Chapter 278: Bride's Chamber

The bride's chamber had been prepared for the wedding night. The curtain surrounding her bed was changed into a gauzy red fabric that covered the mattress itself, and she could see red and white flower petals scattered on top of the bed. The vases inside her room were filled with pretty freshly-plucked flowers, and instead of lamps, a number of scented candles were used to light up the chamber. The soft lights gave a totally different feeling than the cozy and warm one she was used to.

'It doesn't feel like my room anymore,' Seren could not help but lament. The anxiety inside her chest continued to grow. 

"Your Majesty, this way please," Lady Xena said as she guided Seren's way towards the bed. 

Seren quietly followed Lady Xena as the woman drew the red gauzy curtain to one side, while her closest servants, Marie and Eva, could only look at the nervous queen helplessly. 

"Please make yourself comfortable while waiting for His Majesty.," Lady Xena gestured for her to sit on the bed, on the side that faced the door of the chamber. 

Seren did as she was instructed. She wondered if it would be fine to climb up the bed and perhaps hide under the covers, but seeing the expectant look from her ladies-in-waiting, she simply sat at the edge of the bed with her gaze fixed at the floor. However, she could not calm herself. Her hands that were resting on her thighs were clutching the bottom part of her robe. She could hear her heart beating faster than ever before, but she tried her best to appear calm and composed in front of her servants. 

Once Lady Xena made sure everything was prepared nicely, she looked at Seren again. "Your Majesty?"

"Yes?" she gulped.

"Do you need anything else?"

Seren glanced at the empty bedside table. "Water?"

Lady Xena did not even have to say anything as Marie hurried to fill a glass of water and hand it over to Seren. "We will leave you alone now. The King will be here shortly."

Seren nodded, permitting them to leave. Her ladies-in-waiting left while Marie stayed back after sending Eva away. 

Marie kneeled in front of Seren, who was staring at the floor with the full glass of water still in her hand. 

"Your Majesty?"

Seren only looked at her quietly while Marie put her hands on Seren's trembling ones to ease her. 

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Everything will be fine," Marie assured. "Drink the glass of water for now. It will surely help make you relax."

Seren nodded lightly while Marie had no more words to console her. She wanted to continue to make the queen feel at ease, but she was a mere servant, and staying here longer would be breaking the rules.

"I will take a leave now," Marie said, only to get a small nod from her queen. She stood up and bowed to Seren. "Have a good night, Your Majesty." She closed the door of the chamber behind her when she left. 

The noise of the door closing sounded infinitely loud for some reason, and it highlighted the fact that Seren was left alone. 

Wedding night.

Her hands were trembling as she lightly lifted her veil to take a sip of water, but she could only wet her lips but not swallow the cold water inside the glass. She was too nervous, some of the water spilled on her hand. It felt like if she were to force herself, she might only make a mess of herself. 

Slowly, she put the glass on the bedside table and returned to where she was originally seated at the edge of the bed. The chamber was too quiet, allowing her to hear nothing but the loud racing of her heart.

She was waiting​​​​—waiting for him to come to her.

Her hands clutched her robe tightly while her ears tried to sense the movement outside of the door, trying to guess if someone was already approaching her chamber. Obviously, that someone she was expecting was Drayce as it was their wedding night.

'Footsteps? Am I really hearing them or am I hallucinating?'

Unless one was wearing heavy steel armor and marching in place, it would be impossible for her to hear anything beyond the door. The Queen's chamber was designed to be a peaceful and well-secured place, after all, and the hallway was carpeted. However, she swore she could hear footsteps outside of the bedchamber which were getting clearer with each passing moment. 

'Is it him? Is it really him?' she questioned in her mind and closed her eyes as she exhaled out deeply to calm her nerves. 'I think it is him.'

The door of the chamber opened and Seren contemplated whether she should look at him or not.

When Drayce opened the door and entered the chamber, the first thing he noticed was Seren who was sitting at the edge of the bed. Even from a distance, he could hear her crazy heartbeats. He could have appeared inside the chamber the way he always did, but this night, he decided on walking normally and entering the chamber to help her nerves. He had already expected her to be like this—nervous and anxious—and he knew that he needed to be more careful and patient tonight than ever before

The door behind him closed slowly and he took a few steps forward. Seren let out a shaky breath at the sound of the footsteps approaching her, and she opened her eyes but kept her gaze on the carpeted floor. After several more deep breaths, she finally lifted her gaze and looked at the handsome young man who was quietly looking back at her. 

Drayce had changed into another set of clothes as well—a heavy black robe similar to Seren's red one, and it also had the gold embroidery on its wide sleeves. His red eyes stared at her, but even as she stared back at him, those fiery red eyes wouldn't tell her what was going on inside his mind.