Emily’s laugh was a low, annoying sound, and her eyes glinted with malice as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Spare the unnecessary sermon, Es," she said. "You’re one to talk about love, aren’t you? After all, you’re about to marry the king, not out of love, but out of obligation. And once you do, that pristine dress of yours won’t be the only thing that gets sullied."
Moving closer, she helped Es adjust her sleeves, her touch cold and detached. "Just as Alpha Dahr so astutely pointed out earlier, you were born to be a pawn, a tool to be used and discarded at whim. And.... it seems that fate is already unfolding as predicted." Emily’s smile was a cruel, triumphant thing after that, and she turned to exit the chamber, leaving Es more broken than she previously was.
Leaving the room, she casted a withering glare at the maid who had interrupted her conversation earlier. anwhile, Es’s fist clenched at her side, and her eyes flashed with a hint of silent fury.
The maid who was waiting for her to take her downstairs, imdiately stepped back when Dahr walked in. Es didn’t turn around when she sensed his presence, and her anxiety spiked when he started to draw near.
"Awww, aren’t you excited for your big day?" Dahr’s voice dripped with pure sarcasm as he spun her around to face him. Es’s gasp was involuntary as he grasped her jaw without warning, his grip like vice. She could see he was restraining himself from unleashing whatever wrath he desired on her.
"You dared to lock up even when I told you not to," he sneered, his fingers tightening almost to the point of pain. "Since when did you develop a backbone? I’m tempted to strike you for all the pains and humiliation you’ve caused , but alas, it’s your wedding day, so I must make sure not to leave a mark on you." With a rough jerk, he released her jaw, sending her stumbling backwards.
His smirk was a calculated thing, which he malevolently designed to unsettle Es as he deliberately shoved his hands into the pocket of his pants.
"You’re probably dying to know what happened to your dear friend, aren’t you?" he asked, barely hiding the malice in his ill tone. "That insufferable advisor to the king is.. what’s-his-na again... Ah yes, Leo, is it? Well, he’s currently enjoying the cozy hospitality of the cold palace, courtesy of his supposed betrayal to the king and his role in aiding your silly escape attempt."
Es finally reacted, and her eyes widened in shock as she processed the news about Leonardo’s predicant. Her frail frozen form was a canvas of distress, and Dahr reveled in the pleasure it brought him. He inched closer, his Alpha eyes flashing with sothing dangerous, whilst his voice dripped with condensation.
"You want to know who got him into trouble? Well, let enlighten you. It was ," his smile broadened. "I’ve never been a fan of that stoic mask of his, and I took great pleasure in orchestrating his downfall."
He then lifted her veil so he could see the reaction on her face more clearly. "You’re in this precarious position because of , and the king’s favor has shifted decidedly in my direction. So, here’s the deal, if you are willing to get on that bed and treat like the obedient little whore I’ve grood you into becoming, I might just convince the king to reconsider the wedding date."
Listening to his words, Es’s fury erupted like a tempest, and her balled fist pumled Dahr’s chest with reckless abandon. "I HATE YOU!" She scread, her emotions careening out of control as she continued to strike him. "I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR RUINING MY LIFE! YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS, I SWEAR IT!"
"HEY!" Dahr bellowed back with equal ferocity as he seized her flailing arms, his grip tightening as Es’s sobs shook her entire fra. "What’s with this tantrum? If you fuckin’ cry right now your makeup will be ruined. No one wants you walking out there with crocodile tears on your face. For the love of god, who’s even out there?"
As Dahr turned to face the door, Es’s tears betrayed her. It stread down her face to drop like a diamond onto the crescent moon pendant suspended around her neck.
In the midst of the chaotic scene, the two servants waiting outside hastened into the room.
"Clean her face up." He commanded the servants, his voice laced with evident disdain. "We can’t have her descending into the wedding ceremony looking like a bedraggled ss. Stop gaping like the simpletons that you are and get to work!"
The maids hastily obeyed, moving quickly to envelope Es in their firm but gentle hold.
