Page 49 of Beholden
As the excited whispers and murmurs increased around the room, the queen would be left with no choice but to allow Vilmar the opportunity to fight Grendel. The people were looking for a hero, someone to rescue them from the monster. She couldn’t deny them this chance, not without making herself look calloused and unconcerned.
As if coming to the same conclusion, the queen bowed her head to Vilmar. “My guests here tonight shall be our witnesses.”
“If I lose, my country cannot take revenge. So long as you grant me one wish...”
The queen lifted her head and met Vilmar’s gaze levelly. Her eyes were cold and would have made any other person shiver in fear. “And what wish is that, Your Highness?”
“You will allow me to choose a bride from amongst these fair maidens and marry her before going to fight.”
At his declaration, my breath caught in my lungs. A bride? Did he mean me? But how could he? I was no longer a wealthy heiress with a substantial dowry. Even if I regained my riches from the duchess—which was doubtful—I didn’t belong to a family of importance who could provide a political alliance for Scania. In fact, I was a nobody with nothing. Surely his country would disapprove of him taking me as a bride.
“If you live,” the queen said contemptuously, “you will be made king and will have a royal bride chosen for you.”
“By agreeing to fight the berserker, I earn the right to choose my own bride.”
She paused for several heartbeats. “The law in our country states a maiden must reach the age of twenty before being allowed to marry. Therefore, you cannot marry any woman present tonight, not until she reaches the legal age.”
“Very well. Then we shall become betrothed.”
The queen opened her mouth as if to argue with Vilmar further. Then she shrugged. “If that is what you wish, who am I to convince you otherwise?”
“Then let all the people here testify to our agreement.”
“Very well.”
Vilmar’s instructions from earlier—especially those having to do with Ty taking me to Scania—made more sense in light of the revelation that he was a prince. Whether he won or lost the battle with Grendel, he wanted to offer me a safe future, and what better way than to become married or betrothed? Perhaps he was worried the queen would never allow me to have my freedom, not if there was a chance I could reveal the secret ingredient of her alchemy.
But the queen didn’t know my father had told me the secret, did she?
As if I’d spoken aloud, the queen’s attention shifted to me and her eyes narrowed. “Prince Vilmar, you have danced with only one maiden this night. Is Lady Haleigh your choice of a bride?”
The crowds around me parted, and all eyes came to rest upon me, including Vilmar’s. Gone was the tenderness and affection from moments ago. Instead, his expression was as regal and haughty as the queen’s. “Yes, she is the one.”
“Step forward, Lady Haleigh.” The queen beckoned me with one of her bejeweled hands. “We shall have the betrothal ceremony this very instant before the hour grows too late.”
My objection rose but lodged in my throat. I didn’t want to agree to Vilmar’s plans, but if this was what I must do to destroy Grendel and the queen’s yearly sacrifice, then I must endeavor to stay strong.
As one of the queen’s priests made his way down the staircase, I approached Vilmar, my steps hesitant. I thought I’d known this handsome man, but he’d withheld so much of who he really was from me. What else hadn’t he told me?
But even as I battled mistrust, my own deception unveiled before me. I was hypocritical. I’d been less than honest with him about my intention to fight Grendel. How could I condemn him for not saying anything to me about being a prince when I’d withheld so much? If he was participating in some kind of testing to determine his worthiness in becoming the next king, perhaps he’d been bound to secrecy regarding his identity.
As I took my place next to Vilmar, he held himself rigidly and stared straight ahead. I did likewise, already missing the closeness and sweetness we’d shared when we danced. The queen remained at the balcony, while the priest took his place in front of us. He uttered a short prayer, read a Scripture verse, and then joined our right hands.
With Vilmar’s fingers holding mine, I wanted to believe this was somehow real, that he loved me enough to promise me forever. But the reality was, he’d brought up marriage as a means of rescuing me from a dire predicament. Nothing more. After all, hadn’t he told me back at the mine that he was in no position to make promises to any woman, no matter how much he’d grown to care about her?
Vilmar repeated his vow after the priest. “In the name of our Lord, I, Prince Vilmar, promise that I will one day take thee as my wife, according to the ordinances of God and the holy church.”
I repeated my vow, and then the priest placed the cross from his necklace on top of our hands and bound them together with the leather string. “We here bear witness to thy solemn proposal, and I declare thee betrothed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
The priest unwrapped the strap, stood back, and made the sign of the cross. “You may seal your vow with a kiss.”
Vilmar shifted slightly, hesitantly. I guessed he was having second thoughts about this betrothal. It was legally binding and could not be broken except for an annulment. If he survived the terrible fight ahead, I would grant him the annulment. I wanted him to know that, but I could not say that now.
Instead, I lifted my face, giving him access to the required kiss.
His gaze landed full upon my lips, and his pupils darkened with wanting. As he bent his head, I tingled with anticipation, though I knew I shouldn’t. Nevertheless, as he pressed into me, I gave way to the pleasure of his warmth and the fervency of his mouth against mine. The fusing lasted but a few seconds before he tore himself away.
I longed to gather him back and kiss him again. But with so many people watching us and with the strike of the midnight hour drawing ever nearer, I would have to be satisfied with the brief touch.
