Leviathan glanced down at the bundle of red and dark blue he carried through the grand entranceway to the palace. Her face was flushed, meaning she entered the palace for the first time looking like a tomato. He fought the urge to smile. It would probably unnerve the gate guards and make them question his identity. He rarely ever tended to smile in the first place – but as of late, he'd been having far too much fun to hide the glee he felt. His fiancée was far too much fun to tease with that flame-hot temper of hers, but she was already exhausted and they were too close to unwelcome ears, so he held back as best he could. Kaliana was fun to rile, but on the flip side it was also an irritating shortcoming of hers. If she acted like that with all the ladies and gentlemen the court entertained then his reputation would be in tatters. That was something he couldn't allow to happen.

Reputation was everything in the palace, and he had learnt that fact very swiftly upon his introduction to high society. Commoners had it easy compared to him. They could easily call people friends without worrying about whether they would turn and stab them in the back due to politics someday. If he lost reputation, then he would lose those particular friends and that meant he would lose power and the ability to easily make changes in their society.

He nodded at a few members of the court - two members of the Francis House, and three female members of the Gwentworth House, if he was remembering his faces correctly - as they left through the very entrance he was returning through. The last thing his wife-to-be probably wanted was to greet some of their future court, especially whilst she was bundled up in his arms – no doubt her least favourite place... or perhaps that was underneath him... who knew...?

A smirk pulled at his lips as eyes fell to his fiancée's neck, no doubt having spied the markings on her pale white skin. Bruises and other marks would show up far too easily on her fair skin. He, at least, had a bit of a tan from the time he spent outdoors. But that fragile skin would work in her favour. The rumours would soon be spreading - that they were a passionate couple well and truly in love. Telling everyone Kaliana had his favour, and that tangling with her would be equivalent to tangling with him - and he was far trickier to deal with than she ever would be, and almost everyone at court knew it. It was the most he could do to shield his somewhat reclusive bride without outright saying anything. Words like protection would only inflame Kaliana's temper, and not in the way he found joy in it, so he thought it best to keep his interference silent... if only to aid in helping her to eventually stand on her own two feet inside what would become their castle.

"Excuse us," he spoke smoothly, hiding his blushing fiancée as best he could from prying eyes. She wasn't ready to meet the public, nor the court. She was too unrefined – too bratty, and not to mention she didn't have the slightest clue of when to shut her mouth, around him at the very least... and that was a lesson he was already having far too much fun trying to drill into her head. "I need to get my darling fiancée settled after our long journey here. I am afraid neither of us are in any state to greet anyone just yet."

She riled up, glaring at him even as he carried her past their small audience, his three most trusted knights following behind. "And whose fault is that?" she hissed, and he smiled slyly. She still didn't know how to keep those pretty pink lips of hers sealed, though here it would only add to the rumour of their closeness.

"Yours," he murmured, well aware everyone could still hear him. "For being too cute." His grin turned cold, hurrying to get them out of earshot before his darling started throwing the insults. "Now, honey, let me carry you to your chambers."

"Bastard," she growled, and Leviathan thanked his lucky stars he had made it to the residential area of the castle. The walls were thicker there, made to keep prying ears from listening to the private business of Skordia's Royal Family.

"Sweetie, I know you want me to... tend to your needs, but let's save that until the wedding night, eh?" he teased, the click of the heavy door closing behind his knights making him sigh in relief.

Her silence was almost merciful.

"Finally learning when to shut up, brat?" he asked, curious as to what answer he would receive as she stiffened in his arms. She probably wanted to get away from him, he mused, eyeing the brat in his arms as he all but spelled out the fact they were now practically alone and very much free to say whatever the hell they wanted to each other. Not like that would make much of a difference for his sweet little brat. She had no filter, and no common sense when it came to palace life. He could cut her some slack though. She had never been to the palace before, having been a recluse from any tea party celebrations all the nobles liked to have ever now and then. She was as far removed from noble life as possible. Part of him couldn't help but wonder why. Even if she was a terrible vampire, she was a noble and a member of the Reynard House. That by itself should've garnered at least some modicum of respect, even if she didn't excel in any of the arts.

He carried her further into the palace, enjoying the privacy of his own wing of the palace – the same wing that would no doubt become very lively soon with the addition of his incredibly teaseable future wife. The doors were a dark wood, the floor made of large pale grey tiles, the walls a similar pale stone, the only splash of colour being the occasional blood red tapestry his mother had insisted on hanging if only to bring some life to his part of the castle. Numerous doors led off the hallway, leading to various parts of the castle that his wife-to-be would soon learn to navigate.

