"Hey. I am Astrid, Brother's younger sister."
The door knocked and Sir's female but younger version came, smiling softly at me, entering.
"Hey..." My energy-deprived self could pursue words louder than a whisper.
"Are you alright?" She asked innocently. Her question was truly triggering.
Laughing mockingly, I retorted, "How would you feel being the Aunt of your ex-lover?"
My reply shut her lips, looking away, stuck in an unwillingly awkward post. Hugging my side, my void self looked around.
"Moreover living together." I muttered.
"The southern portion is for the Ayle family, the rest of us live together." She replied.
"Does it matter? You're still a part of the same property." I said, looking around the room.
"By the way, Astrid…"
"Yeah…?"
"Where is Sir's wife?" I asked, turning to her.
A look of stagger flashed in her eyes as if my question was too vague for her to comprehend, "Didn't.. Brother tell.. You?" She asked hesitantly.
Shaking my head in denial, I walked out with her with two maids following us.
"These two are your personal maids, you can tell them if you need anything."
She told me expectantly and the fact someone could be polite in this hideous palace left a drop of poison in my mouth but then again Sir said himself- this place was toxic.
"Maids or jailers?" I laughed dryly and walked down to the main hall from where I came from.
"Don't say it."
"Anyways, you didn't answer my question." I said, stopping in the middle and turning to her.
Everything in his absence was aesthetically soothing, no dread lingering over my head and putting my wavering presence at serene.
"Dania died giving birth to Sky six years ago. Brother was devastated by her death, none of us thought he would fall in love again. At least I feel relieved that he has moved on. Can't you try to give him a chance? He is not what you think." Her voice came out desperate, making an almost crying face as I laughed.
"Yeah, what else could he be other than a devil?" I mocked, getting down. Now I gained a tongue when he was not here.
"How old are you, Astrid?" I asked nonchalantly.
"30."
"Are you married?" I asked, humming to myself, hoping to get something to fulfill my starvation.
"Widow with two kids." She smiled. I stopped in my tracks, dolorous but continued to walk away without speaking anything.
"Are you guys three siblings?" I asked.
"Yeah. Sister Penelope is the eldest, then Brother, I am the youngest."
The way her voice came sweet truly made me melt but I was not in the state of mind to accept any pity which is going to enhance my miserable condition.
Humming, I asked her about the kitchen to get me something to eat. "You're the Madam of the Palace, you know it, don't you?"
Another voice joined us when I was indulging in my apple and taking all my taunts for Prince Sir on his sister.
Looking up I saw Penelope with a grave look, "I am neither his wife nor a Madam." I mumbled, taking a bite of my apple.
"Cinzel. Tell me what happened." Penelope sighed compassionately, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Does it matter now?" I scoffed.
"What did Prince do to you?" She asked in a grievous tone.
Staring at her face for a few seconds, my heart ached for the broken dreams scattered in her eyes. My eyes were moist without weeping by the enervated aspirations both her Brother and Son mangled.
But the interlude of bravery pulverized the moment my puppeteer entered, holding his daughter's hand still embedding overwhelming fear in me to sew these lips together.
"Whatever I have done to her is none of your concern."
His dominant tone came, sending a shiver down my spine. The sound of his step approaching me like a prey, suffocated me terribly.
"Right, Cinzel?" He asked threateningly, turning his head to me with a warning glare, draining my strength instantly.
Not wanting to enrage him, I stammered, nodding quickly, shivering when he was here, "Y-Yes."
"Look what you have done to her." Penelope argued, mouth gaping after seeing me like that.
"She will learn." He uttered, picking up Sky and walking to me. My heart skipped a beat, feet frozen as I glanced at the pair unsettlingly.
"Sky wants to meet you." He said coldly.
Sky leaned closer to my face, holding her hand out for me to shake, "Hey Cinzel."
"Hey… how are you?" I asked hesitantly, trying not to look at her Father.
She moved closer to my face and beamed, "You're so pretty!"
"Isn't she?" Prince Sir smiled, putting Sky down. Penelope stormed out and Astrid just smiled worriedly at us.
"Yup. Will you play with us too, Cinzel? We are going to play hide and seek in the courtyard." She smiled, offering but I would rather not play with her Father.
"She has other things to do, you go, I will be there in a moment." He smiled, she nodded and one glare from him made everyone leave us alone.
My heart throbbing in pain, not removing my frightened orbs from his, "I-Is.. Sky the.. Person you were talking about?" I asked.
Maintaining a fair distance from him but he knew how to annihilate it and invade my personal space.
"Make sure she doesn't speak ill of you because it's consequences wouldn't be favorable."
Threat rolled around his whispered words, panicked, I nodded, “Yes, Sir.” My voice couldn’t raise when he was serious.
"Good Girl. Now stay here nice and quiet." He ordered.
Holding my back, locking his breath to my skin, my trembling lips parted to plead with him to get away but the vicinity suppressed my voice.
I clenched his shirt, looking away, "Why do you try to be intimate… when you feel nothing?" I dare to ask in a bare whisper, biting my lips.
"Call it a guilty pleasure…"
His husky resonance echoed in my mind, stirring it impulsively by his impish intentions of taking me to the edge. Nearing my face, tangling his breath with mine, scaring me.
Before I could react Zaniel came, "Sky is-"