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“Take your knife and press it to my throat. If it brings you peace of mind, then hold me at Death’s edge, and let me marry you.”
I gripped Chaos’s handle, the familiar grooves bringing me solace. But I did not unsheathe her. Instead, I simply let my lashes fall heavily to my cheeks, droplets of water falling silently.
“It’s the most beautiful sunny day you’ve ever seen, and you’re standing at the back of your castle’s garden. Though your veil shields you from the world, you can smell the flowers. You can hear the soft murmurs of the crowd. The haunted tones of a cello call you forward. Toward me.”
A breath shuddered through my lungs as he built the scene in my mind. He plucked my hand free of the dagger and placed his wrist on mine.
“I don’t have religious words or earthly vows to promise. The titles are gone. I am simply a man standing before you with a heart that is both eager and hesitant. Though we begin this journey as strangers, I am drawn to you, and I vow to discover the intricacies of your mind with reverence and awe.”
I opened my eyes to stare into the sincere face of a perfect stranger who’d stolen me from my bed to make secret promises. With one wrist still laid over mine, he used his other hand to wipe the rain from my cheek.
“With Death’s blessing and the gods watching over us, I bind myself to you from this day, till death.”
I couldn’t help the smile as a burning pulse heated my wrist.
“Your turn,” he whispered.
Managing a breath, I began. “As Death weaves his narrative into the fabric of our story, I vow to navigate this marriage with grace and an open heart. I give you my hesitant, yet sincere vow to embark on this journey together, with a promise of devotion and careful discovery. I vow to form a bond that transcends time and reaches into the realm of eternity. With Death’s blessing and the gods watching over us, I bind myself to you from this day, till death.”
As the final tendrils of magic bound our lives together, I could hardly resist the pull to him until he started laughing, breaking the spell that’d fallen over us.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, yanking my hand away from him.
“I think you just used your wedding vows to damn me to Death’s court for eternity.”
“Intentional.” I laughed, despite myself. “If you wake me in the middle of the night again, it’s a guarantee.”
“Should we shake on it?”
I held out my hand, eyes locked on the fresh golden band of magic circling my wrist.
He tugged his sleeve only high enough to reveal his own marking and gripped my palm, giving one vigorous shake before pulling me forward and into his arms. “Goodnight, Wife. This is where we part. I hope you wake with no regrets.”
“And I hope you wake, remembering you’ve just married Death’s Maiden and somehow still show up tomorrow with some color on your face.”
“I’ll see you on the other end of the aisle.” He swiped another soaked hair from my forehead, cursing the rain before walking away.
I watched him leave, his silhouette fading into the mist the second he moved beyond the streetlamps. Lifting my scarf to hide behind the familiarity of a mask, I descended the building moments later, rushing past the tapestry of neglect and poverty, over the gathered puddles, and on to my father’s castle.
Tossing and turning through the rest of the night, I rose to watch the sun attempt its rise, replaying every second of my secret wedding. I’d just finished tying a small ribbon around my wrist when my bedroom doors flew open, crashing against the wall as my father stormed inside. It was the first time in my life he’d ever entered my bedroom.
Chapter 9
“Iwant no surprises, Deyanira. Do you understand? If you mess this up, there will be a war by nightfall. Today, you are a demur, subservient daughter and wife.”
I watched over my father’s adorned shoulder, waiting for Regulas to arrive with his normal bullshit, but he didn’t come.
“Yes, father,” I said, dipping low, though something within me wanted to rebel, knowing I was now a queen and his equal.
“You’re to eat in your rooms, dress in your rooms, and speak to no one. I want nothing to interfere with this marriage ceremony. Your groom is set to arrive within the hour, and if I get the feeling you’ve left this room to find him, I’ll open the dungeons and lock you away, letting the madness rot your mind.”
I rose to my full height, glaring as coiled steel surged through my veins. “If you try to trap me, on this day or any other, I will kill you where you stand. I am no longer the daughter of a desperate king. I will be the wife of a worthy king. Your threats hold no value over me any longer. You may lock yourself behind your castle walls and weep over the state of your dwindling kingdom. You may swim in your coffers, clinging to the only reason Silbath has not attacked and imprisoned our people. You may even take whores to your bed at night and act like no one else knows of your dalliances. But you may not threaten me again.”
The hatred burning through his eyes mirrored my own. He rushed forward. I held myself in place as a fist crashed down upon me, rings splitting my lip, beautiful pain racing across my face.
I lowered my chin, bold enough to breathe hate into my words. “Congratulations, Father. You’ve finally taught me a lesson.”
Fist in the air once more, he growled. “And what lesson might that be?”
