Eternally, I Do

Chapter 13: Eternally Beloved

“Dearly beloved,” the bishop started in an excited, but slightly wavering voice. “We are gathered here today…”

Our surroundings turned into a hazy blur and all I could process was the guy standing next to me. The bishop’s incoherent mumble dissolved as I stared into King Stefan’s amber eyes. There was an unseen willing force which pulled me to him and to accept my fate. I shifted uncomfortably and felt his grip tightening around my hand. He was strong. ‘Don’t fight me’, an echo crossed my mind.

I blinked and turned to him where he stood soundless, facing the bishop with a hidden smile. Not again, I sighed, irritated.

Intelligence twinkled in those golden orbs as he read my mind. ‘If you can hear me, let me go’. My stomach twisted with a sickening feeling and I felt his hand gave mine a gentle squeeze. I was trapped. Hopeless trapped. I couldn’t move and no one is going to help me. I am going to die here and no one is going to know. ‘I promise to make you happy’, King Stefan breathed into my mind, his whisper caressing my uneasiness softly.

The bishop cleared his throat loudly and the King tore his stare away from me. “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully, wedded wife?” the bishop asked. Lawfully, right. My foot! This is obviously a kidnap and a forced assault of an unwilling victim.

King Stefan turned back to me and looking straight into my eyes, he said, “Eternally, I do.”

‘Now, you are mine and I am yours forever’, he whispered in my mind and with a smile, he took my hand. Unwillingly, an unknown force made me turn to face him. Narrowing my eyes, I tried to twist and bend against the force but it only exhausts me. “I am so not going to marry you!” I screamed, finally finding my voice. The corners of his mouth twitched and tugged upwards and I could feel his amusement, his mind connected to mine. Annoyed, I screamed in my head, ‘GET OUT OF MY MIND!’

‘Darling, please don’t be like this. You are only upsetting yourself,’ he replied and I could sense the hint of sarcasm in it. The bishop shut his ancient book and announced loudly, “You may kiss the bride.” The crowd burst into applause and I turned to my newly-wedded husband, his face filled with affection as I mingled with fear.

‘You will never be alone. I will cherish you in this endless eternity,’ he whispered softly in my mind as he pulled me into his embrace, crushing me against his frame. I wanted to protest loudly, but for some reason, my body reacted strongly against his hold, as if it had accepted it, wanting it, needing it.

My hand couldn’t help but feel the warmth and hardness of his chest, the muscles hidden underneath his shirt. Gently, he caught my chin and lifted it up to meet my eyes. He leaned down and softly grazed his lips against mine before whispering softly, “Forgive me.” His head dropped to my shoulders and nuzzled my neck, his hair tickling my sensitive skin teasingly. I didn’t know what he meant by that but a nagging feeling arose in the pits of my stomach, as if warning me of something that was happening. And when I felt his grip tightening around my waist, I knew that my guesses were right.

Pressing a kiss down my neck, he whispered again, “Please forgive me.” I opened my mouth to ask what was happening but I gasped instead, pain exploding in my neck as I felt the King of Darkness’ teeth tore through my skin.

~◊~

I was drifting in a dark, peaceful haze somewhere in between the living and the dead. I opened my eyes and found out that I was in that room where Keane and Caspar had made their bargain. But this time, there were no chairs and there were no floors. Just an emptiness of a void.

I looked up and my eyes met the same onyx, black ceiling, only this time, the blue flame reflected in my chest had dimmed drastically. It made perfect sense now. The glowing brightness of the blue flame inside of me represented my life where there were none in Keane and Caspar as they were already of the dead.  However, my flame was weak and I could feel it dimming as I felt my mortality slipped away from me. There was a part of me, call it intuition, which told me that I was dying.