Avery opened her eyes, the moment, the ice cold water made contact with her already pale looking skin.
The first thing, she felt was the chilling feeling that made the hairs on her hand, and exposed skin to rise up in goosebumps.
Then she felt the hard, and cold flooring of the room, below her, on which she was huddled over, without even having a mattress to spread on the cold floor.
The moist, and damp atmosphere coupled with the smell of molds, and growing mosses, filled her nostrils making her a little nauseating, and which made her head a little dizzy in return.
Her mind was still a little dazed, and was unable to capture the surrounding atmosphere, in which she was currently placed in.
Enduring the nasty killer headache, and chills spreading down her spine, which she got from the cold winds touching her wet clothes, made her to wake up a little, and helped her to come out of her dazed state, and help her in trying to grasp the unfortunate, and bad situation.
She took in her surroundings slowly with her half opened hooded eyes. She was sitting on a cold, and hard floor, with wet patches here, and there.
When she raised her head slowly with much difficulty, as even raising her head was too much of a hard work for her, right now. Then what she saw was the prison cell bars, that greeted her dizzy eyes, making her already muddled head to be more confused, as to why she was seeing the old prison bar cell gates in her royal bed chambers.*if you could call her chambers like that.
Even though she was abandoned in the cold palace courtyard in the east corner of the imperial palace, it did looked good, all thanks to Avery’s endless painstaking efforts, as she managed to change the cold, and empty abandoned courtyard, into a lovely, and beautiful garden with random wild flowers, as she didn’t get, or given any beautiful ornamental plants to decorate her place. that type of luxury was snatched, and prohibited for her, since a long time ago.
The cold, and empty courtyard given to her was enough for her, which she changed into another one, to her liking with her efforts, except for the cold winds, which would often accompany her.
They took a liking to the lonely soul of hers, and took pity on her, to accompany her, most of the time. But what they didn't know was that their chilling cold caressing only added more to her misery, chilling up her already cold body, and frozen heart, and soul.
When all she wanted, and earnestly yearned for was a litte bit of warmth. Even if it's just for a sliver moment, she would have accepted it, with a smile on her face, and with wide open arms, and heart.
But her unfortunate fate, didn't even allowed her to get even a little bit of warmth, making even the deepest pit of her inner soul to be freezed to death.
As the place which was given to her was the coldest place in the whole luxurious royal palace, with cold floors, and open windows, without even any doors, or wooden blinds to cover, and shield it from the cold winds of the dark nights.
That place, did have the name , ‘cold courtyard palace' for a reason. But it's a pity, that Avery got to know the real meaning for that place, only after she got sent to that place. only after experiencing it herself, she got to relate the real meaning of it.
She mocked herself, and accepted that as her unlucky fate.
She, and her two serving maids, used several clothes to cover the windows, so as to allow only little wind to come into the cold palace chambers.
Coming back from her tranced state, she looked to the entrance of the prison cell.
Only then, she found the familiar muscular figure, whom she had gotten used to by seeing for the last five years, standing there with the most coldest, and the cruelest look, she had ever witnessed, plastered on his usually indifferent face, which he used specifically only for her.
****what a great honor...
Looking at her with the most cold eyes, which was even colder than the ice cold water, which was poured on her a moment ago, was her beloved husband Avalon, the crown prince of the Valerian kingdom.
Standing behind him, almost hiding behind his large muscular form, was the familiar small figure of a female, which Avery was so much accustomed to seeing from her childhood, was her beloved younger sister, Cassy, who was the main cause of her current appreance.
Only after seeing both of her beloved husband, and her younger sister together, the memories, due to which she was currently sitting on the cold, and hard floor of the prison cell, came to her mind, as a scene by scene played in her muddled mind continuously like a movie.
“Don’t hurt my dear elder sister. Even though she cheated on you, your highness, please spare her life, will you please??.
once she signed the divorce agreement between you two, Just let her go, and release her for my sake, your highness...please….” Her younger sister faked her usual crocodile tears, and tried to act as earnestly as she could possibly do.
Even though, the voice of Cassy sounded sweet, and innocent, full of pity, and worry for her elder sister, it was not the real case though.
Though it seemed as if she was pleading for her elder sister Avery, her eyes which were down casted were filled with an evil glint, and the small happy smile at the corner of her lips betrayed her innocent pity acting.
As she was looking down, no one could see the expression on Cassy's face clearly, except for poor Avery who was sitting on the floor below Cassy.
So the crown prince Avalon only heard Cassy's fake pleading voice, and missed the malicious look on her face, which was the real one, which Cassy was feeling right now.
“mmmm….stop pleading for your cheating, and scheming elder sister, my dear. She didn’t deserve your kindness at all.
I can’t believe, you two are real blood sisters at all.
Here you are, who is as pure, and innocent like a little red rose, where as, there she is, looking ugly like a poisonous thorn.
Don’t worry, my dear. Once she signed the divorce agreement, I’ll chase her out of the kingdom, and make you the royal crown princess, and take you officially as my legal wife.
Just wait a little more time, my dear little rose” Avalon cooed at Cassy, with a rare gentle look casted on his usual indifferent face.
Hearing that Avalon will be making her the royal crown princess, and soon she will be named as the Queen of the Valerian kingdom, Cassy could not contain her happiness at all. Her eyes were filled with pure happiness, coupled with her real evilness. it was a deadly combination.
But soon, she got her emotions under her control, and made a SAD face quickly, and continued to act as a good little younger sister.
Hearing Avalon’s sweet talking with Cassy, made Avery to cry in heart ache. She could hear her already frozen heart breaking into million pieces.
Avalon used to use that kind of tone to speak to her. But now, all he has for her was unadulterated hatred, and disgust.
Only then she realised that Avalon loved her before, only for her beautiful face, and not her innocent heart, and soul, which she bared open to him so willingly..
So once she lost her outer beauty, she was thrown out like a piece of rag doll with no value to her real affections.
She, Avery Hastings, was the First Miss of the prestigious Hastings household, and the current crown princess, and the future queen of the Valerian kingdom.
But now, all that came crashing down to dust.
Avery cried for all the misfortunes that befell on her due to her naïve, and stupid character. All because she failed to see through the fake people around her.
Looking at Avery, without batting a eyelash, Avalon threw a well folded silk scroll on her face harshly, which hit her squarely on her forehead, causing her forehead to bleed immediately.
But Avalon didn't even had the least bit of regret, or concern for her, on his indifferent face.
Avery’s already pale looking face paled even more, and the streak of red blood on her face was a contrast to her pale looking skin color.
The blood from her forehead was leaving a trail on her small pale looking face, and dripped on her wet dirty clothes.
But the crown prince Avalon, or the persons, the prison guards around her, didn’t mind her bleeding forehead at all, as no one came forward to help her, in stopping the bleeding.
Then Avalon opened his mouth, and uttered the two words, so coldly which could be used to freeze even the deepest part of the lake in a few seconds, and asked her to seal her sign on the folded silk scroll.
He looked at her from his height, above her head, and looked down her like she was a pest.
It's like he really wanted to crush her under his feet.
“sign it” it was a cruel command issued by her beloved husband Avalon, daring her to defy his orders.
~*~
happy reading ❤❤❤