"As you should."
Aries smirked as she recalled how the translator from the Maganti Empire translated her arrogant remarks to something pleasant in the ear. This was one of the real reasons Dexter wanted her to live in the marquess' residence.
Not only did she need to know the value of the Vandran name, but she also had to experience it. So, she could truly comprehend her value in society. The reason she fearlessly returned her husband's warm reception.
The translator wouldn't literally translate everything, knowing this marriage was an insult to the House of Vandran. And Aries was the renowned noblest woman in Haimirich, who was also fit to be the empire's empress if not for the tension between the aristocrat and imperialist. So it was to be expected that she was fearless and wanted to retaliate.
Knowing her still <anno data-annotation-id="448e6923-c36a-4e0f-29b1-f5c2ede9fd2e">husband-to-be,</anno> the crown prince of the Maganti Empire, if the translator didn't intervene with her reply, he wouldn't sit still and do nothing. They had to keep the friendly relationship with Haimirich Empire for now, and hurting Aries would benefit no one.
It could be a reason to start a war. Dexter, the marquess, was not someone to mess with.
"In the eyes of the law and God, this union..." Aries fluttered her eyelashes ever so slowly, glancing up to see the priest read formalities for this political union. Yes. Just an hour after she arrived, she had to walk down the aisle and marry the crown prince under the Maganti Law.
'How tiring.' She fought the urge to yawn at this long ceremony, sitting in the middle of the vast wedding hall. Next to the white intricate chair she was sitting on was the crown prince. She shot him a side-eye, catching a glimpse of him staring at the people across the long rectangular table—between the bridegroom and the priests—facilitating this wedding like they were reading contracts.
Their guests were drawn from the empire's most esteemed and respected families. Each and everyone were individual Aries had studied extensively with Conan. Some of them approved of this marriage, while others did not disapprove but came to see whether the crown princess could become a formidable ally.
'I miss Abel,' was her first thought, and peeled her eyes from the man beside her. 'I should've slept just as he advised.'
A shallow breath slipped past her lips, keeping her spine straight, and shoulders leveled, being a model of her own decorum. Despite her seemingly reserved demeanor, her mind drifted to the days before today.
Abel wasn't careful throughout their journey. Hence, some knights from the Maganti Empire spotted him and Aries. The end of those poor soldiers was obvious. Only five returned — five smart knights — who were smart enough to not pry about the disappearances of their colleagues.
The knights from Haimirich were already aware of the emperor's presence on their journey. But no one spoke a word about it. Unlike the soldiers from the Maganti, the soldiers from Haimirich already knew what kind of sovereign they served.
The emperor would kill his enemies and allies without a second hesitation.
'It's disgusting... here,' another faint breath escaped her nostrils, her emerald green on the cascade bouquet she was holding on her lap. Her jaw tightened, but her grip remained relaxed.
Before she parted with Abel, they held each other as if unable to bear a moment without touching. She already missed his touches, how his rough palm felt against her body, squeezing her just to leave his warmth. The ticklish sensation and butterflies in her stomach whenever he whispered sweet nothings and salacious remarks in her ear.
His bites, a curious amalgam of his sadistic tendency and sincere affection. Her body could still feel his weight blanketed over her, his inked chest pressing against her as he thrust slowly, to feel her every stretch and to make her feel him whole.
Oh, Abel... he truly knew how to make her mad.
His game of giving generously, but almost barely enough, left her wanting for more. She was certain if he was here, watching her fantasize about him amidst her royal wedding, he would find ways to tease her.
'I hope he returns safely,' she whispered in her heart, tucking away all the distractions at the back of her head as the head priest stood. She watched him walk over to the bride and groom, stopping in front of them to give his blessing for this union.
"This union marked the beginning of not only two hearts becoming one but also the establishment of a blessed alliance between the Maganti Empire and the Haimirich Empire," said the priest, motioning his hands between Aries and the crown prince. It took a lot of self-control for her not to snort.
The hypocrisy of these people and their contemptuous gibberish turned her stomach. Maybe it wasn't just the twittering of the priest, nor it was the staid gravity in this royal chapel, that the knot in her stomach kept tightening with decreasing intervals.
It was this place. That fact that she was now back in this place, with this cursed man speaking his vows, and all these people sitting behind them with their prying eyes, paved the way for reality to sink in. It made her sick.
Her chest moved heavily as she slowly took steps to face his groom. Until now, he hadn't seen the beauty hidden behind her white veil. Standing face to face with him once again, her heart pounded against her chest as myriads of memories flashed before her eyes when she heard the priest announce, "you may now kiss the bride."
All the silent screams, the inexplicable angst, the countless deaths of the innocent, the flood of blood, the haunting and endless nightmares rewound in her head in a flash. As the veil was halfway through her face, Aries's eyes were burning, pupils constricted.
And yet, when her now-husband, the crown prince, lifted off the veil completely, the turmoil raging within hid behind a stunning smile matched with a pair of shimmering opalescent eyes.
SILENCE...
'Well, hello there, husband.' A glint flickered behind her eyes, staring at the stunned crown prince and listening to the gasp resonating inside the chapel from their esteemed guests.
'I... your favorite is back.'
<annotations style="display: none;"><ol class="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="448e6923-c36a-4e0f-29b1-f5c2ede9fd2e">They're not married under the Maganti empire's law</li></ol></annotations>",
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