The Gilded Bride

Chapter 10: Midnight Confessions

Princess Elowen decided very firmly that she would stop trying to understand King Demitri.

It was impossible.

Every interaction with him only left her more confused than before.

One moment he frightened her.

The next, he defended her.

He spoke sharply yet ensured her injuries healed.

Locked her away yet questioned why she no longer wandered the gardens.

And now,

he claimed she was never being punished at all.

Elowen sat curled beside the fireplace that evening staring blankly at the pages of an unread book.

Nothing made sense anymore.

Not Maria.

Not the servants.

Not Demitri.

Especially not Demitri.

A sigh escaped her quietly.

Perhaps she was overthinking everything.

Perhaps the king was simply strange.

The thought almost made her laugh.

Outside, darkness slowly settled over Delmatia. Snow no longer covered the gardens now; spring had softened the palace grounds into silver-green moonlit beauty.

And as midnight approached,

restlessness returned.

Elowen glanced toward the windows.

Then toward the doors.

No servants remained nearby this late.

No footsteps echoed beyond the halls.

Silence.

Freedom.

Her injuries had healed remarkably during the past week. Most cuts faded into pale marks across her skin while the deeper wounds no longer ached when she moved.

For the first time in weeks,

she wanted air.

Real air.

Not chamber walls.

Not silence heavy enough to drown in.

Just one walk, she told herself.

One.

Carefully, Elowen rose from the chair and crossed toward the window.

Moonlight spilled silver across the room as she pushed it open slowly. Cool air brushed against her face immediately.

Freedom.

The familiar stone staircase waited beyond.

For a moment, guilt flickered through her chest.

Demitri had forbidden her before.

Though technically…

he never repeated the order again.

And he said she was not being punished.

Confusing man.

Elowen carefully stepped onto the narrow staircase and descended quietly into the gardens below.

The moment her feet touched the ground, relief flooded through her unexpectedly.

The gardens felt unchanged.

Still peaceful.

Still quiet.

Lanterns flickered softly along winding pathways while flowers swayed gently beneath the cool night breeze. Somewhere nearby, water trickled quietly from the fountains.

Elowen exhaled slowly.

This place had become the only thing in Delmatia that felt entirely hers.

No expectations.

No fear.

Just silence.

She wandered slowly beneath the moonlight, fingers brushing absently against flowering hedges.

And on the opposite side of the gardens,

King Demitri watched her.

Hidden partially beneath the shadows of the stone archways, he stood motionless beside the fountain paths, dark coat blending easily into the night.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Finally.

She came back.

The realization settled strangely warm in his chest.

For days the gardens had felt emptier without her wandering them. Too quiet. Too still.

And now here she was again beneath moonlight with red hair glowing softly silver beneath the lanterns.

Demitri watched her walk calmly through the pathways, expression softer than usual.

He considered approaching her.

Only briefly.

The thought itself irritated him.

Still,

he almost moved toward her.

Until another figure entered the gardens.

Demitri’s expression darkened instantly.

Maria.

Maria Dansdale moved quickly through the pathways toward Elowen, pale cloak flowing behind her.

The moment Demitri recognized her, fury ignited violently beneath his ribs.

Like a feral animal suddenly cornered.

How dare she.

He had forbidden her from entering palace grounds.

And yet there she was.

Again.

Always slithering around rules like a serpent.

On the other side of the garden, Elowen froze in shock as Maria approached.

“Maria?”

The woman smiled instantly, relief flooding her expression.

“Elowen.”

Before Elowen could react, Maria closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

“I missed you so much.”

Elowen stiffened immediately.

Demitri’s warning echoed sharply through her head.

She is never to approach you again.

Slowly, awkwardly, Elowen stepped back from the embrace.

Maria noticed instantly.

The hurt in her face looked painfully genuine.

“Elowen?”

“You… should not be here.”

Maria flinched slightly.

“I only wanted to see you.”

“The king forbade it.”

At the mention of Demitri, Maria’s expression tightened faintly.

Then softened again almost immediately.

“He misunderstands me.”

Elowen hesitated.

Part of her wanted to believe that.

Wanted desperately for things to return to the way they were before.

Before suspicion.

Before accusations.

Before confusion.

Maria stepped closer again.

“I would never hurt you.”

The words landed heavily.

Because Elowen no longer knew whether they were true.

“You disappeared,” she said quietly.

Maria’s eyes shimmered instantly.

“He kept me away from you.”

Elowen’s chest tightened painfully.

And then,

Maria touched her arm gently.

“I was worried sick.”

The contact made Elowen tense again involuntarily.

Maria noticed.

And for the first time,

something cracked.

A small flicker of desperation crossed her beautiful features.

“Elowen,” she whispered shakily, “please.”

Before Elowen could answer,

heavy footsteps echoed sharply through the gardens.

Maria went pale instantly.

Demitri emerged from the shadows with several royal guards behind him.

The atmosphere changed immediately.

Cold.

Dangerous.

Demitri’s expression looked murderous.

“Elowen,” Maria breathed fearfully.

The guards moved instantly.

Maria barely had time to step back before they seized her arms carefully but firmly.

“No,wait,”

“Remove her.”

Demitri’s voice cut through the night like steel.

Maria struggled slightly.

“Elowen!”

The desperation in her voice startled Elowen deeply.

“I did nothing wrong!”

Demitri’s jaw tightened sharply.

“Take her.”

The guards dragged Maria away through the gardens while she continued calling Elowen’s name.

Eventually her voice disappeared into the distance.

Silence followed.

Heavy silence.

