The anxiety knotting my stomach tightened. This was really happening, but it had to be a nightmare. Wake up, Anwen, wake up. Unfortunately my horrible situation wasn’t a dream, but was instead all too real.
I waited for my cue to walk down the aisle, squeezing my bouquet of daffodils so tightly I was certain their stems would snap. His Majesty stood beside me, ready to escort me, the veil covering my face my only protection from his discovery. I stared desperately at the door, silently pleading for Princess Lavena to return and spare me from her plot.
She didn’t.
The orchestra began playing, notes that sounded to me like the drones of a funeral procession. Icy fear seeped over me and my feet refused to move. The king hesitated when I did, then gently carried me forward with his stride. Everyone stood and watched as I took one shaky step after another down the endless aisle towards the altar, where His Highness Prince Liam stood waiting for me.
I met his gaze and sucked in a sharp gasp. His entire manner was hardened and twisted in pure hatred. With each step closer to him his glare sharpened, ripping me apart.
I yanked my eyes away but I could still feel his skewering gaze. I looked desperately around the attentive audience, hoping that even through the veil my switch with the princess would be discovered before I became trapped forever. Someone notice, I silently pleaded.
No one did.
I was nearly to Prince Liam. I stole another peek at his expression, bracing myself for his viciousness. However, he was no longer looking at me but at his parents, his eyes wide and pleading, his own evident desperation to break free from an arrangement he hadn’t asked for either.
But they didn’t come to his rescue, just as no one came to mine. We were both trapped, mere pawns entangled in words and contracts not of our making, forced to be bound together forever.
Prince Liam returned his attention to me the moment I reached him. He stiffly lifted my veil and his open hostility melted away as he stared into my eyes, his own frustrated but resolved. A strange energy passed between us as he studied my face, raking his gaze over it, as if searching for something he desperately needed to find.
I waited for his perusal to be finished, my heart hammering and my hands shaking. Surely, he’d notice the switch; he’d been around the princess enough times these past seven years to be able to tell the difference. But he too failed me.
He sighed resolutely and held out his hand. I shakily rested mine in his; he held it loosely, barely touching me. With a sideways glance at one another, we knelt at the altar. The music ceased, leaving behind silence: the audience’s one of anticipation, the one between Prince Liam and me fraught with tension. The priest’s words washed over me as he began speaking. I was only aware of my body—the shudders raking over me and Prince Liam’s grazing fingers. I peeked sideways at him. He stared straight ahead, his jaw tight.
He only glanced at me in time to witness the single tear that trickled down my cheek. He narrowed his eyes at it before he sighed and squeezed my fingers briefly as he turned back to face the priest, an assurance that he understood my pain, for he undoubtedly felt it, too.
All too soon it was time to recite our vows. My heart pounded frantically. This was really happening, but it couldn’t be. I tried to make myself speak the words that would expose me, but they remained lodged in my throat as the ring burned threateningly on my finger. How could mere metal hold so much power?
“I do.” Prince Liam spat out the phrase with venom. The priest’s gaze shifted to me and my insides turned to ice.
“Do you, Your Royal Highness Princess Lavena of Lyceria, take this man, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Liam of Draceria, to be your wedded husband?”
My shakes became tremors and my breathing sharpened. I ached to shake my head, but once again the princess’s ring prevented me.
The priest prompted me with his eyes, my cue to say the words that would bind me to this prince, no more than a stranger—a stranger who hated me…or rather who he thought was me, which was now essentially the same thing. I couldn’t live in such a marriage. But my choice in the matter had been cruelly ripped away, and it was impossible to break free.
“I—” No, I couldn’t do this. Was there truly no way out? “I—”
Prince Liam glanced at me with a wry smile, as if he sensed my internal struggles. Ever so slightly, his eyes softened with understanding, melting a few of the hard lines of his bitter expression. With it I felt a glimmer of hope. Prince Liam might hate both me and our marriage, but he wasn’t a bad person. It was enough to give me the courage to push forward down a path neither one of us wanted to walk.
