my beloved!"Gaelin gave her a charming smile, patting her hand, trying to soothe her.

Iris hummed and carried on, smiling at him. Well, that isn't good! So there are portals for her to cross, but she has to get past the guards.

" You should choose a precious stone to go on your annulet! A gift from me to mark our union!" Gaelin said as he waved at the stones laid on a stand

" Are these mined here in Zandar?" Iris picked up a precious red stone, looked at it and saw a flash of an image in it.

" These are special ones! That one that you're holding can show your past! That one can heal a wound faster!" Gaelin pointed at the yellow stone.

" The one that you're wearing bonds with the owner, and if you ever get lost, we can find you, but it has its limits!" Gaelin explained, his brows quirked up as he followed her line of sight.

" The purple one can restore someone's essence if crushed and added to a special potion!" Gaelin took the stone and handed it to her.

Iris eyed the same stone that Edýia was wearing around her neck " What does that one do?" Iris pointed at the blue stone without taking her eyes off it.

" Oh! You don't want to wear that!" Gaelin nervously chuckled as if trying to hide something.

" Why ?" What does it do?" Iris pinned him with her gaze, demanding an answer.

She wanted to know more about the stone. Suppose she would be able to leave the cursed realm. Edýia would be her first stop.

Gaelin frowned. His eyes shifted from her to the stone. He seemed unwilling to share what was the purpose of the stone.

Gaelin grumbled something under his breath " It's...uhm", Gaelin smacked his lips " Let's just say that you don't gift a stone like that to the people you love!" he vaguely replied, still not disclosing what the stone did.

" Which one would you like?" Gaelin quickly changed the topic of the conversation. And that made her even more curious. What did the stone do?

Iris took a deep breath " Tell me more about the purple one!" Iris rolled the purple stone in her hand, studying it. It looked nothing special to her, but maybe Gaelin was right.

" When crushed and mixed with a special potion can restore one's soul and body. Although the process is quite painful, I might add, and you need a skilled healer or a praischar." Gaelin explained while he placed a golden coin on the table as payment for the stone. The merchant hadn't moved from his spot and kept his head bowed in consternation, it seemed a little odd, but there was no time to delve into it. Gaelin hand curled up around her waist and nudged her to move her feet.