When Saga was left alone in the bedroom, she walked over to the windows. They were out toward the city, and the view was stunning. Right below was the garden, which looked rather dreary, but the rooftops of the houses in the city were a quaint view. The heights of the buildings were all different, making the sea of roofs uneven. An imperfection which was perfect because it wasn't.

Her eyes went down to the garden again. It really was bare and not at all well-kept. The one place she had enjoyed the most at her father's estate was the garden. It had been one of few places where she had felt some sort of freedom, if nothing else because the sky was infinite.

Viggo had said that she was allowed to make changes if she wanted to, so maybe she should fix the garden a bit. Plant some beautiful flowers and bushes. Maybe get a fountain, or simply just a birdbath.

As for the insides of the castle, she knew most would likely frown at the coldness of it. But Saga liked it. The way her father had dressed up all the walls, it had almost felt as if the decorations were there to hide things. The lack of decorations in this castle made it feel more honest. Though maybe she ought to buy some for it. If nothing else so other nobles wouldn't scoff when they entered.

A knock sounded on the door.

Saga turned back around while giving verbal permission to enter.

In came the chamberlain Erna followed by two maids, who carried one tray each.

"We're here to bring you some food, milady," Erna explained with a quick bow of her head.

Seeing them, Saga's instinctive reaction was to take a step back and bend her head. The way her father's chamberlain had always looked at her in disdain, as if she was mud messing up the impeccable floor, and how the maids had laughed behind her back, and at times to her face, came to her mind.

But these people didn't know her. They didn't know how undeserving she was of their attention. So with them she could be someone else.

She held her head straight, like a proper and beautiful lady would, though her muscles screamed at her to bend it. "Thank you," she told them, and when she spoke the two maids stepped forward and placed the food on the table next to where she stood.

"Is there anything else you need right now, milady?" Erna asked as the maids returned to stand behind her.

Saga's nails started picking out none-existing dirt from under each other.

Was there something she ought to ask for? What would a noble lady want upon arriving after days of travels? She had absolutely no idea.

"No... No, thank you," she answered and tensed her whole body as her voice trembled.

Erna gave her a soft smile. Very unlike the way any of her father's staff had ever looked at her. "If there is anything, you can pull this string." Erna pointed to the wall by the door where there indeed hung a string. "It will let us know you are in need of something. We will also prepare a bath for you. But we'll wait a bit to bring it so you have plenty of time to eat. Does all of that sound good, milady?"

The tension left Saga's body as the other woman spoke with softness. "It does."

"Good. Then we'll let you rest." Erna ushered the maids out, but right as she herself was exiting, she turned back to Saga. "I just want to wish you welcome as well, Lady Saga. I hope you will like your new home, and if there is anything I can do to make you enjoy it more, then don't hesitate to let me know."

Saga felt how her smile became easier to hold. "Thank you, Erna," she answered and the woman gave her a short nod with a bright smile before leaving her be.

When alone, Saga lifted the metal dome covering the plate of food. Just the sight was enough to water her mouth, let along the scent. It was a piece of meat, of what she couldn't be sure, potato, some carrots and peas, as well as a brown sauce. Apart from the formal dinners she had attended, she had rarely been given any meat to eat, let alone meat which looked as juice as the one on her plate.

She sat down and as the first fork of food entered her mouth, she closed her eyes to truly enjoy it. It tasted warm, a bit earthy, and full of different herbs.

It was the absolutely most delicious thing she had ever eaten.

After swallowing, she reached for the glass to try the drink as well. It was apple juice, and it was such a novel taste to her. She could clearly taste the apples in it, very different to drink from the water and wine she had only otherwise been served.

She continued to eat. Her thoughts strayed as she did.

She was here, she had finally arrived in Sinkbek. She was far, far from her father's reach, and with a husband who seemed to be the opposite of what everyone had told her he would be.

It felt as though the sun was smiling at her, but her mind whispered intrusive questions of how long.

How long until Viggo realised she wasn't as noble as he thought?

How long until everyone saw how foolish she was?

How long until her curse claimed its first victim among the people of Sinkbek, and who would it be?

Simply because she had escaped her father, it didn't make her someone else. She was still the girl who had caused her mother's death.

As her thoughts reached that point, she couldn't take another bite of the food though half of it was left.

All the kindness everyone showed her wasn't any she deserved. Her father's treatment of her had been cruel, but it had been right. She had caused her mother's death, and she had caused the death of plenty of others. The first being something as innocent as a baby bird, which hadn't even learnt how to fly yet.

But she wanted the kindness, she was starving for it. For how long could she hold up the facade, though? It was only a matter of time, and maybe it would be better if she left on her own accord before that. Before she had got too used to the way everyone here treated her. Because for every act of kindness, she felt herself craving more and more of that warmth. She even dared to hope for a brighter future.

Another knock came on the door. This time it opened before she gave permission, and in came Viggo with several maids, who together carried around a dozen different packages.

"The carriage fell behind as we rode here, and it's just arrived," Viggo explained. In his hands he carried a box she recognised all too well. The box she had taken from under her bed before leaving her father's castle.

Realising she had temporarily forgotten about the box amidst everything else, the nauseous feeling from the food increased in Saga. The box contained the few things she had left of her mother.

"Where do you want me to place this?" Viggo asked, lifting the box up a bit and in her direction.

"Is there any wardrobe space where you can just put it?" she asked. It had been years since she had opened the box, and though it had felt important to bring it along, she had no desire to look inside of it.

"Of course." Viggo made his way over to the wardrobe in the room. "We should get another one, though. You will need more space than this for your things."

"But I don't have any things," she answered automatically. It made Viggo turn to her with his gentle smile.

"Soon enough you will. I'll call for the seamstress to come here tomorrow. Until she's made you more clothes, I hope this will do." He waved his hands at the other boxes, which the maids had unloaded in the room before slipping away.

"This... This is for me?"

Viggo opened the wardrobe and put the box in there before turning to answer her. "I asked one of the maids at the inn we stayed at yesterday to buy you some things she thought would fit you. Keep what is to your liking. The rest we'll find other usages for. There are probably plenty of girls in the city who would want them."

Saga felt the tears swim in her eyes. This was the type of kindness she didn't deserve, but this was also exactly why she couldn't leave. She had already begun to crave Viggo's kindness too much, and she wasn't sure she would survive without it anymore.

"Thank you," she mumbled as she lowered her head.

He walked over to her, wrapped his arms around her. "No need to thank me. You are my wife, after all, and deserve only the best."

His wife... That was the sole reason he showed her this kindness. Though only in name, though only officially, she was his wife, and of course he would be kind to his wife. It wasn't because she deserved it.

So as he held her, she swore to be the best wife to him that she could possibly be to get to hold on to his kindness for as long as she could.