Page 31 of Kingdom of Lies

“To the end of my days and beyond,” he says, squeezing my hand. And for a moment, I feel like he means it.

He turns toward me and my heart feels like it’s going to leap up my throat. "And Kathleen, do you take Draknir as your own, to honor and cherish, forsaking all others, for all eternity?"

"I...I do." My voice trembles but I meet Draknir's gaze unflinchingly.

This is our leap of faith.

Just as Draknir is about to kiss me, the temple doors slam open. A group of imposing dark elves stride in, led by a severe-looking man with cold eyes. Draknir's body tenses in front of me.

"Seize him! The wedding must not proceed!" the leader barks. His men move toward us menacingly.

Draknir swiftly pushes me behind him in protection. "You are not welcome here. Leave at once!" he commands, eyes blazing.

The intruder sneers. "We have come to bring Draknir to his true bride. This farce ends now!"

I reel in shock. True bride? Was this Draknir's motive all along? Before I can react, Captain Hayes storms over furiously.

"How dare you disrupt this sacred ceremony! Remove yourselves immediately or face consequences," the captain thunders.

"Continue with the ceremony!" Captain Hayes commands sharply.

Draknir turns to me and cups my face in his hands. Before I can react, his mouth claims mine in a searing, passionate kiss. All the fear and chaos evaporate, replaced by an intoxicating rush of desire. I cling to him, moaning softly as our tongues meet. My knees nearly buckle from the intensity.

We break apart, both breathing hard. Vaguely I hear someone say we’re not really mates. The gravity of those words cuts through the haze.

I am now Draknir's, irreversibly until death.

But he is not wholly mine – a part of his heart remains locked away.

18

DRAKNIR

As the wedding ceremony concludes, I am livid with anger and betrayal at the intrusion of these outsiders. How dare they disrupt such a sacred and intimate ritual?

With righteous fury, I shout, “You should be captured and punished for this audacity. This is my wedding day!”

“Morta,” a tall, pale-skinned elf sneers. “This guy really thinks he can capture and punish us.”

Mora, a menacing figure who appears to be the leader of the group, blusters and boasts, his voice dripping with threats. "Do you not know who sent us here? It was your own esteemed father! And yet you have the nerve to imprison his envoy?"

His words only fuel my rage, as I vow to make them pay for their insolence and disrespect towards our traditions. A sneer curls my lip as I scoff at his words. "He is no family of mine," I spit out, the bitterness dripping from my voice. "And nothing excuses interrupting a wedding. I am well within my rights to have them arrested."

With a snap of my fingers, my loyal men spring into action to drag the intruders away. As I watch them disappear from the venue, a dark satisfaction settles in my chest. Captain Hayes follows close behind them, looking concerned.

Before I can even take a moment to breathe and process the recent events, Captain Hayes returns with Morta and the rest.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“We can’t hold them.” He reluctantly informs me that, despite our best efforts, the powerful nobles have demanded that we release the prisoners. “We received a letter from a powerful Duke, Draknir. We have to set them free.”

I feel a sense of defeat wash over me as I realize that their influence is too great for us to resist.

Shortly after release, Morta, with his seemingly ever-present smugness, begins to question the abruptness of this marriage between myself and Kathleen. His sharp eyes pick up on suspicious details that only add fuel to his accusations. "Even cursory investigation shows that you had no lover prior to this," he sneers. "This must be some sort of ploy or manipulation." He seems to take great joy in contradicting me. As if this is all just a big game.

A game he doesn’t often lose, if his freedom from jail is any indication.

“Some of us know the meaning of the word discreet.” My anger rises at his insinuations but I hold my tongue, knowing that any response would only further incriminate me in his eyes. I glare at him stonily. "My reasons for such discretion are none of your concern. The ceremony is complete and cannot be annulled."

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