Chapter 24: Reginald
"Well you look really nervous!" My brother laughed loudly, his eyes twinkling with merriment as he walked up to me, his black suit hugging his broad shoulders but billowing out around his wrists. "Come on, brother, it cannot be that bad!"
"Oh keep quiet." I grumbled at him, my fingers twirling around with the fabric as I tied it together, tying it into a bow around my neck. "Now, how do I look?"
"Absolutely horrible!" A voice laughed and I turned to see Prince Ethan smile mischievously as he walked forward, the others filing in behind him. "You look like you are about to get married!"
"There really is not any other horror in that, is there?" Prince Paul laughed, his laughter exploding in my ear as they walked forward, amusement dancing in each of their eyes.
"Being married is not that bad, my son." Father told me as he walked around the others, his hand patting my shoulder. "It really is a good thing, especially if you are Singers."
"How can it be good to get married to a woman who is terrified of you?" My brother demanded, stepping away as quickly as he could to avoid the arm that I swung at him.
"Terrified?" A man's voice, deeper than the others, demanded and I turned to see the same king that ended up taking me away from Illiana before I was supposed to. "Why would she be terrified? From what I heard, she seems to be a rather delightful girl."
"No offense, King Dimitri, however, I am afraid that there is not much that can be done with the fact that she is terrified." I sighed bitterly, my eyes shooting to glare at my father who was obviously ignoring my gaze. Not that I could blame him after yesterday.
After mother had made her announcement and I had peeled her away from Illiana, the three of us had a very serious conversation, much like the first. Not that it went anywhere, we were still being forced to marry, forced to marry and she would continue to be terrified for a reason no one knows. I had tried very much but there was not much that I could do. Their minds were already set and Illiana and I were the ones who were trapped in my parents' desires.
"But why is she terrified?"Prince Peter demanded, his bleach blond hair glinting in the gentle light as his dark blue eyes shifted between my father and I.
"We do not know." Father sighed loudly, his shoulders rising and falling in defeat. "However, my wife and I believe that whatever it is, we cannot find out until they are married. When my son has full claim on the girl, we are hoping that she will feel safe enough to confess what it is that is bothering her."
The same reasoning he told me, but that did not matter. It could not. None of it did. The girl was terrified of me for something that I cannot understand. She even admitted that I had done nothing and she was still terrified of me.
"If she is terrified then is it not a bad idea to actually attempt to force her into this?" King Mitchel demanded, his eyes glancing between the two of us in confusion.
"Well, I have to agree myself." I admitted, walking forward towards the table and grabbing at the small coat that draped across the back of one of the chairs. "In all honesty, what ever she is afraid, whatever the reason is, she is still terrified of me." Shoving my arms through the sleeves and buttoning the suit up, I turned to my father, my eyes studying him once more. "This wedding, this marriage, may end up harming her more than anything else we could have done. I have told you before and I will tell you again, this is a mistake and both Illiana and myself will suffer for this."
"Perhaps you will get lucky and it will not be that bad." King Neal suggested, his voice more hopeful than his the doubt in his eyes. I was not surprised though, out of the four kings that I knew, he was the most idealist and optimistic. Normally, he was wise enough to realize the reality, but other times he would say something to give hope to another even if it was something that he did not believe in.
"My question is why not slip her a truth potion?" One of the others questioned, his light brown hair curling in small curls around the top giving his hair the look of a cushion surrounding his head.
"Well, Prince Paul, some of us, even the unmarried ones, realize that is very horrible idea." My brother interrupted, defeat filling his voice and I turned to look at him, wondering why it was there. Was it because he had thought of it before and had it shot down, which is something far more believable than him realizing it now that it was a bad idea.
"I will be sure to tell your wife, Eva, that you approve of the use of a truth potion on a woman whose only crime is being terrified of marriage." King Dimitri grumbled, his eyes turning to stare at his son, a challenge dancing in his eyes. King Dimitri only had two sons so it was clear that he and his wife had grown fond of their daughter-in-law and will do anything to protect her as well harassing their son.
"That is not at all what I mean!" Paul was flustered, his cheeks heating and turning a bright shade of red as his eyes shifted between one to another, hoping that one of us will attempt to come to his rescue.
Not that any of us would. The use of a truth potion must be in instances of security to the kingdom. To use it on Illiana in a situation like this, to force her to talk to me and tell me what is wrong, she will end up the one who is hurting the most. I cannot make her tell me in case it is, in fact, something traumatic. That will destroy any chance that either of us have at any form of a good marriage.
"So any plans on attempting to figure out what she is so afraid of?" Prince Ethan demanded and I tensed when I saw the relief in his eyes. He was glad that he did not have to deal with this, that he did not have to fight against the clock and a woman who has a fear with no reason. Maybe he is right to feel relieved. The pain that one would have to suffer if they fell in love and ended up losing her was to great. Then there was the disgrace.
Not that it really bothered me, not for me at least. I do not care if others look at me as some incompetent fool who would not bed his wife and lost her because of it. No, that I could live with. I could not live with the idea of knowing that I had fallen for a woman who did not love me, that she would return to a place that she feared and never really understanding why. That was what would destroy me inside.
"Well, my son, this is still going to happen." Father's voice was filled with frustration, his arms crossing in front of his chest. "We need to head down now, the guests should be ready and Princess Illiana should be down soon."
"Think about it this way, Reginald, if Mother had a say in the dress, Princess Illiana will sure be pretty in it!" My brother laughed before darting out of the room and I shook my head.
