Eat Me Alive

Mel stood at the edge of her bed, her heart hammering in her chest as she listened to the soft trickling of water from the bathing chamber. Her husband was in there, sitting in the large wooden bathtub, and probably running his large hands through his wet matted hair from the sound of it. It had shocked her the moment this idea came to her head, and it had equally surprised her just how alluring it was listening to the dripping water and imagining Bjorn's huge frame in the basin taking up most of the space.

Mel took off her night robe and neatly folded it on the bed, crossing her arms across her bosom as a fluttering wave flourished from the base of her stomach. If this were her room back at home, there would be a mirror she could look into to affirm she appeared alright. Mel shook her head. What was she thinking? This was her home now...

She tiptoed to the door and stopped, her chest swarming with a strange feeling. What would Bjorn think of her? How would he react? He had mostly been ignoring her but this was a last ditch attempt on her part. Her heart would literally shatter if he were to reject her again.

"Just wait a few more years."

"I am busy."

"You're too young to carry our children."

His subtle rejection had come in a number of ways, and at other times, while he didn't ignore her, he didn't pay much attention either. She tightened her hold around herself. Maybe she wouldn't be this lonely if she had a child of her own. Then again... she couldn't explain the way Bjorn looked at her. She had felt it many times recently and had ended up catching him only for the man to frown and look away.

Asking Bjorn if he had a problem with her had proved effortless. The least she could do at this point was figure out if she repulsed him in some way.

Hesitant, she raised a hand to the door. What would she do? Would she just walk in there? Her mother had told her about the deed but she had never seen a man's full nudity before. Mel prayed the water was enough to cover his lower half, and summoning the last bit of courage she had, she pushed open the door and slipped inside.

She immediately made the measly effort of covering her privates as she sauntered into the bathing chamber. Bjorn froze, his hands in his hair as he visibly stiffened at her entry. His eyes widened, questioning what she was up to.

"You've cleaned yourself already," he spoke, his voice unusually gruff.

Mel dipped a leg into the large basin, her pulse racing as her heart slammed against the confines of her chest. She didn't know how, but her body seemed to be moving on its own and it was as if she could do little to control it.

"No, I didn't," she answered softly, surprised at her blatant lie.

He knew she was lying too, but what would he do about it?

Mel slipped into the water. It sloshed around her stomach and rose to her chest as she raised her knees in the confined space and clutched them. In a mere second, she leaned back against the muscled wall of his chest. All his muscles tightened and Mel stilled as she felt the heat emanating from all of them. Whether it was the steaming water or his thick skin, she couldn't precisely tell, but she could clearly feel the strange sensation that rolled off his body in waves.

"Bjorn?" She raised her head to look up at him when two strong hands circled her, nearly crushing her into his simmering frame.

Mel nearly jumped out of her skin as the length of his member grazed her lower back. Bjorn buried his face in her neck breathed against her, sending shivers that coursed the length of her skin that raced all the way down to her toes.

Her voice quivered. Excitement, fear, or uncertainty, she couldn't tell which affected her. "Bjor-" She met his eyes and her words died in her throat.

Bjorn's steadied gaze bore into hers, and Mel's heart beat quickened as the severity of his previous words dawned upon her.

"The moment I touch you, you will break."

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Thank you for picking Eat Me Alive to read. The free chapters will be around 3000 words each, so I'm really sorry if it feels lengthy. I wanted to give you more free content before the locked chapters.

A dark figure flashed past the long unwinding hall of the castle, followed by two others in swift pursuit. Mel laughed, her dark hair flowing as she ran around a corner, dodging past stunned servants and eyeing several doors alongside each wall to find an escape route that would lead to an eventual hiding place.

"Young Mistress!" came the exhausted cries behind her but she ignored them.

The stairs came into view and Mel rushed downstairs, leaving a huge gap between herself and her chamber maidens. More servants darted out of the way, not at all surprised by Mel's carefree attitude. Her chamber maidens chasing after her had become a routine the young lady of the castle was fond of, and what good would it do to help them when the young woman was an exceedingly fast runner.