“I do.” My voice shook as the words were spoken. Prince Liam slumped in defeat.
I scarcely heard the priest’s pronouncement that we were husband and wife, only the words, “You may now kiss the bride.”
I stiffened and Prince Liam gave me a look like he’d just been asked to kiss a porcupine. With a twisted expression, he leaned over and brushed the briefest touch of his lips along my cheek—scarcely a kiss at all—before he yanked away. We both stood, and still maintaining our loose contact, turned to the applauding crowd.
“Lavena?”
I winced at the new name and turned to face Prince Liam, responding to it for the first time of many to come. “Yes, Your Highness?”
He smiled mockingly, whatever sympathy I’d caught a glimpse of during the ceremony long gone. “Our sentence begins.”
He snapped his gaze away. My eyes burned with tears. Mere minutes into my forced marriage and it was as awful as I’d feared.
Chapter 4
The reception was a lavish affair that took place on the vast grounds of the Dracerian palace, but the elegance, laughter, and delicious food failed to dissipate the suffocating panic tightening my heart. Thankfully, Prince Liam effortlessly interacted with the well wishers, allowing me to remain silent at his side. I miraculously managed to avoid speaking with Princess Lavena’s family—Their Majesties, the King and Queen of Lyceria, and her brother, Crown Prince Nolan—while also failing to be recognized as an imposter by the other guests.
After our greetings, Prince Liam and I sat together at a private table in stony silence, my new husband looking everywhere but at me. He made no effort to mask his disdain for our match; each stolen glimpse showed me a face hardened with cold indifference. When the King of Draceria stood to formally express his pleasure at the union of our two kingdoms, Prince Liam’s jaw became taut, devastation filling his eyes.
“Prince Liam?” I asked tentatively when his father sat down, unable to bear the tense silence any longer. “Are you alright?”
His gaze snapped to mine, sharpening into a glare. I flinched. “Isn’t it obvious how pleased I am with this forced prison sentence?”
“But—”
“Don’t talk to me,” he spat. “Let’s not make this any more unbearable than it already is.”
I lowered my eyes and obediently didn’t respond, all while the unhappiness in my heart swelled. I stayed in this position until the King and Queen of Draceria and Prince Liam’s three sisters—the Princesses Rheanna, Aveline, and Elodie—approached our table.
The queen stroked Prince Liam’s hair. “How are you holding up, dears?” She glanced towards me, extending the question to both of us.
Prince Liam’s jaw tightened but he said nothing. The queen nibbled her lip and cast a worried glance at the king, who patted his son on the shoulder.
“I know you’re unhappy, Son, but we’re so proud of you for doing your duty to your kingdom. The union will be a great benefit to the future of the monarchy as well as to our people.”
“Oh yes, it’ll be a huge benefit to everyone, everyone except me.”
“Liam, really.” The queen cast me an anxious look before I could hide my wince. Prince Liam glanced at me with a small frown, as if surprised by my reaction. A look that almost seemed like regret flittered over his face before it disappeared.
“I’m only speakin
g the truth. Lavena feels the same way I do, so there’s no sense pretending either one of us is happy about this marriage.”
The king cast me an awkward glance. “A piece of advice, Son: the happiness of a union is mostly determined by the wife, so do try to please her as much as possible despite the circumstances.”
Prince Liam said nothing, but remained rigid as his family hugged him goodbye and wished us a pleasant honeymoon with doubtful tones.
“They look on the brink of murdering each other already,” Princess Elodie whispered unquietly to her sisters as they left. “Who do you think will act first?” They faded into the crowd before I could hear their bets.
With an unhappy sigh I picked at my food, unable to eat any of it with the nausea swirling my stomach. It escalated the longer the silence festered between us. The few feet of distance between me and the man I now called husband felt like miles, insurmountable to cross. Occasionally, I caught Prince Liam watching me, brow puckered. There was one moment when I was certain he was bracing himself to speak, but before he could, Crown Prince Deidric of Sortileya and his wife, Princess Eileen, approached.
