The Bastard

Chapter 5

The wedding was to be celebrated with a lavish ball. Having sent invitations to the neighboring kingdoms, Alan immersed himself into the preparations, marveling at the sheer number of details required for the festivities. A royal wedding was beyond the lavishness of the most lavish celebrations, so Melissa's wedding to Rick went relatively unnoticed. Alan suspected he'd further fueled Melissa's hatred, but Rick chuckled good-naturedly and waved away his timid apologies, "Melissa, like any woman, wants to shine, that's normal, Alan. Plus, she's very ambitious. She only wanted to marry Hardy because she wanted to be first lady of the kingdom, even though she loved me. She'll get used to it. She's a good girl, just a bit feisty, and I hope you two will get along in time."

"And it didn't bother you that she wanted to marry Hardy?" Alan looked at Rick in surprise, but Rick sighed, "Of course, it did, Alan. Loving someone with your whole being means you embrace them just as they are, with both their strengths and weaknesses. She's a good person at heart, just brought up the wrong way by her mother. Amanda Lear was overly concerned with status, implanting false values in her children's heads, for which she paid for with her son's death. Now that Melissa is away from her mother, she's changing gradually, embracing real values. Everything will be okay, I'm sure of it. Do you love Hardy?"

"I'm not sure," Alan stammered, averting his eyes from Rick's probing gaze, feeling a sense of embarrassment. "I'm very attracted to him. I also may be in love..."

"That's great, I am happy for you. He cannot imagine living without you. I hope that with time, you'll come to love him just as deeply." Rick squeezed his shoulder. "Take care of your happiness, Alan, it's a fragile thing. Listen to your heart."

The royal families of all four kingdoms arrived for the wedding, impressive in their appearance and dress and the pomp with which they arrived. Some went in long processions, flaunting their wealth, scattering gold coins into the crowd. And the people of Arania were delighted, reconciled to the king's marriage. Alan stood in a white camisole adorned with filigree lace and jewels, head held proudly high, prepared to be ostracized by other royal families who knew no such disgrace as marriage to a bastard. Tenderly holding his hand, Hardy interlaced their fingers while graciously greeting each guest, eloquently articulating the necessary social pleasantries. Alan echoed him in the same polite manner and exhaled faintly in relief as the guests retreated to their seats.

The last to enter the throne room were the Hannians, led by Imreta Lianor, Queen of Hania. She stepped majestically in front of her retinue. Similar to Alan, she had golden curls intertwined with strands of pearls, fair skin, and a slender frame, however, she looked at the world not with blue eyes but with light gray, icy ones. Alan bowed his head and was about to say the customary greetings, as he froze in shock. In the retinue of thin, graceful, brightly dressed Hannians, the imposing figure and solemn mourning dress of his stepmother, Amanda Lear, stood out. An impending thunderstorm was in the air, but it was not her who wielded the lightning, but Imreta, who announced loudly, "Greetings King Hardy Rune of Arania and... King Alan Lianor of Hania."

All the courtiers signed in shock, Hardy, pushed Alan behind his back, and stepped forward, clenching his fists as if he wanted to shut Queen Imreta up. She smiled coldly, comprehending his desire, and gestured to Amanda, who continued on behind her and presented a scroll, "My sister-in-law, Malia Lear, was not kidnapped by the Hannian king Rurk Lianor, but fled with him willingly and entered into a secret marriage with him that only a narrow circle knew about. Rurk Lianor dissolved his marriage to his wife Dana in order to marry Malia. Malia Lianor gave birth prematurely to Alan Lianor, the future king of Hania, and died in agony upon learning of her husband's death. In order not to plunge the kingdoms into an unnecessary long war and to save my nephew from death, my husband gave him away as his bastard. I was going to tell him when Alan Lianor came of age, but I didn't have a chance to tell him," Amanda grinned at the pale Hardy, avenging her son's death with a wicked grin, enjoying the sadness on his face.