Mel found a door and pushed at it, slipping into a bright room and closing the door shut behind her. She turned around and listened closely with her ear pressed against it, her heart hammering in her chest. Soon enough, the servants came running past, their sandaled footsteps pounding against the carpeted floor of the hallway.

Mel chuckled and turned around to face the wide expanse of the room. Bright morning light flooded in through the large open windows, touching the rows of shelves that stood with arranged books on them. Books belonging to her younger brother, Adam. She had never bothered to learn how to read. Most of the women in their domain were not expected to, and she found it very dull for her brother to sit for hours going through several pages of numerous texts and wordings.

'What was exciting about that anyway?' she thought.

"Oh no, not again," came Adam's exhausted groan, and Mel skipped down to the end of the room, sneaking past the last shelf to find Adam sitting by the last window, well hidden by the shelf she had just passed.

"A fine morning to you too, brother," she greeted him, walking barefoot to wrap her arms around his neck and give him a tight hug from the back.

Adam patted her arm and she released him, clasping her hands down on the headrest of his seat. "You and your books," she teased.

"You're causing an unnecessary burden to your chambermaids. If you wanted to exercise that much, why not ask father to give you a personal trainer and you can run all you want."

Mel huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. "I simply didn't want to get dressed for the day yet. I wanted to see the garden. They would not let me, and you of all people know that father would tell me that would be 'unladylike'." She stepped away from Adam and leaned her back against the shelf.

Adam shrugged in his chair, not taking his eyes off his book. "So is your running across the halls of the castle and engaging in a mad chase. I don't know how we've even put up with you for so long."

She chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous, brother. I know you all love me."

He tsked and shook his head. "Still wonder when that husband of yours would arrive."

Mel smiled coyly. "That can't happen."

Their father, the lord of the Urn tribe within the Sprite kingdom had owed a high-ranking lord from the Orian kingdom and it was mentioned to have been a debt so heavy, that nothing could cover it. When all hope had seemed to be lost, the Orions had then requested for it to be paid in terms of a favour, and her father, feeling very guilty, decided to put forward his little daughter as a future bride for one of their sons to show just how appreciative he was.

But after the agreement, the Orions never returned or asked for their bride, even after Mel passed the mature age of eighteen. They still had good relations with the neighbouring nation, but in regards to Mel, they hadn't requested of her, and she was nearing the age of twenty-two.

Mel had at first, looked forward to her engagement. But with no news from the Orions, she had been uncertain about the alliance. With time, she decided to embrace the freedom her peers didn't have since most of her friends were already married and looking after their children. Nothing was seeming to tie her down.

"I'm free to do whatever I want." Her smile widened. She had initially been lonely, but after seeing the stress and effort it took to raise their children and manage their own households, Mel was grateful she wouldn't have to face all of that for now.

Adam looked up at her, his dark brows quizzing. "In other words, you won't wed?"

"What?" She slapped her hands on her hips and glared at him. "What sort of question is that? Of course, I will. Father will find me a husband very soon."

"What about your 'husband'?" he asked, still looking at her.

Mel combed her hand through her hair, her other hand still on her hip. "As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't exist. Or maybe he has passed away. If not he would have come to claim my hand a long while ago."

Adam sagged against the chair and placed the book he was reading on the table beside him. "Mel..."

"No, no, Adam." She shook her head at him, a bemused smile on her lips as she wagged a finger in his face. "This conversation is closed. I'm off to sneak away to the gardens before they find me. Have fun with your boring books," she chirped, laying emphasis on the word 'boring'.

Adam shook his head with a light frown and opened his mouth to speak before Mel dashed out of the room. It was obvious she would go to the gardens, almost every servant knew that. It pained him to an extent that his sister was more of an airhead and didn't even try to think things over. Even if she had no interest in politics or even learning to manage a household, it was worrying how she saw things. There was nothing funny about her situation and it was high time she knew that.

