Aislinn POV:

I returned to my room, a space as unremarkable and neglected as I was. The walls were peeling, the furniture old and scarred. It was a stark contrast to the lavishness of the rest of the Sterling estate.

My maid, Danette, hurried to my side. I had rescued her from a slave market a year ago, and she had been fiercely loyal to me ever since. She was clever and quick-witted, but lacked confidence, always timid, her eyes like those of a startled deer.

"My lady," she whispered, twisting her apron in her hands. "Did Lord and Lady Sterling... did they hurt you?"

"Hurt me?" I shook my head and poured myself a glass of cold water, drinking it all in one go. "They'll be too busy to bother with me soon enough."

I pulled a piece of parchment from my sleeve. I picked up a quill and quickly drafted a document, drawing on the little knowledge of contract law I had learned in my other world. Not much, but practical. The clauses regarding the two hundred thousand gold marks were precise, airtight, and absolutely binding.

Danette watched, her brow furrowed in confusion because she could not read.

I blew on the ink to dry it, then folded the parchment. "Danette, I need you to do something very important for me."

I leaned in and lowered my voice. I instructed her to go to the Golden Lion bank in the city, deliver this contract directly to the head manager, and bring back the legally binding voucher.

"Be sure to tell him," I added, "that this is a request from 'Gideon Carlisle's bride.' He will understand the weight of those words."

I wielded the title with practiced ease, as if I already owned the power it carried.

Danette's eyes widened with fear, but she saw the resolve in my gaze. "My lady, are you truly going to marry... that one?" she asked, her voice trembling. "The rumors..."

"Rumors can be false, but money can't, Danette. Money is always true. Go now. Quickly."

She nodded, tucked the parchment securely into her skirt, and slipped out through the back door like a shadow.

Alone now, I walked over to the mirror. I studied the face looking back—black hair, violet eyes. Beautiful, but sad. It wouldn't stay that way for long, though. Once I had the Sterlings' money in my hands, I was sure that sadness would disappear.

I even wondered if I should have asked for more. The way the Sterlings treated me, the shock on their faces when I demanded money, only confirmed what I had long suspected.

I wasn't their daughter. Maybe I wasn't even their adopted child. Perhaps I was just a replacement, a stand-in, a tool.

Since Danette was gone, I had to change into my nightgown myself. As I pulled down the collar, I noticed that strange tattoo on my left shoulder again. A red spider lily, so intricately detailed. It had been there as long as I could remember. I never understood why I had it. I'd never found out what it meant, but I was about to become the Regent's wife, and I could use his power and connections to uncover the truth.

An hour later, Danette returned breathless, clutching a sealed parchment scroll tightly in her hands. It bore the magical seal of the Golden Lion.

I took it, my fingers tracing the glowing runes. It was real. Two hundred thousand gold marks. A fortune. The foundation of my survival in this cruel and unfamiliar world.

And with the Golden Lion's magical seal protecting it, the money could not be reclaimed. Ha. My adoptive father was probably still scheming about how to get this money back from his weak little adopted daughter. Dream on.

I carefully stored the voucher away. A wave of satisfaction washed over me. I picked a grape from a small bowl and ate it slowly.

The first step of my plan for revenge was complete. But the wedding, and the monster I was about to marry, still lay ahead.

Aislinn POV:

The day of the wedding arrived under a heavy, oppressive gray sky. I was dressed in a hastily altered white gown that didn't quite fit, and pushed out the gates of the Sterling estate by my smiling, hypocritical adoptive mother.

Gideon's procession waited. It was pathetic.

A handful of knights, grim-faced and expressionless, sat astride their mounts. They couldn't even be bothered to dismount and bow. The leader, a scarred man, gave only a curt nod in my direction.

Their mounts were not horses. They were massive beasts covered in gray scales, with fierce, intelligent eyes. Gray-scale drakes. Creatures of draconic bloodline. Even such a meager display was a clear reminder of a Dragon Lord's power. But still, this looked more like a prisoner's escort than a bride's procession.

I climbed into a plain black carriage. No royal crest, no soft cushions. The interior was bare wood.

The procession deliberately took its time, winding through the city streets until dusk began to fall. They meant for me to miss the auspicious time of the ceremony. Another petty insult.

The carriage passed by the magnificent main gates of the Regent's palace, their surface carved with elaborate dragons, but it did not stop. It pulled up before a small, narrow side door. A servant's entrance, plain to see.

A man stood waiting there, his posture rigid. From his attire, he appeared to be the steward. A faint, barely perceptible smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"My lady, I am Alfred Jennings," he said. His bow was flawless, but his tone carried a hint of mockery. "This way, please. Lord Gideon has prepared the 'Quiet Passage' for you."

The Quiet Passage he spoke of was about the size of a dog door. Gideon Carlisle certainly had a creative way of welcoming his bride.

The guards and servants standing along the way whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with cruel amusement. They were all waiting to see the country bride make a fool of herself.

I remained seated in the carriage.

Alfred cleared his throat, his patience wearing thin. "My lady?"

I finally parted the curtain, my gaze passing over him to the towering closed main gate in the distance.

"Steward," I said, my voice clear and calm. "As I recall, the laws of Eldoria dictate that the wife of a Dragon Lord shall enter the palace through the main gate, greeted by the Dragon Guard and heralded by the Dragon Bell. Have I misremembered, or have the rules of this household come to supersede the laws of the kingdom?"

Alfred's face paled. "Lord Gideon is concerned for your safety..." he stammered.

"Is that so?" I cut him off with a cold laugh. "It seems more like Lord Gideon is telling me, and his entire household, that he holds his own wife in no regard."

I rose to my feet. The traditional white veil covered my face. It was meant to be lifted by the groom himself.

I did not wait for my groom to appear. In full view of everyone, I reached up and tore the veil from my head, revealing a face that showed no fear or shame, only a calm, smiling defiance.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. For a bride to unveil herself was an act of profound disrespect, a challenge to her husband.

I let the expensive silk fall to the dusty ground.

I stepped down from the carriage, my movements unhurried, my heel grinding the fallen veil into the dirt. I walked toward Alfred, and he instinctively stepped back. I was shorter than him, but my presence made him retreat.

I looked up at him, my voice carrying the weight of authority as I spoke aloud.

"Go back to your master, Gideon Carlisle, and tell him that his bride has arrived. And she will enter through the main gate."

I paused, letting my next words sink in.

"If he does not open it, I will do it myself."

The tension in the air was palpable. Sweat beaded on Alfred's forehead.

"My lady, I..."

"You won't deliver the message? Fine. I'll go myself."

I turned my back on him and strode toward the great double doors carved with entwined dragons. Gideon Carlisle, I would drag you out myself.