"You doing good kid?"

Y/n silently gulped. Her face scrunched as she tugged the jewelry away from her neck. Her hair was done up, smoothed down and pinned. The long sheer cloth with lace fell behind her and over her shoulders. The (color) dress hugged her torso and flattened against her legs, the only creases forming due to her sitting position. She observed herself in the large mirror. The look didn't seem natural. Or perhaps it was her facial expression. Anyone who heard of her situation would think she should be angry or sad. Instead she felt...

"Broken," Y/n filled the silence. She looked at Dick who stood behind her. He was previously fixing her hair, spraying chemicals to make it look perfect despite her multiple protests. "I look broken Richard. After all these years, all the pain and misery I have gone through, this is when I break."

The man leaned down and rested his large hands on her seemingly delicate shoulders. "At least you look pretty."

"That seems inappropriate due to the large age difference between us."

Dick laughed. His posture shaking slightly with breath. "Kid, I'm your best and only friend. I'm not hitting on you, just words of encouragement."

"Alfred's my friend too. Don't put yourself on a pedestal just because you did my makeup."

"Well, what can I say?" He smiled, "every bride deserves to be beautiful on her wedding day. Even in this situation."

A knock came from the door. Y/n's mouth went dry. She had ten minutes to get to the altar. Ten minutes before she gambled for her freedom. A heavy ball formed in her chest.

Everything happened to fast this week. Her sister's funeral was painful, the wedding arrangement seemed almost impossible to do, and meeting Oliver Queen was nerve wracking. The conversation with Damian was possibly the most awkward thing she had ever encountered.

He knocked on her door for the second time that night. Damian figured he shouldn't waste anymore time. She deserved the truth. There was time to back out. To resume the relationship between them forever. Almost like they were married. But it wasn't right.

Mentally scolding himself, Damian let himself inside. The room was dim but bright enough to see. Y/n was reading her book ignoring him.

"I don't want to speak with you Damian," the bracelet stung her but it was worth it.

He rolled his eyes and interrupted her, "We need to get married."

Y/n was taken back by his statement. "What?"

"If you want the dagger to work, we need to get married. It's simple. I already found a pastor who was formally in the League. He agreed to marry us in exchange for not going to prison. He has a dress he can tailor to fit you. By next week we can be married then I will use the Horchis Dagger. We can't tell him the plan, it's against his beliefs, but that should not be a problem."

The plan seemed perfect. All Y/n had to do was agree. But she could tell something was wrong. After knowing someone for years you learn to read them. Especially if the plan was to be together forever.

"There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?" She accuses.

He inhaled sharply and licked his chapped lips. "There is still the chance the dagger does not work. If it doesn't, I am unsure if the bracelet will allow us to divorce like...average people."