Mel peeked into the hallway through the door and noticing no one around, she exited the library and shuffled upstairs. She hid behind columns, statues, and within corners of the passage to avoid the attention of passing servants before making her way into the secluded wing of her father's castle.

She gingerly walked to the door of his study and placed a palm on the golden knob, about to push the door open when she heard voices from within. She then smiled, amused, and took back her hand, deciding to eavesdrop. Who was with her father and what were they discussing in there? She leaned forward and rested her ear against the hardwood of the door.

"... this... not bode well..."

"We can't stall any longer, Father. We have to send her there."

Mel paused, her cheek glued to the door. That was her older brother's voice. His tone was higher than her father's hushed words. An unsettling feeling rose within her. Whenever her brother's voice was slightly raised, it meant there was something wrong.

"She may not agree. I can't-"

Her brother, Anton, cut in, "You never put her consideration into this matter when you offered her to the Orions. Now that they need their dept repaid, why are you hesitating?"

"We just need time... persuade her."

Anton scoffed. Mel could imagine him flinging a hand at the air, one of his annoying gestures. "Persuade? I know what you're thinking, old mad! She's passing twenty-two soon. Which man here in the kingdom would be interested in wedding a woman past her prime? Drag this out any further and not only might we incur their wrath, but your daughter would also be unable to find a suitable spouse for the rest of her life!"

Mel stepped away from the doors silently, dumbfounded as she tried to process the ongoing conversation. What did all of this mean? She had lived most of her life in the castle and its surroundings. It hadn't dawned on her that there was a certain age girls were supposed to be wed. Was that why all of her friends were with husbands? From the way her brother spoke, was she even a girl anymore?

'No. No. This cannot be true,' she thought.

She shook her head and ran away from the hallway, certain her brother and father could hear her departing footprints. She had to find her mother. She always knew what to say and how to comfort her. Surely, she had to know that her father was planning to send her to the Orions? This was news she would have fully accepted in the past but it felt sudden, too sudden.

"Mother!" Mel burst through the glass double doors and into the manor's greenhouse. Her mother stood wearing transparent gloves as she watched the gardeners tend to her plants.

"Mel!" the woman exclaimed, surprised as her daughter ran to her and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hold. This wasn't unusual on Mel's part, but the frantic tone of her voice and her tight hold on her mother disturbed the woman.

"I want to talk to you," Mel spoke, stepping back, but holding her mother by the hand. "Alone," she added.

Her mother, Harriett, looked at her daughter, her forehead wrinkled with a puzzling gaze. The lady of the castle then waved away the servants, and they left the mother and daughter alone in the quiet greenhouse.

"Father and brother speak of sending me to the Orions! Have you heard any of this?!"She grabbed her mother's arms and the woman stiffened in her grasp, her confused look shifting to that of shock.

"Where did you hear this?" she softly asked, her dark eyes widening as a slow fear crept up to them, dispensing the shock.

Mel paused, sensing something strange with her mother's tone. It then dawned on her and her eyes widened. "You knew?!"

Harriett straightened. "No-Mel-I didn't know it would be this sudden-Mel!"

Mel tore away from her mother and rushed out of the greenhouse, making her way past curious servants and castle staff as she made her way back to her room, where her two chambermaids were waiting, tired from the chase and half expecting her return.

They stood at alert at Mel's presence and let out relieved breaths.

"My lady," one of them spoke up, rushing towards Mel just in case the young woman would run from them again. "You ought to have been dressed for the day!"

"Mel." Anton burst into the chamber, pausing to see Mel in front of her poster bed and take in the startled state of the chambermaids. He sighed and adjusted the folds of his golden tunic, darting an apologetic glance his sister's way. "Pardon my intrusion."

"What do you want?" Mel snapped at him, her hands fisting at her sides. She stood still, waiting for her brother to speak. A slight fear grew within her as she knew just what her brother was here for. Rarely did he just come into her room as he pleased.

