Chapter 52: The Wedding Thief
"This little piece of crap will not stop our wedding." That's what Lord Chester said when he finally recovered from the obvious threat on the note. He crushed the golden paper with his hand and threw it in the corner of the room. He glared at me and accused that I was planning to ruin the wedding with Lord Boris. I wanted to defend myself and tell him that it wasn't me. But I knew that his anger hindered him from listening so I watched silently as he stormed off the room. He didn't go back for the rest of the night and I just lied on the bed, restless and unable to sleep, wondering who would be sending a threat to the young ruler of the West Land particularly on the night before his wedding.
The morning came and I woke up from the little sleep I had. The servants were already waiting for me by the door; they were ready to put me on the bath tub and glam me up for the biggest event of my life. They were putting scented oil on the water when I realized that some of the servants were the ones I was with when I visited the Sea Port City. I frowned as I looked at them.
"Where's the girl who told me about the missing people?" I asked.
They all stopped from what they were doing, as if I had just asked another forbidden question. One of the servants bowed her head lowly before speaking, "She's gone, my lady." This caused uneasy glances from the rest of them.
"What do you mean by she's gone?" My attention focused on her and she somehow felt the need to answer my question.
"She talked about the lord in front of you in the Sea Port City. And then we couldn't find her anymore the day after that," she answered fearfully in small voice afraid that someone with evil intention was listening to hear.
I was struck with confusion and guilt that I wasn't able to make a reply. Is there really truth in the rumor about the missing people? I forced her to say Threy Weston's name; is it my fault that she's gone now?
When I remained silent, they continued bathing me, and I just followed them blankly, still deep in my thoughts. They were already doing my hair and putting colors on my face when the door opened and I saw my mother and Lady Amanda walked in to the room. Their eyes shined in awe when they saw me and the wedding gown that was carried by the servants.
They both hugged me, careful not to ruin my hair. The servants were probably seeing two lady rulers who plotted the wedding for their son and daughter. But I was seeing two friends who were happily supporting their favorite little girl.
"I don't know what your husband is planning, Amanda, but please, take care of my daughter." They were talking in low voices, like they shared a lot of secrets before coming in here.
Lady Amanda nodded, "Primrose is like a daughter to me, Adeline. And I'll treat her as she's going to be a part of my family."
It was a promise they made and I didn't know if it still mattered at the moment. It was hard to be a woman in a society that undermines our capacity and strength. I wondered if Lady Amanda could actually protect me from his husband's plan, especially when they kept a lot of things from her.
This time, I assured the ladies and smiled at them. "I will be alright, my ladies. You don't have to worry about me."
They didn't seem to believe that but they still agreed anyway. They helped me get on my wedding gown; it was a white off-shoulder gown that has intricate designs on it. Diamonds were embroidered on the waist to make little flowers that let the gown flow like a magnificent waterfall to the floor. It fitted my body perfectly; I couldn't even recognize myself when I looked at the mirror and see a goddess staring back at me. However, the beautiful woman on the mirror lacked only one thing: happiness. Her sadness looked like she's going to a funeral instead of her own wedding.
"I know you hate it, Primrose, but it will make you more beautiful if you put a smile on your face," my mother encouraged me. I tried to stretch my mouth into a smile but it only turn into a wince.
Lady Amanda sighed. "My Chester is a troublesome young man and he could be rude sometimes. But I can assure you that he would never hurt you. He cares for you in a way that we can't understand and I'm hoping that you can give him a chance."
I remembered being naked while Chester was behind me. I knew the temptation and the lust was clearly written on his face that time. But he didn't do anything. He was trying to prove that he could respect me as his wife by not touching me. If only not for that little envelope, we would've ended the night without tearing at each other.
"I can't promise you anything, Lady Amanda," I said instead. Despite of my discovery about Lord Chester, it still didn't rule out the fact that I was in this situation because of his manipulative father.
"I understand. But I hope one day that you'll open your heart and see the real him," she answered.
I believed that people were not born evil, and despite of all the ugly things that happened to me under the bad men's hands, I still have faith in human's goodness. Maybe there was more to Lord Chester Weston than his rudeness; there was more to him than being a Weston.
However, I also realized that this world could be cruel to those people with a soft heart. There were those who would always take advantage; patiently waiting after one's weakness before attacking mercilessly. There would be predators with sharp claws to attack its prey.
We all stopped from what we were doing when the door opened again and revealed my well-clothed, attractive, and full of authority soon-to-be-husband. He seemed to be surprised as well when he saw us with the ruling women of the two lands. He bowed respectfully and said, "I apologize for the intrusion, my ladies. May I please speak with Lady Primrose privately?"
