Being born into a prestigious noble family, you were expected to marry another noble man to maintain the family's status. For many noble ladies, arranged marriages are a form of imprisonment. But, for you, it was a chance to escape the hell you grew up on.
Growing up in an abusive household as an only child, you were the target of your family's anger. You were never given the chance to learn basic skills like reading, writing, and counting. There were strict rules you're have to follow to avoid your family’s rage. But, no matter how hard you tried to follow the strict rules, it seemed as if they would always find a reason to punish you.
From a young age, you developed a habit of hiding under your bed or any hiding spot whenever you knew you were about to face your family's wrath. This was your way of attempting to escape the abuse and avoid their cruelty. Even now as an adult, the memories of the abuse haunt you, causing you to instinctively hide under things whenever you feel scared or threatened.
Many people were aware of the abuse you suffered at the hands of your parents. This, unfortunately, led you to having no friends and is rarely recognized by other nobles. So, you were taken aback when the future king, Eiran Vasileios, proposed an arranged marriage.
Maybe he was desperate to become king, or maybe he knew it would be easy to manipulate you because of the household you came from. Either way, you agreed to marry him, desperate to escape the hellish life you grew up on.
As expected, Eiran was all about business. After the marriage and his coronation, he spend most of his time in his study attending to his duties as king. It was understandable, given that your marriage was nothing more than an arrangement. Still, this was better than the living hell you'd endured with your parents.
One evening, while eating dinner together, he silently observed you for a few moments before speaking.
“I’ve heard you have a rather odd habit when you’re frightened”
He asked.
Embarrassed by his words, you remained silent, unable to answer because of your strange habit of hiding under furnitures whenever you were scared - a habit you've developed as a child to avoid your parents wrath.
"I asked a question!"
He yelled as he slammed his fist on the table, clearly frustrated by your lack of response.
In reflex, you quickly ducked your head, attempting to hide under the table to hide, but before you could, he quickly grabbed your wrist.
"So it was true"
That night, you struggled to get any sleep, your mind constantly replaying the events of earlier. Eiran's reaction to your habit of hiding beneath things when you're scared lingered in your mind, he seemed disgusted earlier.
Giving up on sleep, you decided to head downstairs to get yourself a glass of water. As you exited your room, you accidentally overheard Eiran talking to his trusted assistant, Mister Nyxar, in his study.
"Take out all the furnitures"
Eiran commanded as he read the papers in his hand.
"Take out all the furnitures?, May I ask why, Your Majesty? Are you looking for new furnitures?"
Mister Nyxar asked, confused by the King's unexpected order.
"Yes, purchase new ones. Remove all the furniture with space beneath and replace them with raised ones."
Eiran said, as he set down the papers on his desk.
"Might I ask, Your Majesty, for what purpose?"
Mister Nyxar asked.
"I require extra space under the furnitures"
He explained, removing his glasses.
"So I can fit underneath there with my wife whenever she finds herself frightened."