Chapter 4: It Began with a Wedding
"So you're telling me that the princess refused to help us?" Krile confirmed dejectedly.
"No, she didn't refuse, we never even spoke," Alphinaud answered back grimly. "Rather I overheard her arguing with Ran'jit after he told her that she was marrying me. She's against the wedding as well, in fact, she wasn't even told about this arrangement until just that moment. So, even I was aware of what was going on before she did. But she has no more say in the matter than I do. Vauthry is determined to go through with this union no matter what."
After making it back to his room, Alphinaud had been going over what he had just learnt until Krile came back to see him. He let her in and she begged that he had more luck than she did with finding the princess, because she searched all over the courtyard and grounds with no luck at all. That was when he told her what he overheard as well as the similar collar around both of the princesses necks.
After learning about what he overheard, Krile's expression became deadly serious as she muttered, "So you think she has threats over her head as well? So Vauthry is even resorting to such measures to control his own family? No wonder the princess was upset."
"I think that she is as much a prisoner of this place as I am about to be," he groaned out as he sat down, feeling defeated. "Vauthry has seen to it that we cannot go against his wishes. I don't know what he plans to threaten her with but if I had to guess, there's more than just the collars that she's worried about."
He remembered how protective she was over her younger cousin and the look in Ran'jit's eyes as he threated Claire. If he had to guess, Vauthry is threatening to hurt Ryne in some way if Claire didn't accept this upcoming wedding. He bit his lower lip as anguish began to settle in all over again and he sat down in defeat upon the edge of the bed.
Before this morning, he never would have thought that anyone could treat a member of their own family in such a way. But after the day he had, he could now believe that Vauthry would be cruel enough to do so—and he was now convinced that he was not above hurting them if it suited him. Now he understood why Claire had tried to warm him about not trusting Vauthry.
"I should have taken her warning and left last night," he whispered mournfully.
"No, Alphinaud, none of this is your fault!" Krile tried to comfort him, knocked out of her thoughts, and leapt up to sit on the bed with him. She gripped his arm tightly as she tried to think of another way out of this mess. "This is all on Vauthry! I cannot believe that the Forum was aware of any of this! If they had been, then there was no way that your father would have agreed to let you come. Why Vauthry felt the need to go through such an elaborate ruse, I don't know; but the Forum isn't going to stand for it! Once they find out, then I can only imagine…?"
"And do what?" he asked as he pulled his arm out of her grasp to run his hands over his face wearily. "What can they realistically do now? I tried to think of all manner of ways to get out of this, but it all boils down to the fact that the Forum sent an official emissary to Eulmore. If I refuse this then Vauthry will take his anger out of Sharlayan and my family somehow! I can't do that to them, Krile! My sister is getting ready to graduate and go to Eorzea! My parents… I… I can't let anything happen to them! I'm scared what he could do!"
Krile's eyes filled with tears when she saw the look of utter defeat upon the young man's face. She wanted to comfort him, to reach out and find the right words to give him hope…? But nothing came to mind. For she knew that he was right. If they weren't careful, then they could very easily make things worse for everyone involved. She held onto hope that if she could talk to the princess then maybe she could come up with some way to get them out of this…? But if what Alphinaud said is true and she is being forced into this marriage against her will…?
What are they going to do?
What could they do?
They sat like that, wracking their brains to come up with a solution all night long. In fact, it wasn't until the sky grew lighter outside did they realized how late they had been up and Krile insisted on Alphinaud getting some sleep. Despite Krile's assurances that they would get through this, he just laid down and stared at the wall opposite him, feeling as if everything in the world had grown dark and cold.
Krile had pulled the blanket up over him as she silently vowed to herself that she would see what she could say or do with Vauthry to get him to at least postpone the wedding and she left immediately after that.
Alphinaud supposed that his exhaustion must have eventually carried him off to sleep, for the next thing that he knew was that his room was filled with bright light and there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," he called as he sat up and thinking that it had been Krile. But instead, it turned out it was Ran'jit who entered.
Alphinaud felt his entire body freeze at the sight of the General and he wanted to shrink away in terror just remembering how easily that the old man had subdued him. Ran'jit's eyes went to the collar around his throat before he spoke up, "I see that you haven't tired anything foolish. That is well."
Alphinaud bit his tongue to keep himself from retaliating. He wasn't sure if Ran'jit had the same authority as Vauthry by simply speaking his name to control him but he was in no rush to find out.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice sounding small despite how he wished he could sound firm and unconcerned.
Ran'jit folded his arms behind his back before explaining formally, "Your travelling companion tried to argue on your behalf. To try and negotiate a way to allow you to return home and see if another could be arranged to marry the princess."
The tiniest candle of hope slowly began to burn in his heart at those words as he got out of bed, not caring if he looked terrible or not, as he asked, "And…?"
"I advised my lord that it may be unwise to allow such a thing, for Sharlayan may not be so willing to send someone who could be so easily subdued," he said and Alphinaud felt his cheeks flush, the insult was worse than a slap to the face. But Ran'jit went on to finish, "The fact is that everything is already set into motion and I believe that it would be for the best if we continue on with how things are. But it does seem that we must do something about your talkative friend in the meantime…?"
"W-What? Where is she?" he gasped, stepping forward as panic gripped his heart at the idea of Krile being manhandled like how he was. "What did you do to her?"
He shrugged and answered in a disinterested way, "Nothing. At least, not yet. She will be held in our dungeons for the time being until she is to return to Sharlayan. Alone, that is. I did hear that you had left your room yesterday and were looking for the princess…?"
"I… I just wanted to talk to her," Alphinaud countered. "That's it. But I wasn't able to find her so I came back to my room."
He didn't dare mention that he overheard the two of them arguing, terrified of how he would react to that. Ran'jit just observed him with a cold and critical eye, as if he could tell that Alphinaud was lying but was unable to sniff out exactly where the lie was.
"I see. In either case, your friend will be held in our dungeon until the ceremony," he said with the air of a man who was not taking no for an answer. "As long as both of you promise to behave then she will be released once the wedding is over. If she were to try anything else in the meantime…?"
"No, please! Don't do anything to harm her!" he gasped, stumbling a bit. "I said that I would consent to the marriage if you promised not to hurt anyone!"
"We agreed not to harm your family," he corrected formally. "But regardless, there is nothing that can be done to put a stop to all that has been put into motion. I have already taken the liberty to explain matters to the princess. She has also agreed to the marriage after… a fashion."
Alphinaud remembered how stubbornly she refused the night before and he wondered if they used the collar on her as well. His heart ended up going out to her as Ran'jit added, "You will be pleased to know that everything has already been arranged to begin the trade routes as you desired. By the end of the month, everything will be formally set up and ready to begin trading with Sharlayan. As for the wedding itself—my lord has it all arranged for tomorrow evening."
"T-T-Tomorrow?!" Alphinaud gasped, his eyes widened with terror as he immediately broke into a cold sweat.
