Chapter 2: The Gilded Cage

The sun filtered through the heavy velvet curtains, bathing the room in a golden hue that pulled Jana from her lethargy. For a moment, feeling the softness of the silk sheets, she thought the previous day had been a hallucination caused by a literary fever. But as she turned her head and saw the magnitude of the bedroom, the decorative armor, and the Gothic architecture, reality hit her head-on: she was still in 1540.

"It’s daylight!" she whispered, jumping up. "I thought it was a dream, but I really woke up in Alexander's bed."

A soft knock on the door preceded the entrance of Liz, who brought a washbasin of water and a set of clothes that seemed to weigh more than Jana herself.

"Miss, you must get up for breakfast and put on these clothes," Liz said with a tone of urgency. "His Majesty has been very clear: you are forbidden to wander the palace alone and, under no circumstances, should you speak to strangers."

Jana sighed, her shoulders dropping.

"What? I’d forgotten how bossy that man is. I have to learn to control myself if I want to survive here." She looked at the complicated dress with confusion. "Alright, help me change, please; I haven't the slightest idea how all these clothes go together."

"Yes, Miss."

"You can call me Jana, Liz. I feel like 'Miss' puts an unnecessary distance between us."

The servant paled visibly, clutching the fabrics against her chest.

"His Majesty might get angry and... and cut my throat. I'd rather not, if you don't mind."

Jana felt a chill. Alexander’s brutality wasn’t just a description in her book; it was a living law that dictated everyone's life in that place.

"You're right," Jana conceded gently. "But he doesn't have to know. Just call me Jana when we’re alone, deal?"

Liz nodded timidly. As she helped her with the tight corset, Jana couldn’t help but ask:

"By the way, where is Alex?"

"The Prince left with Commander Felix on an emergency," the young woman explained. "He had to overthrow some thugs who were raiding caravans on the northern border."

"He went to fight?" Jana felt a strange pang of unease. She knew the protagonist's combat skills, but knowing he was in a real battle made her nervous.

Once ready, Jana looked at herself in the polished silver mirror. The dress enhanced her figure, and her blonde hair, now delicately styled, made her look like a true noblewoman of the era.

"Thank you, Liz. Can you show me what places I can visit? I’m going to go crazy locked in here."

"Alright, I’ll take you to the garden. You can eat there without trouble and get some fresh air."

They walked through the stone corridors, where the echo of their footsteps seemed to tell stories of centuries past. However, the peace was broken as they rounded a corner. A woman of imposing presence with hair as red as fire blocked their path. Her eyes were sharp, and her expression denoted excessive pride.

"Who is this woman?" the redhead asked, ignoring Jana and speaking directly to Liz.

"The lady is a guest of His Highness, Prince Alexander... my lady Leticia," Liz replied with her head bowed, trembling slightly.

Leticia scanned Jana from head to toe with evident contempt.

"A guest? Where are you from, woman?" she asked in a cold voice.

Jana, remembering that in novels the best defense against a "villainess" was exaggerated diplomacy, forced a charming smile.

"I am from... the capital," she lied quickly. "If I may say in passing, you are beautiful! I have never seen a hair color so vibrant and elegant."

Leticia was taken aback. The insult she had prepared dissolved in the face of the unexpected compliment. She tucked a red strand behind her ear with an air of self-satisfaction.

"Well... I have things to do. I shall see you again later, girl."

As soon as Leticia walked away with a firm step, Jana let out a sigh of relief.

"Liz, if you want to silence a wicked woman, just praise her. It works in every era."

The day in the garden was strangely peaceful. Jana sat on the grass, marveling at the purity of the air. Without the pollution of 2023, the sky seemed a deeper blue and the scent of the flowers was intoxicating. She ate artisanal bread and fruit, trying to process her situation. But as the shadows lengthened, her worry grew.

Night arrived and Alexander did not appear. Jana was back in the quarters, pacing back and forth.

