Chapter 778 - Seven Hundred And Seventy-eight: Till We Meet Again
"And I join you both as husband and wife," The priest said just as Akim slid the ring into Anika's stiff finger.
Today something that has never occurred in the history of Lincolnshire happened. Their prince Akim Revatio was marrying his late girlfriend, Anika.
Yes, Emily and Judy had been against the idea of their son marrying a corpse, but for the sake of their son's sanity, they let him do as he wanted.
Anika was laid in an expensive revealing glass coffin and was dressed so beautifully that from a distance, one would actually think she was sleeping instead of being dead. There was no trace of blood on her nor traces of the bullet wound she had suffered. They did a good work on her.
There was a flower crown on Anika's head while some of the roses were scattered across the coffin. She put on a long white dress while her hands were placed in such a way that they rested on her chest. It was almost like Akim was recreating snow-white when he kissed the glass where her lips should be, a tear slipping down his face in the process.
Although his parents were against it at first but seeing that gesture of Akim kissing the glass brought trees to Emily's eyes. Their son was much grown-up than they thought. And to think he matured because of a traumatic accident hurt her the more. They were unable to protect their child.
The church was filled to the brim as the seats were occupied yet there was not even a single noise. If one had mistakenly dropped something at that moment, they would be embarrassed to death. Everyone was entranced by the scene; some had tears running down their face without even knowing.
The citizens of Lincolnshire watching the broadcast from the comfort of their home was not left out. To think that their prince was in love with the enemy and went to the extent of marrying her in death. It touched and broke their heart at the same time. The scene was so sorrowful to watch.
The mood throughout Lincolnshire was gloomy as the citizens shared their prince's pain. No one bothered to eat nor drink, voluntarily fasting for the well-being of their prince.
As soon as Akim was done, four royal soldiers came over and saluted him. They then turned, hoisted up the coffin, and carried it on their shoulder as the band played the drums.
In one word, Anika was given a burial befitting a royal. As per the decree, every member of the royal family was buried in the sacred ground. The sacred ground was pieces of land reserved exclusively for the burial of any member of the royal family.
It was considered sacred that even grave robbery was punishable by death. It had been there for generation after generation, housing the bones of past ancestors who were once kings and queens of Lincolnshire.
That was the problem between Akim and his father since Emily didn't know much about Lincolnshire's history. They couldn't bury Anika there because she's a traitor. Her mother, Fiona was the one who killed the past queen, Roselle, it was even an abomination to even consider burying her there.
However, Akim debated heavily that Anika wasn't even Fiona's biological daughter nor did she have a choice but to become one of the traitors. Anika died in his place, that was enough points to redeem her sins already. Moreover, once he marries her, she's officially a member of the royal family. And no one would stop him or else he would give up his title, Akim had threatened his father.
Akim was the firstborn son, there was no one else to take the throne from him. Jasmine was a woman and too young to lead nor would there be another while the eldest lived - and a male at that - that was Lincolnshire's rule. Hence, Judy had to take what he was given.
Yes, Anika was buried in the sacred land but far away from the ancestral ground. Her mausoleum was so beautiful, wide, and spacious because that would be the same place Akim would be married when he died. Their culture had it that the king would be buried beside his wife. So even when Akim has a wife in the future - which he must to produce heirs for the throne - she would be buried outside instead of beside her husband.
The second wife and children would be buried right outside in their respective graves forming another line of the ancestral ground. Lincolnshire's culture was strict and binding, especially to the royal family.
However, this move of burying Anika in the sacred ground was beneficial to them as well. They might have captured Fiona but not all of their enemies and this would prove to them that the royal family was not the enemies as they thought them to be.
This time Judy doesn't plan on executing the traitors since it backfired on them inciting more hatred fueled by Fiona's brainwashing them. He would give them lighter sentences and a second chance of picking up the pieces of their lives.
It would not be easy but solving violence with violence as he did earlier wasn't the right answer either and he has learned his lesson the hard way - the loss of his son. Akim might still be alive but Judy knew their relationship was damaged. This Akim would never go back to being the Akim they once knew because grieving changes a person.
A military parade was organized where Anika's body was taken into the mausoleum by the soldiers accompanied by Akim, his parents, and a few guards. Not even the paparazzi dared step into this space and were held outside by the security.
The coffin was placed on the crypt where Akim paid his last respect.
"Till we meet again at the beach at sundown," He whispered, taking one last look at Anika who he believed to be sleeping.
"Till we meet again where there is no death or paradise, my dear Anika….." Akim whispered as he took his final leave.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