"Yes, tomorrow," Ran'jit confirmed with a firmness to his tone that would not all any arguing on this point. "Everything shall be ready by then. We had planned on it for today, but the princess… well, let us just say that she was in no mood to listen to reason until this morning."
Alphinaud was trembling at this as Ran'jit added, "You are to be confined to these rooms until the ceremony. I have already positioned two guards outside your doors and servants shall bring you food and anything else that you require until then. After the ceremony, you are to be moved to your new quarters with the princess. Is that clear?"
Alphinaud just glared at him, so much that he wanted to say, but too scared to be able to do so without someone getting hurt because of him. He just lowered his head in defeat, unable to come up with anything. Ran'jit seemed satisfied at that and told him to enjoy the rest of what Eulmore has to offer. He would be sending others to assist him in getting ready for the ceremony tomorrow evening and so he best be ready for that.
The moment that he left the room, an anger boiling under his skin suddenly erupted and before he knew it, Alphinaud was grabbing anything his hands could touch and throwing them around the room. He didn't care how expensive they were or how beautiful even if they smashed against the wall and broke into countless pieces. He just wanted his surroundings to reflect the horror that he felt inside him at that moment and continued his rampage before he pulled something in his arm from trying to lift one of the chairs and he was knocked out of his maddened state.
Breathing hard, he stared around the room, taking in the broken furniture and shattered glass that laid around him and even the torn curtains and blankets from the bed as he crumbled, crying harder than he had in years. He wrapped his arms around his body as he curled up there on thick carpet, suspended in despair as he was left with no choice but to watch how his entire life was now being derailed.
At some point, he was knocked out of his thoughts by the knock of a servant at the door, asking if he was ready for dinner.
"I'm not hungry," he called, despite how his stomach was suddenly protesting, having not eaten anything since the morning before. But he didn't care. He didn't care if he wasted away before the ceremony. He just wanted to be left alone. Yet when he heard the servant leaving, he suddenly realized that he didn't want to be alone anymore and got up, trying to find something to do to distract himself.
He rubbed his exhausted face before his fingers brushed against his earring and he paused. That's right… Alisaie's parting gift… if she were here right now he could only imagine the disappointment she would be showing if she saw him losing it like this. He had to calm down and really think things through. Even if he was unable to get out of this mess, he could face it with dignity instead of a tantruming two-year-old.
He rubbed at his eyes before slapping his cheeks trying to realistically think of everything about his situation and what he could do to pull things into his advantage, if he could. His eyes suddenly went to his bag—which was the only thing that remained untouched during his tirade—and immediately grabbed it as he sat on the bed to rummage through his things for anything that could help. He frowned at the sight of his more refined clothes and books about the history of Norvrandt—all pretty much useless. Especially since it did seem that neither Vauthry nor Ran'jit were likely to change their minds.
Now that he calmed down, he was able to realistically weigh his options. If he refused or tried to run away, then not only Krile would pay the price—and he now knew better than to hope that they were above hurting her either—not to mention his family and all of Sharlayan…? Could things get so bad that something as extreme as a war could be started over something like this? He didn't want to think that would be possible, but he remembered his history classes and knew that people have gone into battle for less reasons throughout history. Either way, he couldn't bear the thought of Sharlayan having to fight because of him—not to mention the looks on his parent's faces if they were to find out about all this…?
No, they couldn't. He didn't know if he could handle seeing that. Almost being strangled was bad enough but he was sure that it would feel worse should he ever have to see their expressions if they were aware of all of this. Damn, why didn't he just accept one of the proposals from those girls that his mother set up for him?!
But more so than that, he knew that his father was never going to accept this lying down. He could imagine his mother going straight to the Forum once word got back to them that he wasn't going to be coming home?
There was only one way out of this mess and he knew it. That was when he spotted the stationary at the bottom of his bag and his favorite quill. He stared at it for a long time as he thought of his home and family… thought of the Studium and everyone else that he knew…? If this was the price he had to pay to ensure their safety, then he would have to pay it.
"Your family," he muttered to himself like it was a mantra, "You are doing this to keep your family safe. Just think of mother and father… of Alisaie, your classmates, your teachers… everyone. Just keep that in mind and you can get through this."
At least, that was what he was telling himself.
He took the paper and quill as he sat down at the desk and began to write. He had tried again and again to come up with the words that he so desperately wanted to say for his family to understand how much that they meant to him and how much he wanted to return home. He even began crying as he continued writing something, only to cross it out and begin again. At last, when he had used up all the paper did he finally find the words:
Dearest Mother, Dearest Father, and my dear sister Alisaie…
Words cannot express how much I wish to see you all right now, but it is now out of my hands. To say that I was proud and honored to have been chosen for the role of emissary would be an understatement. I really believed that I could make a big difference by accepting this opportunity and travelling here to Norvrandt. Had I known the truth behind all of this however, then I would never have thought to present myself for the task.
I met with Vauthry… and he is not the kind and gracious king that we thought he was. I should have guessed that something was wrong even before arriving to the castle, mayhaps I sensed something was amiss, but I fear that that I let my pride cloud my better judgement and now I am paying the price. While I cannot be certain, I believe he has his eyes set upon Sharlayan for some reason, why that is I do not know, but what I do know is that all of this was some plan for him to marry off one of the princesses to a citizen of Sharlayan. I tried to refuse, but he has left me with some very dangerous threats hanging over my head like an executioner's blade and I fear I was left with no option but to accept the proposal to one whom I don't know or love. I am sorry to say that by the time you likely read this, the ceremony will have long since been over and I will be a married man.
Please, don't be angry with Krile, she had tried her best to help me here and having her support was what gave me the strength to be able to go through with it. As I am writing this, she is being held in one of Eulmore's gaols and I will likely not be allowed to see her until the ceremony, but the General has made it very clear that if I were to refuse…?
He couldn't bring himself to write about the many threats that he was told and instead wrote down:
I will give this letter to her to take back to you when next I see her but I will beg that she not give you this letter unless she has no other choice but to answer you why I have not been able to come home. Again, please don't be mad at her, for she is now in trouble trying to argue on my behalf. I will do my best to make the most of my situation here, so please don't do anything reckless because of me. The sole ray of good news here is that Vauthry has agreed to Sharlayan's request to open trade routes with Norvrandt. But please, keep a close watch on the situation there for I fear that there is something else that we are not aware of.
He thought more and more about what Claire said when she spoke to him, thus warning him that her uncle was up to something and he felt that he should at least pass that warning on should things get out of hand.
I know not when I'll be able to see you all again, though I pray that it will be soon. I wish, more than anything else, that I can return home right this second but… all that I can ask from you now is that you please, please trust in me. I shall do what I can from here, but I want you all to know how much I love and miss you.
And Alisaie, I expect to hear that you graduate with top honors at the Studium. I shall try my best to continue my studies here, but I know that you can do it. You have always had a determination and passion that I found admirable. I know that you will do great things in Eorzea. I only wish I will be there to see it.
Your loving son and brother,
Alphinaud.