He frowned slightly and narrowed his eyes. "It was you," he whispered.

Mel returned the frown with a suspicious glare of her own. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Anton's features eased and he shook his head, running a hand through his fair hair. "I happened to hear someone running in the passages of our father's hall, but never mind that." He ignored Mel and faced her chambermaids. "Get rid of whatever dressing arrangements you've made for your mistress this morning. She will be wearing something else. Something fit for travel."

Mel's heart skipped a beat and her brows knitted into a hardened frown. She marched up to Anton, pointing a finger at his chest. "These are my maids, you cannot tell them what to do!"

"Mel." Anton looked down at her. "At the end of the day, they all belong to Father. You will have your own when you become the lady of your own house."

Mel was about to spit out a retort when three maids rushed into her chambers, casting apologetic gazes at Mel and going deeper into the chamber to run her bath and prepare her clothes from her dressing room. Mel's chamber maidens stood still, mirroring the shock their lady had on her face.

"I must go," Anton said and turned away.

"Wait!" Mel lashed out and grabbed his sleeve. He stopped and looked back at her, a pained expression on his face. "You can't do this to me," she continued, a hand on her chest. "It's too sudden."

"I'm sorry you had to overhear us and learn of it this way, Mel." He squeezed his eyes shut. "We have no choice."

"Choice? No choice?" Mel froze. There was something about her brother's demeanour that rooted her to the spot. "Please, at least tell me so I can understand," she whispered.

Anton's jaw shifted as he ground his teeth. He cast a quick glance around the chamber.

Mel swallowed the lump in her throat and let go of Anton. Taking a step back, she turned around to face the busy servants and she clapped her hands twice, catching their attention. "Excuse us."

At her words, the maid stopped what they were doing and scrambled out of the chamber, shutting the heavy doors behind them and leaving the two siblings alone.

Mel crossed her arms across her chest and shifted on her feet, eyeing Anton in expectation. "Go on." She nudged her shoulder in his direction. "Speak!"

"We received a missive from the North, the Orions." He watched her, monitoring her pensive mood closely.

"When, Anton, when?" Mel pressed, digging her nails through the sleeves of her light dress into the flesh of her arms.

Anton's lips thinned to a straight line before he answered. "Three days ago," he finished in a low whisper, as though afraid to answer her.

"Three-three days," Mel chuckled and then pressed her knuckles to her lips. She began to pace around the room. She burst into laughter. "Three days, Anton. Three days. Am I hearing right?!" She stopped and faced him, raising her voice to a shrill scream, "Why am I just hearing of something so important?!"

Anton flinched and then stepped forward, reaching a hand out to her. "Mel, please-"

"Stay right where you are, brother! Not a word!" she yelled, stopping him from moving or saying anything further. She resumed her pacing. "Why? Why now? I could have prepared myself a little, would have been ready. I would have..."

"It was my idea," Anton said and Mel stood still, tilting her head to face him.

"What?" she whispered.

Anton took a deep breath and spoke up, "I know you, more than what mother and father think. Adam knows you too. Despite the nonsense you're spitting about preparation, it wouldn't be farfetched for you to run away the moment you heard about this! What difference would the time frame make if you were truly ready to fulfil your side of the bargain?"

Mel stood in stunned silence, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"It's true, and you know I'm right, Mel," Anton continued, "You were nodding and nodding to the agreement for years when deep down, you didn't want it. Do you think no one saw the joy on your face when there was no news from Orion? You have always been so-"

Anton's ear rang as a seasoned slap met his cheek, his skin prickled from the lingering effect of Mel's palm and he looked down at her, confusion and surprise fighting for a spot on his face.

Her eyes watered and she lowered her hand, disgusted. "You're revolting!" She clutched the folds of her dress and yelled at him, "To hear all this rubbish from a family who 'supposedly knows me'! You do not know how long I supported all of you. This had nothing to do with me but I was willing! Willing to do your bidding and be carted off to a foreign nation I knew so little about!

