***

When Roshan came to her chamber, bringing candles for lighting, Emmelyn heard from the butler that Prince Mars would come to visit her to her chamber that night to fulfill his duties.

Roshan told Emmelyn so the girl could get ready. He brought some fragrance and a jar of water for Emmelyn to wash up later.

“Thank you for telling me about it,” said Emmelyn, taking the candle from Roshan’s hand and placing it on the table beside the bed. 

The sky was getting dark, and the lighting in the room was very minimal.

Candlelight on the two sides of the bed made Emmelyn’s chamber, which was designed in soft colors, look very romantic.

Moreover, a servant who came with Roshan then put a bunch of fresh flowers in a vase on a small cupboard by the window.

This room was beautiful. In fact, if Emmelyn could be honest, this was the most beautiful room she had ever laid eyes on.

The Draec Empire was much bigger and more powerful than Wintermere and they received tributes of the best products from their colonies.

Each month, they received a shipment of the best wines from Southberry, the most beautiful silks from Glendale, gold and jewelry from Longfell, and many more.

Emmelyn’s favorite thing in her room was her four-poster bed made of beautifully carved teak. It had four sturdy posts with intricate carvings on them.

The bed was framed by a silk mosquito net, in a warm color. When not used, the net was tied with blue ribbons to each post and created a beautiful curtain in four corners.

This was simply a dream room!

Emmelyn had also never seen a wooden floor used in a palace room before. Usually, people only used wooden floors for small cabins like hunters’ cabins, but the wood was not smooth like the one in this chamber.

Emmelyn really liked this wooden floor. She took off her shoes and walked barefooted in her room. 

Ahh .. it felt so warm, not cold like the stone floors in the other rooms. The texture was also smooth on the feet.

Everything in the room looked luxurious and very comfortable.

Oh, Emmelyn was also very happy because the velvet curtains on her windows were so thick they could block the light from outside when she woke up in the morning. She hated being woken up by sunlight on her face.

“Very well, then, I will take my leave, Your Highness,” said Roshan with a respectful bow.

“Wait a minute …” Emmelyn hurriedly called Roshan before the man disappeared behind his door.

“What’s the matter, Your Highness?”

“Uhm .. do you know if His Highness the Prince has eaten or not?” asked Emmelyn.

Roshan’s eyes glistened at Emmelyn’s question. He suspected Emmelyn was worried about the prince’s health.

Ahh .. they must be lovers who love each other, he thought.

Roshan did not know why the prince suddenly ordered him to help Emmelyn move into her own chamber. He suspected that the couple had a fight and therefore decided to stay in separate rooms.

But if you think about it, the Prince was going to visit Emmelyn’s chamber tonight, then it was very likely that they were still sleeping together. He had also confirmed that Emmelyn would still see a witch to help her get pregnant.

Then if they still loved each other and slept together, why have separate rooms?

Roshan really didn’t understand how the royals’ minds work. Too complicated and full of intrigue, he thought.

“As far as I know, the Prince ate with his soldiers in their ward earlier,” said Roshan respectfully. “He does that sometimes to boost the morale of his troops. Especially when they were going to war.”

“Oh, is that so?” Emmelyn nodded.

Okay. Maybe Mars was used to such a life. She shouldn’t care, right?

Emmelyn then wondered to herself why she even worried about whether the prince had eaten dinner or not.

Wasn’t it wasting her energy to think about that person?

“All right then, you can go now,” said Emmelyn.

Roshan excused himself again. This time, he completely disappeared behind the door.

Emmelyn then sat on the bed and thought. She remembered that last week she didn’t want to share a chamber with Mars because she thought she was deprived of her freedom.

However, now that she was accustomed to living in the crown prince’s chamber, Emmelyn felt that having her own room, even though it was beautiful and according to her taste, was not as pleasant as she thought.

Every time she looked at this beautiful place, she would be reminded of the golden cage.

***

KNOCK

KNOCK

Emmelyn, sitting on the edge of the window while supporting her chin, jerked awake when she heard a knock on the door.

She suddenly turned to the door with a nodding expression. At last, Mars came, she thought.

She had been waiting for the man for a long time that she fell asleep by the window. And.. he was finally here.

“Hey …” Mars closed the door behind him and looked around Emmelyn’s chamber attentively.

He nodded with satisfaction because he thought this room was fit for a princess, the mother of his future children.

“Hey …” Emmelyn replied. Her voice sounded relieved.

She felt bored to death because today she had no one to talk to. Apart from talking a little with Roshan and Mrs. Coultard, Emmelyn didn’t talk to anyone. For someone who liked talking, this felt like torture.

This made her somewhat depressed. Now, seeing Mars’ presence, the girl immediately forgot that, this morning, she wholeheartedly agreed when Mars said it would be better if they limited their interactions.

When the prince said that he was worried that he would fall in love with Emmelyn, that girl also had the same thought. She was afraid that Mars would like her too much and then keep her in Draec forever.

But after feeling so bored during the day being cooped up in her chamber, Emmelyn was pleased to see the man’s presence.