Page 11 of Façade

I’d witnessed a few marriages of distant relations or prominent members of the court whose ceremonies had required my presence, but nothing prepared me for experiencing it for myself, especially midst these circumstances. The royal priest had us clasp hands and face one another. Prince Ryland’s grip felt uncertain as his fingers wove with mine, and my own hold remained loose.

The priest then held up the amulet that was an essential feature of every kingdom’s wedding ceremony and one of the few enchanted objects found beyond Estoria’s borders. It radiated a faint magical glow that captured my gaze and tugged my attention from the ceremony and the promises I was to make.

The enchanted light pulsed with every word the royal priest solemnly spoke. The magic seeped from the amulet to caress our skin, an almost familiar feeling despite it having been absent throughout my magical studies. Yet in this moment it felt a part of me, like the return of a long-forgotten friend, a familiarity I had no explanation for.

Contrary to my own familiarity with the feeling, Prince Ryland sucked in a sharp breath the moment the magic grazed our skin—a warm, tingly feeling that encircled our clasped hands as if to connect us. The fear I’d fought to suppress grew at the unsettling thought; it took considerable effort not to withdraw my hand from his and sever this unwanted connection.

Oblivious to my desires, the ceremony continued with an endlessness that caused my mind to wander, only returning to the present with an abrupt jolt when I noticed everyone staring at me. Realizing I’d missed an essential part of the ceremony, I hastily blinked. “Pardon?”

Prince Ryland frowned in disapproval but said nothing.

“It’s time for your vows, Princess Evelyn,” the royal priest said kindly.

“Of course.” I silently chided myself for allowing my mind to wander during such an essential time. Mistakes were detrimental with so much at stake.

Annoyance tightened the prince’s expression but he remained silent, his desire for my powers apparently enough to enhance his patience my lack of attention might have otherwise caused to falter.

“I, Evelyn of Estoria, now make my vows to my husband, Prince Ryland of Brimoire.”

I omitted the title of Princess to ensure the legality of this marriage and to eliminate any potential loophole the prince might later use to annul our marriage when my identity as the decoy was inevitably discovered. By his unwavering expression, he didn’t seem to notice.

“I promise to be true to you and uphold our union from this day forward, to love and cherish you, no matter the trials we face together.”

My voice wavered, but otherwise I maintained my fragile poise. Apparently Prince Ryland had given his vows while my mind had wandered, but I didn’t care that I’d missed them; if anything, doing so had likely spared me from inappropriately expressing my disgust at his insincerity.

I only came to myself when Prince Ryland turned to me. “I vow to be true to my vows and our marriage.” Each word was stiff and shrouded in insincerity. How could he make such a vow to be true to his wife with his current plans to exploit me and my supposed powers?

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to remain calm. “I vow to be true to my vows and our marriage,” I echoed, the scripted promise poison on my tongue. These final words sealed the magical chain each word of the ceremony had forged between us, connecting us forever and preventing any escape from our union.

The thought caused the fear to return, an emotion for a moment I thought I also glimpsed in my new husband’s eyes. But what reason did he have to be afraid? I doubted he secretly yearned for a love match, nor did he have any reason to be wary of marrying someone who was effectively his kingdom’s enemy, yet I detected the emotion all the same.

I hastily tucked my own reservations firmly behind my mask. Like him, I’d pretend all was well, even as it felt as if my entire world had fallen apart.

Even after the magic uncurled itself from our hands to fade back into the glowing amulet, its presence lingered, this time not just encircling our hands but seeping inside to burrow deep into my soul to stirsomethingfrom its deep slumber. The riddle ofwhatdistracted me for the remainder of the ceremony, providing a welcome reprieve from the royal priest’s expressions of the love and joy found in marriage, words that were too beautiful to apply to a marriage that was nothing more than a façade.

“May you both find joy in your newfound life together,” the royal priest concluded.

Joy?Such a sentiment couldn’t possibly exist in a marriage of treachery. Instead all I felt was…emptiness. It took every ounce of willpower to resist the snort aching to escape, leaving me little willpower to prevent myself from rolling my eyes. By Prince Ryland’s own widening gaze, he’d unfortunately noticed the gesture. Drat.

I tried to soften my rudeness with a tight smile. “I’m sure we’ll find great happiness together.”

He sighed with an expression that made me wonder if he was tempted to roll his own eyes. Our gazes briefly met and I lifted my brows in challenge. To my surprise, his lips twitched as if aching to smile, despite there being nothing to smile about now that we were stuck together, a scenario he seemed to view with as much enthusiasm as I did. Yet even with these unideal circumstances, he did something entirely unexpected: he winked.

For a moment I could only stare, wondering if I’d mistaken what I thought I’d seen. “Pardon?”

In an instant the hint of mischief had vanished, leaving behind his usual rigid expression. “Forgive me.” He offered me his arm to escort me from the chapel, only pausing to receive congratulations and good wishes from Crown Prince Lucian and the attending priests.

I scarcely heard them, my mind puzzling over that unexpected wink that felt entirely out of place. What could have been its purpose? Winks were something that were exchanged between friends or lovers flirting, and Prince Ryland was neither.

Yet in a sense we were…comradesof a sort, embarking on a treacherous journey neither of us wanted to be on. And while Prince Ryland’s schemes against my kingdom made him firmly my enemy, part of me welcomed the idea that in this sense we were on the same side, a rather strange thought.

And so our arranged marriage began. No amount of princess training could prepare me for the tumultuous waters that lay ahead, yet I’d be required to navigate them regardless…for the sake of Estoria and the purpose I desperately sought.

CHAPTER5

RYLAND

And so it had begun. I took several deep breaths to steady my resolve before concentrating on my expression reflected in the looking glass. Though I’d grown accustomed to the serious mask duty dictated I wear, it still required great effort to tuck all emotion away. It was yet another burden as prince I was expected to bear, all to support my father the king and my brother the crown prince.

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