Wedding night
1709 Words
“What is this fancy bath for, Maria?” Lilith asked, looking at the old woman with a probing gaze.
“You're now a married woman, child. Tonight is the night you share an intimate space with your husband…” Maria paused, then looked Lilith over with a furrowed brow. “Don’t tell me… you weren’t given a proper talk at home?” She shook her head. “What are mothers teaching their daughters these days?”
Lilith lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. “No, I wasn’t,” she admitted quietly, her fingers trailing the edge of the tub. “Mama never spoke of such things. She said I’d understand when the time came… but I don’t.”
She smiled sadly, and muttered, “I thought it would at least feel like a fairytale—something grand, like a wedding.”
How foolish. What fairytale ends with the girl being sold off like a prized cow?
Would it have been different if Mama were still here?
Maria let out a long breath and knelt beside the tub, her voice calm but firm. “Marriage is not always a fairytale, child. It’s a duty, and a sacrifice. Sometimes, it’s learning to build a life with someone you barely know, one quiet day at a time.”
She reached out, brushing a damp lock of hair from Lilith’s face. “You may not have been given the talk, but you still have tonight. And someone must prepare you, even if it’s an old woman like me.”
Lilith pulled away slightly, her jaw tightening.
“Why?” she snapped, her voice shaking. “So I can smile and pretend I’m happy to be offered to a stranger as a peace offering?”
She stood abruptly, water splashing around her as she grabbed for a towel. “Let’s just get on with it, Maria.” Her voice was bitter now.
Maria said nothing.
The old woman simply bowed her head and resumed her work in silence.
Lilith didn't speak either.
It was a quiet preparation—not of peace, but resignation.
And so, the bath continued……
At the bedroom door, Maria stopped. She didn’t say anything else. Just looked at Lilith with tired, kind eyes, then turned and walked away.
Lilith stood there alone.
Her hand trembled as she reached out for the handle. Her heart beat loud in her chest.
She opened the door.
And stepped inside.
_ _ _
The room was dark, only lit by soft candles. Lilith stepped in slowly, her barefoot touching the cold ground.
She couldn't find the light switch. Maybe it was hidden somewhere, but she didn't try too hard to search for it.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
She sat on the edge of the bed, the silk nightwear given to her by Maria now felt suffocating, and her long black hair which fell down her back, clung to her neck and forehead, making her feel hot and sticky.
She didn't notice him at first.
Not until he moved.
He was standing near the window. Back straight, hands in his pockets. His dark suit blended with the shadows. Only the side of his face caught the candle light.
He was tall. Much taller than she thought. Broad shoulders, straight back. The kind of man people probably stared at when he walked into a room.
His face was……annoyingly handsome. Sharp jaws, strong nose, lips too perfect for someone so rude. Even in the dim candle light, he looked like someone from a magazine.
Lilith caught herself staring.
She blinked, and cleared her throat.
“Get it together, girl. He's still an arrogant, alcoholic prick,” she reminded herself, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.
She stood up from the bed, brushing her dress down even though it didn't need fixing.
“Well,” she said, loud enough to break the silence, “I guess this is how the rich get married now. No vows, no words……just a quick signature, and a price tag.”
There was no reply. The room was as quiet as a locked door.
Lilith swallowed her spittle forcefully, then a bitter smile escaped her lips. “I’m sure you would expect me to fall at your feet, placing kisses on them, grateful to the highest bidder. I hope I'm with the amount burnt?”
Lucian stayed quiet, watching the little human before him like a hawk.
“Father never told me anything about you from the beginning, but I never expected him to sell me off to a dumb man.”
Lucian didn't move. He didn't even flinch.
Lilith waited, expecting something. A word. An insult. A response. But nothing came.
She scoffed angrily, not knowing what to do. Then an idea popped into her head—emotional blackmail. That was if it would register in the mind of a monster.
"You know, while growing up I had a dream to become an actress," she started, pacing back and forth in short steps. "Mama helped me play dress-up while trying to mimic princesses and great stars from movies, then she died."