Prince Deidric glanced warily at me before forcing a smile for his friend. “I’m uncertain what greeting to extend when congratulations are clearly not welcome. Are you doing alright?”
Prince Liam sent me another skewering glare, causing me to sink several inches in my seat. “What do you think?” he spat.
“I see.” Prince Deidric exchanged a wary glance with his wife, as if seeking guidance on how to proceed. “I’m truly sorry, Liam.”
“Being sorry doesn’t change my fate.”
“I know.” He patted Prince Liam on the back and leaned down to whisper, “Perhaps you can just avoid each other, one of the advantages of living in a palace.”
Misery clawed at my heart, threatening to swallow it whole. Being forced to play a part the rest of my life would be even more unbearable if I had to do it while being ignored and unloved.
“I can’t believe it actually happened,” Prince Liam continued, talking as if I wasn’t even there, obviously practicing for our marriage. “It’s going to be torture, for I’m the prisoner and she’s the jailer.”
Princess Eileen gasped at the biting insult, and even Prince Deidric winced. Prince Liam gave me a challenging look that clearly said, “your move” in this twisted game he and Princess Lavena often played.
I realized I stood at a fork in this path of impersonating Princess Lavena: I could either change everything about myself in order to fit her character completely, or change only enough to ward off suspicion.
I tilted my head at Prince Liam before looking away, saying nothing. Princess Lavena would never have backed down from the opportunity to insult the prince with biting words of her own, but despite being forced to pretend otherwise, I wasn’t Princess Lavena, and she wasn’t the one experiencing this marriage. How I navigated these raging waters would determine how rocky the relationship with my new husband would be.
After Princess Eileen gave me a quick hug and Prince Deidric extended a small nod as they departed, I summoned enough bravery to risk another glance at Prince Liam. He was frowning at me, brows furrowed, before he looked away with a slight shake of his head.
I turned my attention to watching the Lycerian Royal Family sitting a few tables away with the Dracerian Royal Family, all seeming pleased that the coveted union had finally been accomplished. Although Princess Lavena had assured me she’d already given her family her goodbyes, I wasn’t convinced they’d avoid the opportunity to see their daughter one last time before the honeymoon. If they did…this charade would end before it’d even begun.
They rose and I stiffened. Were they coming over? I twisted my napkin in my lap as I watched them smile and greet their guests, my pulse palpitating as they inched ever closer to us. At first Prince Liam ignored my wriggling, but soon my nerves caught even his indifferent notice.
He sighed. “Come now, Lavena, do stop fidgeting. Despite our beliefs to the contrary, this isn’t a death sentence.”
I tried to relax but stiffened all over again as Crown Prince Nolan broke away from the king and queen and approached. Surely he wasn’t coming to greet me? My stomach plummeted. He was.
A tight, overly polite smile penetrated his usual serious expression. “I’d be remiss as an older brother if I didn’t come to wish the newlyweds well, even though I know such a sentiment has no place in this union.” He rested his hand on Prince Liam’s shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look, which was returned with a grimace. “My sister fights dirty, but I’m placing my bet on you. Will you be challenging that, Lavena?” He turned to face me.
At first he merely stared, expression bewildered, before his eyes widened in shock. Unsurprisingly, he’d noticed our switch, just as he always had at the court functions where the princess had forced me to take her place. He’d gone along with those past schemes, kindly helping me navigate the world of protocol and elegance so I wouldn’t get caught.
I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be now. Pretending to be Princess Lavena for a few hours was nothing compared to taking her place in an arranged marriage created by a political contract between two kingdoms.
A long, tense moment passed between us, during which I could see Prince Nolan’s thoughts racing as he scrambled for his next move.
Prince Liam’s gaze flickered to him. “What is it? You’re acting as if you’ve never seen your sister before.”
Prince Nolan managed to snap his mouth shut, but even then it took him a moment to find his voice. “Anwen?”
