A few minutes later, Lina and I walked into our father's office. In front of the hearth, there was a small bed, and on the bed lay our father's body, still and cold. Lina dropped to her knees right there in the doorway. I walked slowly up to him. As I stared down at him, I started crying. I had just gotten my family back after three years of being away from them, and now here my father was in front of me, dead. He was supposed to give me away tonight at my wedding, but instead he would be burning on his funeral pyre. All I could think was, how did this happen? How did my father die? Then it hit me. Someone did come through that portal yesterday, and they were no friend.
I ran out of the room, unable to look at him any longer. This was my fault. Someone had followed me back here and they had killed my father. It was my fault he was dead, my fault my mother no longer had a husband, my fault my sister no longer had a father, my fault this kingdom no longer had a king. I collapsed in the middle of a hallway. I couldn't control the sobs or the self hatred. I have no idea how long I sat there like that, but after some time, Michael dropped to his knees in front of me and pulled me into his arms. “I am so sorry my love! I am so sorry!” He kept saying over and over again as he rocked me. When I could speak again, I looked up at him and said, “Why are you sorry? This is my fault! I killed him!” “This is not your fault Ana. Someone killed him out in the fields. The entire guard is out looking for his killer. They will find him.” Michael tried to reassure me. “No it is my fault. Whoever killed my father, followed me back here from the other realm. I pretty much left the door open for them to come through, and now my father is dead because of it.” “It is not your fault. Your father was not supposed to go out there himself. That is what the guards are for, but he wanted to make sure that nothing went wrong for our wedding tonight, so he decided to check it out himself.” “That just proves my point Michael. He died to make sure MY wedding went perfect. Now it wont be perfect. My father will not be there, so not only is his death my fault, but he died in vain.” I could not help myself. I pushed him away and started walking down the hall. He of course followed me.
I ended up outside the throne room when he decided to stop me. He turned me towards him and kissed me. “None of this is your fault. And you need to stop making yourself believe that. You are a princess and the next queen of this kingdom. I know you are grieving the loss of your father, but you need to pull yourself together. Your mother and sister are going to need you. They have no one else. This kingdom needs you. The people need to see that they still have a strong ruler, and you know if your mother needs to, she can step aside for a while to grieve in private. That will give you her responsibilities. I will also not allow this killer to ruin our wedding. Yes your father will not be able to give you away, but he will still be there in spirit, and if you remember that, then it will go wonderfully. The people will know the royal family is still here for them, and we will finally be wed.” I looked up at him with a sad smile. “You are right my love. I am sorry. I do not know how I let myself get like that. I am usually the strong one. I need to find my mother and Lina.”
Michael and I searched for my mother and sister. Finally after almost an hour, we found them in the garden. I hugged Lina as Michael went up to my mother and embraced her gently saying, “I am so sorry Madame.” “Thank you Michael. At least we have each other to help us get through this difficult time.” Mother said softly. “Mother we need to discuss what we are going to do.” I said, forcing myself to hold back my emotions. “Yes of course. What were you thinking Anastasia?” She said sounding more like herself. “We still have plenty of time this afternoon to have Father's funeral before the wedding. So I think we should send some servants to get everything ready in the courtyard. Also, if you need sometime to yourself, I can step in and give you as much time as you need.” “You are still going to have your wedding tonight?” Catalina asked, her voice sounding very hoarse from all of her crying. “Of course. You were there when I swore to Michael this morning, that I would not let anything delay our wedding any longer. And the people need it. They need to see that we are still here for them even while we are dealing with such a loss.” Mother was nodding, as I spoke, as if to give her support to what I was saying. “She is right Catalina. Yes we all need to take time to grieve in our own ways, but we cannot allow our heartache to take a toll on our kingdom. Anastasia, I think you are right about how we should do things today, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could take over for a little while. Michael, could you send some servants to setup the funeral?” “Of course Madame.” Michael said before leaving to do what he was asked.
