"Why would I ever be in dungeons?" Gode exclaimed with a knowing smile and pulled out from the hug. She walked towards the table and pulled the vanity chair near the dining table and sat on the other side. When she found Ella still standing by the door where she left her, she motioned her to take her seat.

"Why are you sitting here?" The Lord grumbled in annoyance and Gode could only chuckle at him.

Ella couldn't understand what was going on there. Why was Gode there and why was she so unaffected by the Lord.

"Ah, to have supper. I am already famished." Gode served generous amount of food on her plate and started eating it.

"This was supposed to be a supper for only newlyweds." The Lord groused again and his scowl deepened when Gode did not mind him much and continued swallowing the food. Ella, on the other side is as much confused as before as she still couldn't figure out what was actually conducting between the Lord and her friend.

Ella could only look at the both grumbling at each other and squabbling. Her husband surprised her when he pulled her chair near to his and assorted the delicacies in her plate.

"You must eat. You are already so frail." He brought a spoonful of food to her lips. She looked surprised at his action but still opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her.

Why was he being so nice to her?

"I will be back to Shadowvalor by the dawn, and then you can have your newlywed moments." She spoke with mouthful of food. "Now that my part of the work is done, I need to show myself to the town before any suspicion arises." She completed, wiping her mouth with a towel and looked towards Ella with soft eyes.

"Your part of the work? What work are you talking about?" Ella asked looking at Gode suspiciously. She sensed that her friend was keeping many secrets from her and most of the secrets were relating to her.

"Your husband will explain you slowly. Now that I had my supper, I need to go or else the looks of your husband is telling me I would not be safe if I do not see myself out right this moment." Gode stood and hugged Ella kissing both her cheeks and raised her eyebrow at the Lord challengingly.

"Excellent. You need to leave now. Go stay in the town like you always been and inform me if there is anything strange." Lord Knight nodded at her and called Lyndon to accompany Gode safely to Shadowvalor, While Ella was still stupefied why the Lord was being so kind to her friend when he was threatening to torture her just hours ago.

"I wish you a good life, my dear friend. Just remember that whatever we did it was in your best interest. I know everything happened was unexpected and hasty but let me tell you that Lord Knight will take good care of you. I am not telling you to forget the past but do not let the past affect your life with the Lord. It is alright if it takes time to accept new changes and new people so don't be hasty and accept everything slowly. I will come to meet you frequently so not to worry. Trust your husband and you will know that he is the last people to even think to hurt you." Gode whispered to Ella and patted her back in encouragement.

Soon enough Gode left the castle and Lord and Ella were left alone in their bed chamber. Ella could understand that the wedding to the Lord was all a plan and Gode was her best friend Gode was involved in it. She could understand that much but why? Why would they go to such lengths to marry a nobody like her? She was not wealthy nor was she from a reputed household then why would they both have to plot together?

Who exactly was Lord Knight that Gode trusted so much with me?

"It is now our precious time together, Darling." Lord announced naughtily pulling her in to his arms. It was good that Gode was back to Shadowvalor so he could know the conspiracies weaving over there and moreover no one would suspect Gode – of all people – to be one of his people. And if anyone did suspect her, he would protect the person who helped him get his Ella and also who was like a family to him.

All these months, Gode has become a family to him and he would never let her into any trouble.

"My Lord – I want to ask you something." Ella pulled out from his hold and looked at him nervously. Though she was now his wife, she still couldn't get her guard down for him. The hesitations and uncertainties she had from past many years that the other people have instilled inside her, they are not allowing her to trust anyone nor are they allowing her to think about a possible peaceful future.

"Xander. You are to call me Xander. 'My Lord' is for others but you are my lady, my spouse so you are to call me Xander only." He wanted to hear his name from her sweet lips. He was no Lord for his Ella; he will always be her husband and her Xander foremost.

Ella thought for a moment and nodded her head slowly as she was bound to listen to him. She was now filled with many questions for which only he can give answers and she was determined to know everything. People keep making decision in her life and exploit her as they wish to but now she needs her answers. She cannot talk out with the villagers as they are too blinded by the beliefs and reasonless hatred for her but she can at least except few understanding from her husband, from the person who made her heart skip a beat for the first time.

"Xander, Who are you?" She asked forthrightly not want to beat around a bush. She just wants to know what was happening around her and with her.

"I am your husband." He answered nonchalantly, holding her hands and kissing each of her fingers. Ella choked on her breath when her husband caught one of her finger between his teeth.

"I beg you, Xander. At least – at least you clear my confusion. At least you answer my queries. You said you were present there when I was wedding my corpse husband, in that case you know me from quite a long time, don't you?" Ella was desperate to know his part of the story. Xander could only smile softly at his wife and twirl loose tresses around his fingers.

"Aye, I was there five years ago when you were getting slaughtered by the town to a stinking dead body." Xander casually besmirched Ella's corpse husband which made her Ella redden in anger. How rude he was to sully her husband?

"I apologize, My Lord, but mind what you say about my husband." Ella's hands were in fists and her eyes were spitting green fire from them. Her whole face turned red and there was no better sight for Xander than to watch his meekly wife turn fiery. The sight was arousing.

"Um hmm, why not, he was just a foul stinking carcass and you don't even remember his face and moreover, I am your husband not that already rotten vermin." Xander was provoking Ella and he was loving it. The meek, docile and a scared Ella was not his preferred, rather he like the provoked, fiery and raging Ella.

Ella looked at the Lord who was speaking rubbish about her husband and she couldn't take it. No doubt Xander was her husband at present but her first husband was respectable as well. She didn't know which family Alexander, her first husband belonged to and she does not care for the details too; but she did not like someone degrading Alexander. Her first husband was her companion from past five years and she might not know how he looks or what kind of person he was but she always respected him.

"You have no right to talk about Alexander. When you don't know him then all you have to do was at least respect him and his soul. Do not disrespect him." Ah, that wild fire in her eyes that was pulling Xander to wind it even more. She looked exceptional with the anger adorning her beautiful face and it made him even happier to see her shielding her husband.

Xander pushed Ella on the soft bed and pinned her body with his, smiling sweetly at her.

"Glad to know you have such respect and love for m-"