"Till Your Brother Do us Part": The Return Of The Forbidden Prince

The Wedding

Princess Liasa's Pov

It will take a great level of endurance to be a loyal wife to a malignant being like prince Hezron. But this is the fate laid out for me from this day forward, and there is no escape.

“His Highness will come to his senses and treat you well, my lady. You are the only one who can give him an heir, after all,” Cara tries to comfort me, straightening the heavy, embroidered tail of my wedding dress. I'm certain she can see fear on my face.

"I'm sure he will." I try to smile but fail.

Despite tons of maids spending hours preparing me, making me look more beautiful than I am, I feel less like a bride and more like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse, dressed in silk, paraded for all to see. Now that I saw and heard prince Hezron’s true nature and character. I no longer fool myself with the illusion of good life with him. He is no prince charming, he is the devil himself, the devil I am bound to bear an heir for.

The thought of what might happen after today chills me to my core.

“It’s time, milady,” Cara whispers softly, as she and Lydia carefully gather the heavy train of my gown to help me walk.

I draw deep, shaky breaths, willing my feet forward.

The hallways leading to the wedding chamber are lined with the finest, thickest carpets, richly embroidered with the combined sigils of Eldrath and Valenor, to symbolize the alliance our marriage is meant to seal.

“Milady Liasa,” a graceful voice calls before we reach the towering doors of the hall.

I turn to see a striking woman in deep green robes adorned with Eldrath’s royal symbols.

She pauses before me and bows with elegance and poise only a royal woman could have been taught.

“I am Seris, Court Lady of Eldrath. It is an honor to meet you before your sacred ceremony, my lady.”

So she's not a royal!

Her warm gaze lifts slowly to meet my eyes. “I am to guide you through our customs and to ensure your vows are said right as the gods intends.”

She holds out a slender rolled parchment toward me.

“This are your wedding vows,” she says.

I frown, shaking my head. “I’ve already memorized my vows perfectly. I don’t need a paper to read from.” gods know I spent the entire miserable night memorizing and rehearsing, because father would be furious if a single thing is to go wrong in this wedding.

Her smile doesn't falter. “Edrath culture demands the vows be spoken exactly as written, my lady. You must read from this parchment. I insist.”

A flood of frustration surges inside me, what do the f*****g vows even matter? Of course I don't say that loudly. There is no need to be rude to the innocent woman, she's not the one forcing me into this marriage. I reach out and take the parchment.

“I wish you the happiest of weddings, my lady,” She bows before turning around and leaving.

"That's one good looking woman." Cara stares at her back while she walks away.

Yes, I think to myself. Very good-looking. Only kings’ and princes’ concubines are so stunning. How has my husband-to-be not taken her as one of his concubines already?

The guard at the grand doors nod to me and then motions for me to enter the hall.

My servants gives me reassuring smiles before I leave them behind to walk inside.

Taking a deep breath, I stride into the hall, which looks like a piece of heaven on earth. Yet the most mesmerizing sight is the gathering of all proud kings, queens, princes, and princesses from distant lands, all dressed in their finest.

Everyone is seated according to their status. The most powerful kings grace the front, with each column assigned to a separate kingdom.

My father, mother, and his other two wives sit at the very front with the prince’s family. Behind them are lesser known kings with their wives. I notice several kings have brought their daughters as gifts for the prince, their necks adorned with white ribbons bearing the prince's name. These elegant princesses will become nothing more than prized concubines for my husband, but I supposed that is good enough, as he will soon be the greatest of kings.

All heads have turned to look at me. I walk with my head high determined to maintain my dignity at least. Everyone knows why I am being married to the prince, they know it's not out of love.

"Smile, it's okay to be nervous but don’t let our guests think you’re ungrateful." My father whispers strictly to me when I reach him. Mother just smiles kindly at me.

I bow slightly to the prince’s family, then walk toward the raised platform where Prince Hezron awaits.

Some young royal women glance my way with envy in their eyes. How I wish one of them would choose to take my place, please.

As usual the prince is immaculately dressed, this time in ceremonial white and silver robes. Without his armour his expensive golden ornaments are more conspicuous. But no fancy wear

can disguise his arrogant power. He smiles at me broadly and his eyes flickers all over my body.

