Bright light pooled into the room, miserably failing to conceal Ilias' bare body that laid next to me. He looked so vulnerable—it was strange to see that.

I pulled my arm up and brushed away a dark strand from his eyes. It covered a scar that he had gotten from falling off a tree. I had asked him to climb a tree to get me a ripe fruit from the top, and he had fallen right off and onto me—

"Good morning, Princess." I jerked my hand away, startled. "How did you sleep?"

"Well, I shut my eyes." I laughed when he rolled over, his back facing me. "I have a feeling we both slept very...minimally."

He kept his back toward me, so I climbed out of the sheets and scaled his body. Ilias stirred, trying to get me off, but that only made me fall off the bed, his body falling close after. "I'm awake!" He got up hastily, helping me up with him. "What we did last night—"

I tossed his trousers and tunic at his chest. "Shut up and get dressed." I walked into my closet, coming out in a dark violet gown with golden embroidery.

Ilias finished straightening his collar as he said, "Tonight is your wedding, Your Highness." He didn't glance at me at all. Instead, he opened the door and stood there. "You should speak with Irene."

"I doubt she got much sleep last night," I muttered as I walked past him, no more than just another piece of furniture. "I plan to have breakfast. Do whatever you please, Kensintarus."

He followed behind me, still fixing his clothing. His eyes darted around each corridor, and I wanted to push him out of the window we were passing.

"Keep your eyes forward, Kensintarus," I said rather loudly.

"Stop calling me that."

"Stop calling me Your Highness," I barked back.

"I have to call you that. You know that."

I paused and spun around with a smirk. "Oh? Well, I think we are far past that, don't you think so, Kensintarus?" I kept my eyes at his, but my arms traveled around my chest. "I'm glad you're silent. That only further proves my point."

Ilias rubbed his temples as he yawned widely. "It's morning, and you expect me to not have a headache?"

I gently hit his chest. "Such a... a... brick!"

He chuckled as he walked around me. "Brick, you say? Well, you're stone."

I groaned and ran next to him. His large grin distracted me from where I was going, because when we stopped, Ilias opened a set of large doors and ushered me inside. "I hope you enjoy your breakfast with Kace Hollind, Your Highness."

My eyes widened as—

Ilias shut the doors behind me.

I stared at the table, then at my family, and I dared to look at the other side to see Entorre's royal family. "Interesting. Does Princess Valarya always come late to breakfast?" Kace said smugly.

I ignored him as I sat beside a very tired-looking Irene. "Good morning," I muttered. "Sorry for being late—"

"I hope you're not late to the wedding tonight. I'd be ashamed if I walked down the aisle alone." Kace took a gulp of water from his goblet. "Smile, dear." He reached across the table and lifted my chin.

"Touch her again, and I'll snap your fingers," Diana yelled from across the table. "You do like your fingers, do you not?"

Kace rolled his meadow eyes and pulled away. That touch made me remember all the ones before, and I hated it. It didn't help that I had to walk down with him, arm in arm, mind to mind—but never, never heart to heart.

Conversation struck around the table. Most were between King Lius and my father, but Kace had occasionally tried to talk to Whila or Irene, only to cause Diana to nearly break a plate atop his head.

I didn't know fights were entertaining until we realized that it had become afternoon already. On my way out of the dining hall, Kace tried to rub away a stain from a tomato that Diana had thrown at him.

"I bet you're enjoying this, Valarya." Kace jerked his head and looked at me, his raging eyes softening lightly. "You don't have to. In fact, laugh out loud."

"I'd never," I answered back.

He grinned but didn't move. He continued rubbing away at the stain as he said, "I'm glad Diana hasn't changed her ways."

I grew to wonder why I still stood there. He could manage himself—I'm sure he remembered the ways of the palace. I trudged away, but I felt a firm grip on my wrist. "And what are you doing?"

"Do you want another tomato thrown at something other than just your tunic?" I hissed at him as I turned back toward him. I hated how he towered over me, and I hated that he looked me in the eyes. "Let go of me."

"May I remind you that our wedding is tonight?" Kace lifted a groomed brow. "Or have you been too busy worrying about the fate of my brother and your sister to care?"

"I don't think you understand, Prince Kace. I don't care. I don't want to care. And, to be quite frank, I chose to not care." I pulled my arm again, but his grip was still firm. He surely had to have at least half a mind if he wanted to keep me like this in the middle of the corridor.

"A guard wanted you to try on gowns for tonight—"

"I'll go later—"

"'Later' won't work. We don't have more time for you to spend on—"

With my other arm, I jabbed his chest, pushing him away. His face stilled, but his arm remained strongly on my arm like shackles.

I bared my own smile—just like he asked—as I skewered my shoe onto his foot.

He cursed, falling back against the wall. His head slammed loudly against the marble, but I only smiled and said, "Do that again, and you'll get much more than just a tomato." I lifted a solid finger at him, like I was scolding, and added, "I think I'll look at the dresses by myself, Prince Kace."

I knew he stared at me as I walked toward Wenn. And I didn't bother to look back.

