Page 70 of 2 Books in One Bundle
He cast his gaze down the long aisle, where a thick red carpet had been laid over the stone floors. Pillars topped with elaborate white flower arrangements stood proud on either side. Light filtering in from the high windows illuminated them. Slight shadows played on the sculptures attached to the columns that towered all the way up to the vaulted ceiling. Row upon row of people dripping in wealth sat in their finery, waiting for the arrival of the would-be queen.
Vasili ignored all of them. He kept his eyes firmly fixed on the closed doors, standing almost preternaturally still with his hands clasped at his back. His only movement was running his thumb back and forth along the gold accents on the cuff of his jacket. He was decked in full royal regalia. A gold sash sat over his jacket and there was a ceremonial sword at his waist. He felt ridiculous in the uniform. He would never have worn it given the choice, but nothing about what was happening was about choice. He knew he projected the kind of image a king should. Strong and regal. Inside, he wanted that door to open so they could get this wedding over with.
Standing alone meant he had every eye on him. Having someone beside him would have diluted the attention, but he hadn’t wanted anyone to stand with him. The only person who should have had the privilege was dead. And, while he was getting married and ensuring Thalonia’s future, he wanted no one to forget that Leander was gone. One king was dead and he had already been replaced by another. There was a celebration planned, and a coronation would follow the wedding. He found it all repugnant.
This should have been Leander’s wedding, not his. Vasili would have happily stood beside his brother. He was the one groomed for the life of a king. He could almost hear fate’s shrill laugh as he waited for his bride to arrive so he could become the King no one had asked for. But, no matter how much he hated the situation he was in, this was the very reason for which he had been born. A fact he’d had to come to terms with over the last few weeks. He hadn’t seen Helia at all during that time, but she hadn’t been far from his mind.
The image of her pinned beneath him against the door assaulted him frequently. Particularly in his dreams, when he would wake up hard and panting. It was perhaps a mistake to have kept his distance. Andreas had informed him of her progress during her lessons. The older man’s disapproval had leaked into every report, but it had made him smile. Vasili cursed himself now, because he could have used that time to get to know her. See if they had anything in common. Find out what she loved other than books—because he was yet to meet a librarian who didn’t. Truly get to the bottom of why she was martyring herself like this.
Perhaps rebellion was so rooted in him that he had hated what was occurring so much that avoiding Helia had been just another way to rebel against the crown. It was a belated realisation, he knew, because now they were on the verge of getting married and he still wished to bolt from the church.
The doors slowly swung open, and it was officially too late.
How did she feel about him staying away? he wondered. The palace was already full of pretentious snobs—he could only imagine how lonely the past two weeks must have been for her. He regretted his actions now. He should have given her a way to contact him. After all, it was his fault that she was being taken from her comfortable life.
Was she reluctant to go through with this wedding? Was she nervous? Would she walk through those doors at all? Given how he felt towards the throne, he wouldn’t hold it against her if she decided not to show up. He had certainly given her reason not to say yes. No doubt Andreas would quickly take the opportunity to find him a different bride. One who fitted in with his idea of the perfect queen.
He half expected to see the man walk in now, to tell him his bride had left. And for some reason the idea of not seeing those caramel curls or those blue eyes felt like a loss he didn’t want to endure. But then the hum of numerous people getting to their feet sounded through the cathedral and a lone violin played chords that were both beautiful and sorrowful, making the hairs on Vasili’s arms rise.
But it wasn’t the music that stole his breath. It wasn’t the magnificent building with all its rich history. The sole reason he felt as if he was in the crushing depths of the sea, with no air in his lungs, was the woman standing in the doorway. Her curled hair was pulled back, with a few loose tendrils framing her face, catching the filtered light like a corona around her...a divine crown. He didn’t blame anyone for the gasps he heard echo around the chamber. If he’d had any air he might have gasped too.
She stood alone, just like him. A pillar of regal strength. And he felt it then: her eyes latching on to his as she glided down the aisle. Her dress trailed long after her in an ocean of lace, as if she carried the sea wherever she went. A more perfect queen he could not imagine. Vasili hadn’t even known of Helia until just two weeks ago, and now he wondered how a secret like her could ever have been kept in this place.
She was utterly, heartbreakingly beautiful.
He didn’t expect the swift punch of guilt that came next. This stunning woman was an innocent. He knew nothing about her. Perhaps she had a life she loved. Maybe she loved being in that library. And just because she’d happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, he had dragged her into this madness with him. Vasili had thought of her as a secret, and maybe she’d been safer that way. Because the moment he had seen her, he had turned her world upside down. For that there should be no forgiveness. He deserved his punishment of life as the King he didn’t want to be, locked in a loveless marriage he didn’t want, but there was no way Helia deserved that fate. She deserved a life of pure happiness. Especially since back in his office he’d sensed a hardship she didn’t want to talk about.
But he couldn’t stop the wedding. Not now. It would cause unspeakable embarrassment to her, and he just didn’t have it in him to be that cruel.
As Helia drew close, the corner of her mouth kicked up just the tiniest fraction, and he returned her small smile with one of his own. He held out his hand once she was close enough, feeling a current tingle across his palms as her skin made contact with his. He helped her up the small step.
‘Hello, Vasili,’ she whispered as she came to stand in front of him.
He swore he could see relief on her face. Had she been worried that he wouldn’t be here? He supposed he’d given her no reason to trust that he would.
‘Helia.’
He smiled down at her, taking her in. From the tiara on her head to the lace band around her bare arms, to the dress that kissed the ground with her every movement.
Vasili lost the battle of trying not to touch her, grazing his finger along what was hardly a sleeve. He pulled his hand back as the bishop let out an amused chuckle. He barely heard the man speak. All he could concentrate on was Helia. So he took her hands in his, and immediately the calm he had felt in her presence before descended upon him.
It was more than calm. It was as if every ounce of his attention was being drawn to one place. Helia. To that hum between their bodies. To the current travelling along their skin. There was temptation here.
‘Vasili...’ Helia whispered with a tiny smile, urging him to pay attention.
He heard the bishop gently clear his throat.
He was so focused on Helia that he hadn’t even noticed it that the moment in which he would have to promise himself to her was upon them. The moment when he would have to say words he didn’t believe in. He still did not want to be married, but there was no way around this, so with great effort he held his frustration at bay and made his vows.
He slid a large blue gem onto her finger. The French cut blue diamond reflected the light infinitely, like crushed ice, as the two smaller white diamonds on either side twinkled prettily in their platinum setting. The jewel had been in his family for generations, but none of the previous Queens had worn it. All had opted for something far more garish, but he couldn’t think of a better suited choice. Helia was different from all those who had come before her, and that was something worth celebrating.
‘Vasili...’ Helia’s voice rang out sweet and clear. ‘I take you to be my husband, for better, for worse, to love and to cherish. And to stand by you alone, for all of our days.’
He didn’t understand the feeling that overcame him at hearing those added words.
Helia had fire in her and would not bend to the will of others. Not easily at least. Understanding her message, he couldn’t help but smile. She would stand by him alone. Not by Andreas or Carissa or the demands of the crown. She had just announced to all of Thalonia that she intended to be his partner.
You are King now. The crown can be whatever you want it to be.