"I can't take my eyes off you, My lady." He says happily. "Rest assured, after today you'll be the happiest woman. Just wait and see." He takes my hand and carries it to his lips kissing my palm. His moustache is rough and wiry against my sensitive skin. I give him a staged smile because I now know he means nothing he says.

“Today,” King Edrick stands and addresses the assembly, “we celebrate the joining of the houses of Valenor and Eldrath. A moment we have long awaited. This union will be our salvation.”

He turns to my father. “I thank my dear friend, King Adriel, for bringing hope to my kingdom.” By hope, he means me.

“May the day your daughter becomes my son’s beautiful bride be forever honored!” The crowd erupt into cheers. “From this day forth, you are more than a brother to me. There is—and I repeat, there is—nothing you shall be denied in this kingdom.” He praises my father effusively.

King Edrick then raises his golden wine cup. “Let the ceremony begin. Enjoy yourselves. This is a new beginning.”

The hall erupts in applause, a thunderous wave of celebration. Yet my heart pounds like a deafening drum. The moment has come. The time to exchange vows.

“I, Prince Hezron, pledge to uphold the honor of Eldrath and to cherish my bride, Princess Liasa, as the mother of our future king. I promise to protect her and our kingdom, until my last breath.”

The hall is quiet, eyes fixed intently on us.

It is now my turn. I unfold the parchment in my hands. The crowd murmurs. Even the prince raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"You did not memorize your vows?" he whispers, a hint of disapproval lacing his voice.

What are they all surprised about? Are they not the ones who gave me these vows just minutes ago? How could I possibly memorize so many strange words before the ceremony?

The parchment bears a long, intricate paragraph filled with strange, unfamiliar words. I clear my throat and begin, reading aloud.

The words feel odd on my tongue, and confused murmurs ripple across the hall. These aren’t normal vows....they sound like incantations, almost like a spell. Even Prince Hezron’s brow furrows into a deep frown.

Then something very strange happens. Suddenly, the floor beneath us shudders. A sequence of rhythmic tremors shakes the whole hall. Scented candles lining the hall flicker violently as a cold breeze sweeps through the room, even though every door and window are shut. Everyone’s eyes look nervously around the hall, some scream and leap to their feet.

“What in hell...?” Prince Hezron curses under his breath, glaring around in alarm.

But almost as fast as it started, the flickering dies down, and an eerie quiet falls again.

“Just a small tremor, my friends,” a noble near the front calls out, trying to calm the guests.

Relief returns slowly as people settle back into their seats. I take a deep breath. I might be marrying a man I detest, but I am not ready to die yet.

As soon as everyone is still, the Prince nod at me to continue.

But as soon as I read the first two lines his hand suddenly grabs the parchment from my hand cutting me mid-sentence.

His eyes blaze as he holds the paper up between us. “Where did you get these? Who gave you this?” His voice is sharp, laced with anger.

My heart beats hard, caught off guard by his fierce tone and and in part because his grip is very tight on my arm. Not to mention he's causing a scene in front of the crowd.

“You’re hurting me,” I squeak out.

"What is the matter, son." King Edrick quickly rise from his seat.

“These aren’t vows, they’re damn incantations!” The prince snaps loudly and shocked gasps from the guests echo through the hall.

King Edrick, my father, and Queen Izzadra hurries up the stage.

They all take turns studying the parchment, worry etched deep on their faces.

"I had requested your servant help you memorize your vows yesterday. Why would you read this?" Father fumes. Of course he's furious because all the guests are now, murmuring, wondering what's going on. But how is it my fault?

“Where did you say you got this, my dear?” King Edrick ask, his tone softer than his son’s and my father's.

“A court lady of Edrath gave it to me just before I entered the hall, Your Majesty,” I reply.

“Our court chief is sir Leonor, not a lady,” Queen Izzadra says, confusion plain on her face.

Prince Hezron’s eyes widen, he looks from the parchment then back to his father. “Someone is trying to free my brother,” he snarls.

King Edrick’s entire body trembles like a leaf in the wind, the color draining from his face, “Fetch our chief seer,” he orders his wife, his expression utterly grave. “Now!”