ILL-FATED JOURNEY™

CHAPTER 8

Slava will be humiliated since I married you first. Vlad explained, he surprised he told her so much.

So, youre using me and saving me

I am not saving you! Vlad corrected. I am saving myself! You are just the means to an end. Do as I

say, and I wont even touch you!

I could live with that, I thought. What do I do?

Wait here for instructionsandtry to look happy. He mumbled before walking out.

Kateya returned almost immediately after he left and stood guard unnecessarily near the door. I wasnt

running away because if he kept his word, Id be his wife. He couldnt sell and beat his wife could he

and I would be safe from the likes of Yuri. Another benefit would be he wouldnt be able to hide me

away.

Five minutes later, a knock came at the door and Kateya hastened towards me. Come. She ordered

fluffing out my dress and veil as she guided me into position. Something like a wedding march began

and I began to panic. What was I doing? Marriage is sacred, my mother was never married but Ive

seen enough movies and couples to know it wasnt something you took lightly and here I was walking

towards a man I barely knew and hated, so he could give the proverbial middle finger to the woman

he really wanted to marry.

How sick was all this? For most girls this would be a fairy tale come true, marrying a Prince but I knew

this particular prince and this was no fairy tale. He was abusive and a murderer and even though he

was adding the moniker of wife to my name that didnt mean he was going to change.

I walked down the aisle in a trance, barely glancing at the attending guests. Ive live long enough in

Russia to know they wouldnt help me so who they were didnt matter. I was also shocked this was

being done by some sort of priest, considering it felt like I was marrying the devil. Said devil smiled at

me showing perfect teeth looking every bit like a man in love. The murderer was a good actor it

seemed.

The priest began the ceremony and he lifted my gloved hands to his lips to kiss it and I pulled away

automatically, but he quickly caught it in a painful grip, letting me know with his eyes I would pay and

brought my hand back to his lips and kissed it. I breathed through the pain and he kept on smiling,

looking pleased.

The ceremony droned on and I had more doubts about this entire affair. Maybe there was someone in

the crowd that would help me, I turned to face them and they all stared coldly back. The animosity on

their faces clear as day. It seems they didnt want this wedding either, so why wasnt anyone stopping

it? I felt his painful grip on my face as he turned me to face him.

Never mind them love, He said affectionately. they are just disappointed I choose love instead of

duty.