Aria
If looks could kill, Mason would be dead right now courtesy of the icy glare Lyall shot his way.
“Lighten up, brother. I thought a night outside the palace would take the edge off a little bit. From your appearance and that of your mistress’, it looks like both of you had a lot of fun,”
He winked at me and I blushed furiously.
“Why do you still look like something crawled up your ass and died?” Mason said and I almost whistled. That was a lot to say to the alpha. Lyall growled and I could have sworn his eyes were beginning to turn red.
“Alright, that's enough. Come on, Mason,” Trenton patted him on the back and I did not miss the slight look of panic on his face. Directing one last smirk at Lyall, Mason let Trenton lead him away.
Letting out a loud sigh, Lyall turned to me with an apologetic look on his face, surprisingly void of any rage seen earlier.
“Aria, I'm sorry—”
I shook my head. I didn't want to hear it. I wasn't in the mood to listen to his apology and I certainly didn't want to spend any more time in this damned hallway, looking like a fool. All I wanted to do was curl into my bed and possibly cry into my pillow or sleep for as long as I could.
“Just go after her, Lyall.” I sighed tiredly and Serene rubbed soothing circles on my back.
He took a step toward me. “But—”
“Lyall,” Serene cut in sternly. “Aria is in desperate need of a change of clothes and she needs to rest. I advise you to go after your wife and sort things out first.”
Lyall nodded. “I'll see you later?” He asked me with an unsure look in his eyes.
My smile was forced. “You will.”
“Please take care of her.” He said to Serene and I blushed at his gentle tone but I also bristled. I wasn't a child that needed pampering. I was a full-grown woman.
“I will,” Serene said and turned to me. “Come on,” Serene said. “Let's get you back into your room,”
My eyes flashed with gratitude at her as she led me back to my room, her hands keeping me grounded on my lower back. I glanced briefly at Lyall's retreating figure and at that same moment, he looked back at me.
Our eyes met and no words were exchanged. The urge to escape from the hallway intensified and I tore my gaze away from him. As Serene and I walked across the hallway, I paid no notice as our footsteps reverberated around the hall.
I came to an abrupt halt as Daneesha appeared in front of me. She shot me an icy glare filled with disappointment and my face fell instantly.
“Daneesha,” I called but she shook her head and walked right past me.
“What was that about? Isn't that your friend?” Serene asked.
I sighed dejectedly. “Don't worry about it.’
Once Serene and I got to my room, I took a seat on the bed, too exhausted to keep standing.
Who knew exchanging words with Sheila would be so draining? And not that I did much of the talking anyway.
“I'll get one of the maidservants to prepare a nice, warm bath for you.” Serene added and I nodded, too tired to protest and silently hoping that one of those devious servants didn't make my water scalding hot like in the past.
Serene quietly left the room and I began to reflect on the argument that happened earlier. I didn't like Sheila but I couldn't deny that she had every right to react the way she did. I knew I would certainly feel like that or even worse if I was in her shoes.
I placed my cold finger on my aching temples. Would the situation change if I just told everyone Lyall was my mate? I grimaced, shaking my head vehemently. Definitely a bad idea. No one would believe me and that would only give Sheila more reasons to make my life a living hell.
And I doubted Lyall was ready to tell everyone about it. It was a big deal after all. I sighed. I just wish he would see how miserable this situation was making me feel.
Serene came back a few minutes with Kiana and I visibly relaxed. Kiana was the only maid that was civil to me. Scratch that— Kianna wasn't just civil, she was nice to me and maybe that made me feel a sense of elation in the past but right now, I didn't know what to think.
Daneesha had been nice to me too and suddenly she couldn't stand to be in the same room with me anymore. My heart tugged at the thought. I missed Daneesha. Over time, she had slowly grown to become someone I held dear and her sudden icy demeanor hurt more than k could admit.
“Hi, Aria,” Kiana greeted with a smile which I reluctantly returned. “Shall I get the bath ready for you?”
“That would be nice. Thank you.” I answered genuinely. Kianna curtsied and went straight into the bathroom, leaving me with Serene.
Serene sat next to me, placing her hand softly on her shoulder. “I'll leave you to get some rest and I'll be back to check on you later. Does that sound good?”
I smiled genuinely. “It does.” She returned a genuine smile of her own and my heart tugged with emotions. I might have lost a friend but it looks like I might have gained another.
“Thank you,” I whispered on the brink of tears, throwing my arms around her. She was startled for a second but then she relaxed, returning the hug.
“Anytime. I'll see you later alright?” She said gently. “And Aria, if you need to talk, you know I'm always here to listen right?”
I nodded. “I do now. I appreciate that.”
She blew me a playful kiss and I laughed as she made her way out of the room just as Kiana stepped out of the bathroom.
