Chapter 2. A Gift

DOVE

“Your Majesty,” the guard repeated, trying to make his voice sound convincing.

No one responded; there was only a deep and shameful silence.

“He will not come out. My apologies,” he said to me, looking at me with a guilty expression; regret was clear on his face.

“I will wait here,” I replied, with my crown held high. I had to see him. “You may retire; I will not hold you here.”

The guard bowed and left gratefully to continue enjoying the banquet. With that, I was left alone in the hallway, in front of the bedroom door. I needed that time alone to think. So many things had happened in such a short time, and I could barely digest it.

My mother had offered me as a wife to a hundred feudal lords, princes, dukes, and marquesses, always receiving a lot of rejections.

I was not rich; my family was no longer important, and my beauty was overshadowed by the lack of care and domestic work. I did not understand why the king had accepted me; it was not in his best interest at all. I was far from my old home, in a different city, and it seemed like no one wanted me.

At that moment, I felt all the urge to cry that I had suppressed. I wanted to let out a sob, but the noise of the door opening interrupted me.

“Are you still here?” Jacob asked. I did not understand how he had managed to recognize me. Maybe he could still see something.

“I have to see you, talk to you. You are my husband,” I said confidently, without fear; it was time to finally let my true self come out.

He was taken aback by my words, opening the door a bit more and inviting me in.

The room looked like that of a hermit, in complete chaos and disorder, with books everywhere and many antiques. It only had one chair, so I sat there, and he stood by my side.

“How did you recognize me?” I wanted to know, examining him with my gaze.

“I’m not completely blind,” he replied sharply. “And also, your scent is very predominant.”

That made me feel a stab of embarrassment; I feared having a bad odor or something like that. I did not want to ask more about it.

Jacob just stood there; at times, he looked at me and squinted his eyes. His bearing was attractive and imposing. His clear eyes, the sharp features, and his beauty had no name. That weighed on me more and more intensely every minute.

“I see you like to read,” I said, smiling, wanting to continue a conversation.

“Yes,” he answered, again curt and cold.

I swallowed my saliva; he was an extremely serious man. He didn’t seem to be the same as at the altar when he kissed me so tenderly. I wanted to go back in time to have that man by my side.

“I also like to read,” I tried again to start a conversation; I wouldn’t give up so easily.

He gave me a weak attempt at a smile; apparently, that would be his only answer.

“Well, I’ll go see your books,” I said, resolved, and stood up to approach his library.

I became more and more confident as the time passed. I was his, yes, but he was mine too. I examined his library, finding a plethora of curious objects. On one of the shelves, a gold jewel box with jade inlays caught my attention. I held it in my hands and opened it, finding inside a very beautiful ring, which had a delicate engraving of small guards. I looked at it for a moment before putting it back where it was.

“I see you haven’t been taught manners,” Jacob walked towards where I was. He had a mysterious expression as always; I couldn’t decipher it; he was a living enigma.

“Do you think so?” I asked, looking him in the eye. If he could see me, even a little, I wanted him to recognize my face by facing him.

He wasn’t used to being spoken to so directly, which made him blush and then become even more serious.

“Yes, I do,” he replied, as cold as ice.

“Well, it’s your opinion,” I smiled. “What will be my side of the bed?” I asked and went to bed, feeling the softness of the blankets. It was the nicest thing in the bedroom.

I confused him even more; he was perplexed watching me enter his bed.

“I ordered for a room to be prepared for you in the castle,” he said, with his severity.

“No problem, I don’t have many belongings. I can easily bring my things here,” I looked up at the ceiling, enjoying that situation; seeing him uncomfortable was certainly very charming.

“You can’t do that…” he began to say, addressing me and standing in front of his bed.

“Of course, you are my husband. We should sleep in the same room.”

“But we won’t…” Jacob began to resign himself. My attitude confused him. He breathed deeply, seeking inner peace. “Well, but that room will still be yours, at least during the day. I want my privacy here.”

“Okay.” I smiled; I had won. “After 7 p.m., I will come; the rest of the time, I will stay there.”

It was a start; I breathed a sigh of relief. He was not as strict as he seemed. He did not speak to me, so I continued to insist.

“Why did you choose me as your wife?” I wanted to know; it was a question that was killing me. We were already married, but he could have chosen any rich girl or royalty that would have been more beneficial to him.

“Because I wanted to.”

“Why didn’t you choose Esther?” I asked him directly, even though at any moment I could be hurt. He looked at me strangely, but I could see that I almost made him smile.