"I did not complain and yet here you are taking my silence for something else. There was a time I was eager to marry. How did you think I felt when I heard nothing? Joy? What joy? For once, I had made new friends and I wasn't rushing to leave them at that moment so, of course, I would have been happy to have been afforded more time!"

Mel breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling with each pant. She let go of her dress and turned away from Anton, a torn expression donning her face. "Get out," she whispered. "I can't wait to be rid of you... and I never want to see you again," she bit out.

Without a word, Anton hung his head and walked out of her chambers, his footfalls awfully loud against the backdrop of the silent chamber. The door clicked shut behind him and Mel collapsed on her bed, raising her hands to cover her eyes in an effort to fight back the tears that threatened to come out.

A hesitant series of knocks permeated the still silence of Mel's tranquillity, followed by a weak "My Lady?" from one of her chamber maidens.

Mel drew in a deep breath and opened her eyes, staring at the silk coverings of her large bed. Was this the last time she would lay on it? Because it seemed she was going to be leaving this very day.

Silence. Then another knock.

Mel let out a weary sigh. "Come in."

"Mel." One of the double doors opened to reveal Harriett strolling in, leaving the door slightly open.

Mel stiffened and then sprang upright to a seated position. She directed a tired gaze to her mother. As much as she tried to be annoyed, she couldn't muster the strength to waste any emotion. Come to think of it, she hadn't yet eaten that morning.

"I was referring to the servants, not you," Mel simply said, staring fixedly at her mother.

Harriett nervously fiddled with her hands, as though finding some sort of purpose for them to accomplish before she settled for clasping them at her stomach. "Y-yes." She nodded at the door in a silent beckoning and Mel's chamber maidens stalked in, their heads low as they went into the bathing room, preparing Mel's bathing water.

"Where are the rest?" Mel murmured.

"They will be back shortly." Harriett looked around the bed chamber, as though seeing it for the first time before her eyes returned to Mel.

"I am leaving today, aren't I?" Mel quietly asked, drawing a tired gaze to her mother, a gaze that tore Harriett's heart.

Harriett's lips quivered and the lady pressed her lips into a thin line to steady her emotions, a trait Anton inherited. A torn smile pulled at the woman's lips, pulling slight wrinkles near her cheeks. They didn't do much to reduce the beauty of the ageing lady.

"The ships are set to depart for Orion this afternoon... in a few... hours..." she finally said, her voice a half whisper so faint, Mel herself could barely hear it.

"You all must not like me much for me to be hearing of this just now."

Harriett started, nearly jumping out of her own skin. "No. No. That isn't true. I... I didn't want you to worry-"

"Well done, you've achieved what you wanted. Now I'm set to leave, unprepared for what I'm to expect. You must be happy now."

"Mel-"

"Just leave. I don't want to talk to anyone." Mel turned away, giving her mother the cold shoulder.

Harriett remained standing still, devastated. Her lips quivered once more and she covered her lips with a thin hand. "I understand."

Mel watched her mother leave the room and her heart sank. She remained sitting in a daze, staring off into space as more servants came in scuttling about and running in and out of her dressing room with folds of fabrics in hand as they packed her things and set out the garments she was to wear.

"My lady," Anna, the older of her two chambermaids whispered at Mel's ear, snapping the young woman out of her reverie.

Mel looked around the mess that was her chamber, the bustling movement of the maids finally reaching her ears with a soft hum. "What?" she tiredly asked Anna.

"Your bath is ready."

"Oh," Mel simply said as her chamber maidens escorted her to the bath chamber.

She was undressed and bathed in scented water, massaged with sweet-smelling oils, and had them rinsed off her body before applying a thin layer of honey-scented body lotion to her skin. Mel sighed in relief, already exhausted from the pressure applied to all areas of her body. The one time she had been prepped like this was for her coming age ceremony, and if her memory served her right, this seemed to be more taxing than the previous preparations.