An hour later, everyone was gathered in the main courtyard. Father's body had been placed on his pyre, and I was standing in front of it speaking to the crowd. I spoke of Father and his many achievements, his love for the people, and his love for his family. After I was done speaking, I discovered who the mystery woman was in my dressing room when Mother told us of Father's death. She was his older sister Analysa. We had not seen her since we were children, so it was not a surprise that I had not recognized her. She went up with Mother to light Father's pyre. Once the flames start roaring, I dismissed everyone.
Shealah came up to me as everyone was leaving and lead me off to my dressing room. Once inside, she pulled me into a tight embrace. It felt so good to have her arms around me, and after holding in my emotions the last few hours, I could not anymore. I started crying into her hair. “Oh no you do not. Our next queen cannot have tear stained cheeks as she marries the love of her life. I will not allow it. Now wipe those eyes or you will not be able to see the hard work I have put into your gown.” Despite my best efforts, I ended up laughing at her as she threw a handful of tissues in my face before going to my wardrobe and pulling out my gown.
The gown was gorgeous. Her extra little touches really were perfect. She had added purple stitching into the seems of the corset and replaced the white ribbon with a purple one. The lace that draped the skirt was a soft lilac which matched the corset ribbon. She also added a veil made from the same lace she put over the skirt.
I was speechless. All I could do was pull her into my arms and hug her tightly. She kissed my cheek softly. “You will look so beautiful tonight. Your father will be crying in the heavens.” She said as I let her go. “Thank you Shea!” I managed to say with a smile.
She helped me into the gown. As she was lacing up the corset, my mother and sister came in. My mother was speechless as she took me in. Catalina walked up to me with a smile. “You look beautiful Stasia.” She said as my mother wiped the tears off her face. “I wish your father was here to see you Anastasia.” Mother said softly. “He is here Mother. Father will never leave us. We may not be able to see him, but if we allow ourselves, we can feel his presence.” I reassured her.
Catalina did my hair, while Mother searched for the perfect jewels. Finally, twenty minutes before I was supposed to walk down the aisle, I was ready. My hair was set perfectly with my veil held in with gorgeous amethyst clips my sister had got for me. My gown was the most beautiful gown I had ever seen, and I felt my father's presence beside me.
Everyone left me to go find their places in the throne room. I took a few moments to myself, to collect myself. Then I walked down to the throne room as well. I stood outside the main doors, waiting for the moment they would open and my wedding would begin.
The music began and the doors opened. As I came into view, the room was silent except for the music playing softly in the background. As I stepped forward, I had eyes for no one except Michael. He stood in front of the thrones, dressed in a brand new suit. He looked even more handsome than usual, but I knew it was just because we were finally here at this moment, the moment we had waited so long for. He smiled at me as I walked towards him. As I got closer he looked me over. “You are the most beautiful woman in existence.” He whispered to me as he took my hand.
We turned toward the High Priestess and she began the ceremony. It was not a very long ceremony, but it was powerful.
After we said our vows and we turned towards the crowd for the priestess to proclaim us husband and wife, I saw just how much the people needed this today.
After our first kiss as husband and wife, we led the procession into the banquet hall for the feast. We sat at the center of the head table, where on normal days my parents would sit. My mother and sister were seated with us. It started out just as perfect as the ceremony. We ate a wonderful meal, and before dessert, Michael and I had our first dance as husband and wife. As the dance ended, we took our seats. The servants started bringing out dessert, but as we started eating ours, we all heard loud noises coming from the hall.
A moment later the doors burst open, and Father's head guard came walking in. He walked right up to me and bowed. “I am sorry to interrupt Your Highness, but I have something that needs your attention right away.” He stated. I put my fork down and took a sip of my wine. “What is it sir?” I asked. “We have found your father's murderer.” He said slowly. The whole room gasped. Michael grabbed my hand as I looked over at my mother. She nodded to me. “Bring him in here.” I commanded.