Lady Amanda frowned. "But the ceremony will be starting soon. You're supposed to be outside waiting for your bride."
They saw the silent pleading in Lord Chester's eyes so they decided to leave the room to give us privacy. I focused my eyes on the reflection of myself in the mirror instead of facing the confrontation that was waiting to happen between us.
"You look so beautiful. I can't help but feel that I'm the luckiest man in the world." The admiration was clear in his voice and was giving an illusion that he was exultant about the wedding.
But I knew what this was all about. "I'm not the one who wrote the golden note, Lord Chester," I said abruptly, sounding a little bit defensive. I realized that I had no choice but to deal with it once and for all. And if he still wouldn't believe me this time, then I guess there would be nothing I could do to change his mind.
But to my surprise, he smiled and nodded saying, "I believe you. You're going to be my wife. I must give my trust in you."
This caught me off-guard. I wasn't expecting for our conversation to be this benevolent and I was grateful of it somehow, I didn't have enough strength to engage in a fight with him. I sighed in relief and faced him. He looked so clean and regal in his suit. If only he wasn't rude during the times that I was with him, I would have looked at him with different eyes – I might have known him as a different man. And when he said that he would give me his trust, I thought that maybe it wasn't too late for him to change. Maybe, there would be good outcomes from all of it and the East Land wouldn't have to suffer anymore.
"Before this wedding starts, I want to settle conflicts with you so we can begin our lives again with you as my wife. I want to..." he hesitated but then continued, "I want to try to be a good husband to you."
"Lord Chester..." I gasped when he closed the gap between us and his fingers found their way to my cheeks, grazing it gently with those long tips.
"Say my name. I want to hear it from your lips," he whispered to my ears, making my skin tingled from the closeness of our proximity.
My heart started hammering from my chest; suddenly, it was hard to breathe. The air around us became warmer causing my cheeks to burn in soft flames.
He smiled when he saw my reaction and said, "Threy used to call you a blushing tomato. I fully understand it now." Upon hearing The Skull's name, I immediately pushed him off me and turned my back on him. I hated that that person still had this effect on me; that his mere name could whipped the emotions in my heart.
"I want to be alone for a moment. Just send me a servant when the ceremony is about to start." Lord Chester sensed that I wasn't in the mood at all to continue our conversation. He seemed to understand and I thought I saw hurt in his eyes. He decided to leave after giving me a knowing look.
I looked again at the mirror and sighed at the tired woman staring back at me. I could see sadness behind her beauty; the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. She stood like a strong creature but the trembling of her fingers reminded me of how fragile she could be. She was made of the hardest steel and the softest cotton. She had her strength and battled her own weaknesses. This woman was me.
I knew that I had made up my mind already and that I was planning to do anything for the East Land. But after hearing his name, my plans became uncertain and I started doubting if I was doing the right thing. What if I was just making it worse?
No. I straightened in front of the mirror and stared back at myself with more fierceness in my eyes. I won't give him the right to change my mind. He left me with scars that would probably take forever to heal. I gave him my heart and he gave it back in pieces. I was trying to put it all back together while fighting for my land. I will not give him permission to sway and break me again.
A servant knocked on the door and when I told her to come in, she said that I need to be outside already for the wedding ceremony was about to start. Despite of the different emotions battling inside me, I held my head high and walked out of the room. I was ushered outside the castle where they prepared a long carpet surrounded with beautiful flowers for me to walk on. The wealthy citizens and the important people of the four lands were present in the grounds of the castle waiting for me to walk the aisle towards the Weston Family and the High Priest. My mother was already in the front wiping tears from her eyes and standing between Tarnus and Lord Boris who both looked serious and unhappy with the event. Dorothy and Aiden stayed with the servants and they were looking at me with the same sadness in their eyes. It wasn't just a wedding ceremony; it was also a funeral to some. It was gaining and losing powers. It was an significant move in the big game of the rulers.
When the choir began to sing and the musical sound aired in the atmosphere, a servant signaled me to start walking. And so I did. However, walking alone and being the center of attention was not that easy. My emotional struggles and lack of sleep were weighing me down making my knees weaker and weaker in every step that I took. I also lost my appetite during my stay in the West Castle thus; I didn't know where my body was getting its strength to continue walking. It was slow and torture but I knew I had to do it – for my mother, for my land, and for my people.