He wished that he could have done a better job of explaining how much pain he was in, but he just couldn't bring himself to make them worry even more about him. Instead, he just folded up the paper and tucked it away safely, planning on giving it to Krile. Hopefully, they will allow her to attend the ceremony so that he have at least one friendly face in a sea of veritable strangers.
As he set the letter aside, he noticed something else at the bottom of his bag… it was the handkerchief that his mother had used to wrap the box of treats she sent with them and at the sight he felt tears burning in his eyes as he held it up, looking at the little images of carbuncles embroidered upon the fabric. He just hugged it tightly to his chest, wishing now more than ever to have his mother here with him.
*The Next Day*
"I see someone had a meltdown, yesterday?" Ran'jit said gruffly as the old man let himself in without even bothering to knock. Alphinaud just glared up at him, finding the dead emotions inside suddenly working to his advantage as he tried to distract himself from his inevitable fate by reading some of his familiar books.
Ran'jit glanced around at the mess that Alphinaud had left from his rampage and he watched as the old man rolled his eyes.
"It matters not," he stated coldly. "I thought that I would come and check since a servant claimed to have heard noises coming from this room yesterday. I wanted to make sure that you didn't try anything else foolish."
Alphinaud didn't answer as he went back to his book.
"I see that you can be as stubborn as the princess," he snapped darkly. "She has not spoken to anyone other than her cousin since she was told the news. At least she didn't destroy her room in the process. She is also being confined since then though she will be ready by dusk. As I expect you to be."
"Will you allow Krile to attend?" he asked gruffly, looking back up from his book, finding himself no longer caring about manners right now.
"As I said before, so long as she behaves and doesn't try anything, then that is fine," he answered back. "After the ceremony she will be escorted back to Gatetown to take the first ship back to Sharlayan. Just remember what is to happen should you…?"
"I know," he snapped and just turned away from him, keeping his eyes upon the book, even though the words brought him no comfort this time.
But despite his cold attitude, Ran'jit seemed content and left the room, but not before Alphinaud heard a clear clicking sound from the door and knew that he was being locked in. He also heard the General's slightly muffled voice outside as he warned the guards to be wary on who they allow into the room. If food was to be brought in, then it was to be supervised and the servant was not allowed to remain for longer than necessary.
Alphinaud could only sigh as he continued to think about his future. Even when the servant who came with food was let in, they left the tray on a nearby table while being watched by the guards the entire time before leaving. Despite how sickened he felt, he knew that he had to at least try to eat something and went over to the tray of delicious looking foods. He was able to shovel into his mouth some soup and bread followed by some fruit… and before he knew it, the tray was empty and he laid back down on the bed as he watched the morning sun dancing overhead.
As he watched the clouds from outside the window, his thoughts suddenly drifted back to the princess and wondered how she was taking this? A part of his mind was telling him that he should be furious at her, that he should be blaming her for all of this… and yet… he couldn't get out of his mind the image of the collar around her neck as well and wondered how long she had been forced to wear it?
He remained there as he laid, as if hoping that if he didn't move then he could somehow stop time from flowing. But soon enough, nearing the late afternoon, there was another knock at the door. When he raised his head, he heard how it was unlocked and a group of men walked inside, explaining that they were here to help him get ready for the ceremony. His stomach sank as he stared at them, suddenly too stunned to speak.
Eventually, they began taking his measurements and using this as a means to tailor fit the suit they had for him. He was all but forced into the suit that felt no different than rags to him despite the fine silk and leather that was clearly used in making this. He was in all white, with a bright rose in the pocket of the suit, and when he looked in the mirror when they finished, he thought that he looked rather ghostly with his pale skin and hair. They fixed his hair from its usual braid and instead left it as a low ponytail, setting everything formally about him so that not a hair was out of place. At that moment, he felt that his wedding was no different than a gaol sentencing and he would soon be put onto trial. Once the judge—the priest—said his part, then he would be sentenced to life here as surely as one would expect to remain behind bars for the rest of their days.
He just all but gave up at that point as they led him, almost like gaolers, out of the room and down the long corridor that seemed to stretch on forever as they guided him.
"W-Where are we going?" he stuttered softly, his mind playing tricks on him in the growing darkness as it looked to him that the dancing shadows were reaching out to him.
"The ceremony will be taking place in the ballroom, so we have orders to bring you there," one of them answered without looking at him.
By the time that the sky was filled with a dazzling display of colors in the fading light, they arrived at another set of doors, opening themselves to reveal an elaborate ballroom that had been decorated from floor to ceiling for a wedding. They were standing at the end of a long aisle that was full of pews with all manner of people that he didn't know, most likely nobles from Eulmore, already seated and dressed in their finest. The walls were decorated with silken banners as they framed stunning stain glass windows that sparkled in the fading light outside. There were decorated vases lining the aisle with bright red flowers and when he looked up, staring at the flowers hanging from the ceiling, he could see the delicate petals slowly falling in a whimsical way so that everything below them was soon smelling like flowers. How long has Vauthry been planning this? This looked like it had been set up for the longest time…?
If he wasn't filled with so much dread, he would have been greatly impressed… at least until his eyes spotted an elderly priest standing there waiting for him at the opposite end of the room and that was when it really hit him that this wasn't just a bad dream. This was really happening… and he was almost sick right then and there. But his eyes came upon Ran'jit who was standing next to the priest and the look of warning he was giving him was enough to remember his many threats. So instead he forced himself to swallow the bile as he was guided down the aisle and forced to stand off to the side to wait for the bride.
He could hear how everyone in the audience was whispering to each other, asking if they knew who the groom was and how he was chosen out of everyone to wed a princess. He almost blurted out that anyone else was welcomed to switch with him before his eyes spotted Krile in the front row. At first, he felt relief to see that she was safe… but when he saw the appearance of a bruise blossoming upon the side of her face and the darker shadows under her eyes, he felt only white-hot anger towards Vauthry once more.
Speaking of which…? His eyes glanced around but he didn't see the man he now hated more than any other around them. Then again, he supposed it made sense. How else was he supposed to get his enormous bulk down here anyway?
Instead, he focused upon Krile again, the only face he could recognize here, and he felt his heart clench at the sight of her weeping silently as she stared at him—eyes filled with regret and helplessness. He didn't know what they threatened her with, but judging from the misery looking back at him, he could take a guess.
He fought the tears though they burned his eyes.
Suddenly there was music playing and the procession began. He could see several young girls walking the aisle as they dropped rose petals along the way as the sound of an organ came from who knows where. He got the impression that Vauthry wanted this over with as soon as possible…? Alphinaud had never been to any other weddings before so he knew little of such ceremonies, but from what he could see, it seemed to be happening rather quickly.
Ah, there they were.
He spotted the younger princess, Ryne, first. She was out in front, looking heart-broken as she silently wept, playing the part of carrying the rings as the lady-in-waiting for the bride. Some may believe them to be tears of joy for her cousin, but when she drew near and set the rings upon the altar, he could see the pain write all over her face as she seemed to use every last ounce of willpower she had to not break down crying outright.
