by Nina Walker
“For an exhibition? It hardly seems worth hours of effort.”
“Oh, but remember Richard announced there would be a surprise?” Lars jumped on. “Trust me, honey, you’re going to want to look perfect for this. Now, we’ll step out so you can take a shower. No offense, but you stink.”
“Wow, thanks,” I grumbled, shooing them from the area that they’d already taken over with their stuff. I probably did stink. I’d danced until midnight and then stumbled back to the dorm to crash in bed.
“Don’t forget to shave your legs.” Lainey waved at me, winked, and shut the door with a kissy face.
Dread filled me, as I suspected this extra-special surprise would mean the end of my freedom. There was nothing to be done about it now. The shower welcomed me, and as the warm water fell, I allowed my tears to fall, too. Soon, I would have to step out of this shower, and when I did, my tears wouldn’t be allowed any longer.
The hairdo was the biggest clue.
The top had been braided back expertly into two loose fishtail braids that met at the back where I usually put my ponytail. Down the back, Lars had somehow managed to curl and braid everything together in such a way it reminded me of a Viking Queen. It was incredible, and he was right, it took hours. Finally, he twisted in glittery, white rhinestone pins down the length.
Lainey hadn’t gone for the natural look, like at the last exhibition. She’d given me perfect cat eyes with just the right amount of smoky eye shadow on top. My lips were painted a matte rose color that matched the blush on my cheeks. She called it “ballet slipper pink” and I had to agree. She highlighted my nose and cheeks with pale white shimmer and finished off the look with huge fake eyelashes. I had worn false lashes plenty of times for dance performances in the past, but they always felt strange and heavy. Today was no different. I stared at my transformed appearance.
I still looked like me, so that was good news. But I also looked so much older. It was as if the two had taken an eraser to all my imperfections and to every bit of me that made me look seventeen. I looked at least twenty-five now, like a woman who knew exactly what she wanted in life and just how to get it.
I laughed at the thought.
“Is everything okay, honey?” Lainey asked.
I smiled and lied through my teeth. “It’s perfect.”
As they finished up, my mind wandered back to Dad. I hoped he was okay. I’d tried to reach out through our telepathy, but I wasn’t able to connect that far. I would keep trying. Ever since it was discovered that Dad was missing, I’d expected some kind of retaliation. There hadn’t been anything. Not yet. Faulk hadn’t even interviewed me. She’d been so absent from my life lately, it was a little odd, but I wasn’t complaining. Richard never said a word about Dad to me, either. Lucas had said nobody was blaming me for his disappearance. They suspected that he’d simply used the opportunity of the chaotic fire to run and was in hiding somewhere. That he’d left because he didn’t want to be used as collateral against me. It didn’t take a genius to assume that. It was true.
“Now for the jewelry!” Lars clapped and removed a diamond necklace from a black velvet jewelry box. He took off my alchemy necklace and replaced it with this imposter. It sparkled brilliantly and ended with a huge teardrop diamond at the hollow of my neck.
He winked. “It’s real.”
My breath caught as I stared at what could only be royal jewels. More dread spread through me, more worry about what was coming next.
Then he pulled something else out of his bag, a delicate diamond tiara, and fastened it to the top of my head. A pin poked my scalp and my eyes watered.
“Ouch!”
“Sorry, girl. Price of beauty, and all that.”
“Okay, what’s going on?” I asked. My fingers had gone numb, and my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest. Really, there was no question. I already knew.
“Haven’t figured it out yet?” Lainey squealed. “We’re not allowed to tell you about the surprise but that doesn’t mean you can’t guess.”
“No,” I whispered. “No way, he wouldn’t.”
Oh yes, he totally would.
“Come,” Lars said, wagging his finger at me. “It’s time to put on your dress.”
I stood on shaky legs and followed them back into the bedroom. The dress hung over the closet door, posted there like a warrant. I recognized it immediately and winced. The tailor had measured me for it only a few weeks ago. Shining brilliant white underneath, with fragile lace covering every inch, it fell to the floor in a wide train, the lace just peeking out over the edge.
Even I had to admit it, my wedding dress was stunning.
“I’m not getting married next week. I’m getting married tonight,” I said, accepting the truth. I took several deep breaths. They didn’t help. The panic began to crawl up my neck, gripping. The heaviness of the diamond necklace, a noose. The ring on my finger, a promise. The tiara perched atop of my head, a cage.
“Yes, you are,” Lainey said. “I just knew you’d love this surprise! Now, let’s get you dressed. Your groom is waiting for you.”
And so was my entire future.
The second I stepped from my room I was faced with cameras. They were everywhere, and more than ever before, as if they’d multiplied.
“Jessa, how are you feeling?” A man shouted from behind one of them.
I smiled, knowing these cameras wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while. What did I expect? This was a public event for the beginning of what would be a very public life.
“I’m so excited,” I gushed, running my hands along my dress.
“Are you happy about the surprise?”
“I couldn’t be more pleased.” I stared into the camera, my reflection shining back to me in the lens. “I want to thank Richard for this day. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay him, but I promise to find a way.”
A barrage of security swept me away.