Elowen stood frozen beneath the moonlight.

Then suddenly,

she bowed deeply.

Not kneeling.

But close.

Head lowered immediately.

Hands trembling faintly at her sides.

“This was not planned,” she whispered quickly. “I did not arrange this meeting, Your Majesty, I swear,”

Tears burned sharply behind her eyes.

Not because of Maria.

Because of fear.

Because somehow everything always became worse around her.

Demitri stared at her silently.

Of course he already knew it was not planned.

Maria was many things.

Patient was not one of them.

And Elowen’s shock had been entirely genuine.

Still,

seeing her bowing apologetically beneath moonlight stirred something ugly inside him again.

Always apologizing.

Always afraid.

Demitri exhaled slowly.

“From now on,” he said calmly, “I will accompany you during your midnight walks.”

Elowen blinked.

Then slowly looked up.

Confusion flooded her expression instantly.

Demitri noticed.

And irritation followed immediately afterward.

Because instead of speaking,

she stayed silent again.

Thinking.

Hesitating.

Analyzing him instead of answering.

“What?” he asked flatly.

Elowen looked away quickly. “Nothing.”

“No. Speak.”

She hesitated longer.

Demitri stepped closer.

“I asked you a question.”

Elowen’s fingers tightened slightly against her dress.

“You are… accompanying me?”

“Yes.”

“Personally.”

“Yes.”

“…Why?”

Finally.

An honest question.

Demitri folded his arms loosely.

“So Maria does not approach you again.”

Elowen still looked confused.

As though she believed there must be another reason hidden beneath the explanation.

The realization annoyed him more than expected.

Not because she questioned him.

Because she genuinely seemed unable to accept simple concern.

Demitri studied her carefully beneath the moonlight.

“Do you always overthink everything?”

The question startled her slightly.

“I,”

“You spend more time trying to predict people than listening to them.”

Elowen looked genuinely caught off guard.

Silence followed briefly before Demitri spoke again.

“Tell me something honestly.”

She stiffened immediately.

“There,” he said dryly. “You just did it again.”

Elowen blinked.

“You prepare yourself before every answer.”

The observation embarrassed her instantly.

“That is not true.”

“It is.”

He began walking slowly through the gardens.

After a hesitant moment, Elowen followed beside him.

Moonlight stretched silver across the pathways as silence settled comfortably between them for once.

Then Demitri spoke again.

“You only answer freely when discussing Norwasia.”

Elowen glanced toward him carefully.

“That is not true either.”

“You spoke more during our discussion about economics than any other conversation we have had.”

Because it was easier, she thought silently.

Politics made sense.

People did not.

Demitri looked toward her again.

“What was it like growing up there?”

The question caught her entirely off guard.

Elowen hesitated instinctively.

Then, quietly,

“Complicated.”

Demitri waited.

Something about the silence beside him felt… patient tonight.

So before thinking too carefully, Elowen continued softly,

“Norwasia values appearances above everything.”

Demitri said nothing.

Encouraging her to continue.

“If something looks beautiful,” Elowen said quietly, “people forgive what rots underneath.”

The words escaped more honestly than intended.

She swallowed quickly.

“I suppose that applies to many kingdoms.”

“But not Delmatia.”

The observation slipped out unexpectedly.

Demitri glanced toward her.

Elowen immediately realized she had spoken too openly.

“You notice much for someone confined to one tower.”

“I read.”

A faint smirk appeared briefly on his face.

“Yes. Obsessively.”

Elowen looked away slightly embarrassed.

“I only meant…”

She hesitated.

Then sighed quietly.

“In Norwasia, wealth determines worth.”

“And here?”

Elowen looked toward the distant city lights beyond the palace walls.

“People smile more here.”

The honesty of the statement startled both of them slightly.

Elowen immediately looked down again.

“I spoke too much. Forgive me.”

Demitri’s brows furrowed faintly.

“You apologize for strange things.”

“I did not mean to insult Norwasia.”

“You merely observed it.”

Still she looked uneasy.

Demitri noticed again how quickly she retreated after speaking honestly.

Like honesty itself was dangerous.

Eventually they reached the tower entrance leading back toward her chambers.

Two royal guards stationed nearby froze in visible horror upon seeing them approach together.

More specifically,

upon seeing Elowen outside.

One guard went pale immediately.

The other looked seconds away from collapse.

“Your Majesty,”

“We did not see the queen leave,”

Their panic tumbled out instantly.

Elowen looked between them quickly.

Fear flashed across their faces so openly that guilt stabbed through her chest.

“They are not at fault,” she said immediately. “Please do not replace them.”

The guards looked stunned.

Demitri looked at her instead.

Again?

Again she defended people before herself.

Strange woman.

He said nothing for several seconds, letting the terrified guards suffer slightly longer than necessary.

Then finally,

“It is fine.”

The relief on their faces was immediate.

Demitri followed Elowen up toward her chambers while the guards remained bowing repeatedly behind them.

Once inside the room, Elowen turned awkwardly toward him.

“Thank you.”

Demitri glanced toward the towering stacks of books beside her chair again.

“You are nearly finished with those.”

Elowen blinked.

“Yes…”

“Do you require more?”

The question startled her more than it should have.

Books?

He noticed her books?

Warm confusion fluttered unexpectedly through her chest.

“I… perhaps.”

Demitri nodded once.

“I will have more delivered.”

Then he turned and left before she could answer properly.

The chamber doors closed softly behind him.

And Elowen stood motionless in the middle of the room,

more confused about the King of Delmatia than ever before.