When she set the rings down and stepped down from the altar, everyone's heads turned to the other end of the aisle once more and he looked as well to see the bride appear.
She was in a long dress that was as white as the first snowfall of the year. The front of the gown fell about in a few layers as it hugged her body, the corset hugging her thin waist to make it look even smaller. While little birds made of the purest silver hung attached to the fabric that bunched together and flared out so that it just barely brushed the floor. The upper part of her body was mostly covered with beautiful lace that stretched down to her arms whereas opals and pearls hung about her neck. Her hair had been done up with flowers as she wore a circlet of silver and a long veil that floated about her with an almost weightless quality to it. The golden choker upon her neck, identical to his own, stood out fiercely against the white fabric while there were large earrings of pearls from her ears.
All in all, she was absolutely stunning and he could not tear his eyes away from her.
He wasn't able to see properly at first as she came up the aisle for her head was down while she carried a bouquet of Nymeia lilies in front of her. It wasn't until she reach the altar did he get a good look at her face behind the veil and far from looking like a blushing bride, she looked more akin to a widow in mourning. Her face was ashen, even her lips had taken on an unhealthy dim color and when she opened her eyes he could see that they were red from crying as well. She looked as miserable as he felt at that moment. He suddenly felt the eyes of everyone upon them and he tried not to look at them as if expecting something else to happen—instead focusing his attention on his bride-to-be.
However, she did not look at him—or mayhaps she could not bring herself to—as she faced the altar and waited for the priest to speak. That stung the worst part out of all of this. He would have preferred for her to have shouted or cursed at him. But no… there was nothing but a bitter acceptance at what was happening, just like from him.
Ran'jit glanced over the two of them before Alphinaud heard him speak in a threatening whisper to the princess, "Smile, you're the bride."
She just turned her head away from him, her head still down low and Alphinaud didn't think it was possible to feel worse than he did at that moment. Thankfully, Ran'jit left to stand off against a nearby wall as soon as the elderly priest stepped forward, his grey hair slicked with white, and clad in Eulmore's violet and gold as he held up his arms to the heavens and began to speak.
"Welcome dear friends and loved ones. We are gathered here today to join two kindred souls in holy union. Here, in the presence of gods and men, they shall take a solemn oath to endure all future trials as one. Supporting the other, should they falter. Guiding the other, should they lose their way. Therefore, this binding of two souls, which is commended to be honorable amongst all, must not be entered into lightly, but with sincerity and reverence."
Alphinaud's ears were suddenly not working properly and all he could hear was the dull drivel that one would expect as the priest was speaking of the importance of love and faithfulness.
But how could one expect such things when they were all but forced to a union that neither of them wished for? He kept looking at his bride out of the corner of his eyes, not sure why he was so desperate to catch her attention—perhaps trying to convey how sorry he was that this had to happen to them?
He gulped down as the priest went on and on, a part of Alphinaud hoping that it would continue on for hours more so that he had more time to think of a way out but each plan that he came up with seemed more fanatical than the last. Especially when he suddenly thought of the Warrior of Darkness breaking through a wall and declaring a stop to the ceremony randomly popped into his head. As amusing as it was to imagine some terrifying warrior in black, spiked armor swinging about a greatsword he knew that, save for his father or the entire Forum come bursting through those doors and demanding that they stop, he was just wasting his time.
Oh, gods… if that were to miraculously happen then he would go to church every week for the rest of his life if they could be merciful to grant him that wish.
But no such miracle happened as the priest went on, time moving and an agonizing pace until…?
"If there is any person here present who might show just cause as to why this couple should not be so joined, let them speak now or forever hold their peace," he said and Alphinaud instinctively looked towards Krile who was crying softly. But out of the shadows of a nearby pillar, Alphinaud saw something else move and his eyes turned to see that the princess Ryne was crying against the coat of a man dressed all in black with a white overcoat and looking like he had just swallowed an entire lemon as he watched the procession. Next to them there was a Miqo'te woman, in a black dress and had the strangest silver eyes, shaking her head dejectedly as if she was aching to run forward and call out a stop to this farce as well.
But nothing happened. The final flickering light of hope faded from him as he looked back to the priest and accepted his fate.
"If you both are to enter the covenant of Matrimony in the eyes of the Twelve, then I ask that you join hands," the priest said. It was as if the two of them were nothing more than puppets, dancing to the tune of others, forced to move as they were commanded—at least that was how Alphinaud felt as they slowly turned to face each other. He took one of her hands with his own as she still held the flowers against her chest as if it were some sort of shield that may protect her against some kind of unknown threat. Her hand was cold and clammy as his own as he felt callouses against his skin.
The priest started speaking again but at that point it was all buzzing in Alphinaud's ears as he looked at her. She was almost a full head shorter than him so she had to look up to be able to see his face. When she finally did so and their eyes met, he watched how her deep green eyes, that reminded him of meadows in spring, drifted over his face… before slowly working their way down to his neck. Though her face gave no emotion, he saw how those green orbs widened in shock when she realized what he was wearing. Meanwhile, he found himself staring at the one around her own throat and he nodded his head very slightly at her unasked question.
Her brow furrowed at that as sadness returned in full. She realized what this all meant as well and though it didn't help them at all, he felt slightly better as her hand squeezed against his as if she were whispering, 'I understand.'
Strangely, that helped to bring a small amount of comfort to know he wasn't alone in this.
The priest then cleared his throat and Alphinaud came back to reality as his hearing returned in full and he realized that it was almost over. On one hand while he was looking forward to this all being over as soon as possible, he feared that moment more than any other calamity.
"With this exchange, these two souls shall pledge themselves to one another, and in the eyes of the Twelve be ever joined in one unbroken circle," he called and his feeble voice seemed to echo around the enormous room so that it was as if several priests were all speaking at once.
Their judge, jury, and executioner.
"Now, repeat after me," he said and Alphinaud gulped down, feeling as if the choker was tightening all over again.
"I, Alphinaud Leveilleur…" the priest recited his lines and Alphinaud could barely choke out: "I, Alphinaud Leveilleur… Take you, Claire Faye to be my wife. Where I vow to be faithful to you in times of plenty and times of difficulty. And in the eyes of the Twelve do I vow to l-love, cherish, and honor you with all the days of my life."
He never felt more like a liar than he did right now.
He then looked to Claire, who stared directly into his eyes as she repeated the vows, which sounded as if they were as forced as his own.
"…And in the eyes of the Twelve do I vow to love, cherish, and honor you…" she paused, her voice catching and for a moment he thought that she couldn't do it, but she seemed to muster up all her strength and forced out, "With all the days of my life."
The priest then held up his hands and declared, "By the power vested in me by the gods on high… I now pronounce you bonded for eternity! Now, dear friends, let us give the happy couple a warm round of applause."
Eternity… never before did such a word feel as binding as that did right now even as the people applauded around them and the priest finished. The princess just looked away and her hand trembled within his as he closed his eyes, trying not to pass out.
