Vows And Veil

Oh, You Heartless Bastard

In the shroud of darkness, their carriages stood idle for but a brief moment before their journey resumed. As the coachman conveyed news of their onward passage, a surge of panic seized her. Her gaze fell upon the vacant expanse of the carriage. Gerald had not returned. "We must tarry, for Prince Gerald is yet to return," she declared, her concern echoing through the night.

The coachman, in deference, bowed before offering reassurance, "Your Highness, Prince Gerald now resides within another carriage." His words, though respectful, only deepened the chasm of solitude. "Is there anything you desire before we press on?" he inquired.

Adelaide, her throat constricted with emotion, shook her head in silence. With a final bow, the coachman resumed the journey, leaving Adelaide to solitude within the carriage. Yet, she found solace therein, allowing tears to flow unrestrained until they arrived at the port, where the vessel destined for Bromid awaited their embarkation. She did not weep for abandonment, but for the solitude, the lack of affection, and the shame she anticipated enduring henceforth. Her tears flowed for the life she had departed in Lovaria and the prospect of the life awaiting her in Adorea.

As the sun breathed life into the sky, they arrived at the port where a ship awaited to carry Adelaide and her new family to the borders of Bromid. Though tales of the Kingdom of Bromid had reached her ears, Adelaide had never set foot there. Indeed, she had never ventured beyond the confines of Lovaria. Her dreams of travel had always been adorned with joy and freedom, yet today, she found herself constrained by the chains of a false marriage.

Upon reaching the port, all carriages arrived in unison. Adelaide disembarked alone, her solitude not lost upon Princess Sophia. Casting a glance around, Sophia spied Gerald nonchalantly alighting from another carriage, his actions betraying no hint of the abandonment he had inflicted upon his new bride. Anger simmered within Sophia as she met Adelaide's gaze, her eyes reddened and swollen, a stark testament to the tears she had shed.

"This man, I swear," Sophia muttered angrily under her breath. Her voice, a mere whisper, carried only to the ears of her bodyguard, Zach, stationed behind her. Zachary, however, remained oblivious to Sophia's thoughts. Following her gaze, he discerned her ire directed towards her younger brother.

"He may bear the title of a man, but his actions speak of immaturity," Sophia lamented with palpable disappointment. Observing the distance between Gerald and Adelaide, Zachary deduced that Sophia's indignation stemmed from her brother's abandonment of Adelaide in the carriage.

Gerald's behavior did not come as a surprise to Zachary, though it did evoke a sense of disillusionment. Yet, their camaraderie mattered little in this moment. Zachary, as a mere guard, recognized the divide between his station and Gerald's princely status. There was little he could do or say to sway Gerald's actions, so he remained dutifully behind Princess Sophia, steadfast in his resolve to overlook the familial discord.

Sophia couldn't bear the thought of Adelaide feeling abandoned by the entire family. While Gerald engaged in conversation with Fredrick, her parents had already been ushered onto the ship. Determined to offer comfort, Sophia resolved to stay by Adelaide's side for the remainder of the journey home. It saddened her deeply that no one in her family extended kindness to Adelaide, who, in Sophia's eyes, was as much a victim as her own younger brother.

With a heavy heart and a gentle smile, Sophia shook her head in disappointment before making her way to Adelaide, Zachary trailing behind her faithfully.

In the corner stood Fredrick, rigid, hands clasped behind his back, accompanied by Gerald. With a heavy sigh, Fredrick addressed his younger brother, his tone stern, "Regardless of your perspective, Gerald, your actions were misguided. Leaving her alone in the carriage was a lapse in judgment. Father will not take kindly to this news." Despite the reprimand, Gerald showed no remorse, merely arching an eyebrow and stifling a smirk.