I wasn’t brought into the palace ballroom. That plan had all been a ruse. Instead, I was whisked into a town car and driven to the oldest church in the capitol city. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral may have been the oldest building in the kingdom, considering so many of others were deemed too patriotic and torn down decades ago. Out with the old, in with the new. There weren’t many practicing Catholics left in New Colony, and as far as I knew, this church was used strictly for weddings and funerals. But then again, I wasn’t religious. How would I know? Religion was a freedom we had in New Colony, but it just wasn’t something people were fanatical about. There were too many reasons for us to stay in line.
As we pulled to the curb, I watched the guards and Royal Officers as they swarmed the area. There weren’t many citizens here to gawk, as I’d been expecting and like I’d seen in the old footage of other royal weddings. That was probably because the wedding happening today would be a surprise for them, too. Maybe this earlier wedding day was Richard’s way of making sure it happened exactly as he wanted. A surprise for everyone else but him.
I climbed out the car, struggling with the tight dress and its long train. A cacophony of people instantly surrounded me, like moths to the flame. My heart hammered, and my breathing picked up, making my dress feel ten times tighter than it had back in my bedroom. Someone handed me a bouquet of white roses, bound in shiny white ribbon. I’d specifically chosen blush pink and pale green for my colors. But looking down at myself and my flowers, everything that touched my body in any way was completely white.
I swallowed a shuddering breath, frowning at the genius of it. Just another one of Richard’s tactics to keep me from going off-script.
Keep her dressed in white.
Keep her magic inside.
I bit my lip and lifted the flowers to my nose briefly, relaxing in the rose scent. Catching me off guard, not alerting the public ahead of time, what else would King Richard have up his sleeve? He must have been convinced I was going to mess this up somehow, to go to all the trouble.
I wasn’t convinced I st
ill wouldn’t.
Or maybe he was just trying to throw off anyone with plans to assassinate the royal family during such a public event. Maybe this was all for my protection.
The cathedral loomed ahead. As a kid, I’d loved to study its uniqueness in the city, always picking it out from the modern buildings when my family had come downtown. Now, it would forever be remembered as my wedding location.
It was large, but not as big as I’d pictured. Composed of gray and sandstone bricks, it had gothic-inspired arched doorways and windows. Perfectly manicured hedges lined either side. New state-of-the-art buildings surrounded the cathedral, making it stand out as a gem even more.
The air wrapped around me, still and cold. My usually pale arms turned pink. I shivered and peered up at the large circular stained-glass window embedded above the entrance, trying unsuccessfully to count the number of geometric shapes. Anything to focus on but the reality of the moment.
“Time to go,” someone said in my ear.
The ornate crimson front door beckoned to me.
It’s going to be okay. This is just a necessary evil to get closer to the King. And it’s not like Lucas is going to make you behave as a real wife would. Right?
It was a question that flipped my insides upside-down.
The nerves raged unbearably as I stepped into the church, my sparkly heels clicking against the stone floor. A string quartet played the standard bridal chorus, the music filling the space. A room brimming with people stood and turned in my direction, their gazes heavy as they stared. Someone whispered “now” in my ear, and then Richard slid in to take my arm and walk me down the aisle.
My heart froze. It should have been Dad. None of this was right. If it was right, then Dad would be escorting me down the aisle at my wedding, not this awful imposter who made my skin crawl.
I smiled sweetly despite the angry pit in my stomach. Along the edges of my vision, Color Guardians lined the walls. They stood at attention, manipulating magic in their hands that swirled out and over the crowd. The stunning sparkling colors of sea foam, cobalt blue, lavender, magenta, honey orange, and canary yellow danced around the room. It was magnifying. Stunning.
And absolutely the perfect touch for a wedding between a prince and an alchemist. Just like at the other two exhibitions, the cameras zoomed about the space to catch it all.
Tilting my head, I saw him. Prince Lucas. Lucas to me, and yet to the rest of the world, he was a prince. Today he looked the part, dressed in fine maroon and cream regalia to match the title. Atop of his head, a gold crown, inlaid with pearls, rubies, and diamonds. It was a smaller one than the monstrosity I could see Richard wearing out of the corner of my eye.
We began to walk forward.
The closer I got, the more Lucas’s eyes shone. They narrowed on me with a mix of shock and intensity in their gray depths. Love and pain and regret and hope and everything in between flashed across his face as I moved closer with each step. Lately, he’d been so good at covering his feelings, at shadowing his truth. But seeing him now, I knew he loved me. I knew he was sorry and heartbroken. That he’d nearly given up but so desperately didn’t want to give up.
Maybe he didn’t want to control me. Maybe he just wanted my forgiveness.
Could I forgive him?
I still didn’t feel ready. As I walked toward him, my chest ached with the knowledge, and I hated myself for it. I wanted to. I wanted to be with him, to love him, to forget about our past and move forward. But the betrayal burned bright, brighter than ever with Richard on my arm instead of my own beloved father. Things could have been different for me and Lucas. They should have been different.
Richard deposited me in front of his son, then moved to the side.
“You are so beautiful,” Lucas’s voice cracked as he said the words. Then he took my hand and together we faced the priest.