…
…
…
The party afterwards went on well into the night and Alphinaud could only stand off to the side like some wallflower, with a glass of champagne in his hands. After the ceremony, he and Claire were rushed off to a high table where food was being served and the celebrations truly began. He had looked around, trying to find Krile, but she seemed to have been swallowed up the crowd as he picked at his food, not the least bit hungry.
He wasn't the only one either, for Claire sat next to him and only took tense sips of her own drink before she pushed her plate of untouched food away. Without another word to him, she stood from her seat and wandered off. Alphinaud didn't have the heart to try and stop her as he just stared down at the delicious-looking food that he could not eat without feeling queasy.
As the music played and people began filling onto the floor to dance, he stood, unable to stand it any longer. He wanted to speak with Krile, and so he began searching, trying to find her and see for himself that she was alright.
He stuck close to the wall, his eyes scanning the crowd for his only friend here.
"I don't know what 'happy couple' the priest was talking about, you both looked like you were about to be sick if you ask me," spoke up a voice just slightly louder than the music.
Alphinaud turned his head in the direction of the voice and spotted Claire standing with the group of people he spotted before. Ryne was standing right by her side along with the white-haired man and Miqo'te woman, all of them looking like they were trying to comfort her after hearing she had a terminal illness rather than what should be the happiest day of her life.
Several guards, including Kai-Shirr, were also there, offering what appeared to be words of care and support before they left the four of them alone. Alphinaud knew that he should talk to her and gulped down rather painfully his champagne as he seized his courage to approach. As he did so, he heard more clearly what they were talking about as the music paused while they switched songs.
"Gods, what a depressing wedding. I've seen cheerier people at a memorial service," he heard the man in white grumble.
"Thancred, please, I don't want to hear it," Claire said grimly and the man, Thancred, sighed as he ran a hand over his short white hair.
"Sorry," he heard Thancred said in a softer voice to her. "But I just can't stand it. Just being forced to sit there and watch you marry some spoiled little lordling? I was this close to damning the consequences and…?"
"And do what?" the Miqo'te woman asked him dully. "You know what would have happened if you intervened."
"We could have done something else?" Ryne asked softly, holding her cousin's hand tightly, staring up at them imploringly. "I mean, we could have tried talking with Alphinaud about this whole thing? Maybe he would have been able to say something to Uncle and…?"
Alphinaud was taken aback by that, truly wondering if they had thought that he had any sort of control here?
"I guess," Thancred grumbled back, suddenly looking older under these bright lights. "I mean, there must be something big here if some nobody from Sharlayan was permitted to marry royalty. I swear, I didn't think that Vauthry would have chosen anyone else otherwise."
"And risk not being able to control them or start a war with another nation if a prince was involved?" Y'shtola answered back dully. "I don't think that even he would be willing to do that. You know how he's like, he wants to be in control of everything. And I don't think that he would have enforced this at all if he thought that he overlooked anything. That, or any risks involved are worth the rewards he has planned for? Question is what did the lordling offer him for this?"
Alphinaud frowned at that as he slowly continued his walk towards them, but to his surprise, Claire spoke up in his defense, "No, I don't think he wants this anymore than I do. He has a collar on as well."
"Even if that is true it doesn't matter," the white-haired Miqo'te said with a shake of her head, "To sit there and listen to this farce was almost too much to bear. We know the real reason why Vauthry was so insistent upon marrying you off. He wished to have someone keep an eye on you at all times. This isn't going to be easy moving forward."
"But Y'shtola…?" Ryne began as the woman, Y'shtola, looked very sad. That was when she looked up and he could see her silvery-grey eyes that were oddly blank looking directly at him and she froze for a moment before her face seemed to be wiped clean of all emotion. The others noticed her sudden silence and they all looked and when they spotted him there, it was as if he was some disgusting creature that had come out of a bog or something. Save for Claire, who just looked at him sadly.
He hated that look more than anything else.
"Well, if it isn't the new husband," Thancred said darkly, taking a few steps towards Alphinaud and eyeing him suspiciously. "Come to talk to the lady now?" Alphinaud wanted to think of a clever retort but he was so miserable right now that he couldn't think of a single thing to say as Thancred looked at his throat. "Well, so you do have a collar, after all. Didn't notice it before. So, what's Vauthry got on you? Bribes? Threats…? Don't tell me that you were sold off to settle some kind of debt?"
"Thancred? Be nice," Claire scolded softly.
"I know, I know," he said but contrary to that, he kept eyeing Alphinaud with suspicion.
Alphinaud took a deep breath as he looked to Claire and said, "I-I was hoping to speak with you? A-Alone?"
Claire blinked at that before Thancred folded his arms and stood in front of her with a protective stance as if he were some kind of guard dog as he chastised, "Whatever you wish to speak to our friend about, you can do so in front of us."
"No, wait, listen to me," he begged, trying to convey his thoughts in a way that didn't make him sound stupid. But before he could, Thancred's eyes narrowed off at a point over Alphinaud's shoulder, and the cold suspicion turned into outright loathing. Before Alphinaud could ask, he heard the commanding voice of Ran'jit bark, "Both of you are to come with me."
Alphinaud turned to find the General there, his arms behind his back, eyeing them both. It was as if he were a master commanding his hounds to proceed with a hunt with the tone he was using. Alphinaud felt himself shaking, though he heard Claire sigh and when he glanced back, he saw how she was standing there with her arms folded stubbornly as she gave Ran'jit a look that clearly showed how she felt about him giving her orders.
At that, Ran'jit's eyes narrowed dangerously as he warned, "Don't take that stance with me, young lady. Unless you want your breath caught short, I suggest that you come at once."
"Can't you do anything without resorting to threats?" she demanded coldly, but she did as he bided and followed after him with a sophistication that he wished he had that moment.
"She needs to be careful," Alphinaud heard Y'shtola whisper to Thancred. "Vauthry has used the collar on her so often these days it's a wonder that her windpipe hasn't collapsed yet. If this keeps up…?"
Alphinaud was sure that they didn't intend for him to hear, but his hearing picked it up anyway. When Ran'jit gave him a dark look, Alphinaud gave a respectful bow to the others, who were still giving him filthy looks.
As he turned to follow them, Thancred reached out and grabbed hold of his arm with surprising force, stopping Alphinaud in his tracks as his head swirled around to stare at him.
"I don't know what game you're playing or even what Vauthry promised or threatened you with," Thancred warned him softly, with his own protective threat mingled in the air, "But know that I don't trust you. I don't like you. And I will be keeping a close watch on you from here on out."
Alphinaud was so tired of all these threats. But he nodded as Thancred let go of him and just watched him leave with a stony expression on his face.
Alphinaud followed after Claire and Ran'jit through the ballroom, sticking mostly to the wall as to not be noticed by the many dancers and Alphinaud wondered where they were heading. They walked through the door leading outside into the courtyard; night had fully settled in and there was a light chilly breeze hitting his face as soon as he looked up to a beautiful night sky filled with a splattering of stars. The music could be heard out here as well as the smell of flowers from the ballroom, but Alphinaud was still unsure as to what they were doing out here.