Without hesitation, the guards dragged in their prisoner. They threw him at my feet and Father's guard pulled his head up so I could see who he was. Staring up at me was none other than the one person from the other realm I had actually considered a friend.
Marcus and I had met my first day there. He helped me adjust to being in a new place. He did not know where I truly came from, but he helped me with anything I needed. We had become very close in the three years I had been there, to the point where I had considered starting a life with him if I could never get back home.
Now he was in chains at my feet because he had killed my father on the morning of my wedding. The anger flared up inside me. I stood up and was about to walk around the table to him, when Michael grabbed my hand. I knew he noticed the recognition in my eyes when I looked at Marcus, and he saw the hatred and betrayal there now. He was trying to keep me from going too far in front of my people.
With Mother stepping aside to grieve, I was responsible for dealing with Father's killer. I had to be a queen now, not a grieving daughter, or a betrayed friend. I turned my gaze away from Marcus and looked out at my people. “My people, we have all been through a lot today. We awoke to the news of our King's untimely death, on the day of his daughter's wedding. We sat through the funeral of our King and the wedding of our next Queen. Our emotions are running wild right now, but I stand before you now, to declare that we will all go to sleep this night knowing that our King's murderer has been brought to justice. This man before you will breath one more night, and as the sun rises tomorrow morning, I will watch as the man I once called a friend pays the price for taking the life of my father.” I looked down at Marcus with my last words, and saw as his eyes went wide. He had no idea until then that the man he had killed was my father. He had no idea who I was here, or the power I have. “Please Stasia. I didn't mean to. I was defending myself. I am so sorry.” Marcus called out. “How dare you speak to the princess.” One of the guards yelled at him, “How dare you use her name.” “Shane, it is okay. Marcus here can say whatever he likes, but it will help him not, for I have the final say with the matter of my father's death, and as I said a moment ago, he will take his last breath at sunrise. I will give my mother and my sister, and our people the satisfaction of watching the life drain from his eyes.” I said to the guard to calm him, “Now take the prisoner to a cell. I will finish my dessert and then pay him a little visit before retiring for the night. After all this is still my wedding.”
After I had my fill of the feast and everyone gushing about the wedding while also giving their condolences, I said good night to everyone. I headed to the wing of the castle where the cells are. I just had to talk to him and find out what was going on. Him being here did not make any sense. Marcus was nice and everything in the other realm, but he did not seem like a stalker.
Once I was outside his cell, I realized Michael was still with me. I did not want him around when I spoke with Marcus. “Could you give me a few moments to speak with the prisoner alone, my love? I will meet you in our room when I am done.” I asked sweetly, knowing he wished I would wait til tomorrow so we could spend our wedding night the way it was supposed to be. “Are you sure you want to be alone with him?” Michael asked, sounding more concerned for me than I expected. “Yes I am fine. I have gotten used to pushing my feelings aside to do what was needed today.” He nodded and then kissed me before turning and heading back towards our room.
I took a deep breath before entering the cell. I looked around and Marcus was still chained. He sat in the corner, curled up with his knees to his face. As I entered, he looked over at me and his eyes widened. He tried to stand up but the chains held him in place. “Stasia I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I had no idea he was your father.” Marcus started saying. “Silence.” I stopped him before he could keep going. I did not want to hear that he was sorry. His apologies would not bring my father back. “I may have been a lost and lonely girl back when we met, but here I am powerful. I am the daughter and heiress of the queen. I am acting ruler while my mother grieves the loss of her husband. Here I am looked up to by every person alive. I will not listen to your apologies or your excuses. Even in your own world, they would not do you well. If you had killed a man in your realm, you would be arrested and possibly put to death, depending on where you lived. Here you are at my mercy. I hold all the cards now, and I am here for one reason only. I want to know why you came here and how. Answer me truthfully, and I may give you a painless death. Lie to me, and you will wish I killed you quickly.” I demanded, sounding very much like my mother.