I didn’t pay attention to a word the solemn and elderly man said as he officiated, but when the time came, Lucas said, “I do.” And I said it, too.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
The priest’s crackly voice rose over the congregation. Lucas and I leaned in at the same time. I expected to recoil at his kiss after all the anger I’d been holding inside. But instead, I fell into his lips as I always had. I breathed him in and a peaceful calm settled over me. I’d missed that. Missed him.
It was possible that we were going to be all right. Maybe he wasn’t going to turn out like his father. Yes, our love had changed, and we’d probably not be the most romantic couple in the world, but I hoped we’d be able to find mutual respect. Maybe that would transform into something more, something beautiful.
I was relieved, having decided on a place to start.
Respect.
As we strode back down the aisle, hands clasped together and smiling faces beaming back at us, I soon realized the night was far from over. Richard announced that we’d be going back to the palace for a dinner, reception, and dancing.
This time, we rode together in the armored black car. Lucas held my hand softly in his as he explained that he’d had no idea about the surprise wedding, either. He insisted that he wasn’t okay about being deceived but looking at him, he didn’t seem all that perturbed.
“Are you happy to be married to me?” he suddenly asked with a hopeful expression. A stab of guilt jabbed at me.
I held my breath for a moment. If it was respect I wanted, I needed to start with the truth. “I’m not unhappy about it,” I said, my lips twisting as I tried to think of how to explain what I was feeling.
His face dropped slightly, and that familiar shadow overtook him: that shadow not as anger, or as frustration, but as heartbreak.
“It’s not like that,” I said. “Will you hear me out?”
He peered up at me and nodded. The sunlight caught the planes of his face, accentuating his jaw, and I nearly pulled him in for a kiss. I was so attracted to this man, and yet, so conflicted; I hardly knew how to handle myself.
This man is your husband.
I took a deep breath and explained. “After how we got engaged, not the first time but the official time, I thought I would have to be dragged down that aisle kicking and screaming. I was so mad at you, Lucas. You know that. And I can’t say I’m totally over it because I’m not. I don’t know if I ever will be.”
He waited for me to go on, squeezing my hand once. His warm palms sent relief through me.
“I have to admit.” I bit my lip, a little embarrassed. “I’m glad you didn’t marry Celia. And I think maybe with time, we might be able to build something again. I can’t stop thinking about what you did for me that day of the fire.” I was talking about my dad, but with no purple near, I couldn’t make the telepathic connection. He nodded in understanding. “And about how you went into that fire looking for me,” I continued. “I know you care about me. I do.”
Silence stretched between us.
“I can work with that.” He smiled faintly.
We turned to face forward, and I leaned into him. He stilled for a moment, then placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head.
We pulled into the palace drive and were met with even more cameras. They escorted us into our reception in the main ballroom. It was decked out with white crystals that hung in long strings from the ceilings. White tablecloths were laid over the round tables with rose-flowered centerpieces standing tall in their centers, in the exact shades of pink and green I’d picked with the wedding planner.
The night flew by in a frenzy of food and dancing and talking with nearly everyone I’d ever met in the palace and a few more of the King’s closest confidants and families. Even Celia and her parents attended the reception, ignoring the hostile glares people shot their way. They congratulated us on the marriage and left early.
After a few hours of everything, I had to admit, I was starting to get into it. I found myself relaxing, and my cheeks were beginning to ache from all the smiling. Lucas held me in his arms while we danced, my head resting
on his shoulder, his face tilted in, breath tickling my ear.
“Are you happy yet?”
I chuckled, teasing. “I guess you could say this feeling is happiness.”
I leaned back a little to catch the expression on his face. “Are you happy?”
He nodded once, eyes flicking to my lips. “Yes.”
“Oh, you two.” Richard stepped in right next to us, snapping us from the moment. “Aren’t you a picture?” Lucas still held me as we turned to the King. “You remind me of me and your Mother.” His face darkened, pain flickering across it. The crown on his head was a little off-kilter, the red around his eyes a little too noticeable. “We used to be like this, you know? Young, in love, the world at our doorstep…”
Lucas sniffed and furrowed his brow. Richard seemed a tad too drunk, a rare sight, and more than a little unsettling.
“I miss her, too,” Lucas said, voice careful.
Richard’s face twisted, eyes landing on me. “But we have you now.” The words came out sharp, sounding like a threat. “Better do as you’re told, Princess. This isn’t a game.”
Then he stalked away, party guests stumbling out of his way. A prickly doubt coursed through me as Lucas and I continued to dance; the earlier happiness washed away.
A few minutes later, Richard issued more reminders of the truth.
He’d found the microphone, and his voice bellowed out over the crowd. “Friends and esteemed guests, thanks again for coming tonight. I want to congratulate the happy couple.”
Lucas and I turned from our dance to Richard, the crowd parting in an arc as they clapped. We stood in the center of the dance floor, the King on the other end.
“This marks the beginning of not just a loving couple’s life together, but the beginning of a new era for the Heart family. Jessa and Lucas have united the Royal Family with the alchemists, making our kingdom even more powerful.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Lucas’s arm, draped around my side, grew tighter as his father continued.