Before he could ask, he heard a familiar voice calling out, "Alphinaud!"
He turned back in time to see that Krile was there, trying to get past a pair of large Roegadyn guards stationed at the door. She was picked up as easily as if she were a doll and Alphinaud cried out to her with worry as Ran'jit stated to the guards, "As agreed, with the ceremony now over, she is to be sent back to the docks tonight and be gone from this kingdom by morning. Take her to the front gate where I have a guard escort her the rest of the way by carriage."
"W-Wait!" Alphinaud cried out before Krile was taken away, terror filling him at the thought of being left alone here. "Please! Will you not allow me to say goodbye to her first?" Ran'jit's sharp eyes turned dangerously cold as Alphinaud pleaded, "This may be the last time I see her face to face! Please, let me just say goodbye. I'm not planning on escaping so please, give me this much!"
He could feel Claire's eyes upon him but he ignored her as he implored Ran'jit to show just this small request of compassion. Ran'jit continued to glare at him for a moment before sighing and grunted, "Very well. But make it quick. I must return to the ballroom as soon as possible."
Glad for some small mercy, Alphinaud nodded as he went back to Krile, who squirmed her way out of the guard's hands and ran up to give him a hug. He had to kneel down as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he hugged her back tightly, realizing that once she left, he would be all on his own.
"Alphinaud, I'm so sorry," she whispered mournfully. "I tried. I really tried to talk some reason into Vauthry and I think that I was getting there but…?"
"I know, Ran'jit told me," he reassured her as he pulled back to look at her tear-stained face. "It's alright. It's not your fault. I just glad that you're alright." He glanced behind him to see Ran'jit still there, glaring back at him as his bride stood off to the side, her white dress and veil making her look like she was some kind of mourning ghost.
"I'll figure it out," he promised as he let go of her. "I promise, I will figure something out. Just, I don't know, make up some kind of story to my family. Tell the Forum that I was offered a position here in the court for the time being and I couldn't refuse. It's not lying per say…?"
"You don't want me to tell your family that you are basically a prisoner here?" she asked back in a hushed whisper. "I can't keep this quiet forever, Alphinaud. I can come up with some kind of excuses for a time… but you can't expect them not to ever question it? Especially when they realize that you aren't coming back!"
"Please, just… give me a little time to try and figure something out," he begged as he slipped the letter from inside his jacket and passed it to her. "Give that letter to my family. But only when you no longer have any excuses to give them that will keep them satisfied. I made sure to add that you are not to blame for this."
"That's not what I'm upset about!" she countered angrily as she took the letter anyway and shoved it into her coat. "Even if you do think of a way out of this and Vauthry grants you leave from these lands, you are still married, Alphinaud. There is nothing that you can do about that. In the eyes of the Twelve, you are now husband and wife."
"I know, believe me I've thought about that, but please, promise me that you won't tell father or anyone else?" he begged as she bit her lower lip. She looked ready to keep arguing, but that was when Ran'jit seemed to think that enough time had passed and was already giving orders to the guards to resume taking her to the docks.
Krile glared at them before looking back to Alphinaud and promised, "Very well. I'll see what I can do, but I assure you that despite my best attempts, eventually they will find out, and I hope that you will be ready for when that comes."
He nodded as one of the guard grabbed hold of her arms and roughly pulled her with them.
"Wait…!" he tried to gasp but she didn't shed tears this time as she called back, "But I expect letters. I mean, if you can. Just so that I know that you're still alive and everything? Just… take care of yourself. I'll figure something out if it's the last thing I do!"
Alphinaud wanted to cry all over again but he forced a smile on and nodded before she was pulled across the courtyard and they disappeared into the darkness, taking what may have been his one and only ally in this land.
"Come," Ran'jit commanded. At the tone, Alphinaud slowly stood, and with the air of a man walking towards the gallows, followed after the two of them.
Alphinaud still had no idea where they were being taken to as Ran'jit escorted them through the gardens and courtyards before he realized that they were being lead towards the tallest tower that he took notice of when they first got here. He could recognize the main building of the palace with the large balcony and knew that was where Vauthry's Canopy was, but even that was not as tall as the rather lonely-looking tower that stood apart from the rest of the building. He had to crane his neck to look up as they approached and could see a large rounded window with curtains stretched across it.
Claire seemed to understand immediately where they were being taken to because she suddenly said in a dull tone, "I would have thought that we would be past childhood bedrooms. I'm now a married woman, Ran'jit, and you still want to keep me in the tower?"
"You know full well the reason for it," he grumbled back. "Just be happy that you aren't forced to sleep in the dungeons."
Eventually they came to a flight of stairs at the foot of the tower and Ran'jit forced them both in front of him as they began to climb the tall spiral staircase—as if worried that they would try to make a break for it when his back was turned.
"What is this?" Alphinaud asked nervously.
"The two of you will share this bedroom," Ran'jit stated matter-of-factly. "This has been the princess's room since she first arrived five years ago and I see no need to change it. You both will have the rest of the night to yourselves to see that your duty is fulfilled."
At the mention of 'duty' Alphinaud felt confusion for just a brief moment before his face was suddenly on fire and his breathing hitched. Oh gods, he wasn't suggesting what he thought he was?
He wasn't able to ask though as a rather large lump in his throat prevented him from making anymore sounds as they finally arrived near the top. Feeling slightly dizzy and out of breath from the long climb, Ran'jit opened the door for them and all but pushed them inside. Alphinaud didn't even have time to get a look at the room before Ran'jit barked, "There will be guards down below, don't even think of trying to escape again."
Again? Alphinaud looked to the princess, now looking no different than one of the marble statues littering the palace hallways with how pale she was, who just shrugged off what Ran'jit was saying before heading for a deep red window seat in front of the large window.
"You will both be expected at breakfast tomorrow morning," Ran'jit stated firmly before he slammed the door behind him, leaving rather abruptly. Alphinaud was taken aback by this until he heard a key being inserted from the other side and a firm locking sound, leaving him trapped in the room with the princess.
Silence followed them both for a time as reality settled in. Alphinaud felt his mouth go very dry as he looked around the room, looking at anything but at Claire as he tried to refrain from having a panic attack. It was a wide and circular room with a magnificent bed in the center and a small fireplace set up opposite of it that looked like it had been stoked to a small but cozy flame. There was a thick rug upon the floor with a few bookshelves surrounding them and a desk that held all manner of notes and drawings that were pinned to the wall. He could see another door that was open by just a crack where he saw a bathtub just barely in his sights. While in the corner stood a dresser with a mirror next to a decent sized closet where he saw a few dresses hanging up. There was also a large, circular bay window upholstered in purple silk with a large seating area directly in front of it where Claire was sitting, right beside the four-poster bed that was piled with pillows and a silken comforter.
A simple but elegant design, he supposed—it certainly looked lived in as he took it all in.