She took a pause, staring at the cold expression on Lucian's face.
"When Mama left, I..." Her voice wavered, but she steadied herself. "I stopped dreaming. What was the point? There was no one left to cheer me on, no one to tell me I could make it. It felt like everything I wanted was suddenly impossible."
She exhaled slowly, turning away from him for a moment, her hands curling into fists at her sides.
"But something changed. I didn’t give up, not entirely. I found a new fire, a new reason to keep going. I thought, maybe if I pushed hard enough, I could still make it. I could still become someone, despite everything."
Her voice hardened with a touch of defiance. "I didn’t just want to be another face. I wanted to be more than that. I worked hard, pushed through everything. And then—"
She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "And then this marriage. This...arrangement. It’s like a cage. A dream that was mine is now shattered. What happened to my plans? My future? Gone, just like that."
She took a step forward, her chest tight with emotion, but Lucian still didn’t move. He just stood there, a cold statue with no reaction.
"Doesn’t this bother you?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly now. "You’ve taken everything I worked for, and you just stand there, like it doesn’t even matter."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Lucian remained as still as ever.
Her voice cracked a little, but she quickly pushed it down.
"You probably don’t even know my favorite meal, or anything about me. We didn't meet up for a date or an introduction. No flowers or even a kiss. You didn't even care to meet me.”
Lucian released a deep chuckle, which turned into a mocking laugh. “She doesn't know that if I kiss her, a person will die before sunset,” he whispered to the air.
Lilith froze at his deep and hoarse voice, but his words weren't clear. “What did you just say?”
Lucian kept quiet, staring blankly at her. But then, he slipped his hands inside his pockets, tossing something her way.
A ring.
It hit the bed and rolled toward her.
Lilith stared at it. Then she picked it up slowly. “You think this makes it better and fixes everything? You can keep your ring. I’m not some object you can own."
With a quick movement, she tossed the ring back toward him, watching it hit the floor near his feet.
“I didn’t ask for this, and I sure as hell don’t want it.”
Lucian finally spoke, his voice cold and void of emotion. “I didn’t choose you either.”
But someone had to wear the ring. If not you, everything would come crashing down on me.
Lilith's lips curled into a slow, bitter smile. “Well, that makes two of us.”
He looked past her, his eyes blank like he saw something or someone she couldn't see. “Don't look at me like that, you wanted a bride too.”
Lilith raised her brows. Who was he talking to?
“Only the cursed ones resist the bond. It chose her. Not me,” he whispered to the air.
Lilith stared at Lucian, stunned and unsure. Her eyes searched his face, confused.
“It's too late. She's mine to protect now!”
Then Lucian began walking toward her. He was tall, too tall, and it made her feel small. Her legs felt weak as she stepped back, one slow step at a time, until her back hit the wall.
His face was close to hers now. Lilith forgot where she was, lost in how good he looked. He seemed unreal, like one of those Greek gods from old stories.
Lucian leaned down, his lips near her ear, his breath carried a strong scent of rum. “Now you're mine, Maya. Even if I have to break you to keep you.”
He took her small hand and slowly pushed the ring onto her finger.
She stood still, her eyes wide, lips slightly parted. She looked both scared and hesitant, like she didn’t know whether to run or speak.
She soon realized that her parents had deceived him, but how could she tell him she wasn’t his supposed bride? Father wouldn’t take it well.
Lucian looked at her for a moment. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders. Her eyes, dark and bright at the same time, stared up at him. And her lips, soft, full, and trembling, seemed to hold back words she couldn't say.
“You know, the only way you could stop someone from dying before sunrise is to not kiss me right now.”
Lilith froze. Her eyes blinked fast, her mind in a haze.
“W-What?” she whispered, stumbling a step back. Her hands trembled by her sides.
She stared
at him, wide-eyed. He looked serious. Too serious.
“Help…” she muttered under her breath, then louder, “Help! I'm married to a monster. An alcoholic and a mad man!”
- Writer