“Your bath is ready, Aria.” She said, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow. My eyes widened as I took in her dress which was almost completely wet.
“What happened?” I asked, surprised that I was genuinely concerned.
“Just an accident.” She laughed sheepishly and I couldn't help but notice how young she looked. I suddenly wished I had a younger sister and then I suddenly had the urge to protect this young girl in front of me.
“Are you hurt?” I asked, scanning her for any signs of injury. She shook her head. “Oh, dear. I better find you some dry clothes to change into.”
“No, no. That's okay.” She protested, waving her hands in the air but I wasn't having it.
“Don't be silly,” I shot up from the bed and went straight to my closet, sorting through the arrays of dresses before finally picking a simple cream-colored dress. “Here, wear this.” I handed it over to her.
Kiana's eyes shone with happiness as she gently took the dress from my hands.
“Thank you so much. I'll make sure to wash it well before returning it.”
I gave her a small smile. “Never mind that. Keep it. It's yours now.”
Her jaw went slack with shock. “No, I couldn't possibly do that.”
“It's okay. You can keep it.” I insisted.
Awe and excitement shone on her face which in turn did funny things to my insides. I really did want a younger sister.
“Wow. Thank you so much. It's really pretty.” Her bright eyes made me want to just pull out every single one of those dresses from the closet and hand them over to her.
“You're welcome. You can change here while I take my bath.”
Without waiting for her reply, I went straight into the bathroom and peeled off my shredded dress and undergarments. I settled into the bathtub, inhaling the sweet smells of the perfume and bath oils.
I smiled at the thought that Kiana put a lot of effort into making the bath water as comfortable as possible. The water was starting to get cold but I didn't mind as I just closed my eyes and relaxed. After a few minutes, the water became too cold and decided to get out of the tub.
I toweled myself dry and wrapped myself in the same towel before leaving the bathroom. Kiana had changed into the cream dress and even though it looked slightly big on her, she still looked great. She had a comfortable dress already laid out for me.
“It looks good on you.” I motioned at the dress and she blushed.
“Thank you. I'll go get your food.”
I shot her a grateful smile and she left the room immediately, taking her old dress with her. I slipped into my undergarments and dress and brushed my hair lightly before tying it in a loose bun on the top of my head.
Kiana came in a few minutes later carrying a large tray with a generous amount of food. There were potatoes, fruits, vegetables, bread, sauce, spices, fish, and meat and I already felt full from looking at the tray.
“Oh, goddess, Kiana? Are you trying to feed a whole army?!” I exclaimed and she giggled.
“I just wanted you to eat well. You seemed to be skipping a few meals recently.”
My eyes shot up in surprise. I had no idea she noticed or even cared. “Thank you,” My eyes met hers. “That's really sweet of you,” I added. Just then, her stomach rumbled loudly and she turned beet red.
“Kiana? Have you had anything to eat today?”
“No, not yet,” She said quietly, her face still red with embarrassment. “But I'll eat something soon.”
I suddenly felt bad for the young girl. I had experienced first-hand the horrible meals that were given to slaves and sometimes we would feed on just bread and water for days. I patted the space opposite me.
“Sit. Eat with me.”
Kiana's eyes widened and she took a small step back. “Oh, no! I cannot do that. First your dress and now your food? I simply cannot do that.”
I chuckled at her flabbergasted expression. “Well, it's your fault. You gave me enough food to feed the entire planet and now you have to help me finish it.” I raised a playful eyebrow and she coloured.
“But—”
“No, buts. Come, sit. The meal is getting cold.”
“Thank you, Aria.” She said quietly and took a seat on the bed. I waved in response and began helping her dish her food. Her face was once red once again and I couldn't help but giggle at how endearing it was that she blushed quite easily.
Kiana picked at her food at first but soon she began eating like she was racing against time itself.
“Slow down!” I exclaimed, handing her a glass of water as she choked. She took a few sips of water and when I was sure she was okay, I went back to eating my food.
It was odd that I had a slightly bigger appetite today. I was almost sure it was because I was eating with Kiana and not alone and it was certainly easy to lose one's appetite when Sheila was staring daggers at you across the table.
To my utmost surprise, Kiana and I cleared the mountain of food in front of us and only empty plates remained.
“Wow, I can't believe we finished all of that food!” I exclaimed, rubbing my belly.
“I can't either,” Kiana giggled. “Thank you for letting me eat with you, Aria,” She said, bowing slightly. “I'll leave you to rest now. If you need anything, you can always call for me.” She said with a bright smile which I couldn't help but return.
“Thank you, Kiana,” I said as she arranged the empty plates and carried the tray before leaving the room. I watched her retreating figure, a bit sad to see her go but I knew that I needed some time to myself.