Her words broke the brief silence which had fallen between them. "Screw you, arsehole!"

There was the reaction he'd been waiting for. "My dear, you are aware screw can be a euphemism for sex, are you not?" he inquired, a roguish grin on his lips. "I can screw you in the arsehole if you so desire... after our wedding of course," he said, watching as her ears turned a bright bloody red. "I would not want you to lose your anal virginity too soon."

Kaliana sputtered, and he was rather grateful she hadn't had anything in her mouth. He was certain if she had, the contents would be all over him by that point. "I hate you," she declared, but Leviathan couldn't find it in himself to take those words to heart. Hating him or cursing his existence was her default response, and those words made it so very easy to tease her all the more.

"And you are a little brat."

"You—"

"What?" He grinned. "I thought we were stating the obvious."

"I'll never love you," she huffed, glaring at the walls as he carried her closer and closer to the bridal suite she'd be using for the time being.

He sighed, fighting the sad smile threatening to ruin the entire mood they had going. At least she wasn't treating him like an object. At least she wasn't trying to suck up to him because of his status. "You hardly need to love me to give birth to my children," he said, ignoring the pang in his chest. He'd just have to seduce the socks off her... somehow... He shrugged. Easier said than done. "I'm sure you will be starting that endeavour tomorrow night, anyway..." Men didn't cry, so neither should he, no matter what happened.

"Tomorrow?" Her head snapped around, eyes locking on his, a hint of terror in their gaze, and his expression softened momentarily before being replaced by a confident smirk.

"Oh, did I not tell you?" he asked, knowing nobody had told her about the exact date of their wedding. His mother had all but demanded they marry as soon as possible, no doubt expecting his fiancée to be one of his loving fangirls who would be more than happy to help him pass on his genetics. Somehow he doubted Kaliana would be all that willing... and he wasn't going to force her into something she wasn't ready for. She was practically a child still. He could wait. Those damned assassins could wait. A smirk made its way onto his lips. He'd make her beg before he did anything else. "Our wedding is tomorrow, so sleep well... it will be a long day." He came to a stop outside her assigned room, a moment or two away from his own, and most definitely connected via a few doors, not that she needed to know that. He'd have to surprise her with a little visit at some point in the future. He chuckled. He could picture her reaction already, though she'd no doubt surprise him with something. There was always a bit of an unknown factor with her reactions – whether it be the facial expression she pulled, the words she used, or the shade of red she turned. "My room is the next door down on the same side," he informed her, opening her door, revealing the bridal suite his mother had been gushing about a few days earlier. "You will be welcomed in there from tomorrow onwards."

She sighed in relief, no doubt pleased she wouldn't have to join him in bed until the next night. Not that he was planning on forcing her. It wouldn't work well with his plans to seduce her and gain her undying allegiance alongside her love.

"My mother designed it just for you," he said, carrying her inside the room his mother had been fretting about a matter of days before.

It was large, like the rest of the palace, the sheer size of the bed dwarfing the one he had seen back at her home in the countryside. Pale blue drapes fell around the gigantic bed, pooling in little puddles, the fabric shimmering in the faint sunlight starting to flood through the window. Fluffy, similar coloured sheets lined the bed, looking delightfully inviting after the long journey he'd just had, but it was already morning, and he had other things to do. As his overworked father liked to say sleep was for the weak. He yawned. The room should've had everything she needed – from bookshelves to fluffy pillows. She even had an ensuite which, funnily enough, was connected to his own little ensuite. He would definitely be surprising her with that little snippet of information soon. A smile curled at his lips.

"Put me down and get lost," Kaliana muttered, folding her arms as she made her demand.

"Of course." He dropped her on the cold tile, sighing quietly as she failed to right herself before her backside slammed into the hard floor. She was definitely going to be having some sort of physical training, if only so she didn't injure herself by accident. "I would not want anyone to think I was doing lewd things to my fiancée before we were even married."

"Jackass," she hissed, just as he started pulling the door to.

He froze, swivelling back on his heels in seconds, popping his head back around the door, sniggering at her startled expression. She was adorable... like a kitten frightened of its own reflection. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, but you'll be confined to this room until tomorrow for your own safety. The maids will bring you your meals, and I believe there might be some last minute checking of dress fitting... I will be leaving Caleb outside your door – so don't try anything stupid, and holler if you need anything... Gods know you're good enough at doing that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, but he was already shutting the door, leaving his loveable glasses-wearing knight behind to face the rage of his fiancée when she woke from her brief nap.

At least Caleb would have his newspaper for protection.