Adalia looked into her eyes with an intensity that had Novia staggering back. “My heart stopped beating the day your brother died in my arms. Leave me I need to get dressed,” she said in a firm deadly voice.
She watched as her family shuffled out of her room, leaving her to her loneliness.
***
Xander stood at the balcony watching the people walk in to witness his marriage ceremony. He felt a sense a sense of pride and triumph, knowing that at the end of the day he would be their king. He would have possessed the two things he wanted most Adalia and the South Kingdom.
“Sir,” a man dressed as a soldier came to his side.
“Is the final brew done? You have to make sure that he drinks it before the ceremony, that way he can be dead by the evening,” he whispered.
“Yes sir,” the man walked away to do as he had been commanded.
Xander didn’t believe in the afterlife or ghost but he wanted to gloat. He wished that there was some way that Archer could see him now. And there was Archer hiding behind a beam when Xander walked out. He didn’t want to risk being seen. Of course no one else had recognized him because of his new look but he couldn’t risk it.
***
Adalia walked out of her room, she didn’t wait for the royal band to serenade her, or for the flowers to be laid in her path. She matched out in her dress, without any make up or jeweler. She held her hair in a ponytail and placed her tiara on top of her head.
“Adalia?” her mother asked her eyes wide in terror.
“Let’s get this over with mother,” she walked into the chapel. She saw Xander waiting for her and she marched down the aisle. As people stood up and started clapping she shushed them. “Stop, sit down let’s get this over and done with.”
The room fell silent as she made her way to the alter. “Xander.”
“Adalia, you look beautiful.”
“Liar,” she stood next to him, half paying attention to everything the priest said half wanting a wind to blow through the palace and blow her away.
“Princess would you like to make your vows to Xander,” the priest asked.
Usually vows were made from the heart, a promise to your partner. And oath for a happily ever after. Adalia did have vows but they were not meant for Archer. She could hear them in her head, she could hear Archer’s voice promising to love and protect her. When the priest asked her for her vows one more time she shook her head.
“No, I have nothing to say,” Adalia could hear her brother snicker behind her, and that brought a smile to her face. “We aren’t going to promise each other anything. Just wed us.”
“Adalia, I had vows for you,” Xander protested.
“Keep them for someone who wants to hear them,” she whispered in his ear. Adalia turned to the priest with a feeble smile on her face. Although she didn’t want to be there she was going to squeeze out as much fun from it as she could. “Let’s move on.”
***
Archer followed Samson as he led them into the palace. They didn’t have a problem until they came to the palace chapel. Archer could hear the procession go on inside and he was desperate to get in. There were six guards at the palace door and although they could easily take them, they would definitely cause a fracas and reinforcements would be called in.
They saw a man walk past the chapel with a tray of food. Samson immediately recognized him and followed him behind.
But he could hear every word the priest was saying. He was giving her away, giving Adalia away to another man. Although he doubted her, he wasn’t going to let that happen. Without Samson knowing, Archer charged at the guards, making sure to wound them but not kill them. His arm was beginning to fail him but he didn’t stop until he had a clear path into the chapel.
Archer opened the chapel doors and the crowd of people turned back to look at him. They could see him but all he could see was Adalia and Xander on their knees before the priest, their hands about to be joined.
***
Adalia knelt next to Xander, the whole time thinking that what she was doing was wrong. She didn’t feel right being here with him instead of Archer. But there was nothing she could do about that, Archer was dead to her, the king was sick and the kingdom needed a marriage. This was her duty, what she was bred to do. Put the kingdom first any other feelings second.
She didn’t resist when the priest took her hand. This was the final blessing and once their hands were joined, it would be over. There was no turning back now.
***
Archer walked into the chapel room and watched from a far. He had heard her say that she accepted Xander, and accepted to be by his side, and now she was about to be given away to him. He was going to let it happen, let life continue without him just as it should. But it looked like the fates didn’t share his sentiments. A loud noise came from the corridor, everyone but Archer moved towards it.
When he looked out the window and he could see shadows in the sky and in the trees. Something was coming, and it would be there soon. Samson dragged in a man by his neck through the crowd to where Archer stood.
“The rebels are coming,” he said to Archer.
He was too busy looking for intruders outside to realize that he was an intruder inside. His attention was pulled back in when he heard his mother gasp.