I squeezed my eyes shut with a groan. As predicted, my exposure hadn’t taken long.
Prince Liam frowned. “Who’s Anwen?”
Prince Nolan forced a smile for my new husband. “No one of consequence, just someone I spotted in the crowd. I’ll greet her after extending my congratulations.”
His gaze lowered to the ring adorning my finger and understanding filled his expression. Now that he’d figured out how I’d ended up in this plight, surely he’d free me from the mess I found myself in. After all, he had a duty to his family, his crown, his kingdom, and the contract that had been arranged for years, which would benefit his future reign. Thus he’d find Princess Lavena and make us switch back. Nobody would ever need to know what had happened.
I held my breath. Prince Nolan seemed to be thinking really hard, studying first Prince Liam, then me, his look both pitying and thoughtful. I stared back with wide eyes, silently pleading for him to help me. Mischief filled his eyes. He nodded to himself before offering me a wink and a smile. What did that mean?
He turned to Prince Liam. “Actually, I was merely jesting before about wanting to place bets on which of you would murder the other first.”
Prince Liam cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t believe we’ll kill one another? Because I believe it. Widowhood sounds more ideal than a life with her.” He glared at me and I flinched at the attack.
Prince Nolan gave me a sympathetic look. “Don’t talk about my sister that way. Despite what you’ve been led to believe, Lavena is actually a charming girl.”
Prince Liam snorted. Prince Nolan gave me a “this will be quite the challenge for you” sort of look.
“You’ll see soon enough. Lavena merely wanted the freedom to choose whom to marry and thus pretended to be…not herself. But now that this marriage has gone through, you’ll discover that your new wife is quite different from the woman you believe her to be.”
He winked again. In that wink I fully realized what Prince Nolan was doing. Panic tightened my chest. He had no intention of rescuing me; he was playing along. Oh no, he couldn’t. He was my only chance of escaping both this scheme and the noose and I wasn’t going to lose it.
“Prince Nolan,” I said through my teeth, gaze pleading.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Prince Nolan? Come now, Lavena, no need for formality, despite this being a formal event.”
“Nolan,” I said, hating to d
rop his title but not having any choice. “Please, Nolan. Please.”
“I know you’re nervous about this arrangement, dear sister.” Another conspiratorial wink. “But not to worry; I have a good feeling about it.”
Prince Liam rolled his eyes. “You’re delusional.”
“Not in the least. I promise you’ll soon find yourself pleasantly surprised.” Prince Nolan glanced between us once again before nodding. “Yes, I truly believe you two will work.”
Prince Liam glared at me once again, his protest against such a statement. I withered, sinking a few more inches in my seat.
“Be good to her,” Prince Nolan said firmly. “She deserves nothing but kindness.” He began to leave but paused, eyes widening as he stared into the crowd. “Mother and Father are coming to say their goodbyes. I advise you take your leave while I make your excuses to hold them off. Good luck, you two, especially you, Lavena dear. Trust your big brother: all will be well, you’ll see.”
With that, he hurried off to intercept the King and Queen of Lyceria, leaving me staring after him in disbelief and frustration that my one source of escape had slipped away without saying anything. Did he really think now was a good time to play matchmaker? What else could his motive possibly be for playing along? Surely it’d be in his best interest to expose the charade before it went any further.
I was tempted to go after him and demand not only an explanation but that he help me wriggle out of this mess before it was too late, but he’d already disappeared in the crowd. True to his word, he managed to stave off the king and queen, and soon an announcer informed the reception guests that we were leaving for our honeymoon.
Prince Liam sighed and swiveled around to face me, his expression no longer hard but weary, as if the reception had been just as draining for him as it had been for me.
“Are you ready to leave?” His tone was absent of the venom that had filled it earlier, a small miracle. He didn’t wait for me to respond before motioning me towards the carriage that would take us to our month-long honeymoon, the beginning of what promised to be a rocky marriage.
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