Claire seemed to have grown tired of the silence for she raised her head and informed him, "If you are thinking of trying to find a way out, don't bother. Once locked from the outside it is impossible that one can open from the inside without the key. Believe me, I've tried."
"You've escaped before?" he asked her, eyeing her warily.
"Uncle is… paranoid," she confessed softly, leaning against the window as she stared with the most melancholy expression out at the view of the kingdom below them. "When I lived in Ishgard before, I was allowed much more freedom. But when I arrived here, I have been almost completely confined to these walls. If Uncle could, he would have had me locked in here at all hours of the day. But he has an easier way than that."
She then tapped the choker and he shut his eyes in understanding.
"So you really are a prisoner here?" he asked slowly, knowing the answer.
"The bars are made of gold and the lock of jewels, with shackles of silver and clothes of the finest silk… but yes," she confirmed softly. "A very pretty cage but a cage nonetheless. And now, you seem to be trapped here with me."
"I'm sorry," he muttered before shaking her head.
"No, 'tis not your fault," she said as she gazed up at him with those sorrowful doe-like eyes. "I won't ask what he has promised you, nor what he has threatened you with, but if you are here against your will then that too is my fault."
She lowered her head once more, as if she couldn't bear looking at him any longer as she admitted, "I swear, I didn't even know that he had asked anyone from Sharlayan to come here until the day that you arrived. Much less that he expected a union out of it?"
"Why did he do it then?" he asked, desperate for answers, taking a few unsteady steps forward. "I don't understand this at all! He could have asked for anyone! He could have picked anyone from the city or surrounding lands… why reach all the way to Sharlayan?"
But she could only shake her head in a lost way as she offered, "I believe that he wishes to use you to some kind of levity with Sharlayan. I had wondered that as well and Thancred said that he would see what he could find, but that may take some time… even more so with Ran'jit back."
"Why is that?" he asked as he crossed the room to stand in front of her as she could only shrug in a helpless way.
"I don't know, I truly don't understand this anymore than you do," she admitted softly. "He has tried to marry me off many times before, but he usually backed off when I rejected the many suitors that he called to his castle. Mayhaps none of them had enough reason to want to marry me as you seemed to have."
At the reminder, he hid his face in his hands, never feeling more alone in his life than he did at that moment.
"I should have listened to you," he admitted sadly before he took a few unsteady steps so that he could sit next to her upon the couch, getting a look at the ocean and the darkened lands of Kholusia as they stretched before him through the cold glass. At least he didn't have to look at those bright lights from the city up here.
But now that he was here next to her, in this room, completely alone on his wedding night…?
The full weight of what was expected out of the two of them seemed to hit them both and suddenly a very awkward silence grew so strong that it hurt his ears. He suddenly found that he couldn't look at her anymore and was searching about at anything else but her, wringing his hands in anxiety. Gods, why did he have to do so well on the presentation? Why couldn't he have gotten sick or something so that he missed it?
He could still hear the music outside from the party that they had been forced to leave and he tried to focus upon the cheerful tone, despite how anxious he felt.
He forced himself to gulp down as he choked out, "Um… about tonight… Th-They really expect…?"
"Yes, that's traditionally how they seal the pact," she muttered, and she seemed to shrink away from him in fear for the first time.
"Oh gods…" he muttered. This was not what he signed up for.
He didn't know how long they sat there, but it felt like a long time before she finally turned back to face him, as if she just wanted to get this night over with as quickly as possible. He flinched as she reached for him and she drew her hand immediately back, as if handling a wild animal.
She then seemed to wait for him to make the first move as he gulped down, feeling himself breaking down in a cold sweat as he slowly turned his body to face her.
'You can do this… just think about what is at stake…? Just think… you can do it.'
His hands shook as he tried to do it—though how this was supposed to go… he had no idea. More to feel that he was doing something, he carefully lifted the veil off her face so that he could see it properly. She was very pretty, he thought to himself as he looked over her fair features. If only she didn't look so sad. He wondered if his own face held similar sorrow as he gazed into her eyes, trying to find a way to instigate this but…?
This felt wrong in so many ways.
He just carefully pulled off his gloves and then reached up to gently touch her face, feeling the soft skin of her cheek as he felt the dampness from the tears she shed earlier. He didn't know what to do. Didn't know how to make this right.
She was heaving slightly, as if she was fighting the urge to be sick before she reached behind her to work on the buttons of the dress and he silently moved to help her with them. He undid the buttons as fast as his fingers could and she slowly pulled her arms out of the sleeves, but kept the rest of the dress held tightly to her chest as if it were some sort of shield protecting her.
He had no idea what he was doing and he felt himself breathing hard. He didn't want this to be his first time, nor did he want to force her to do anything she didn't want to either. He knew many would jump at a chance like this but he couldn't stand the idea that this was how it was turning out. He wanted to comfort her, but not for the first time since coming here did he find his words abandoning him. Right now the only thing holding the dress up was her hand as she still kept the fabric tight to her chest. If she let it fall then…?
He lifted his other hand to her other cheek and cupped her face as they looked long and hard at the other, as if both were trying to delay the inevitable. He knew that he had to at least try as he slowly leaned in to where he could feel her breath upon his face. He moved slowly enough that she could pull away if she wanted to, but she remained seated as he leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss.
There were no fireworks nor did the world seem to turn on its head the moment that their lips touched like how the stories said it would. He had never kissed anyone before now so he had no prior knowledge before this moment; but he suspected that his movements were inexperienced and clumsy as he moved against her. Despite that, as his lips molded to hers, he realized how nice this all felt. Her lips were soft and he could pick up the scent of flowers upon her hair and skin while her touch was gentle… and when he pulled away for a breath, he felt oddly giddy. After they both took in a few lungfuls of air, she leaned in to kiss him this time as he moved in closer, moving his hands from her face, down her neck to her shoulders where he felt her bare skin beneath his palms.
Though her skin was still soft, he thought that his fingers brushed against something, some kind of mark or scar just past her shoulder? He thought that mildly strange as he moved his hands to embrace her as the kiss deepened.
However, as his fingers brushed against this mark, he felt a shudder going through her so that when he broke away, he could see tears glistening on her lashes as she gasped in pain.
"What happened? Did I hurt you?" he asked, wondering what he could have done. As he pulled away though, he saw something on her shoulder… blood.
"You're hurt?" he gasped, forcing her to turn so that he could see where the blood was coming from. Now that he was getting a good look at her, he realized that her shoulder and back were bleeding from some kind of wound that looked like she was cut with something long and sharp. In fact, the dress had a tiny splattering of blood beginning to form on the shoulder and he guessed that somewhere from the ceremony to now, the hurt opened up.
"What happened?" he asked again in concern as she looked away again.
"Let us just say that Uncle is very…?" she couldn't seem to think of a word to say though but he understood.
"Vauthry did this to you?" he whispered before he looked closer at her exposed back and realized that there were all manner of scars and welts that were in all different stages of healing. Some looked to be years old, others such as the one on her shoulder looked fairly fresh.