"Don’t touch !" Es broke free from their relentless grasp, but they eventually held her back. Her words tumbled out in a furious torrent as she glared at Dahr. "I see you’ve dedicated your existence to ruin . What have I ever done to deserve this treatnt from you, Dahr? I loathe you, I abhor you with every fiber of my being! You’ll never find happiness, Dahr. You will wither away alone, and no one will shed a tear for your miserable fate!"
Her curses were vehent, but Dahr rely laughed them off with a mocking glint in his eye.
"Your venomous words don’t intimidate , Es. It’s patently obvious that I’m holding the upper hand here." His gaze then shifted to the pathetic maids who were valiantly struggling to restrain Es. "Repair her makeup and present her down in ten minutes. I expect perfection."
With that, Dahr turned on his heels and sauntered away.
As the allotted ten minutes ticked by, Es was escorted to the grand courtyard, where a sea of guests awaited her arrival. Holding the bouquet of flowers with a rigid grip, she began to walk towards the elevated platform where Lennox stood, handsoly dressed in an outfit of white and gold.
The priestess was standing in his midst, offering her a warm, if not altogether a genuine smile.
Despite the veil that shrouded her face, Es could feel the weight of guest’s gazes upon her, threatening to consu her very being. Her terror was expertly concealed behind the intricately lace-edged veil, and her gaze remained trained on the floor. The rose petals that led to the platform were dark red, like the color of blood, and they reminded her of nothing beautiful.
Her gloved hands involuntarily tightened around the bouquet, and she was forced to ntally correct herself, to remind herself to loosen her grip and stay calm.
She failed horribly.
As she approached the platform where Lennox awaited her, the weight of what would happen once she gets there made her recoil. The priestess would soon bind them in matrimony, and the cold tal of the ring would seal their fate.
Es stopped walking, and her sudden stillness sent a ripple through the crowd, whispers and murmurs erupting like a gentle breeze.
Move! Move your legs, Es! You have to do this! Don’t freeze. Move your legs so no one can suspect!
The voice in her mind urged her forward, but her body remained stubbornly still.
Through her veil, Es’s gaze t Lennox, and for an instant, she saw a flicker of concern etched on his brow. To her surprise, his expression didn’t betray any offense or annoyance by her sudden halt.
Her eyes flicked to the guests watching, and she caught Emily standing demurely beside a noble. And in that mont, as if sensing Es’s gaze, her lips curled into a cruel, calculated smile.
"Es?" Lennox gently called, stretching out a hand for her to co to him. Es’s gaze lingered on his inviting hand, and her heart scread "no" in silent desperation. The word trembled on her lips, yet remained stubbornly unspoken.
She was falling apart.
This was really happening. There is no undoing this, is there?
Es forced her feet to move forward, her legs carrying her towards Lennox as if propelled by a will not entirely her own. She was no longer acting on her free will, but rather was driven by a sense of duty, of responsibility towards those she cared about. Because of her, both Finnian and Leonardo were in danger.
She had to do this!
She had to save them, no matter the cost!
If this was the sacrifice she was forced to make, then she would make it with her head held high, her dignity intact, as long as Leo and Finn were going to be safe.
Es stood a ter away from Lennox’s outstretched hand, the encouragent in his gaze. She lifted her hand gently, and before they could co in contact with Lennox’s outstretched hand, the once clear sky above suddenly darkened, a shade of dark clouds taking over.
The air was charged with electricity as thunder bood in the distance, and the guests started to evacuate when a heavy wind blew, confusion and panic taking over as none of them was able to fathom the aning behind what was happening.
Es’s gown fluttered wildly with the wind, and she wondered what sort of terrible storm had visited Illyria. Her gaze instinctively shifted to the entrance of the courtyard, and there...
She saw him.
Everyone present seed to recognize the dark figure that strolled in with a quiet confidence, and they began to scramble to get out of his way, out of the premises even, as he approached. The wind suddenly stilled, but the dark clouds remained, casting a foreboding shadow over the proceedings.
"A wedding built on deception," Donovan’s smooth, velvety voice began as he reached for Es in the twinkle of an eye, pulling her towards him. "In the end, the truth is inscribed on her very soul, and it calls for ."
Donovan tilted his head slightly at Lennox’s way, a smirk twisting his lips as he said, "She’s mine now."
Reviews
All reviews (0)