Even if she was beautiful, breathtaking, that would not change her feelings inside. She would be terrified and I could only imagine how much she must hate me right now. This needed to work, but not even I knew how it could with everything set against me.
*
"Do you think she is holding the wedding up by herself or is something else going on?" Samuel hissed in my ear and I turned around and glared at my brother who shrugged in response. With my head shaking in frustration, my gaze turned back towards the crowd, my eyes scanning it, looking for them. Her family.
But they were not here. What father would not want to be there to watch their eldest daughter get married, to verbally give her away in front of others to show his blessing on the marriage? Did he really not want to do something so loving for Illiana? To help quell her fears?
"About time." My brother's voice interrupted my thoughts and I turned to look at him only to have my gaze focused on her.
Beautiful could not cover what she really looked like. The gown hugged her tightly around the chest and the abdomen as if it was caressing her skin. The bottom of it flared around her, trailing behind her as she walked down the aisle alone. A heavily embroidered veil, the pattern matching that of the dress, covered her face, leaving small spots where one could see inside. A small bouquet of flowers was held in her hands, grasped firmly and held level with her waist. Overall, it was simple and elegant and, above all, perfect.
When she was near, I took a few steps forward, offering my arm to her so that the two of us will walk toward the altar together. Her fingers slid into mine and I tensed in surprise, realizing how cold her fingers really were. My hand tightened around hers, my warmth seeping into her fingers as the two of us walked forward and halting in front of the minister.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to this glorious day where our High Prince Reginald will be married to this lovely Princess Illiana of the Southern Kingdom." The man's voice was loud, but calming. It was obvious that he was the kind of man who did these ceremonies a lot as he should, being one of the few who has the privilege of performing a marriage ceremony. "Marriage is a sacred and glorious thing, something that we need to love and cherish, to nurture and protect. No marriage can be happy if a man and a woman does not work together and attempt to love each other for who they are."
His words slid to the background as I studied her from the corner of my eye. If she was really so against this, against the marriage, why did she not protest? Say for herself that she did not want this? What was the reason that she refused to do something so simple and yet necessary?
Or was it that she was more than terrified of me, but of all of us? What if she thought that none of the things she wanted or needed mattered, that her voice could not be heard? Why did I not realize this before? If I did, maybe I could have done something.
Sadly I doubted that, the girl would barely talk to me other than things that happened in books, those were the only times she was not afraid of me. Or anyone.
"Now, if the couple will say their vows of marriage." The man interrupted my thoughts, tearing my focus away from her and to him, watching as his hands motioned for us to turn to each other.
Her eyes were filled with confusion, as if she had not realized what she had to do. She really had no idea that there was more to the ceremony, that we also had to speak, to promise to do things for each other. She had no clue and now she was trapped, or felt that way at least.
I smiled softly and leaned forward, my lips barely away from her ear. "Just follow my lead." I whispered softly, feeling her nod against my cheek as I pulled away and looked down at her, feeling a natural smile on my lips. "Princess Illiana, from this day forward, I am to be your husband. Together, we will fight through battles and I will be by your side every time, supporting you when you fall and celebrating when you succeed. I will do everything I can to protect you, to love you, to cherish you." But would that be enough? Could that be enough for this? To make this succeed? Can it really be done? "Whether the time comes and you are ill and weak or strong and lively, I will be there every second. I will love you for who you are and no one else and when the day comes where we have children of our own, I will love them and you forever. That is my promise, my vow, from this day forth."
Her hand was tense in mine and I could see her shaken from the words that I had spoken aloud. The doubt that spun in her eyes as if she did not believe a word that I said.
"Prince Reginald." Her voice was soft and clear, but I could hear the fear inside.
Why? Why were you so afraid, Illiana? Why were you so terrified of me? What could I do to make it better.
"From this day forth, I am to be your wife." Her eyes did not look at me, rather they stared down, at my chest as her voice filled my ears, the emptiness of the words mocking me. "I will be by your side through the battles that come our way; to celebrate or support you depending on the situation. I will love and cherish you to the best of my ability." The words seemed more than empty now, they were fake, filled with disbelief and fear. She really was just copying what I had said, unable to come up with her own vow or even put her heart into what she was saying. Her lips parted once more and I knew it would be forced. "I will be by your side for better or worse and love you only as you are. That is my vow to you from this day forth."
"Excellent, both of you!" The minister muttered softly before turning his attention to the others as I stared at Illiana.
Perhaps she had forgotten, it slipped her memory, but I realized that she had not mentioned anything about the children that we may or may not have. Was that really something that she could forget? Or was it something that she did not really want?
"With the vows of marriage that these two have just confessed, I now pronounce them man and wife." The minister exclaimed, his eyes dancing with merriment as he turned to us, his head nodding once. "You may now kiss the bride."
Illiana tensed but allowed me to lift the veil over her head, revealing her face underneath. Her eyes stared up at me, almost questioning me, fearing me. I knew that I could not hold this kiss, but I still had to do it.
Leaning forward, my hand slid behind her neck, supporting the back of her head as I pressed my lips against hers. They touched for less than a second, but that was all that was needed with the audience who cheered enthusiastically. Only Illiana did not seem enthralled and I could not blame her.
Who would want to kiss someone that they were terrified of? No one. With my hand tightening around hers, I turned and led her down the aisle, not saying a word to her.
For now, there was nothing that I could do to help her feel better. But that would not last forever. One way or another, I will find out what she was terrified of and I will help her recover from it.
That is also my vow for this marriage and it is one that I will never break.