The next morning, Adria woke up fully refreshed and ready to start up her day.
It was the first day after her marriage and even though she didn’t like it, she couldn’t bear the thought of being cooped up inside her bedroom for a whole day.
She would try to get out and see the mansion for herself. The Valtheris mansion was one of the greatest buildings to ever exist among her kind.
It was tagged a palace because it looked like one if not resembled.
Kicking off the covers to her bed, she made her way into the bathroom to have her bath. When she was done, she styled up her hair and put on the clothes that she had picked for herself.
By the time her maid arrived, she was already dressed and ready for the day.
"My Lady." Calla called out to her astonished "Why on earth did you get ready without me?"
"I use to do all of this myself and getting married doesn’t mean I’m handicapped, Calla." She reminded her.
"Back home, I always made sure to look after myself and my sister—" She froze when she realized that she had said to much.
Just how on earth did she manage to let that slip. It hasn’t even been a day and she was already blabbing things. What would happen in the next few months to come?
"Your sister?" The maid inquired "I didn’t know that you have a sister. What is she like? And is she married as well?"
She shook her head "My sister lives far away in the human world and only comes to visit from time to time. She’s sadly not the type to stick around." She muttered the last part to herself because it was nothing but the truth.
Aria had never tried to stick around. She was always the type to go running when things became tough and extremely difficult.
But she couldn’t bring herself to hate her though. After all, she was her sister.
"I’m truly sorry, My Lady." The maid sympathized with her. "Sadly, only the person wearing the shoe knows where it hurts the most."
Adria couldn’t agree more with that statement. She was the one wearing the shoe and so far, everything about the shoe hurt her in places that she couldn’t even begin to explain if she wanted to.
She felt suffocated but she couldn’t disclose what or how she felt with someone else and that’s because she wasn’t certain that they would understand her pain so she would suck it up as best as she could.
The maid led her to her table to sit and ran a comb over her thick mass of hair.
"By the way, I didn’t get the chance to ask how your night went. Did you have fun at the special feast that was thrown in your honour My Lady?"
Adria wanted to puke at that question. The memory of her argument with the King after the feast down to what happened in his bedroom flooded her head as she thought about it, leaving a sour after taste in her memory.
She just wanted to forget last night like it never happened but how?
"You did have fun didn’t you, My Lady?"
She forced a smile, "It was a wonderful feast and I had a wonderful time. The people who were present treated me with so much respect and welcomed me with open arms. I felt, quite elated if I may put it nicely."
"I’m glad that you enjoyed it." She primped "You’re the first Lady to say that."
She turned to look at her maid. "I am?"
She breathed through her mouth "You are My Lady. The first wife of Lycan King didn’t enjoy it that much."
Adria became suddenly curious at the outburst. "What do you mean by that?"
"It’s nothing, My Lady." Calla smiled at her but Adria wouldn’t have it. Why mention her if she wasn’t going through with the entire story?
She has already piqued her interest in the matter that has been lingering on her mind ever since she arrived here.
"I have been meaning to ask," Adria trailed off, her eyes holding down the gaze of the maid "How did King’s first wife die?"
She wanted to know because she needed to be prepared to protect herself if such things will happen to her as well. More especially, she wanted to know if the King had a hand in it.
Calla’s hands flew to cover her mouth "My Lady, we are not allowed to speak on that particular matter. If the King hears even the slightest news about it then he would order my execution."
"I only work here because of my family. I can’t loose my job as well. My entire family depends on it." She dismissed the topic as though she wasn’t the one who has mentioned it earlier.
It wasn’t like she told her to. Now, she won’t get to hear about the woman and what she was like.
"All done My Lady. Now let me get your breakfast." Calla made to go but Adria stopped her.
"Can I tag along?"
"I’m only going to the kitchen to prepare your meal and nothing else. I will be right back as soon as possible." She assured her.
"I’ve been in here ever since I arrived and I think that a change of scenery will be better for me so please..." She pouted her lips and the maid had no choice but to let her tag along.
They made their way towards the kitchen area and arrived in a matter of minutes. Adria was stunned. Even the kitchen in her mansion back at home wasn’t as big as this. It looked like another mansion all on it’s own.
"What would you like for breakfast My Lady?" Calla inquired, "Just tell me what you want and the cook will prepare it for you in no time trust me."
Adria looked around happily but then she darted her eyes back at Calla as though she had forgotten something. "I haven’t seen Moira today. Is she alright?"
"Moira is always alright. She could be held up in another work for the King or busy with something else."
Adria nodded in understanding. "She does look like someone who is always busy. I didn’t get the chance to thank her yesterday and I really hoped to do so today when I see her."
"You will. Now, your food for breakfast."
"What about I make something for myself?" She questioned and the maid gave her a look of disapproval. Did she perhaps say something wrong?
"You’re not allowed to, My Lady."
"But why? Back at home, I used to prepare meals with the maids from the kitchen. It’s fun so why can’t I do so over here?"
"Because you are the King’s wife." Came Calla’s swift response.
"You are also the Luna of this pack and according to the tradition of our pack, you’re not allowed to do so. If the Lycan king finds out about this then—" she paused as if she was trying to calculate her choice of words.
They do have a lot of rules around here, don’t they? She has heard more than five of them and she hasn’t even spent a full day here.
"He doesn’t have to find out. I doubt that he will find out as well. It’s not like he ever comes to the kitchen to know what’s going on around here."
"And besides, he looks like someone who’s busy with enough work on his plate to care about the affairs of the kitchen." She explained and after giving it much thought, they agreed.
"I’ll help you with whatever you need. The sooner we’re started with this, the sooner we finish and the better for both of us."
Adria agreed and they immediately started on the preparation. She chopped and diced some vegetables. She wanted to make a special recipe that reminded her of home.
Halfway through, the door to the kitchen bursts open and another woman walks in with a trail of two maids behind her. Adria didn’t know who she was so she ignored and continued with her work.
"Hello there." The woman in quested greeted as she walked up to her. "I’d like to have my breakfast. The most important meal of the day. I need more energy to fix the one I had lost in the King’s chambers last night."
Adria’s eyes widened in shock at the woman’s confession. She spent the night in the King’s room after she left?
Adria didn’t know why but she felt a pang of irritation course through her that she tried to suppress.
She took one look at the woman again and that’s when she realized that she was the King’s mistress.
She wasn’t surprised though. She expected him to have one. One, out of every Alpha or ruler of a pack had one. A slave who satisfies their sexual urges like playthings.
"Why aren’t any of you moving? I asked for my breakfast and I haven’t had it yet. What are you all waiting for?"
The other maids scampered around the kitchen while she remained unmoved.
"Didn’t you hear what I just said?"
Before Adria could fully comprehend who she referred to by that statement, she felt firm hands push her away to the side.
"What do you think you’re doing?" She was forced to ask when the unknown lady tried to dish out the meal that she had prepared.
"Do you have any idea whom you’re speaking to? You filthy bitch!"
Calla made to defend her mistress but Adria gestured her not to.
"Please leave the kitchen. I am trying to make breakfast and I cannot do so while you’re trying to cause a scene." Adria said instead.
Anya laughed in disbelief. "And who do you think you are? Are you trying to insult me?"
"Leave now!" She ordered in a stern voice.
"I’ll show you who would leave the kitchen instead of the other." Anya raised up her hands to hit Adria who caught it mid-air.
Just as she struggled to break free, the Lycan King walked in completely unannounced.