I was almost half-way and wondering why the aisle seemed to be endless. I felt the chill when the breeze passed me and my palms started sweating. The stress from the past few days was taking a toll and it was a bad time for my body to give up on me. I looked forward and saw Lord Chester staring at me with concern in his eyes. I wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of things. Was he actually worried about me? He was about to run, break the tradition, and meet me in the middle of the aisle when suddenly, the song and music changed making the atmosphere strange and the crowd looked at each other with the same curiosity. But I knew this song too well. It was a melody I would never forget and I stopped completely on my track knowing my heart was listening to it. I looked around wondering where the song was coming from and saw that the choir was replaced by different faces; people wearing common clothes and a servant who I was told was lost when she talked about the vanished lord of the West Land.
"I remember when the dawn woke you up,
And the daybreak came,
I sang you a sad song,
And I hoped it broke your heart,
For that was when I let you go,
That was when we said goodbye.
Oh, God, I hate that day."
My eyes turned to the people who gathered around me to witness the grandest wedding in the Mainland only to find chaos everywhere. Some were running across the aisle ruining the carpet and trampling the flowers on the ground. I was becoming dizzy and with all the confusion and commotion, I knew I wouldn't be able to stand longer in the middle of it.
"The waves were calm as the sea birds flew,
I thought the horizon was near,
But suddenly, it was all so far,
Your eyes were sparkling as you step on the sea,
And I wished I could kiss you one more time,
It was so beautiful that day,
Oh, God, I hate that day."
Like a stage play determined to give its viewers the best performance, the crowd began singing the song and I saw Aiden and the pirates taking their stand against the Western guards. The song became louder with more pirates arriving at the castle ground and soon, they outnumber the guards who surrendered for they knew they wouldn't be able to win an unannounced attack like this. I heard the sound of horses and one of them was galloping towards me. I squinted to see who was riding the beast and I felt my heart stirred violently against its cage like it badly wanted to escape when I realized who it was. Tears started brimming in my eyes as my chest tightened in a sudden swirl of emotions. Pain, happiness, doubt, and love: I felt it all at once. I couldn't believe what was happening. I started doubting the existence of the world I was living.
"You fell in love with the sea,
And the sea took you away,
Our love was deep –
And no waves could crash it,
But the sea took you away."
"No!" It was Lord Chester's scream and I spun toward his direction to see that he was also sprinting towards me.
It was like a race in the middle of a war with the pirate song in the background. I was about to marry the prince with a promise to save my land and its people, but the deadly pirate who was riding a dark horse ruined it and brought terror on our wedding day. And now, he was hurtling towards me and my mind had already stopped thinking about the violence he might give. It was indeed one of the darkest fairy tales.
I closed my eyes for a moment whispering peace to my chaotic heart. I could feel the storm coming towards me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. If Lord Chester would get to me first, then the deal about the East Land might change and would lead to an investigation about this commotion; but if the Skull would reach me before the lord, I would be stolen once again by a pirate. But whoever got to me first, my world would still be shaken up and turn upside down. There was just one thing I had to do at the moment – I had to be strong.
I opened my eyes just in time for an arm to reach me and grab my waist. I heard the hooves of the horse and before I could scream, I was lifted and seated on the back of the beast, in front of the man whose strong arm was holding my waist tightly so I wouldn't fall while maneuvering the stallion away from an angry lord shouting at us.
"Give her back to me! She's mine!" Lord Chester screamed. The Skull slowed for a moment when he neared Lord Chester and looked down at his brother like he was the superior of everything. And maybe, he was. After all, he was the Skull of the high seas they feared the most.
"She'll never be yours, Chester. And you can say that I'm saving your life this time, my little brother." Without another glance, the Skull kicked the horse on its side so it could run faster and exit the castle grounds. I could feel him signalling the other pirates to proceed with what they had planned and I wanted to face him and ask questions but our position and my weak body prevented me from doing so. I could hear the song playing father and farther as we near the opened gate. We had just passed a tied western guard when my vision started to blur and my body became heavier. Before I knew it, I was already leaning to the Skull's chest in which he gladly supported me with his strength.
"Hold on for a little longer. You're now safe with me," he whispered in a voice that haunted me every night for the past few months. It was like dreaming and not dreaming. I didn't know but suddenly, I felt relief and comfort – like it was the safest place in the world and being in his arm was a sanctuary. The pirate song became a lullaby I listened to as I let the darkness engulfed me.
"You fell in love with the sea,
And the sea took you away,
Our love was deep –
And no waves could crash it,
But the sea took you away."
Once again, I was stolen by a pirate. And this time, my imprudent heart went happily and willingly to its cage.