The doors to the ceremony hall slammed shut behind me with a clang, enclosing us in a cold, stone silence. The sound reverberated through my bones. My feet glided softly on the flagstone floor, my heart hammering in my ears. Each step sounded more intrusive than the last, consumed by the suffocating quiet clinging to the air.Sconces blazed across the walls, casting moving shadows. A hearth crackled quietly at one end of the room, its flames dancing across Kael's sharp silhouette. The glow glinted off the silver trim of his military coat, turning him into a figure of molten gold and black. He moved with the precision of a man who commanded armies—straight-backed, squared-shouldered, every step measured, as though claiming the space and, by extension, me.The heat from the hearth did little to chase away the chill that crawled up my spine.This room was where peace would be sealed in the flesh. The bridal chamber, though grand, struck me like a blow. The bed alone—a massive structure of dark wood carved with symbols—stood like a throne beneath a canopy of black and crimson silk. It looked untouched, expectant, as if it knew what must come next.Kael didn't speak—not a word. His silence weighed heavily, thick as iron. He moved through the room like a storm, quiet but impossible to ignore. A word from him might destroy me. I thought a glance might spare me. But neither were mine to earn. He'd already decided. His steps were sure, his presence magnetic.I stood rooted at the center of the chamber, a small figure in silk and secrets, fingers curling tightly at my sides. My palm throbbed beneath the linen where the ceremonial blade had kissed my skin. The scent of iron still lingered faintly in the air, mingling with the smoke—a reminder that our union had been sealed in blood.Kael turned to face me. Light caught on the angles of his face, and a flicker of fear tightened in my chest. My breath hitched, shallow and uncertain as if my body recognized the danger before my mind could name it. It cast deep shadows beneath his cheekbones and jaw. His expression gave nothing away. He looked me over with a gaze devoid of warmth—assessing, dissecting, deliberate.He studied me with the stillness of a predator—silent, poised, and confident of its advantage. A chill settled at the base of my spine, and I forced myself not to flinch. I would not be prey. Not tonight. One who didn't need to pounce—because it had already won. The silence stretched, pressing against my chest like a weight. Then, with the precision of someone always in control, he stepped back. His eyes narrowed—not in anger, but in thought. Measuring. Calculating. As if he were trying to determine the shape of the weapon I might become.His posture stayed rigid, a monument of restraint, but something shifted behind his eyes. Not approval, not forgiveness, but recognition—of my choice and perhaps the threat it posed."You wear truth-like armor, hoping it will protect you," he said. His voice was low, roughened at the edges, like a blade dulled by war. "But you created that truth from betrayal. You are not meant to be here. She was." He paused, eyes narrowing. "Do you know what it's like to prepare for a future, only to have it stolen without warning? To be given a stranger in place of the one you were promised? I should hate you for that. But I don't. Not yet. I want to understand why. Why would she have died if she had come? What was so dire that you took her place?"I swallowed hard. When I spoke, my voice was low but steady. "Because she would have been executed. Your kingdom demands purity in a bride." My throat tightened with the weight of the words, my lungs burning from the force of holding them back. "Nyra fell in love. She broke that law. If she had come, it would have meant her death. I couldn't let that happen when I could stand in her place."Kael was silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was controlled, but something dangerous burned beneath it. "You risked your life to uphold our law by breaking it. You saved her by deceiving me—by deceiving this kingdom. And now I'm bound to a woman I never chose, under the weight of a lie I never consented to. Tell me, Vireya, what should I do with that?"I met his gaze. "I don't know," I said honestly. "I never had the luxury of thinking that far ahead. I didn't do this to hurt you or Drevak. I did it to save my sister. I don't expect your forgiveness. But I won't apologize for saving her."I hesitated. "Did you choose her? Or was the match made for you? Would it have mattered if she had come instead of me?"His jaw tightened. "It wasn't my choice. My father arranged it. I had no say, only the duty to fulfill it. I accepted it because I had no other option." He paused, then added, quieter, "Just as I must now accept you."I studied him. "If you had been allowed to choose... who would you have picked?"Kael's gaze didn't leave mine. A flicker of something passed across his expression. He exhaled slowly. "I don't know. The choice is a freedom I never anticipated. I'd choose someone who stood their ground. Someone who dared to challenge me." His voice lowered. "Maybe even someone like you."Silence stretched between us again, broken only by the fire.Kael turned, his shoulders tense. "You've made your choice. And I've made mine. You're here. But don't think for a moment that truth or defiance will protect you. I've seen stronger than you fall because they mistook survival for strength."He crossed to the other side of the room. "Rest. We leave for the capital at dawn. The court will have questions. Be ready to answer them. But first, there's one final expectation to fulfill."He turned back to me, eyes locked on mine. "This marriage must be consummated tonight. Without it, the union is invalid. Everything you sacrificed—your sister's life, your place here—will unravel before sunrise."My breath caught. I had prepared for this, but no preparation could make it easy.Kael stepped closer, his presence a steady burn. "We do what we must," he said. "You understand that, don't you?"I nodded slowly. "I do."He stopped just before me, eyes searching mine. "But I will not touch you without your consent. Not now. Not ever. I had no choice in this marriage. But you will choose whether this happens. Your answer decides everything that follows."The breath I hadn't realized I was holding escaped in a shudder. He had given me a choice in a world where everything else had been taken. I looked at him, searching for cruelty or mockery, and found none.There was no mockery. Only patience and respect.I nodded once. "Yes," I whispered. "I consent."Kael held still a moment, then moved with quiet purpose. He raised a hand and touched my cheek. His fingers were warm, gentle, and deliberate. He closed the distance between us, his touch trailing to the nape of my neck. The world narrowed to that space between us—to the firelight, his breath, and the promise of something beginning.Then he kissed me, slow and intentional. Not out of love. Not yet. But out of understanding. Of choice. Of sacrifice. I had stepped into a future meant for someone else, carried a burden that wasn't mine, and stood tall anyway. And in that, there was power. In that, there was strength.