Mel stood in front of the standing mirror, a rising panic pooling within her as the maids started dressing her up. After this, she would be on the seas to Orion. What would she do when she got off? She struggled to remember everything her mother had taught her when she was eighteen about raising a family and watching over the stronghold but nothing came to mind. Her pulse raced.

Maybe she should have paid more attention to her mother's teachings.

"My lady-"

Mel flinched and looked around. They stood in silence, watching her. Mel looked into the mirror, pausing to take in her appearance. She stood a few inches taller than the rest, dressed in a light camisole that accentuated her fair skin and dark eyes. Her hair was plainly combed back, yet to be brushed and adorned after tending to her face with makeup. Then more layers would be added to her undergarments for the final dressing.

"Yes?" Mel spoke up, eager to be seated. "You're done?"

A maid shook her head. "We're not done adjusting-"

"Just have me seated, you'll do the rest there," Mel breathed out, slightly faint. "I haven't even eaten and I would like to rest at least."

The maids scrambled and led Mel to the vanity, seating her on the stool before rushing off to bring her some food. A short while later and with a slightly full stomach, Mel watches the servants get to work, brushing and pleating her hair into several rows as they applied faint makeup on her face, highlighting her soft features.

A subtle knock came before the low voice of her father, "Mel."

The servants halted and Mel froze, not knowing how she should proceed with her father's visit.

'Send him away. Send him away. Send him away!' she constantly repeated to herself but her mouth betrayed her when she asked for him to come in instead.

The servants backed away without any words and left the chamber once again as the lord of the castle walked in, his small frame further shadowed by his dark green robe. Her mother was the taller of the two, but she still loved her husband despite his small frame. The old man shuffled in, his hands folded behind his back as he walked in, his brown apologetic eyes fixed on Mel.

"My little flower," he let out in a hoarse whisper, coming to stand before her.

Mel didn't answer but only looked back at him through the mirror.

"You're in this mess because your father did a very terrible thing in the old days," he spoke up, his voice shaky as he laid his hands on her shoulders, giving them a small, affectionate squeeze.

Mel frowned. "What did you do?"

He was silent for a while before speaking, "It was a foolish act. One I deeply regret, but I stole something very precious from a clan of the Orions, one of the largest in that kingdom. Something so precious..."

"Why? Why would you do that?" Mel whispered, slowly shaking her head, unable to believe the words she was hearing.

He lowered his head. "I really can't say, Mel. I can't. Not now... I was able to return their item and they required that for us to have good relations with not just their clan, but the nation as a whole, I would need to sacrifice something precious of mine..." His hold on her shoulders tightened and Mel's chest tightened equally in anticipation. She had never expected things to be this serious.

"What would happen if you had refused?" she asked.

Her father sighed. "They would get rid of the whole family, including my most precious I didn't want to hand over to them..." He then straightened and walked over to kneel beside Mel, looking up into her eyes. "You shouldn't worry about anything, Mel. You will be safe, I promise. The Orions are generally hospitable and the clan has promised to take good care of you-"

"Bears, papa. Bears," Mel whispered, her eyes watering. "You are sending me to a territory with bears as their spirit animals." She shook her head and wiped back her tears. "I can't believe this."

Mel silently wept. In the past, she had been looking forward to her life in Orion, but now that she knew what was truly behind this engagement, a new kind of fear consumed her. She was heading into a carnivorous den.

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The Sprite kingdom was the only nation in the whole realm with people born without a connection to spirit animals. They were more in tune with nature itself rather than the beasts of nature. Their lands were the most fertile out of all lands in the realm and the Sprite kingdom was not just the largest nation, it was among the most powerful. They were very good gardeners, and a variety of plantations grew bountifully on their lands.

Just like other nations, there were several regions or clans within, which were headed by a clan leader each. The only thing that other nations had was their ability to use attributes belonging to powerful creatures. These were their spirit connections. The strongest clans with the tightest spirit connection were able to transform into their creatures, partially or fully. This, however, didn't stop Sprite from being one of the reigning nations, as they had control over plant life, and this was something the strongest Sprite clans could manipulate at their free will.