*Did something happen to him? Is he in danger?* she thought with anguish. *Calm down, Jana, he’s the protagonist, no one can touch him, he’s strong... but he’s still human.*

Liz entered to offer her a bath. Jana, preferring solitude to calm her nerves, declined her help and bathed alone. Just as she finished dressing in a light nightgown, the heavy wooden door burst open.

Alexander entered. His armor was dented and his face stained with soot and blood. Upon seeing her, he stopped dead, and a slight flush crossed his features, though he quickly hid it behind a mask of coldness.

"You're back!" Jana ran toward him without thinking, forgetting protocol. "Are you okay?"

Alexander tensed. He wasn't used to anyone running toward him; normally, people fled or knelt trembling.

"You’re covered in blood... were you hurt? Why aren't you saying anything?" she asked, trying to look for wounds beneath the metal.

The prince turned sharply, giving her his back.

"I will take a bath," he declared in a husky voice.

"Is that all you're going to say to me? I was worried, you know!" Jana exclaimed, indignant at his coldness.

"Do not be noisy," he replied without looking at her.

"Fine! I won't worry again, Your Highness!" Jana crossed her arms, furious.

"Do as you wish."

After his bath, Alexander emerged wearing a black tunic, his still-damp hair dripping onto his broad shoulders. He looked imposing and lethal. Jana, despite her anger, decided to try to negotiate.

"Your Highness?" she called. He looked at her seriously but didn't answer. "Your Highness?"

"SPEAK!" he roared, losing patience with her hesitation.

"Tomorrow... could I go out and wander the palace? I'm bored being locked in here."

"No!" was the blunt response.

"But why? There are guards on every corner!"

"It is dangerous. It doesn't matter how many guards there are." Alexander approached the table, pouring himself a glass of wine. "Tomorrow I may have to leave again. I do not have time to take you to see the castle."

Jana felt tears of frustration stinging her eyes. The culture shock, the fear, and the confinement were breaking her resistance.

"Fine, tomorrow I'll go alone!" she snapped at him, winking in a gesture of pure defiance.

In a blink, Alexander dropped the glass and cornered her against the wall, taking her chin with a force that compelled her to look him in the eye.

"I said it is dangerous! You cannot go out, even within the castle, do you understand?"

"But I’m bored!" Jana shouted, letting a tear slide down her cheek. "You don't own me and I'm not your slave. I arrived yesterday and was treated like a criminal, locked in a dark, ugly hole... I'm scared and I'm alone!"

Seeing her tears, something in Alexander's iron expression broke. He released her jaw and, with unusual clumsiness, wiped the trail of the tear with his thumb.

"Fine... tomorrow I will let you wander. Only for one hour, and with a guard escorting you," he sighed, giving in.

"Thank you," she whispered, calming down a bit.

"One more thing," he added, regaining his severe tone. "There is a woman in the palace, Leticia, with red hair. Do not go near her. She is my fiancée."

Jana felt her heart skip a beat. *Fiancée? I don't remember reading about any fiancée in the book,* she thought with bewilderment.

"Does she know you have me here, in your quarters?"

"No. And if she finds out, she will want to kill you."

"And you just say it like that?! My life is in danger!"

"If she touches a single hair on your head," Alexander said, and his red eyes glowed with a murderous light, "she is dead."

Jana looked at him, horrified.

"How can you say that? Do you just go around killing anyone for no reason?"

"Yes! No one touches what is mine."

"I am not yours!" she retorted, regaining her spirit. "I am no one's property. You aren't my husband, or my boyfriend, or anything."

Alexander closed the distance between them in a feline movement. Before Jana could protest, he took her by the nape of the neck and kissed her with an intensity that left her breathless—a mix of fire and possession that made her stagger.

As they pulled apart, he whispered against her lips:

"Do not provoke me, Jana."

She, with her heart beating a thousand miles an hour and her cheeks flushed, could only manage to say:

"I... I’m going to sleep now."

Alexander watched her in silence as she retreated under the covers, knowing that, even if she denied it, the thread of fate had already chained them together.

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