*~⚜️~*

Wenn jumped across each rack, throwing wedding gowns against anything she could. I stared at the heaping pile, unease creeping to my head.

"You absolutely must try this one on!" She took my arm and swung me into a connecting room to change. "And this!"

I sighed and let Wenn drown me in gowns. The first few were beautiful; simple, white, and just the right amount of lace. I had told her to let me wear whatever, but she refused to listen.

Finally, I looked into the mirror, and I thought I was about to faint.

It was hideous. I looked like a pincushion, and the shoulders didn't help. They stuck out like orbs, and the bottom was a dome.

"Beautiful!" Wenn dragged me out of the room, the gown wobbling with me. The ribbons at the bottom curled up and twisted into bows. "You're wearing this."

"But I don't like it," I murmured.

Wenn sighed, shaking her head. "It'll grow on you. Besides, the wedding is in an hour."

Save me. I can't do this, I thought, though I knew that it was just in my head. There was no way anyone could help me now. I had to do this—for Thaeleck, for Entorre, and to go against Kandose. After Kandose lost the war, they've been restless to find us at our most vulnerable position.

It'll be over soon, Whila had told me. She wasn't lying. I'll be married to a man I once loved, but to the brother of my sister's betrothed.

Wenn placed a golden crown studded in emeralds and garnets, all spun to create a flare at the top. A flame. The Flame of Thaeleck.

It was as if Manea had appeared behind me and smiled.

"The crown is a nice touch," a voice said. I looked through the mirror and spotted Diana. She watched Wenn bow and leave. "But the gown is questionable."

We both chuckled. "Everyone is waiting for you," she said under her breath. Her fingers twisted into a knot around her waist. "Unfortunately, I have to go. But I wanted to see you."

"Thank you. For saying that, I mean." I turned around.

She walked toward me, her sea-blue eyes narrowing. Before I could fathom what she was about to do, she wrapped her arms around me, tight as ever. "After the wedding, Irene needs to speak with you." For the first time in years, Diana pulled away and wiped away a tear that trailed down my cheeks. "Stop crying. No bride should."

What kind of torture was this? To consistently feel like air was poison. Diana gripped onto my shoulders, smiled, then left.

I stood in the center of the room, my legs like stones in water. I didn't know what I was waiting for, but it was strange to finally understand what was happening. I let this happen. I can't do this. I need to get out. Those dangerous thoughts never left me, and no one ever heard them.

I didn't know what an eternity felt like until a guard came in—until Ilias came in and winced so visibly. "I'm your escort," he said.

My body finally moved, but no words came out of my mouth as Ilias twined his arm around his sword and led me toward the hall.

The blaring of music grew louder, and before I knew it, my arm had gone through Kace's. "You look breathtaking, Valarya."

I stayed silent. Ilias watched me for several seconds, but even he could conceal how his fists curled every time Kace wrapped his arms around my waist, or how Ilias threw open the door to the hall.

My heart dropped at the slam of music and people. They all stared at me, then to Kace, and bowed their heads as Kace walked me down the aisle covered in blood red roses.

Mother shook her head, and the waterfalls that she shed halted. Diana held Whila and Irene close, like they might slip into the abyss that I have been falling through for years. But Father—

Father smiled as he watched. King Lius and his wife smiled. The entire room smiled.

I wanted to rip every one of those smiles right off their faces.

Manea died before she and Nicholyn could marry. She died before she could've been happy. I remember the long talks she gave me—her happiness clearly showed then. Just like the darkness that was spilling in through the windows.

As Kace and I were about to step up to the alter, a sudden breeze swept over the room.

Kace stopped.

Everything stopped.

The room went into havoc as a deafening crash echoed behind Kace and me. We spun around, and the windows had completely shattered.

Guards swarmed in, though not as many as I remembered from yesterday. Ilias ran toward us and pushed us back.

Kace growled, unsheathing a sword at his waist. Ilias stood firmly in front of Kace and me, refusing to move away.

Again, silence rose. The room's calamity disappeared—as if it never existed—

Ilias sprung into action, diving through the crowd to get to my family. Kace followed after him, shouting orders towards the guards that lined around the room.

I shut my eyes, but the screams returned. As I snapped them open, I saw someone dive through one of the broken windows. I stumbled back, only to trip over the stairs that led to the alter. Another flew through a second broken window.

Ilias and Kace both yelled, but they stopped in their steps as a dagger was at each of their throats.

At the final broken window, a dark, cloaked figure jumped through, his dagger already at Diana's throat.

"Ashe Knightley," Kace hissed. King Lius and Queen Nillaj ran around frantically, screaming with the crowd.

"Not yet," the woman that held the dagger at his throat whispered.

I tried to get up—to stand up—but the crowd pushed me aside, trying to get out of the room before I could.

For the final time, the room fell into a deep, deep silence.

The large doors broke open, and on the other side, a tall man hidden underneath a black cloth came into view. He wiped one arm at the side of his pants, and the other arm—

"Looking for this?" Ashe Knightley said as he stuck his finger out further, a certain crown resting on it.