Marcus was stunned. He sat in silence for a few minutes, trying to gather his thoughts. Finally he spoke, “I was watching as you cast the spell to bring yourself home. I had known for a while that you would be leaving soon, but I kept hoping I could change your mind. Over the time we spent together, I had grown to love you. I knew it was useless because your heart belonged to another, but I couldn't help myself. Then seeing you go through the portal, I wanted to follow you and try to win your heart. I recreated the spell you had used, with a few modifications to the incantation, and it worked. I stepped through the portal and found myself in a field. That was when I realized, I had no clue how I was going to find you here. You had never told me anything about your life. So I hid in the field and tried to come up with a plan. The next thing I knew there were guards all around me. I tried running, but one caught me. We started to fight and when he swung his sword at me, I managed to twist it just right for it to get him instead of me. When he went down, all the other men froze, so I booked it. I had no idea who the man was, just that his death was my fault.”
I stared at him shocked for only a moment. I had not expected this to be about love. As he said, my heart belonged to another and the way I was raised, is when someone belongs to one person, no one goes after them. I forgot that it is not that way where Marcus comes from. I pulled myself together and looked him dead in the face. “Thank you for your honesty. I will see you at sunrise.” I said before standing up and leaving.
Chapter Four
Walking into my room a few minutes later, I was stunned. My room had been transformed. There were rose petals covering the floor. Bouquets sat in half the windows, candles in the other half. Michael laid in the middle of our bed, completely naked. He had a wicked grin on his face, one that made me shiver with anticipation.
After my inspection of the room, he walked over to me and kissed me. He had never kissed me like that before. It was gentle and filled with love but yet forceful and filled with passion at the same time. As we kissed, he undid the ribbon for my corset and removed my gown. Pressing me against the door, his lips moved from mine down to my neck as his hands cupped my breasts. I could feel him harden as he pressed himself against me. “Michael” I moaned softly. “Yes my bride?” he whispered softly into my ear. “No more teasing, my love. I am yours. Take me.” I
demanded.
As if my words had flipped a switch inside him, his actions changed dramatically. He lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. Unlike the night before, he did not enter me gently. This was our wedding night, and he was not holding back. He made love to me against the door to our bedroom. Every thrust was just as forceful as the first. By the time he brought me over the edge, two hours had passed and he did not seem to be losing any stamina.
He finished against the door, and carried me to the bed. Once I was lying down, he started all over again. It seemed his second wind was stronger than the first. Michael moved as if he had been waiting his entire life for this moment. Every time he pushed inside me, his eyes filled with success. I could not get enough of him.
After he was done, I decided to change it up. “Let me do something for you now, my love.” I said sweetly, before flipping us around. Once I was on top, I rode him as if my life depended on it. His moans were all the push I needed. I moved my body in ways I did not know I could.
By the time we finally finished, the sky was starting to lighten. There was a soft knock on the door. “I guess its time to clean up.” Michael laughed as he slipped his robe on and answered the door. A few minutes later, he turned back to me, the humor had left his face. “Lysandra said that the guards have brought the prisoner to the courtyard. Everything is ready for you. I told her we would be there in ten minutes, so lets go get dressed.”
As we walked out of the castle, I could see all of the people gathered to watch the execution. It was a much larger group than at my father's funeral or my wedding. It seemed that our people who did not live close by had had time to arrive. Mother was standing up front with Aunt Analysa beside her. Their arms were wrapped around each other, to support their broken hearts. Catalina stood a few feet away from my mother. One of her guards was with her, and she was crying into his shoulder. I made sure to make a mental note of that so I could ask Lina about it later. I turned the corner and there was Marcus, chained to the ground beside the spot where my father had burned on his funeral pyre. He looked right at me as I walked forward. His eyes filled with sadness. He had come here to chase love, and ended up killing himself.
Divine Royalty (The Descendants Book 1) Page 3