chapter 2:wedding in chains
426 Words
CHAPTER 2: The Wedding in Chains
The wedding hall smelled like iron and snow.
Seo-ah stood at the altar in a dress she didn’t choose. Black silk. Northern embroidery of wolves and swords. Her hair was braided with silver, not gold. This was not a Joseon wedding.
Across from her, Kadir wore no smile. Just armor under his cloak.
The priest began the vows in Northern tongue. A translator whispered in her ear.
"Do you take this man, in war and peace?"
Seo-ah hesitated. Behind her, she could feel 200 Northern lords watching. Waiting for her to fail.
"I do," she said.
"Do you take this woman, as shield and hostage?"
Kadir’s eyes flicked to hers. "I do."
The ring was cold. It cut into her finger.
When it was done, there were no cheers. Only silence.
The feast was worse.
Platters of meat. Jugs of wine. And every lord staring at her like she was the enemy.
Because she was.
"Eat," Kadir said beside her.
"I’m not hungry."
"You will be. When your brother tries to kill you."
She dropped her fork. "What?"
Kadir leaned in. "Joseon isn’t happy about this treaty. Your brother especially. He thinks I kidnapped you."
"Didn’t you?"
"Technically," Kadir said. "But I also saved 10,000 lives today. So we’re even."
After the feast, the guards escorted her to the bridal chamber.
Her chamber. Alone.
The door locked behind her.
On the bed was another note: The King does not command his wife. Not yet.
Seo-ah laughed bitterly. Command. Like she was a horse.
She pulled off the black dress. Underneath, her skin was covered in old scars from training. From war. From being a princess who was never allowed to be weak.
There was a knock.
"Who is it?"
"Me," Kadir’s voice. "Can I come in?"
She opened the door. He stood there in a shirt, hair damp, sword still at his hip.
"I came to check the locks," he said.
"On my door?"
"On yours. And mine." He stepped in. Looked around. "Good. No windows big enough for an assassin."
He turned to leave.
"Wait," Seo-ah said. "Why are you being... kind?"
Kadir stopped. "Because the last time a king took a Joseon princess, he killed her in 3 months. And started a war."
"And you don’t want war?"
"I want something different," he said. Then he left.
Seo-ah locked the door herself.
Outside, the wind howled.
Inside, for the first time in years, no one was telling her what to do.
It was terrifying.
And it was freedom.
- Writer
