A Wedding to Remember

As the execution was over Nero sent Jessi over to him in handcuffs, he walked past us but proceeded to give Aven a side glare.  Aven looked at me “This is the last time I let you get what you want-

“Aven-“

“Fucking What Letharia? You’ve cost me my right to rule, now apparently your brother and my Father will take over my position as prince”, I saw the anger in his eyes. 

I stood up and looked down at him “Fuck you”.

The arena was only full of royals, council members, and the occasional high-profile reporter. It was almost like an old football stadium but flatter, the chairs felt more flat and medieval. 

The guards had blocked me from leaving my seat and the sunlit sky had blocked my vision. “Let me go”, I muttered loud enough for the guards to hear me.

“Let me talk to her my lord, I’ll try to convince her”, Jessi spoke loudly to Nero. King Nero smiled “As you may”.

I was shocked by Jessi’s obedience towards Nero, I was convinced he had some plan to escape.

“Little Sister, Ohh my dear little sister”.

He taunted me as he usually did, he then changed his demeanor getting closer and closer to my ear “Defying Aven isn’t going to help, if I denied Nero’s plea I would be dead for sure, use your resources to save your people… Aven is your resource “.

I chuckled and turned around to face him “No, I came here to kill him, to save my people.”

“You aren’t doing a good job”, Jessi stared me dead into my eyes.

He meant war.

Aven looked over at me trying to read my lips.

Jessi glanced over noticing how he looked at me, he approached my ear yet once again “Becoming Queen will save our people, play along use him to your advantage becoming the predator, not the prey! You will see me using that to my advantage”.

Jessi bit his lip then walked back to Nero wearing handcuffs then patiently sat down him “What are we waiting for?”, he loudly asked Nero.

“A wedding and I have already assigned you a Royal duty”.

Everyone stared at Nero, Everyone even the peasants who were a distance below us started thinking everything was over waiting for the kings' command to let them return to their daily lives.

He told Jessi to stand up “Attention! People of Xoria, It is with my honor that I bring you another son of Xoria, though not related by blood he will serve duties to his country as my royal scribe and under my supervision as substitute prince in Aven’s place after this wedding between Letharia Vulpine, the one spoken of in our Country’s prophecy will marry and make our most powerful heir in history”.

The crowd cheered and showed support for Nero’s decision. The council stood and clapped and I... I wanted to die at that moment. Aven clapped, he grabbed my hand and cued for me to hold his hand.

I heard Jessi whisper from above “Grab his hand and bow Letharia”.

I only had time for actions not thought. I grabbed his hand and bowed for the camera, the crowd cheered happily as can be.  Nero patted Jessi on the shoulder whispering to him, having back and forth conversations. I sat down back in silence as the crowd had remained there watching me, I didn’t know what would happen next. Suddenly there was a burst of music, three women dressed in white with purple flowers greeted me. These women extended their hands and greeted me in Greek, they wanted me to follow them. The guards had gently pushed me over there, I obeyed. The crowd cheered as I walked up the stairs and back into the palace.  I cried once they escorted me to the dressing room and left, I was stressed out. I couldn’t figure out why Jessi was so obedient, why he had disobeyed our Father for the king's approval. I was stuck, I was a part of the rebellion, I couldn’t marry him. But Jessi wouldn’t lie to me, he had a plan. I stood up and wiped my tears, palace maids walked in five minutes later to do my makeup and remove my gown. I broke down when I looked at myself in the three-fold mirror.  I felt my chest; I was shaking,  I couldn’t breathe right. “Get Aven,” I cried.

I covered my mouth quickly, and the wrong name had come out of my mouth. I couldn’t say anything else now. I was in full panic mode. The maids were confused on who to call, considering a groom shouldn’t see his bride before the wedding. In a matter of time, Aven never showed up, but Nero did; the maids rushed out in single file. “Cold feet, Letharia?”

I stared at him with anger in my eyes, holding my chest. “He can’t see you right now; he’s getting ready. Have you really fallen for him to see how vulnerable you look right now?”

“Fuck you!” I cried.

He leaned against the wall and looked at me. “You are nothing like your Mother.”

“What would you know about her?!” I screamed.

“I know damn well in moments like this you couldn’t comfort her,” I screamed.

He chuckled. “Let me show you how I comforted your mother then.”

I cried harder and harder until I couldn’t feel my heartbeat. Nero came up from behind me and kneeled so he would be on the floor with me. He looked into my eyes with sorrow, pity, and empathy and kissed my forehead, pushing my head into his shoulder. “You can cry.”

Why did I listen? I grabbed hold of his cape and squeezed it while I sobbed for ten minutes. 

“I was only trying to show you how it would be like to be my daughter. “

I cried for a good seven minutes.

He continued, “If there’s anyone you should be mad at, it should be me, not Aven.”

He pulled my hand, making me stand up. I interlocked my arm in his. I was silent on my way back to the coliseum while Nero looked at me sometimes.

We walked past the coliseum; I looked up at Nero. “Where are we going?”

He stopped once he reached the door at the end of the hall with vines coming out of it.

He looked at me. “You do remind me of your mother, and it hurts me so.”

He opened the door, and Aven sat on a wooden throne with council member Velis standing in between the two wooden chairs, one for me.

Nero nodded at me then left to sit down in the rows of seats. “Daughter of Letra, you may sit next to your soon-to-be husband. “

I listened. “Now you may join hands, both of you repeat after me, as the gods have chosen us to be together….”

He paused for us to repeat.

“We will follow our destiny… to make Xoria whole”.

“Now only you, Letharia, I will love, cherish, and obey my husband in the name of Aphrodite. “

I bit my lip; there was a brief pause and silence in the garden as I contemplated selling my soul to Aven.

I finally repeated Zane’s words. He smiled at the crowd. “You may now join hands, then without breaking your handhold, stand up, and you may kiss.”

We both did so with ease; Aven stared at me for a bit. Aven tried to lean in for a kiss, but I pulled away. “I-I have vows to say to you.”

The crowd cheered as they were a distance away. I forced a smile. “Although it took me a while to warm up to you, I’m glad you were patient, loving, compassionate. I’m glad I can share my destiny with you and bear your child.”

The crowd went crazy chanting slogans like “She will bear a strong Heir” and “The goddess is great, the goddess is our fate.”

Aven kissed me with his hand under my chin.

“I pronounce thee Prince Aven V. Xoria and Princess Letharia Vulpine V. Xoria!”, Vellis announced the ceremony was over just like that. 

Aven immediately grabbed my hand and ran down the hall into a random room taking his shirt off. “Show your husband what a wife is for.”