CHAPTER THREE : the wedding of two shadows

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The grand hall was a spectacle of light and luxury. Massive chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceilings, their crystals reflecting the golden glow of hundreds of candles. Every corner of the room exuded opulence, from the silk banners bearing the Avariel crest to the polished marble floors that gleamed underfoot. Yet, despite the grandeur, Emilia felt like an outsider at her own wedding.

Her gown was breathtaking, a creation of ivory silk that flowed like water, adorned with intricate golden embroidery. It clung perfectly to her slender figure before cascading into a long train, the fabric shimmering with every step she took. Her brunette hair was styled in loose waves, small golden pins glinting like stars against her dark locks. She was every bit the vision of a royal bride.

But as she stood before the towering double doors that led into the hall, her hazel eyes reflected only trepidation.

“Are you ready, Your Highness?” one of the attendants asked softly.

Emilia swallowed hard. Ready? No, she wasn’t ready. But she nodded anyway.

The doors swung open, revealing a sea of expectant faces. Nobles from both Avariel and Arindale filled the hall, their whispers dying as she stepped inside. Her father stood at the altar, his face stern but proud. And beside him, waiting with the patience of a man resigned to duty, stood Prince Kael.

He was dressed in dark ceremonial armor, trimmed with silver, and his sharp features betrayed no emotion. His gray eyes found hers as she walked toward him, and for a brief moment, Emilia thought she saw a flicker of something—curiosity, perhaps, or unease.

The ceremony passed in a blur. Words were spoken, vows exchanged, and when Kael placed the ring on her finger, his touch was surprisingly steady, though impersonal. He didn’t smile, nor did he falter.

When the priest declared them husband and wife, the applause was thunderous. Emilia stood still as Kael turned to her, leaning in to brush the barest whisper of a kiss against her cheek. It was a gesture for the crowd, nothing more.

The rest of the evening was a whirl of congratulations, feasts, and dancing. Emilia played her role well, smiling when required, nodding politely at every introduction. But inside, she felt hollow. The weight of her new reality settled heavily on her shoulders.

Later that night, alone in her chambers, she removed the crown and jewels that had adorned her throughout the day. As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she no longer recognized the woman looking back at her.

She was a bride, a princess, a stranger in her own skin.

…………

The grand bedchamber was bathed in flickering candlelight, its walls adorned with intricate tapestries that depicted ancient battles and victories long forgotten. The weight of those stories seemed to press down on Emilia as she sat perched on the edge of the massive bed, her slender hands gripping the silk sheets as though they might anchor her to the moment. Her breath came shallow and quick, her chest tightening with every second that passed.

This was her wedding night—a night every young noblewoman was warned to anticipate and fear in equal measure.

Emilia’s wedding gown, a magnificent creation of ivory and gold, felt unbearably heavy now that the ceremonies were over. The delicate pearls sewn into the bodice pressed against her skin, and the lace sleeves itched where they met her wrists. Yet she dared not move, her hazel eyes fixed on the door.

The day had been an overwhelming cascade of vows, feasts, and scrutinizing gazes. She had smiled when expected, curtsied when required, and answered every polite inquiry with practiced grace. But beneath the surface, she had been a tempest of nerves, her thoughts swirling with doubts about the man who was now her husband.

Kael.

He was a stranger to her in every sense of the word. A prince of stoic demeanor, with piercing gray eyes that seemed to see everything and nothing at once. He had spoken to her only when necessary, his words polite but devoid of warmth. Emilia could not tell if he disliked her or merely tolerated her presence as a necessary inconvenience.

When the heavy oak door finally creaked open, Emilia’s breath hitched. Kael entered, his tall frame casting a long shadow in the dim light. He closed the door behind him with a soft click, the sound echoing ominously in the vast room.

He was still in his wedding attire, though the high collar of his dark coat was unbuttoned, revealing the white linen shirt beneath. His black hair, always meticulously combed, was slightly disheveled now, as though he had run a hand through it one too many times.

For a moment, he paused, his sharp eyes scanning the room before they landed on her. Emilia felt her cheeks flush under his gaze, her heart pounding so loudly she feared he might hear it.

“Emilia,” he said, his voice low and even, betraying none of the nervousness she felt.

“Your Highness,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kael sighed, his expression softening just enough to make him look less like a stone carving. “You don’t have to call me that anymore,” he said, his tone almost gentle.

Emilia nodded but said nothing. Her hands twisted the fabric of her gown as silence stretched between them.

Kael moved further into the room, his steps slow and deliberate. He shrugged off his coat, draping it over the back of a nearby chair before unfastening the cuffs of his shirt. Emilia’s gaze flickered away, her cheeks burning.

“Emilia,” he said again, his voice breaking the tension in the air.

She looked up, startled to find him standing closer now. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something softer, more human than she had seen before.

“You’re scared,” he said, not as a question but a statement of fact.

Emilia’s lips parted, her instinct to deny it clashing with the truth she couldn’t hide. “I... I don’t know what to expect,” she admitted, her voice trembling.

Kael exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’ve nothing to fear from me,” he said after a moment. “This marriage is a duty, nothing more. I won’t... I won’t force anything upon you tonight—or any night.”

His words hung in the air, their weight both a relief and a strange kind of sting. Emilia had braced herself for a storm, but his calm dismissal left her feeling unmoored.

“You should get some rest,” Kael continued, his tone firm but not unkind. “We’ve had a long day, and tomorrow will bring its own challenges.”

Emilia nodded, her throat tight as she moved to the opposite side of the bed. She turned her back to him, her fingers fumbling with the ties of her gown. She had expected Kael to leave her to her attendants, but instead, she heard the sound of his footsteps approaching.

“Allow me,” he said, his voice so close it sent a shiver down her spine.

Before she could protest, his hands were at the laces of her gown, his touch surprisingly careful. She stood frozen, her cheeks flaming as he loosened the ties with practiced efficiency. When the gown finally slipped from her shoulders, she clutched it to her chest, unable to meet his eyes.

“Goodnight, Emilia,” Kael said, stepping back.

She nodded, retreating to the bed and slipping beneath the covers. Kael extinguished the candles one by one, leaving only the faint glow of moonlight streaming through the curtains.

When he joined her in bed, he lay on his side, his back to her. The space between them felt like a chasm, filled with unspoken words and unacknowledged fears.

Emilia stared at the ceiling, her hazel eyes tracing the patterns of shadows cast by the moonlight. She could hear Kael’s steady breathing, but she knew he was not asleep. Neither of them was.

Her thoughts drifted to her mother, whose absence she felt acutely tonight. She thought of Mira, her loyal maid who had been her constant companion since childhood, left behind in Avariel. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them away, unwilling to let herself break.

Kael shifted slightly, the movement almost imperceptible. “Emilia,” he said, his voice soft in the darkness.

“Yes?”

“I’ll do what I can to make this easier for you,” he said. “I don’t know what kind of husband I’ll be, but I’ll try to be... fair.”

The unexpected vulnerability in his words caught her off guard. “Thank you,” she whispered, unsure what else to say.

They fell into silence again, each lost in their own thoughts.

As the hours ticked by, Emilia remained awake, her mind a tangle of uncertainty and hope. Kael’s presence was both a comfort and a reminder of the distance between them. She didn’t know what the future held, but for tonight, she was grateful for his restraint—for the fragile promise of respect that had been extended between them.

And though they lay side by side, separated by mere inches, it felt as though they were a world apart.

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