“She does not please me,” he answered, shrugging his shoulders.

“And I do?” I smiled, making him blush.

He did not answer me, but I assumed his silence as a favorable answer. Esther was beautiful, and her family occupied an important place in the court; choosing her would have been beneficial for him. Surely something else had happened there.

“I don’t trust her family,” he said after the pause. I was surprised; he was opening up to me.

“Did they do something to you?” I asked slowly, looking him in the eyes; I loved seeing him close. His expression kept me captivated.

“Yes, they just don’t admit it. They are treacherous and always lurking. Just like many others in the court.”

“Is that why you chose me?” It was a point in my favor; my family was not from that city and had no power.

“Yes, you haven’t conspired against me.”

“Not yet, handsome,” I said and laughed. My crown moved a little and almost fell off, making me do some funny moves. He smiled, leaving behind his role of extreme coldness.

I saw him even let out a minimal laugh when I said that nonsense. I stayed a while longer examining the books and reading a little of the ones that caught my attention. Until one of my ladies-in-waiting came to escort me to take a bath. That made me have to say goodbye for a while to my husband. I went where he was and kissed him on the cheek; he only hugged me around the waist. As much as it was only that, it gave me intense tingles in my stomach.

The water made me relax a lot, gently falling into the bathtub. The girl seemed to be kind.

“In your room, we left all your dresses, Majesty,” she said while taking my relaxing bath.

“Okay, tonight I will sleep there, but tomorrow I will go with my husband,” I responded politely.

I was taking a bath after so many years of lack; this was like paradise for me.

“Do you think I will be a loved queen?” I asked the young woman; I was curious and also wanted to make friends with someone in that castle.

“Of course,” she replied politely. I wanted to know her true opinion.

“What is your name?” I had to gain her trust if I wanted honesty.

“My name is Clarisa,” she smiled; it seemed like she liked me a bit.

“It’s a nice name.” I continued to massage my hair, to untangle it. “Where did you buy that belt?”

“I made it myself,” she replied, proud. “I bought the materials at a store in the city.”

“It’s very beautiful.” I smiled. “I’ve never seen one like it.” It was true; it had a very original and well-combined design.

“I could make you one… if you want.” She made a bow; I would never get used to that.

“That would be great,” I said, excited; I was gaining a bit of her trust. “Tell me the truth, Clarisa. Do you think people will want me as their queen?”

I was always one of those people who went straight to the point; I didn’t go around in circles or deceive. She looked at me with some pity until she dared to answer me.

“I don’t believe it, Your Majesty,” she replied honestly, looking at her feet with discomfort. “Things have not been well here…”

“What do you mean?” Her response caught my attention openly. I sensed that something was wrong; the rumors about Jacob were false. I couldn’t even imagine the others.

“About the king…” she swallowed. “Nobody wants him to rule… At least here at court, I’ve heard many people speak against him.”

“Why?” I didn’t understand exactly what was happening; I was a newcomer, after all.

The girl hesitated to continue speaking. She looked extremely nervous about the seriousness of the matter. It was my kingdom now; I didn’t want to go into the lion’s den without information.

“Well, it’s complicated; I don’t really know what happened. I know that the one who was supposed to rule was his brother. His mother blames him for his sudden death…”

“I’ve heard that. They say he killed him,” I said without further ado. I wanted to investigate more, to know if my husband was a murderer. He didn’t seem to be, but maybe underneath that mask of coldness and beauty was a homicidal.

“That’s not true,” the young girl interrupted me, her eyes fixed on me. She was about to cry; I could see it on her face. “He could never kill anyone.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken more,” I apologized. The girl was very young; she wouldn’t be used to that kind of conversation.

She accompanied me to my room, which was very neat and impeccable. I wanted to congratulate myself for how far I had come; luck was in my favor; I just had to stay alert. My husband was a box of surprises, and he could still be cruel under disguise, and I had to be careful. My body was more relaxed after the bath, and I could lie down in my bed with total ease. It had been so long since I slept on a comfortable mattress.

In the room, there were many luxurious things: mirrors, carved tables, and very elegant sofas. Everything was decorated with delicacy. I noticed that, on one of the small tables, there was a chest. I recognized it immediately, making my stomach give me more tingles.

“Clarisa?” I asked the girl before she left. “Who left this here?”

“The king brought it; he said it was a gift for you,” replied the young girl, smiling, which also made her emotional.

I looked at it attentively, putting on the ring that was kept inside.