But Mel's family, the heads of the Urn tribe, were one of the weakest amongst other tribes in the Sprite kingdom. The weakest tribes in the whole of Sprite were impressive at what they did, compared to other nations in the realm, but within Sprite, the weak were weak. The hierarchy wasn't as harsh as other nations in terms of their beastly traits, but weak clans in Sprite weren't as impressive as the strongest clans in the same kingdom. The most impressive traits they had was tending to the vegetation and nurturing it.

This was something Mel had never bothered to improve on. She produced satisfactory results but had brought it upon herself to miss most of her classes. The only thing that might have saved her was her ability to learn things quickly.

Orion, on the other hand, was a growing nation whose spirit animal was the bear... and there were all kinds of bears. Mel had no idea what could have possessed her father to think he could steal from the Orions, but she considered they had nothing to gain from having a connection with one of the weakest clans from the Sprite nation.

Unless they were doing this to spite her father... there wasn't a guarantee they would treat her well either.

The daughter of the man who stole something very important to them.

Mel ignored the aspect of her being the most precious person to her father, she wasn't going to be treated well where she was going. Now she understood why they were hesitant on letting her know about the journey on time.

But why did the Orions wait so long to ask for her?

"Papa." She softly pushed his hand away from her and she looked down at her lap. "I want to be alone for a while..."

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The wind of a cold evening swept by the Urn harbour, threatening to undo Mel's neat hairdo as they watched the approaching Orion ship. It was still a speck of a tiny fruit on the vast ocean, but Mel was very certain it would loom over them as a massive travelling vessel before long.

Adam held his older sister's hand and tightened it, reluctant to let Mel leave. Mel looked at him fondly. He hadn't heard of any letter until today, just like her. He had equally been annoyed she wasn't told sooner, but there wasn't much he could do, and he had spent the past few hours sticking by her side right after she had been dressed up.

More of Mel's belongings were being brought out to the harbour in horse-drawn carriages and heavy cargos. She looked calm outside but her mind and heart were in chaos. She tightened her hold too on Adam's hand and her stomach tightened as the foreign ship was clearly visible to the naked eye.

Harriett walked away from the men assembling Mel's things and stood beside her daughter, looking at the approaching vessel against the orange horizon of the setting sun.

Harriett spoke softly, but clear enough for both Adam and Mel to hear against the lapping waves of the sea, "I don't know if you will ever forgive me-"

"Mother," Mel faintly whispered, her voice shaky as she cut Harriett off. "I'm scared."

Harriett clasped her hands tight at her chest as it tightened in agony. The woman fought off the strong urge to grab her daughter and run back into the castle, refusing to hand her over to the approaching Orions. But the sensible part of her, no matter small, told her that such an action would be a very terrible mistake. But nothing was assuring about her handing her daughter to such people.

Harriett cast a frustrated glance at her husband on one of their ships, giving out a few instructions to the workers as they carried Mel's luggage on board. She had pestered her husband that she would go onboard the Orion ship with her daughter while their ship carried her things along with them to the North. The sad thing was that after Mel's belongings were dropped at Orion's shores, she would have to go back, leaving only one servant from their side to be Mel's personal maid.

Harriett had felt a faint relief when Mel had chosen Anna. The middle-aged woman had been Harriett's decision too. Mel's younger chamber maiden was alright, but Anna was more experienced and capable.

"Oh, my baby." Harriet's eyes watered and she hugged Mel, burying her daughter's face in her chest. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, patting Mel's hair as she soothed her daughter in whatever way she could.

If only her words could reassure Mel.

Uncomfortable, but a little sad, Adam let go of his sister's hand as she hugged Harriet back in a silent embrace.

"If-if you're willing to accept, I have something to give you when we get on board the ship," Harriett said.

Mel nodded. "Alright."

A high-pitched shout tore through the morose atmosphere, startling Mel, "Coast!"

