"Am I to breathe, Kalynda?" Elara said as she steadied herself, hands braced on the dressing table while her maid tugged at the corset.
"It's your wedding day, my lady." Kalynda chuckled, though her grip didn't ease. "You need to look perfect for His Grace."
Elara exhaled slowly, her fingers curling around the strand of pearls in her palm. She twisted them absently, letting the cool beads distract her from the tightening across her ribs.
"Are you nervous?" Kalynda asked, drawing the final string through the eyelet.
"No," Elara whispered. "I am well."
She wasn't. Her mother's voice echoed in her mind, soft and clipped from years of noble restraint. "A wife is not born, she is made. Learn his ways. Please his eyes."
Words spoken like a blessing. Or a curse.
Kalynda moved around to adjust the sleeves, her expression softening. "He may yet surprise you, my lady."
Elara gave a hollow smile. He won't. Everyone knew Kaelos had not chosen her. This marriage was duty, bound in ink long before they were old enough to know what it meant.
The door creaked open, and a steward poked his head inside. "My lady, the hour draws near."
"Of course," Kalynda said quickly, shooing him away with a curtsy. She turned to Elara and lowered the veil over her face, her voice gentle. "You look like a queen."
Elara stared at her reflection. Pale and composed. Entirely unlike the girl who used to sneak out barefoot through the garden hedge.
This was the woman she had become, draped in silk and lace, on her way to marry a man who did not love her.
And yet… she stood.
"Come, my lady," Kalynda whispered. "It is time."
_____
The morning had passed in a haze of preparations, the kingdom's capital filled with the bustle of royal duties and last-minute arrangements for the wedding. But in the quiet solitude of the royal chambers, Kaelos sat with his back to the window, staring at his reflection in the glass. His once vibrant eyes had dulled over the past few days, a shadow of exhaustion settling across his brow.
The door opened without a sound, and Queen Alaina entered, her presence commanding and elegant. She wore the weight of her years gracefully, her silver hair pulled back into a tight, regal bun, her sharp features softened only by the hint of concern in her eyes.
Kaelos didn't turn to face her, knowing she would not appreciate the gesture of ignoring her presence. Instead, he shifted in his chair and crossed his arms, a defensive stance he had adopted all too often in her company.
"Kaelos," she began, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of expectation. "You must be prepared. Today is not just about you, but about the future of Aldovia."
He finally looked at her, his eyes dark with frustration. "I know what today is about, Mother. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm being bound to a woman I barely know. A political arrangement."
Queen Alaina's eyes narrowed, her posture stiffening. "You have always known the duties you bear as the crown prince. You are not a boy anymore to indulge in these childish whims."
"I am not indulging in whims. I am being forced into a marriage with someone I do not love. And you expect me to embrace it as if it's some noble thing."
She took a step closer, her eyes softening just slightly, though the command in her voice never wavered. "You do not have the luxury of love, Kaelos. You never have. You are the heir to the throne. Your decisions are not your own, they belong to this kingdom, to its people."
He clenched his fists at his sides, standing abruptly. "And what about my happiness? What about my desires?"
"Your happiness is Aldovia's happiness. And your desires will align with what is best for our people." Her tone was final, but there was a flicker of something else—something that almost resembled pity. "You will marry Elara because it is your duty. And you will learn to care for her. In time, it will become as natural as breathing."
Kaelos shook his head in frustration. "Don't expect me to fall for her, Mother. You've chosen her, not me."
"The choice was never yours, Kaelos. The choice was always the kingdom's. You would do well to remember that."
He took a deep breath, his fingers brushing against the cold glass of the window, as though searching for some kind of escape. "You speak of duty, but do you not see that I am not prepared to live in a marriage without affection, without choice? You can't force me to live this way."
For a brief moment, Kaelos saw something flicker in his mother's eyes—a brief flash of regret, or perhaps sorrow. It was gone in an instant, replaced by her usual composed mask.
"You will live the way you must, Kaelos. For Aldovia. For your father. For this kingdom. Your personal feelings are a luxury you can no longer afford."
She turned to leave, her heels clicking softly on the stone floor, but then paused. Without turning back, she said, "Do not make me regret this marriage. Do not make me regret choosing Elara for you."