"Not directly, but… because of him, yes," she answered softly and he could only stare at her. "Y'shtola, my lady-in-waiting, was able to help heal it as fast as she could but I guess that it opened up again? I was afraid of that when I was getting dressed. I guess that I should be grateful that it held up long enough that no one at the ceremony noticed."
"You were in pain from this the entire evening?" he asked in amazement as she sighed, reaching up to tug her hair free from the elegant bun that it had been tied up in. Her pink locks fell in a disheveled mess across her other shoulder so that he still could see the bleeding wound. He bit his lip before whispering soft words of comfort and held up his hand to let his healing magicks fly from his fingers.
He heard her sigh with relief and her entire body seemed to shiver as the tensions in her muscles clearly began to relax as the pain faded. He didn't say anything as he focused upon healing her wound—silently glad that he learned the basics to healing when he was still at the Studium.
In a few minutes the wound had closed and though it was still red and angry, the bleeding had stopped.
"There," he whispered softly, trying to be cheerful despite the unpleasantness that surrounded them. "I'll treat it again in the morning, and in time, it should heal without scarring."
"Thank you," she muttered, finally looking back up at him and he could see the redness in her eyes once more as guilt seized him once more.
This was wrong. He couldn't bring himself to go any further. He wanted to love her, to accept this fate, even though it was forced. He reasoned that if he could love her, truly love her, then he may be able to learn to be content here with her.
But the more that he looked at her unhappy face, the more he realized that he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't love her… he didn't even know her. Despite everything, he just couldn't ignite the fire in his breast like how it said it was supposed to happen from some of the romances that his mother was fond of reading.
He didn't want the consummation of his wedding night to be like this.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't do it," he said and she tilted her head in surprise at him as he took a deep breath to explain, "I… I don't wish to hurt you or force you to do something that you don't want to do. I would be no better than a monster that way. And I…?"
His voice trailed off as he looked to the floor.
"You are beautiful," he confessed softly, "But this… it feels… wrong."
He pulled away before taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her bare shoulders as she looked on, as if she couldn't believe what he was saying.
"My parents always had a happy marriage, and I always told myself if I was to wed, then I wanted to have that for myself," he explained sadly as he gently wiped a stray tear that clung to her lashes. "I know that if they knew of this, knew that I went ahead and just threw caution to the wind and forced this… whatever this is… they would be so disappointed in me."
He found her hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze as he told her, "We may have been forced into this marriage, but that doesn't mean I want to control you. I don't want it to be like Vauthry. So while we may be stuck in this 'pretty cage' as you call it, it doesn't have to be completely miserable for us."
He felt proud of himself for speaking honestly about how he felt and when he saw the tiny smile appearing on her, he knew he made the right decision.
"I wish that I could say differently," she confessed at last and he saw the hint of relief in her eyes mixed in with her sadness. "I wish I did. I truly do. I think that you are handsome and you seem so clever… and I know that this would make it so much easier for everyone if we could control how we felt. But… how can I love you when I don't know a thing about you? I mean our first conversation didn't exactly end well…?"
He let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding and took several lungful's of air as he whispered, "I'm sorry."
She shook her head, finally giving him a smile, the first true smile he had seen all evening, as she squeezed his hand back.
"We shall discuss this more tomorrow," she promised and he nodded, knowing that they did have a lot to talk about but both were exhausted and the last thing they wanted was to discuss this now. She looked to the wardrobe and asked, "Do you mind?"
He shook his head and closed his eyes as he heard her getting up and heading to the other side of the room for some different clothes. He remained where he was, patiently waiting as he heard her change her clothes. When she told him it was alright to look, he saw that she had switched out into a simple nightdress of silver and was holding a bag at the foot of the bed that he didn't notice before. That was when he realized that she had hold of his bag and she answered his unspoken question, "It was right next to the closet but I didn't recognize it, so I'm guessing that they moved your things up here with me?"
"Y-Yeah, I guess. I'm glad to be able to keep the things there," he answered as she handed them to him and took her place back on the seat.
"I won't look," she promised and turned away to look out the window as he went over to the bed to look through his things. He was glad to see everything he brought seemed to be there, including a soft tunic that he used for sleeping, which he changed out of. He saw the wedding dress upon the floor and simply decided to leave his suit in a crumbled mess there as well—never wanting to see it again if he could help it.
"Your friends seem to care a lot about you, you must be close," he said, glad to be free of the suit. He could only imagine what her friends were going to do to him tomorrow if they heard of this.
"We've known each other for five years," she answered and he thought he heard a hint of a smile in her tone. "Thancred has been like a brother to me. Though he does tend to scold me and Ryne like how a father would… and Y'shtola never passes up a chance to scold me like a mother. They are protective over me, but even more so with my cousin. I know that they'll keep her safe at the party tonight."
"Shame we had to miss it," he said as he kicked off his shoes.
"You'll see plenty of them while you're here," she sighed. "Believe me, once you've seen one, you've seen them all."
When he finished changing and she turned back to him, the tension between them was so thick that one could probably cut it with a knife.
What were they to do now?
"W-Well, I guess we should try to sleep?" he offered and the ghost of amusement passed over her face.
"You take the bed," she told him. "I'll sit here tonight. I don't want to sleep yet anyway."
"But it's your room?" he pointed out.
"Please, I wish to remain awake for a while," she said softly as she turned back to the window and stared out at the darkness of the lands and the ocean that seemed to sparkle under the starlight.
He didn't want to fight with her now. He did as he was bid and went straight to bed, crawling underneath he covers on the side farthest away from her, giving her plenty of room when she felt the need to retire. The bed was soft and he sank into it as he pulled the covers up and over him as he heard music drifting from the ballroom down below them.
He tried to tune it all out as he thought of his family back home in Sharlayan and screwed up his eyes in sadness. What would they say when they realized he wasn't coming home? Will Krile be able to come up with something? He was certain that she could, at least for a little while, but soon they will realize that he wasn't coming back. Especially with the date of their graduation still approaching. He had faith that Krile could make up some excuse until then at least… and then… what? Most likely they will force the truth out of Krile and he could only imagine just how his parents will react upon learning that their son had wed a princess out of force?
He knew that he promised he would find a way out of this but he honestly didn't see how.
Until he was given a key to his shackles, he would be doomed to remain trapped here in what Claire called a 'pretty cage'. He closed his eyes and pulled the covers up over his head as if he were still a child trying to hide from the monsters under his bed and his exhaustion eventually won out over the distant music and he fell asleep.
(So… it's official. The two are married! Oh, boy. What can you do to all of this? But yeah, they couldn't do it, which makes sense that they were both completely freaked out after all of this. I'm not really good at writing such explicit scenes, as I tend to just write enough to paint a picture and then let the imagination take over. I do promise that it will become steamier later on, but waiting for the right time for that. As for the next chapter, a surprising detail about the collars will be added in as well as the heart-to-heart that the two really need to discuss. Hope you all are looking forward to it!)