"By 'allow' you mean it could kill me right?" She took his silence as an answer. Nodding after a minute, Y/n had made up her mind. "Well then, beloved, let's get married."

~~~

Dick pushed her to the double doors. The wheels changing speeds as they moved across different floors. Y/n's breath was starting to become labored. She tried to reason with herself. To play a mind game in which the end result was her concluding she would be okay.

It was difficult.

The time was up and they were on the other side of the door. The girl shifted in her seat and rolled her shoulders.

"Getting cold feet?"

She glared at her friend. "I would answer but I can't feel my feet, in case you forgot." Y/n noticed his change in attitude. "That was a joke."

He unlocked the wheels and signalled for the doorway to be opened. "Y-yeah. I knew that." He went to the back and grasped the rubber handles.

The mutter from the room died as the two moved inside. It wasn't overly fancy nor too bland. It was just an extra room that was rented out, not too far from the Wayne Manor. It was mainly used for small feasts for the rich who had nothing better to do. It was decorated in traditional League colors. Candlelight was the only light source found to maintain the authenticity.

At the end of the aisle, Damian stood straight, in green, black, and gold robes, similar to what he wore during his time in the League. The old pastor was in a well fitted, high ranking warrior uniform. His long hair turning from pepper to salt in a faint gradient. His pale skin challenged ghosts from campfire stories. Beside the groom was Bruce. The private event was small which Y/n was grateful for.

She inched closer to Damian. Her hands fidgeted not knowing what else to do with them. She swiped her fingers over the (color) nail polish Dick insisted she wear. It was something else to focus on.

The chair came to a stop and Dick locked the wheels. He firmly held onto her shoulders to show he was there and stepped next to his adoptive father.

The priest wasted no time. His raspy voice filled the room. "There is no vow more sacred, nor covenant more holy, than the one between man and woman. With this ceremony your souls are bound together, forever joined." The bracelet glowed. "You will never be free, you will always be held captive by your love for each other. And for this shared life we offer blessings," he bowed his head and spoke in Arabic. The shine from the jewelry caused the tweens to slightly squint. He held his wrinkled hands out for the two's. Once he both had placed their hands onto his, the old man covered them and finished the ceremony. "The Union is sealed."

Y/n and Damian released their breaths. It was over.

They were married.

Bruce told them he would ride with Dick in his car. In case the wanted to talk, they would be free to. Damian wheeled Y/n outside towards the limousine. Alfred waited patiently in the driver's seat. He rolled the tinted windows to talk to them.

"I take it the ceremony was a success," Y/n was unable to tell if he was joking. Alfred got out to open the door.

Damian scoffed. "Just open the door Pennyworth." The boy reached to help Y/n get into the car. He remembered Dick's advice. To talk to her. "Would you like assistance?" Y/n nodded unable to find words. Damian hooked one arm under her knees and the other around her back, bridal style. He moved as Alfred took the chair to put in the trunk. After gently setting her in her seat, Damian entered next to her. Deciding it would be best to give her some space he sat across from his wife.

The butler closed his door and began to drive to the Manor. The ride was silent and uneventful. It was when the group had arrived at their destination someone spoke.

"Can we do it at her tombstone after we change?" Y/n looked at her husband. "I-I know it's an unusual request but I -"

"I don't mind," Damian cut her off. He needed to work on getting her to like him. He figured doing what she wanted would give him a small start. "I'll get the dagger. We can meet in the garden afterwards then we can leave."

~~~

After the newly weds changed into their everyday clothes, they found each other at the back entrance. Y/n wiped her sweaty palms on her (bottom of choice). Damian clenched the dagger as he opened the doors for her.

The garden was nice. Its tranquility calmed thoughts. The flowers were bloomed and colorful. The bushes were trimmed so no leave was out of place. A stone path was placed in the middle, splitting around the fountain. Benches were scattered in case guests got tired as they walked.

Behind the garden was a small granite tombstone. The full name of Y/n's sister was engraved in cursive. Her date of birth and death date underneath. The label beloved sister was also engraved. Y/n rested her hand on the curved stone. The memory of S/n's funeral burned in her mind. The small gathering consisted of Y/n, Dick, Bruce, and Alfred. In a fit of anger Y/n requested Damian not attend. He claimed it was pointless since there was no body to bury and she barely knew S/n. Dick convinced him to respect her wishes and he did.

"Do you hate me?" She wondered. Her gaze caught his surprised emerald eyes. "I haven't don't anything to you."

He was caught off guard by her question. She was asking for him to explain his emotions. His chest tightened.

"Let's just get this over with," he held out the dagger. "I," he hurried. "Damian al Ghul," the bracelet began to grow once more but this time it was a different glow. Cracks that looked spider webs grew, cutting through the pattern. "Heir to the Demon's Head," Y/n closed her eyes. "Annual our marriage," she opened her eyes again. Tears sprouted from the corner of her e/c eyes.

On the ground lay the chunks of the Everlasting Bracelet that once controlled her life. On her wrist was the thick and thin scars left by her prison. Her sobs grew with each passing second. Damian didn't know what to do. A single thought flowed through each of their minds.

She's free.

I'm free.

Wow. So this is it. This is the last chapter of Bride of the Demon. I can't thank all of you enough for everything. All the reads, votes, comments... everything.

Alright. Until then,

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