Free Black Keys (The Colorblind Trilogy #1) by Rose B. Mashal

really doesn’t think we should start working on that heir he needs, does he?
    The prince stared at me while I panicked and spoke hysterically, a frown on his face and a confused expression.
    “What does ‘sexy days’ even mean?” I asked in a whisper, as I saw him taking a step in my direction. My vision blurred with tears though I had no idea why they were there at all, I was just scared.
    All of the thoughts from last night and the ones I had just had two hours ago came rushing back to me–the fear, the terror…I hated it.
    The prince paused after the one step, then looked at me with something I couldn’t read once again–he was so hard to read. He then took the few steps left between us and stopped only when our bodies were almost touching.
    My breath was caught in my throat when he bent his head down and brought his face so close to mine. I closed my eyes, causing a sad, lonely tear to fall down my cheek when I felt his breath on my neck as he spoke near my ear.
    “Six days, Princess. We have six days left, not seven. Six. S. I. X.” he said in a very soft voice.
    Wha- … Oh.
    Oh!
    He had a small smirk on his lips when he backed away a little to look into my eyes; I had opened them once the realization of what he’d actually meant settled in. It looked as if he was trying to contain his smirk. It fell right away though, once he noticed the tear that had ended its path beside the corner of my lips.
    He stared into my eyes for a moment; something strange was filling his green eyes. It was sort of sadness, mixed with sorrow, but it mostly just looked like sympathy, and then he looked away.
    I hated it.
    It upset me that I had earned that kind of look from him; I hated that I looked pity-worthy. And I blamed it all on my brother: the feelings I had, the terror, the fear and the shame. I was ashamed of myself for looking so weak and venerable.
    But who was I kidding? I didn’t only look weak and venerable, I actually was . I was completely alone, in this room, with this perfect stranger. I was supposed to be his wife; I was his wife. He could kill me or worse, he could rape me, and I wouldn’t be able to stop him. I might say ‘no’, I might scream, might fight, but I’d always lose. He was built, taller, and much stronger than me; I had no chance against him.
    I heard the prince as he cleared his throat. I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand, removing the sign of my misery. “You should eat something, you haven’t eaten since yesterday,” he said. “There are lots of food in here, and I think you might like it.” He pointed to the big, round tray that Mona had left a few moments ago on the table that was in the middle of the room beside the vase.
    It was only when he said that that I noticed I was actually famished. I offered him a small smile but didn’t make any move, only bit my lip and looked around the room nervously. It felt awkward to be eating with him for some reason. I mean, wouldn’t it be so weird to just eat together like that without talking? I wouldn’t know what to talk with him about. I didn’t want to make small talk with him, anyway.
    “Uh, would you like to eat in the sunroom?” he asked.
    “Sunroom?” I asked in confusion. “I can leave the room today?” Hope wrapped my voice.
    “Uh, technically you wouldn’t leave the room if you went to the sunroom,” he told me.
    “But, there is no sunroom here!”
    He frowned. “Yes, there is. Hasn’t your brother shown you aroun-” He stopped mid-sentence, then looked down and shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. “Of course, he hasn’t.”
    No. He was too busy pointing a gun to my head, I thought sadly.
    “Come,” he motioned for me to follow him as he walked toward the huge mirror that was next to the bed. I stood beside him and waited for whatever he wanted to show me in that mirror. I only saw our reflections.
    “Uh...” Before I could say anything, the prince flipped a button that was on the wall beside