Kaelos stood still, the weight of her words settling like a stone in his chest. He knew there was no escaping this—there was no room for rebellion or defiance. Not if he wanted to protect the kingdom.
As the door closed softly behind Queen Alaina, Kaelos sank back into his chair, his hands pressing into the cool surface of the desk before him. His mother's words echoed in his mind, heavy with authority, as though they were shackling him to a future he didn't want.
For a long moment, he sat in silence, the weight of the crown feeling heavier than ever. He hated this—hated the cold, detached path his life had been forced onto. He longed for something beyond duty, beyond the cold obligations of the throne. He longed for freedom. For love.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door.
"Enter," Kaelos muttered, not bothering to look up.
The door creaked open, and Athena stepped inside, her presence instantly filling the room with warmth. She was a woman of beauty and confidence, her dark hair cascading down her shoulders, her eyes filled with loss and, perhaps, something more—something he wasn't willing to admit.
Kaelos couldn't help but sigh in relief. Of all the people in his life, Athena was one of the few who didn't demand anything from him, who accepted him as he was, flaws and all.
He didn't want this. Not the ceremony. Not the weight of the crown. Not the quiet, obedient bride waiting for him at the altar. What he wanted, was right in front of him.
The door opened again. He turned sharply.
Athena stepped forward, her gown clinging to her body in all the right places.
She didn't curtsy. She never did.
"Well," she said coldly, "I suppose congratulations are in order.
Kaelos's face softened as she walked toward him. "Athena—"
"Don't." Her voice cracked like a whip, sharp and cold. "Don't say my name like it still means something. Not when you're marrying someone else today."
"It does mean something," he said, closing the space between them. "You mean everything to me."
She tilted her chin, daring him to lie again. "Is that why you're slipping a ring onto another woman's finger? Standing beside her in front of the gods and your people? Because I mean everything?"
Kaelos reached for her hand. She let him take it, but her fingers were stiff. "This isn't about love," he said, voice low. "You know that. It's politics. It's peace. I didn't choose this."
"You didn't fight it either."
"What would you have me do? Throw away the alliance? Start a war? You think I don't hate every second of this?"
"I think," Athena said, pulling her hand back, "that you like wearing the crown too much to throw it away for someone like me."
"That's not true."
"Isn't it?" Her eyes flared. "She's a princess, Kaelos. Chosen. Groomed. She's everything I'll never be."
"You are everything I want," he said fiercely. "I don't love her, Athena. I never will. It's you—only you."
She turned her back on him. "And yet she gets the vows. She gets the palace. The title. She gets you in the eyes of the world."
Kaelos stepped behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not giving her my heart. That belongs to you. Always has. Always will."
Athena closed her eyes tightly as she said. "Then fight for me."
"I am fighting. In every way I can. But some battles can't be won with swords."
"Then maybe you're not the man I thought you were," she whispered.
His grip on her shoulders tightened just slightly. "Don't say that. Please."
She turned then, slowly, her face composed but her voice low and shaking. "After tonight, everything changes. You will lie with her. Wake with her. And every time you smile in public, they'll think it's for her. In a few years, even months, she will bear your children and I will be the forgotten mistress.
"You are more than just a mistress Athena, I'll find a way. I swear it. I'll make this work. For us."
She stared at him for a long, silent moment. Then stepped back.
"No, Kaelos," she said, the frost back in her tone. "You'll make it work for them."
"No, believe me, I want you."
As Kaelos leaned in to kiss her, the door opened.
The steward realised he had interrupted a moment and he turned his back on them.
"Forgive me your grace, the hour is upon us, everyone is expecting you."
He said before strutting out.
"Go Kaelos." Athena whispered, "Your kingdom awaits, Your Grace." She shot him a hard glare before she walked out, the door slamming quietly behind her.
Kaelos took in a deep breath. As much as he wanted to please Athena, his kingdom came first and that meant one thing. Elara came first. His face wrinkled in irritation as he thought of bringing her to his chambers tonight.
But that was the duty of a prince. Kaelos reached for the door. Outside - the corridors stirred with life, flowers were carried and wedding bells gleamed in servants hands. There was no delaying it now. He was getting married. And it was happening today.