Mel stepped away from Harriett's embrace and watched as the Orion ship loomed nearer, almost twice the size of her father's largest ships. She stood, transfixed as she watched the decorated carvings along the hull of the ship, snaking around the ship's base to form a clan symbol she was unfamiliar with.

The vessel finally docked at the harbour and Mel tightened her coat around her, warding off the cold wind that brought a renewed anxiety with the ship's arrival. A long bridge stretched out from the side and two large figures made their way down to them, garbed in luxurious fur clothing.

Mel's eyes widened in surprise. They were well dressed and clean. From what she had heard about the bear kin from Orion, she had expected barbarians to be coming for her. The two representatives, one old woman, and a fairly young man came to stand in front of them as Mel's father walked towards them.

They towered over Mel's family a good number of inches. If she could recall Adam's measurements, they were a little over six feet on average.

"Welcome," Harriett forced a weak smile and greeted the visitors. They gave a short bow as a curtsey and Mel's parents did the same.

Mel shifted as her mother subtly tugged at her dress, signalling for her to greet their guests.

"Oh. Excuse me," Mel said and sharply bowed, rising back up to see the old woman's lips turn up in a wrinkly, but sweet smile. The intimidating aura she had felt from the visitors eased almost immediately and Mel looked away, feeling a little guilty for harbouring the possibility that they would be inhospitable people.

'Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all?' Mel reasoned.

"I hope you had a smooth sailing," Mel's father offered with a smile, but she could note the wrinkled crease of worry on his forehead.

The Orion man nodded, his vibrant caramel eyes boring into hers. Mel looked back to the old woman, and the Orion man spoke, "The seas blessed us with a safe travel."

"You have a wonderful abode," the old woman addressed Mel's parents, her voice a deep rich tone that Mel found soothing. "We would be grateful if you would allow us to spend the night in Urn. It would even give my brother and I time to learn more about our bride and her family." Her eyes, a dull brown, shifted from Harriett to Mel once more with a maternal gaze.

Harriett's eyes wavered. Gratitude or relief, Mel couldn't tell. Whatever it was, it seemed her mother was glad Mel would still be with her, even if it was for the night.

"That-that would be wonderful!" Her father clapped his hands, and his eyes brightened. "Please, make yourself at home. We will prepare lodgings back in the castle for the rest of your men."

"Much appreciated," the woman answered with a subtle nod of her head. "Though, only a few. The rest will have to stay behind on the ship..." She looked at the ship where Mel's things were being taken into and she looked back at her father. "If you wouldn't mind, I feel it would be much easier for the lady to have her things on our ship. I hope it's not too much trouble."

Mel's father opened his mouth to speak, but Harriett beat him to it, holding his shoulder and shaking her head. She looked up at the woman. "We would be glad. Thank you very much, Madam..."

The old woman's smile returned, the corners of her eyes wrinkling. "Eustace. Just call me Eustace."

Eustace had apparently turned out to be Mel's mother-in-law and this panicked her to some extent. But the old woman's good graces, soft countenance, and charisma set Mel and her whole family at ease. Although her brother, Enmel, was somewhat aloof, he didn't have much of a presence. The castle received the guests from Orion with morbid curiosity. While Eustace and Enmel were tall and slender-figured, some of the Orions that came to rest in the castle were huge.

This left Mel questioning what her husband would look like, but she was too shy to ask the old woman, and Eustace didn't say much about her son. The reason they had taken such a long time to get in contact with Urn in regards to the union was that they had encountered a few inconveniences on their end. That aside from the fact that some of their men had to go deep into the woods to hunt for rare creatures and materials that only appeared during a certain time frame within the span of every few decades.

Eustace apologized for the delay and brought along numerous gifts for Mel's family, which led to a small send-off party for the young lady. Contrary to what had been expected, Mel had a pleasant evening that day, and the rest of the after-party was spent dining with Eustace, Enmel, and the rest of her family.

And for the first time since she was little, Mel spent the night in her parents' bed, as a last goodbye.